V Festival - Hylands Park, Chelmsford, this weekend

[machinist]

I've just won a pair of VIP tickets to this festival
Never won anything before in my life, and never been to a festival before either !

So, I'm looking for tips, advice, on what to take, wear, do, etc.......

Oh yeah, and I also won access to the VIP lounge with free bar !!! How good is that ?

[autopilot]

You lucky git!

I have been to 3 V's but stopped going to V a couple of years ago for various reasons and go to other fests, but the advice is always pretty much the same...

I take it you have will have a VIP wrist band (for CD signing tent etc), not camping in the VIP area, so If you only take one bit of advice when going to V - Spend the extra £30 and beg/borrow/buy/steal a camper van or caravan. I would never EVER camp in a tent at V. It's like the difference between going on holiday in Beruit or, er, somwehere really nice. It's horible, only Reading/Carling is slighly worse.
Failing that, find someone going in a camper van and go with them and camp in the camper van area. Take no notice of the website/tickets - you can camp in the camper van area, we used to have about 4 tents ver van. Then you will have loads of space (it almost tent on top of tent), its cleaner, the toilets are actually usuable and theer is far less theift/muggings/tent slashing/f**cking stupid teenage rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish that cant handle thier beer/drugs. It's a whole differnt world.

Apart from the usual obvious stuff - tent/sleeping bag/air bed/chair - i recommend you put all your milk/water/booze/food in the freezer before you go and take them in a cool bags. They will melt over the days and you will have nice cool food/drinks. Also take some wellies (it only has to rain for 30 seconds for a mud bath) and a bucket. Carry stuff there in it and use it to wash and clean your eating tools. Dont bank on being able to use the shower - i am still trying to foget what i came across in a few - people can be such fooking selfish dirty animals! Take some baby wipes to wash with. Also keep a spare change of cloths or two in the car.

Even if you are lucky enough to have room, Unless its too windy, dont put your tent guide ropes out - people will trip over them (hundreds of times) and land on you tent at night. DO NOT put your tent near the fence, a tree or the bogs. You will get ****ed on and/or find a yellow river going past or in your tent. Being near the toilets is a BAD idea full stop because of the noise all night and smell too. Get there as early as you can. Please, please, please don't light a fire. I just want to punch people towny rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish who light fires at festivals. It's not part of the festival spirit - it ruins the land and it's bloody stupid. I witnessed someone die at glasonbury 6 years ago in a uber cheap tent that was almost 20 feet away from the fire. Tents don't like sparks!

Dont take loads of cash, use the cash points there. Yes, they have a charge and often long ques, but you need to be REALLY security minded, especially at a fest like V. I would also suggest not taking a digital camera (unless you have a van to lock it in) and getting a cheap desposible one.

I'm not trying to put you off or scare you, just being realistic and helpful. Use ya head and you will have an amazing time mate and will be going to other festivals after this one!

Oh yeah, take plenty of pain killers! That free bar will save you about £200,000

Enjoy!

[machinist]

Yikes !
Good advice though, can't wait - reckon camping for 1 night can't be that bad. Will avoid near the toilets though.
Probably gonna arrive there at 9am on the Sat morning, so hopefully that's early enough to get a decent pitch.
Basically, gonna go with stuff I don't care if I lose....

I'll report back on here after the event, and let you know how it went.

[autopilot]

Probably gonna arrive there at 9am on the Sat morning, so hopefully that's early enough to get a decent pitch.

Actaully you might be ok, it's sat -sun at V if i remember. Best to get there eary friday if you can.

[machinist]

no-can-do...gotta be Sat a.m. unfortunately

[Syd]

First time I went to V I had to arrive on Saturday AM and it was ok, that was 1999 so I don't know if it has changed that much, we did set up camp as far away from the stages as possible so although It means more walking, there is far less traffic. I would DEFINATLEY take a torch as when you need to find somewhere to have a wee, or even on the way back to the tent after a heavy day/evening, can be a bit tough to find home!!!!!!

Lock anything you care about in the car, and probably obvious but don't take any glass as you won't get it in (ie no 24 pack bottles of frech beers - i had to empty all 24 of them into a couple of large squash bottles!!!!!)

But most of all have a great time and let us know how you got on!

[Nick F]

I have been to all three main festivals here in the UK and I thought V was the safest in terms of people stealing your stuff.

Just make sure take some beer

[autopilot]

Who do you plan to see BTW? I have not seen the line up this year.

Let us know if you meet any famous people in the VIP too (although i think there is a VIPVIP area too if you know what i mean). Last week at the Big Chill just wondering around I met a couple of eastenders actors and that uber fit bird off 'As If' (was in Suger Rush too) - wearing a naughty PVC nurse outfit

[Knoxville]

Yikes !
Good advice though, can't wait - reckon camping for 1 night can't be that bad. Will avoid near the toilets though.
Probably gonna arrive there at 9am on the Sat morning, so hopefully that's early enough to get a decent pitch.
Basically, gonna go with stuff I don't care if I lose....

I'll report back on here after the event, and let you know how it went.

Camping ain't that bad you should be cool for one night, I always camp at festivals and have yet to have anything sever happen to any of my stuff. You might wanna get there earlier though, I was at the gates for the Download Festival this year at 7.45am and I wasn't the first there then.....

[machinist]

Lineup as follows :

FAITHLESS who will co-headline with Morrissey, Beck, Paul Weller, Keane, Razorlight, Kasabian, The Charlatans, Editors, Fatboy Slim, Groove Armada, The Go! Team, Rufus Wainwright, Bloc Party, Hard Fi, The Ordinary Boys, Starsailor, Girls Aloud, The Beautiful South, The Magic Numbers, Sugababes, We Are Scientists, James Dean Bradfield, Kano, Gomez, Sandi Thom, The Cooper Temple Clause, Mew, The Dears, The Cardigans, Delays, Echo And The Bunnymen, Nerena Pallot, My Morning Jacket, Pipettes, Matisyahu, Bell X1, The Divine Comedy, The Dandy Warhols, Orson, The Feeling, Xavier Rudd, Imogen Heap, Regina Spektor, The Crimea, The Dead 60?s, Kubb, Kula Shaker, Morning Runner, Matt Willis, Richard Hawley, Jamie T, Oceansize, Daniel Powter, Gavin De Graw, Biffy Clyro, The Rifles, Phoenix, Bic Runga, Art Brut, Liam Front and the Slowdown Family, The Saw Doctors, Dogs, The Young Knives, Jim Noir, Rushmore, Lily Allen, Pure Reason Revolution, Mute Math, Boy Least Likely To, Captain, Lorraine, The Upper Room, James Morrison, Paulo Nutini, Butch Walker, Seth Lakeman, Director, The Grates, The Milk Teeth and The Dodgems.

Goes without saying I'm gonna see Faithless. Other definites have to be :
Keane
Razorlight
Groove Armada
Fatboy Slim
Bloc Party
The Charlatans
...just generally looking forward to the whole festival thing tbh, particularly my free VIP bar and smooching with Girls Aloud !

[Dav0s]

ill be at V in staffs

[machinist]

Well, what a weekend
Rain held off both days, access to VIP lounge with free food and drinks (!) and mingling with some minor celebs was the dogs danglies. Saw Dr Who (David Tennant), Jodie Marsh, Lily Allen, and Sir Rich, to name but a few !

Music-wise, I loved - Faithless, Kasabian, The Feeling, Paul Weller, Orson....saw loads of others, but they were the highlights.....oh, and Girls Aloud for sheer entertainment were great fun.

Had no hassles from anyone, no oafs falling in to the tent, nothing stolen.....just great fun, and great entertainment.
Would go again, but not without VIP access - that made it for me

[autopilot]

Cool, saw some highlights on E4 and Kasabian looked great.

[greektony]

I got VIP tickets for the Saturday at Chelmsford last minute as a friend is the guitarist for Jamie T and he managed to blag me some

I thought it was great. I spent to long in the VIP area tho instead of seeing some music....... Radiohead were really good, and it obviously goes without saying, but Jaime T was awesome too

[Syd]

Well, what a weekend
Rain held off both days, access to VIP lounge with free food and drinks (!) and mingling with some minor celebs was the dogs danglies. Saw Dr Who (David Tennant), Jodie Marsh, Lily Allen, and Sir Rich, to name but a few !

Music-wise, I loved - Faithless, Kasabian, The Feeling, Paul Weller, Orson....saw loads of others, but they were the highlights.....oh, and Girls Aloud for sheer entertainment were great fun.

Had no hassles from anyone, no oafs falling in to the tent, nothing stolen.....just great fun, and great entertainment.
Would go again, but not without VIP access - that made it for me

Glad u enjoyed !!!

Want to book tickets for nxt year now!!

[Dav0s]

u watched kasabien over radiohead? oh dear, u missed out big time