Article by Zena Gardner – 23/02/10

Following on from the Reading Focus Group Meeting in February 2010, here are the outcomes from everyone’s questions that the Group raised.

General

When are tickets going on sale? Are they going to be more expensive then last year?

This is to be decided by the end of this week, hopefully will be the end of March. We are trying to not raise the ticket price this year.

Will more be done to prevent See Tickets from crashing when they do go on sale?

Yes, talks will be had with See Tickets to make the process easier, and also to ensure tickets are sent out earlier this year.

Would the line-up ever be released earlier than the tickets go on sale?

No, this way it is the fans of the festival itself that buy tickets first rather than the fans of certain bands. If there was time between the two there would be even higher demand for tickets when they went on sale.

Will Reading ever use a Glastonbury style ticket system? Is using this for the free RATM gig a trial run for this happening at Reading in the future?

Rage is a good indicator to see if it will work, if so, it could be possible for next year.

Will over 18 wristbands be accepted across the whole site? Many found they were still asked for ID even with the wristbands and campsite security did not accept them as a form of ID.

Security in the campsites will be briefed better about the wristbands. If someone does look noticeably underage and is wearing a wristband, for licensing reasons bar staff still need to see ID. This would only apply to a very small percentage of people.

Is there any way the lockers could be moved closer to the arena?

Yes, this was a good idea and can be done.

If the capacity is increasing, is the site going to as well?

Capacity is increasing by 3.5k, and the site will increase marginally also. It shouldn’t make a noticeable difference.

What are the chances of having more freebies from sponsors? The “Rowntree Randoms” were a hit last year.

Melvin was amused by this as he tries hard not to have festival goers bombarded with brands. The group proclaimed however that freebies of the edible kind were always good, so it was decided that it could be looked into.

Would Reading and Leeds ever have a third site here or in another country?

Melvin has tried it in Glasgow and it was not a success. Also the logistics of bands playing 3 days in a row would make this unlikely to ever happen.

Bitter as well as lager?

We will look into placing a small Bitter Tent somewhere in the arena.

Security

The trouble on Sunday night seems to be getting worse and worse, is anything going to be done to stop it?

Campfires will be completely banned after 8pm on the Sunday night.
No alcohol will be allowed to be brought on to site after 5pm (this is when Tesco closes).
During the day there will be a limit to one crate per person being brought onto the site.
Anyone that leaves the site after 6pm will need get a hand stamp. Only those that have a wristband plus a stamp will be let back in. This will prevent people who leave early selling their wristbands on. There will be more security throughout the whole weekend.

Will more serious punishments be put in place for those that do cause trouble?

Melvin has been in talks with the police on how to stop the trouble. The conclusion was that the police will be more vigilant in arresting/charging those that cause it, this will hopefully be a deterrent. (note by Zee – The introduction of a Glastonbury Style Ticket System will also make enforcing any future bans easier and more successful)

Is there anyway to stop day ticket holders from entering the campsites? Specifically on the Sunday night?

This would involve having a separate entrance/exit and wouldn’t be worth it in the long run, as generally most day ticket holders are older and just there for the bands, and judging by the police report are rarely the ones causing trouble.

Bands/Stages

How are bands chosen for the festival?

Neil and Melvin choose the headliners, and Neil does the rest.
It is also dependant on whether bands want to play, their touring schedules, the money they are asking for, or any combination of the above.

Is there a large rivalry with Download and Sonisphere? Does their heavier line-ups mean Reading is going to turn to more of an indie festival?

There is a fierce rivalry with Download and Sonisphere. Reading will definitely never be an indie festival. Last year was more of a radio friendly year but this time it will be going back to its old way. Reading has always been the best and this shall continue.

Would it ever be possible to have three days of the Lock up Stage rather than two?

This was an interesting idea, although it was decided it wouldn’t go down well to get rid of the Dance Stage altogether. A suggestion was made that the Lock Up stage could be for the whole weekend and the Dance Stage moved elsewhere for one day. The only argument against this was that there are only so many bands that can play Lock Up and after a few years it could become a bit stale.

Campsites

Are gas canisters going to be banned again?

Yes. Although this wasn’t 100% better, there was definitely an improvement. There are plans to stock environmental ones on site that don’t explode.

Can there be more signs for first aid etc around the campsites? Could there also be notice boards to inform everyone if there are changes to the line-up and with any other information that might prove useful?

LED screens are going to be put in place around the site that will give information on changes to band times etc. There will be an information tent within the arena this year as well.

Will campfires be banned either at all or on the Sunday night?

Answered in previous question, yes after 8pm.

Arena

Would it be possible to have more entertainment in the arena after the bands finish? Perhaps the silent disco being there instead of in the campsites?

The Silent Disco used to be in the arena, but it didn’t work as there wasn’t enough time to get it ready after the bands finished. There are issues with sound being so close to residents, but it will be looked into to see if it’s possible to have more entertainment at night.

Is the NME/Radio 1 tent going to stay in the same location as 2009?

Everyone agreed this was a success and it will remain in the same position.

If the capacity is increasing, does this mean there will be more toilets and bars in the arena?

The capacity increase shouldn’t be noticeable, but more toilets can be added but is unlikely that more bars will be.

The queuing system for the toilets seemed to fail when it was busier in the evening, especially the ‘Ladies’ next to the main stage. Would it be possible to implement a different ‘in and out’ system?

Overall the toilets were considered a success this year apart from the one block house left due to the in/out system. This is going to be changed. Refilling of the anti-bacterial handwash will be more frequent.

Misc

Is there any possibility of a forum member loyalty scheme, especially for the admins and mods like Sonisphere and Download do? Perhaps a link to pre-sale tickets?

Yes, Helen and Jen are going to look into how to do this.

Would Melvin or Neil ever write a blog for the forums?

Unlikely, but can be looked into.

Additional Points

The time that HMV tickets go on sale was discussed as the general opinion was that it didn’t work last year. A different option is going to be discussed.

There will be wheelbarrows this year to help people with their belongings. More info tbc.

Next year if there is the facility for the meeting to be recorded as a podcast, as long as a quieter location could be found, it can be.

There will definitely be more early entry tickets; they will all go on sale at the same time this year rather than later on.
There will be early entry coaches too.

The BFG (Better Festival Group) was discussed, with the possibility of coming back in a different location and capacity, perhaps part of the Information Tent team.

A suggestion of plastic bottles being available for those to decant from glass at the arena entrance, Melvin suggested paper cups being an option but not plastic bottles.

Issues with security being heavy handed were mentioned. Noel and Nicky suggested each Zone Manager has a complaint book that people could go to and report any security guards they felt were behaving inappropriately, as it was much easier to keep tabs on them and act immediately than after the festival was over.

The group preferred the old style Comedy Stage rather than the new Alternative Stage. It is too late to make a change this year, but the idea will be approached for next year’s festival.