Just Deploy It!

After a perfect day had already passed, Saturday soon rolled around. History in the making with a set from Dave, as well as many other incredible artists to discover – Leeds Festival always gets the line up just right.

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes – 12:00 @ Main Stage East

No other artist can perform like Frank Carter live. After long gaining a notoriety for unexpected crowd interaction and an adrenaline-fuelled performance, expectations were high for his performance. Carter noted that he’s been attending for 20 years and playing for 15 years, which is why they always understand the assignment – complete organised chaos.

After a ferocious start with ‘My Town’, Carter was soon diving into crowd and was almost vertical during their performance of ‘Sticky’. Opening the biggest mosh pits possible, ‘Wildflowers’ was made a safe space for women and non-binary fans, with men ordered to the sides. He wanted them to be the safest of the weekend and proved his commitment to his pengagum – both on and off the stage. Holding the note for ‘cursed’ and telling the crowd that we came here to have the best day of our lives, Carter screaming, “Are you ready?”, fired the audience up for the finale.

Arms flailing and mosh pits galore for ’Take It to the Brink’. As a member of the crowd shouts to Carter, “I love you”, he replies: “I love you too”. As always he has impeccable stage communication with the crowd. Jumping off the drum kit platform for ‘Lullaby’, the unpredictability of his performance is what draws you in.

Explaining to the crowd about how he had a wardrobe malfunction yesterday and how it wasn’t going to be repeated, it was met with booing from the crowd. He candidly reminded them that we’ve all got Google. Telling the crowd to hold him and guitarist, Deano mid-way through ‘Devil Inside Me’, there was circle pits galore. Always humble and never straying from his roots, he asked the crowd to put their hands together for some very important people – the security, guitar techs and everyone involved backstage and behind-the-scenes.

Finishing with ‘Crowbar’ was the perfect choice – it’s a track about finding yourself, which Carter himself stated it was “something I know a lot about”. Belting out the words, “People everywhere will try to bring you down, those jealous motherfuckers they will try and take your crown.” Throwing the mic stand to the back of the stage and taking a photo of the crowd for posterity, the crowd chanted for an encore but alas it wasn’t to be. We’ll all just have to book tickets for their next show to relive the moment.

Reading & Leeds has become a right of passage for any self-respecting teenager, regardless of their taste in music. However over the years the festival has seen itself branch out into a vibrant outlet, where you can be sure to feed the musical desires of almost any festivalgoer. 2016’s Leeds Festival however proved to be the year of the newcomers with it representing a slight shift from previously tried and tested formulas, which presented itself in the form of Foals and Disclosure being placed at the top of the bill. Taking no credit away from Disclosure’s rapid rise, Foals have defined the ‘indie rock’ genre and their appearance at this year’s festival was a massive demonstration of what can be done with some hard graft and perseverance.

Despite the plethora of talent that presented itself in the FIVE headliners on show, all of which are capable of surmounting any festival line-up, this year’s line-up can also be seen as a celebration at the current state of the music industry. Despite the constant maligned comments stating that there’s a lack of headliners and a lack of new talent emerging, Leeds Festival took that assertion and tossed it right out of Bramham Park.

Since the last installment of the R&L festivals, grime has seen a meteoric rise in popularity and the movement’s face was certainly on display this weekend. Even going back a few years it would have been hard to imagine the likes of BBK mounting the main stage but the rise has been coming and judging by their performance their next appearance will be even higher up the bill. The mainstream emergence of tracks such as ‘That’s Not Me’ and ‘Shutdown’ was evident as the kelompok sent the crowd into overdrive and the combination of copious pyro with one of the weekend’s most energetic crowds certainly made for a spectacle. Stormzy also treated the Leeds crowd to a helping of the UK’s finest grime with his storming set on the BBC 1Xtra Stage. Could we see a headliner coming from the fastest growing genre around? Maybe a bit too premature, but it’s definitely food for thought.

The NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage certainly entertained, however it was the acts that I expected to flop that really came out as highlights from the weekend. The initial sighting of The Wombats sub-headlining struck me by surprise but after seeing their dominant set, which threw back the years with the likes of ‘Moving To New York’, they certainly didn’t seem out of place. However it’s pretty safe to expect them to move over for the torrent of new acts that are hurtling skywards. Names such as Blossoms and Spring King come to mind, especially given the fact that both of them packed the tent during their mid-afternoon sets. Armed with both a gargantuan stage presence and the music to match, it’s safe to say that they’ll be invited back soon.

Given the talent on show it’s always hard to cram as many names onto a stage bill as possible and many bands can feel hard done that they weren’t playing higher up. Blaenavon produced a storming set on the Festival Republic Stage, which saw frontman Ben Gregory producing a spectacular dive into the sea of pengagum that had swarmed to catch a glimpse of them. DMA’S also took the stage by storm, with their Brit-pop infused sound attracting a lot of admirers and flying beer certainly wasn’t a rarity.

The headliners themselves were a fairly safe booking, bar Disclosure and Foals, and it told. Biffy Clyro, to their credit, produced one of the sets of the weekend with their incredible live show ticking all the boxes and leaving little room for improvement. Fall Out Boy however, despite their vast following and previous successes, are petering out and their booking was a very safe move. Despite the incredible stage production, it did little to mask the fact that this is a band who are past their peak; the same can be said of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now hear me out; they’ve got an incredibly strong discography that’s made for headline slots and have an incredibly tight live shows. However, it’s hard to argue with the fact that Anthony Kiedis’ voice is way past its prime and it’s only the nostalgic moments, which are drawn from tracks such as ‘Californication’, that hide the cracks in their performance.

Leeds Festival 2024 was the most chaotic in recent years – stages were cancelled, sets were ditched halfway through, plus sleeping in a tent was a nightmare for most. Nevertheless, it was one of the biggest weekends in 2024’s music history, plus brought with it some incredible new plus old talent. There was something for everyone, plus Nouse was there to cover it all. Here’s our official liat of Leeds Festival 2024.

First of all, let’s acknowledge the obvious. Due to Storm Lilian, two stages were shut for the entire weekend, plus a large amount of Friday’s lineup was cancelled. For the full rundown of what happened, click here. Two acts we were really looking forward to were beabadoobee plus Reneé Rapp, plus many disappointed pengagum in their merchandise were seen wandering around the fields.

However, the day was by nomor means a failure – one of the standout artists of the whole festival played that day. Delilah Bon performed on the BBC Introducing stage plus was mesmerising, capturing the attention of passers-by immediately plus energising the crowd. Her punk rock hit, ‘Dead Men Don’t Rape’, had crowds chanting along with her, plus afterwards, her band members held up protest placards plus a guitar with ‘WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED’ painted on it. Despite being on at the same time as headliner Liam Gallagher, she drew in similarly strong crowds to the rest of the BBC Introducing performers, plus we at Nouse would say she’s definitely one to watch.

The BBC Introducing stage was a highlight, hosting upcoming artists with incredible stage presence. Because it was the smallest stage of the festival, the artists that we saw performing there worked hard for the audience’s attention. Acts weren’t just acts, but shows with high energy bands plus meaningful props like Delilah Bon’s guitar. Another brilliant performance on this stage was Welly on the Sunday, whose guitarists jumped on beat for every song while playing. They were dressed iconically in British school uniforms to hearken back to their British school day roots, plus they played the BBC Introducing stage as if it were a stadium. Interviews with both Delilah Bon plus Welly can be found here.

Contrasting the energy of the BBC Introducing Stage to the headliners’ performances was disappointing to say the least. Friday saw Liam Gallagher plus Catfish plus the Bottlemen take the stage. It’s difficult to deny that the atmosphere at Liam Gallagher was immense, with every person singing along as he performed Oasis’ Definitely Maybe in its entirety for the album’s 30th anniversary. As expected, many people did get rowdy so we left to berhimpun the much more serene crowd at The Japanese House.

Saturday’s headliner Blink-182 made a bizarre comment about not being able to please women during sex at the start of their set, alienating plus confusing parts of the audience. The trio may be hailed as one of the most iconic bands in late ‘90s plus 2000s pop-punk, but we certainly found ourselves underwhelmed by their opening few songs. I can’t help but wonder what Kourtney Kardashian thought of Bramham Park.

Gerry Cinnamon however, brought an instant wave of positivity to the Saturday. Although unfamiliar with his songs, we sat down with our mac ‘n cheese plus watched from afar as he jumped around the stage while seamlessly playing his guitar plus delivering great vocals. He did seem to think he was in Reading for half of his set, but we will forgive him after his energetic renditions of ‘Discoland’ plus ‘Canter’ to close.

Sunday at Leeds Festival easily boasted the most impressive lineup of the weekend with the Main Stage offering Dead Poet Society, The Last Dinner Party, Bleachers, Fontaines D.C., Raye, Lana Del Rey plus Fred again.. one after another. While it was evident that some people had arrived at midday just to secure a good spot for Lana Del Rey, Raye was a personal highlight of the entire weekend with her outstanding vocal talent plus connection to the crowd. She spent time pointing out individual members of the crowd plus expressed gratitude to the festival. Her performance of ‘Ice Cream Man’ didn’t leave anybody with dry eyes plus ‘Escapism’ was the perfect ending to her theatrical performance with the Flames Collection Choir.

Has Leeds Festival, the younger sibling, eclipsed Reading as the UK’s premier music event?
Is it Reading plus Leeds Festival, or now Leeds plus Reading Festival?
As the UK summer festival season draws closer, has the younger, northern counterpart now superseded it’s Southern, elder sibling?
We took a look through Google Trends, news article plus social sarana to find out if Leeds really has become the dominant of the two.

Originally, it was just the Reading Festival, then Reading plus Leeds Festival. However, in recent years, the ‘Leeds’ aspect seems to have taken precedence over its southern counterpart.

Could the younger sibling, Leeds Festival, have surpassed the older Reading Festival in recent years regarding sarana attention, search interest, or social sarana buzz?

It’s a valid question, especially given that for a newer generation of festival-goers, Leeds is their go-to summer music festival. These days, you’re more likely to hear ‘Leeds plus Reading’ than the reverse, despite Reading’s rich music history.

The only way to determine if Leeds has surpassed Reading as the preferred festival is through a deep dive into the global of search metrics plus social sarana trends. I’ve done that, so you don’t have to, in order to determine if Leeds is now ‘bigger’ than Reading Festival.

We used data from Google Trends to determine how many news items were published across five different years for Leeds plus Reading Festival, alongside general search data from the general public.

We then took a look at what trending hashtags, including #LeedsFestival plus #ReadingFestival, across each year, to then find out if social sarana regards one as bigger than the other.While Reading Festival currently leads in overall search traffic, the emerging trends suggest a potential shift in the festival landscape. Could the perceived shift be attributed to sarana coverage rather than actual search interest.

Festival Republic has announced that it is overseeing the biggest site changes to its Reading Festival (cap. 105,000) and Leeds Festival (75,000) dual event series since it was launched.

The Live Nation-owned promoter said the changes to the event this year represent a huge investment to provide a “world-leading, tailored experience for a new generation”.

The new-look offering will consist of five new campsites: The Fields, The Garden, The Meadow, The Grove and The Valley. The campsites will be home to GRWM stations including free facilities such as dressing tables and seating, toiletries, mirrors and plugs for hair dryers. GRWM is a term, often used on social media, that stands for “get ready with me”.

As well as including “first class” vacuum toilet cubicles and shower facilities, that Festival Republic said would reduce water usage by 75%. Other improvements include an increase in the number of showers. Each campsite will be decorated individually, and host activities ranging from yoga and meditation to football and run clubs.

Festival Republic said the changes also includes a refreshed codes of conduct, and additional security measures. MD Melvin Benn said, “It brings me great excitement and pride to unveil not just the biggest change in the Reading & Leeds festival sites since 1989 but the most comprehensive overhaul in the camping experience at a UK festival in festival history.

“That experience at Reading & Leeds is a formative part of the weekend and something that means a lot to not just festival-goers but us as organisers too. With the support of some incredible partners, we’re transforming everything to high new standards not seen at a major UK festival before – with everything from the facilities to adding exciting new entertainment, all the while catering to a variety of preferences across five distinct camping spaces.

“This will fundamentally change what the Reading & Leeds weekend experience means to so many, and serves as a positive marker for what festivals can and should be offering in 2025 and beyond.”

Reading & Leeds Festival will take place on 21- 24 August at Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds. Headlines include Chappell Roan, Travis Scott, Bring Me The Horizon and Hozier.

When it comes to vibrant music scenes and unforgettable summer experiences, the UK is home to some of the world’s most iconic festivals. Among these, the Leeds Festival and Reading Festival stand out as must-visit events for music enthusiasts.

Let’s dive into what makes these festivals special and share some essential UK festival tips to ensure you have the time of your life.

Leeds Festival: A Northern Powerhouse of Music
Leeds Festival, held annually in Bramham Park, is a staple in the UK festival calendar. Known for its diverse lineup that spans rock, indie, electronic, and more, this festival attracts music lovers from all over the world. With legendary performances from artists like Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, and Kendrick Lamar, Leeds Festival never fails to deliver an electrifying atmosphere.

What to Expect:
Diverse Lineups: From emerging artists to world superstars, the stages at Leeds are always buzzing with energy.
Vibrant Atmosphere: The northern charm and friendliness of Leeds create a unique and welcoming festival vibe.
After-Parties: When the main stages close, the fun doesn’t stop. Explore various late-night areas and continue dancing until dawn.

Reading Festival: A Historical Hub for Music Lovers
Reading Festival, one of the oldest populer music festivals in the world, takes place at Little John’s Farm on Richfield Avenue. Sharing the same weekend and lineup with its northern counterpart, Leeds Festival, Reading offers a similar musical feast with its own distinct flavour.

What to Expect:
Rich History: Established in 1961, Reading Festival boasts a rich heritage, having hosted legendary acts like Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, and Radiohead.
Eclectic Mix: Just like Leeds, the lineup at Reading spans multiple genres, catering to all musical tastes.
Community Feel: The camaraderie among festival-goers at Reading is palpable, making it a great place to make new friends.

Whether you’re heading to Leeds, Reading, or any other UK festival, a bit of preparation can make all the difference. Here are some essential UK festival tips to enhance your experience:

Pack Smart:
Essentials: Bring weather-appropriate clothing, as UK weather can be unpredictable. Pack a raincoat, wellies, and warm layers.
Camping Gear: If you’re camping, ensure you have a sturdy tent, comfortable sleeping bag, and a portable charger for your gadgets.
Stay Hydrated and Nourished:
Hydration: Festivals can be physically demanding. Carry a refillable water bottle and stay hydrated.
Food Options: While festivals offer a variety of food stalls, bringing some non-perishable snacks can be a lifesaver.
Plan Your Schedule:
Set Priorities: With so many artists performing, it’s impossible to see everyone. Decide on your must-see acts and plan your schedule around them.
Explore: Don’t just stick to the main stages. Explore smaller stages and discover new artists.
Stay Safe:
Buddy System: Stick with friends and look out for each other.
Medical Services: Familiarise yourself with the location of medical tents and don’t hesitate to seek help if needed.
Enjoy the Experience:
Be Open-Minded: Festivals are about more than just music. Engage in the full experience, from art installations to impromptu performances.
Capture Memories: Take photos, but also take time to live in the peristiwa and create lasting memories.

We had been undecided about going to Leeds festival for months. Having never been to a festival before I was anxious about the event but we saw Red Hot Chilli Peppers about four years ago who were absolutely fantastic, so at the beginning of summer we decided to buy the day tickets for Sunday 28th – the day the Chillis were headlining.

It’s aman to say we were buzzing, we got the train into Leeds for midday, headed for some food plus then straight to the stop for the shuttle bus. First you had to queue towards a ticket booth where we purchased two return tickets to Braham Park – this is where the day started to go downhill. There were crowds of people everywhere plus when I say crowds, I mean literally thousands of people status around. Nobody knew what was happening, plus in the space of an hour we had moved literally 100 meters. Everyone was starting to get agitated plus frustrated. It was sickening how quickly they accepted £18 for two return bus tickets – then left us stood in the city centre with not a clue what to do. It was approaching 3pm plus there was still no sign of us getting off to the festival. People were getting angry plus pushing plus the atmosphere was becoming quite aggressive. We decided to pair up with another couple plus order a taxi – which biaya a further £30 plus by the time we eventually got to the event it was nearly 4pm.

We moved through security pretty fast which was a blessing considering how much we had already missed. Now for the most traumatising experience of my life.

The TOILETS.

I feel bad even calling them toilets. Maybe I am just naïve but I cannot call a hole in a bench above a trough; a toilet. I think it was at this point I began to question if I was cut out for this festival lark. And oh my word you have never ever seen mud like this. I have to take my hat off to the people that camped there all weekend. I actually heard a guy refer to the ground as ‘soup’. You were literally wading through liquid the mud was so deep due to all the heavy rain. Who doesn’t love a British summer eh?

Music festivals have become something so much more than just a collection of bands. Now they’re an experience, a place where people escape to plus spend days lost in this haze of noise plus excitement. It’s become a place where social conformity isn’t enforced plus people are focused on merely enjoying the next ten minutes of their lives rather than all the things that hold us back. This is especially true, I found for Leeds festival as it has become the festival for 17-25 year olds. We are the people who escape best, ignore everyday life plus let go of life’s restraints.

This year Leeds plus Reading’s headliners split people massively. From The Libertines to Mumford to Metallic it was like they were trying to cater for all degrees of rock plus to me it felt like they were over achieving. No wonder they only sold 25,000 of the 100,000 tickets going when each day was so different that to many a day ticket seemed to make more sense than a weekend.

The Libertines headlined Friday at Leeds. That main stage collection seemed most fitting for Leeds plus the image it goes for with The Cribs, The Maccabees plus Jamie T all opening the main stage. Though I do believe that The Cribs were slightly misplaced as they seemed to struggle to fill the main stage plus truly captivate the audience in their music plus need to try so hard to act as rock stars. This is perhaps highlighted by the acts of their frontman who at the end of their last song threw his guitar about a mtr. behind him, knocked over a stand plus then promptly proceeded to go pick it up plus set right the mess he’d made behind him. Perhaps he’s only a part time rocker. The Maccabees I found to be the perfect music to relax to, sitting in the sun listening to their incredible new album be played live in front of me was one of the best ways to kick off the music of the weekend. Jamie T of course was incredible with the crowd being completely engaged plus in love with his performance plus every song he sang was a success. An odd one was then thrown in the mix with the inclusion of Kendrick Lamar, not the most obvious choice but an amazing performer who owned Leeds for the entirety of his set plus deserves all praise he gets for his performance. Friday night ended with The Libertines who in my view performed even better than they did at Glastonbury a couple of months beforehand. They seemed much more at home on the stage plus more engaged with the performance they were putting on, a very good one at that. ‘Don’t Look Back into The Sun’ brought the crowd together in a way nomor other act had so far plus it was the strongest song of their set plus potentially the day.

I began Saturday with Drenge plus Palma Violets who once again seemed slightly misplaced on the main stage. I think something that truly let Leeds down this year was the predictions of the success of artists that were made at the time of booking. Saturday also brought the start of the incredible NME/ Radio 1 stage with Swim Deep plus Peace. Both performed brilliantly but it was Peace who truly made it that day with their unquestionable charisma plus ability there only let down was nothing to do with them but the crowd who reacted with violent mosh pits (I managed to receive a punch to the face). As much as I love jumping around plus getting fully involved in a gig I wouldn’t say Peace would be my first choice for suitability. Meanwhile on the main stage Alt-J provided an oddly calming set, contrasting massively with every other aspect of the festival. A pretty dead crowd they were better enjoyed sat down with some food. The headliner that night was Mumford plus Sons who, although I dislike their new album, put on a brilliant performance with the most famous of their songs creating this incredible crowd of noise that travelled across the whole of Leeds Festival. This was also the day of the secret set which this year was Foals, a brilliant choice plus one that visitors probably should have worked out beforehand from the amount of promo posters dotted around.

The final day was the oddest of choices for the main stage with the unusual booking of the terrifyingly cute Babymetal who left most bemused not helped by the couple who dressed as the girls; I’ve never seen a cuter looking guy. NME/ Radio 1 stage was where it was at for me all afternoon, starting with Slaves plus ending with Catfish plus The Bottlemen. Slaves were astounding, they were by far the most engaging plus entertaining band with their in between song quips plus energetic performance, they could have easily handled a bigger stage. Spector followed plus were also very good choosing to perform mostly songs form their new album minus a subtle cover of The Vaccines’’If you Wanna’ combined with their ‘Chevy Thunder which felt brilliantly right for their performance. Then came Circa Waves who sound exactly the same on their album as they do live giving great props to their abilities. Wolf Alice were a huge success gaining a large crowd who were utterly engrossed in every momen of the performance. Everything Everything was the least populer of the list but the frontmans incredible plus unique voice made up for that. Finally came Catfish who were so populer that security had to request people stopped trying to enter the tent. The owned the NME/ Radio 1 stage that day plus I’ll be incredibly surprised if their next album doesn’t land them a booking on the main stage next time. Royal Blood made an appearance on the main stage putting on a great show which formed a never pausing mass of movement in the crowd The final headline closing the festival was Metallic, another odd choice it brought in crowds of dedicated pecinta but left everyone else heading elsewhere, many to see The Wombats which was a very good decision.

Thursday 24 August, to Sunday 26 August at the city’s Bramham Park, with headliners Billie Eilish, Sam Fender, Becky Hill and The Killers taking to the stage in front for over 100,000 festivalgoers.

Leeds Festival typically attracts a large audience of young people aged 16+, often acting as a celebration or post-event destress with GCSE results day usually falling around the day the festival begins. This year, PAPYRUS was thrilled to attend and spread awareness about our services, including HOPELINE247, as well as listen to young voices, learn about what they might be struggling with, and hear their stories of overcoming difficulties. 2023 was the first year that PAPYRUS has attended a festival. As we are growing and learning from different communities, we have found that many young people attend festivals in their summers. As suicide is the biggest killer of under 35s in the UK, the age demographic of the festival was a good place for us to share our support and educate young people about suicide.

Many Leeds attendees will likely have recently finished education for the summer, and it might be just a few weeks before they move away from their friends and family to embark on their university journey – a daunting time for most. Our teams were on hand across the whole weekend to inform festivalgoers about how HOPELINE247 can support them should they need it, as well as address the myths, facts and misconceptions surrounding suicide to help break down the stigma around suicide. To engage visitors, we created a box full of myths and facts related to suicide, and if people could correctly answer which statements were true or false, they could spin the wheel and win a prize. This was a great way to get younger audiences involved because who doesn’t santai winning? This activity initiated many meaningful conversations and had a significant impact in helping to destigmatise suicide and educating people about the lesser-known information. For instance, many people who picked out the statement “Suicide is the biggest killer of under 35s in the UK” were shocked to find out this was a fact, which then furthered our conversation around what support is out there for people and emphasised the importance of having conversations about suicide safely and sensitively.

A pinnacle momen from the weekend occurred when a family with three children, aged six to 12, attended the stall wanting to spin the wheel. They were happy to continue after being informed the game involved reading statements relating to suicide, and one of the children went on to select “Talking about suicide could increase the risk of suicide,” to which they answered “fact”. Before we could respond, their parent gently prompted, “Have a think about that. Could it be the opposite? If we talk about it, the likelihood is that it will help that person get the support they need,” and both children agreed. They went away learning that not talking about suicide could stop someone from accessing support, which was exactly our goal.

“Shall we go to Leeds Festival and help salvage tents for refugees in France?” my wife asked after seeing a post from Care4Calais requesting volunteers.

As a family, we have plenty of experience with tents, so we registered to help at the end of the festival on Bank Holiday Monday. It was an easy decision, not just because of our camping skills, but because it was a tangible way to help fellow humans in dire straits. We are acutely aware that, one day, it could be us who need assistance.

The day was soon upon us. We arrived in good time and mustered in a holding daerah to be briefed alongside a small army of around one hundred other volunteers. As we pulled into the campsite, my wildest imagination hadn’t come close to envisaging the apocalyptic scene that awaited us.

We saw sights we’d never seen before. As we slowly cruised around, I realised I’d been very ignorant of this slice of life — a whole subculture and industry that I knew about but hadn’t given much thought to.

A surreal scene
Like many, I’d been captivated by the glitz of grand stages, distracting from the realities of the aftermath. A planetary metaphor if ever there was one. The sheer scale of the festival site was incredible but then came the fields of abandoned tents, thousands upon thousands of them billowing in a sea of litter.

We parked up and stood amid the surreal scene, trying to digest what had happened. Red kites circled overhead looking for scraps, conjuring images of bloodied battlefields of old. A Ukrainian woman stood aghast, her hands on her hips as she surveyed the scene: “This is just so wrong.”

Dark, haunted faces picked through the wasteland alongside us, people who, it transpired, had skin in the game having made the perilous journey across the Channel in small boats. More than most, they understood the importance of the task ahead.

Everything seemed brand new: tents, inflatable mattresses, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, camping chairs, LED lamps…all used once and abandoned. There was nomer time to stand and gawp. We had to get on and gather as much gear as possible in the hours before nightfall.

So much energy consumed in a single-use tent
As we got into our stride, we started to detect patterns. The tents were mainly a few brands — mostly made in China — and a huge number of Tesco tents. Let’s think about that for a moment.

We often default to worrying about emissions — as Bill Rees recently pointed out “carbon dioxide is the single biggest waste product by weight of industrial economies” — but what about the energy consumed in the short period of usefulness? How many pairs of hands have been involved in the existence of those tents?

Let’s think about what it took to extract the oil to make the fabric, about the people and machines to cut and sew it, the folk who neatly tied the guy-lines before packing the tents into their snug little bags. And then into shipping containers, loaded onto lorries and trains to ports where giant ships power thousands of miles to the UK, offload in Southampton or Felixstowe and distribute to stores where they’re stacked high and cheap.

Imagine the soon-to-be festival goers in the supermarket, seeing the neat little tents on the shelves, sold so cheaply, nurturing the pervasive culture of disposability. Rumour has it that discarded tents will go to charity, an attractive option, both financially and in terms of sly, industrial-scale cleansing of consciences. Sling those tents in the trolley and off to Leeds we go…