Right : so here we go at long last ... It took me quite some time to sort out the mess after arriving back home on Monday evening + upload all the pix from the Wasted festival onto ZMRD server ... Now when all is more or less sorted out, I will do my best to provide some kind of very detailed report. Btw. it will be coming in stages ...
Let me start first with this :
BBC 5-day weather forecast for Morecambe ... JfC ... the bastards shall be sued for this ! The only thing they perhaps got right was the sunrise and sunset ! But on that later.
As for the general information : Program for this year Wasted was this / gigs I have attended are marked ... as for Thursday / my arrival day, well I just settled in the camp and was a tourist for the evening ... so for me the fest really started on Friday.
There was also acoustic stage at the Platform where I ended up in a rather disorganized way during breaks.
I haven't checked the Wasted Punk Fest history in real detail but anyway, the first Wasted festival was held 9 years ago in Blackpool. Morecambe appears to host the fest since 2000. It is a small seaside resort (as moby put it ... for elderly women to spend holiday ...) at Morecambe bay, very close to Lake District.
I got there via Manchester ... from M. airport it is just easy to get there on train (though you have to change 2 - 3 times) ... but anyway, if you have to fly, Manchester airport is better option than any of the London airports.
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson
Re: WASTED Punk Fest @ Morecambe, 19-22 May 2005 « Reply #1 on May 25, 2005, 5:19pm »
So I have arrived to Morecambe on Thursday around 3 pm, went directly to the Tourist Information Centre to collect my weekend pass (btw. really friendly staff there !!! Paul : real pleasure to meet you and thanks for all the friendly chat and advice !!!)
And then off to "PUNK CITY" Campsite @ Trimpell Sports and Social Club .... when I entered the campsite already started to fill with tents so I was looking for a good place to put mine ... I ended up next to a neatly looking circular group of tents .... JfC ... never do this if you happen to camp at a festival .... if there was any source of hell, it was this friendly looking group of tents :
On the first day the only thing I regret is that I didn't take couple of pix in the camp right upon arrival : it was sunny still, and to see punks relax in folding beach chairs was a sight I never will forget !
So anyway, after putting up my small tent in rather strong wind, I set off for a touristic thing ... as I said it was sunny still, warm and well ... after all my holiday at the seaside
I took a long walk along the Promenade, when the sky started to change a bit ...
I got the first shower, then a very strong shower which made me go back to the camp, entirely soaked. It was later in the evening anyway ..... My neighbours organized a disco and played some fine punk music, till c. 3 am ... fair enough, it was a festival after all.
I was warm in the tent, it was still dry inside, and the rain appeared fairly innocent, working on the "off / on" basis ... however during the night it was more "on" than "off" .... I was still amused ... I knew exactly when any of my neighbours went to the loo, for whenever I heard "zip" sound ... "fucking shit" yell directly followed ... I guess, my neighbours did nor embrace rain !
In the morning there were those "sunny spells" (I hate this euphemism) and another neighbour of mine / opposite side of my tent staying in the black van
was playing fine, brutal hard core and metal every morning and in decent volume. He always brightened my morning !
Friday
I was keen to use the shower facility, but since the "female shower" was actually packed with men, and the water was cold anyway, I just abandoned that idea. After all, nothing shall be exaggeratee and too much hygiene may be dangerous !
So I set off to the Morecambe arena area ... The rain was on the on/off system, so I was either walking the music market, or sitting in a pub or just wandering around the arena ... what a diversity around !
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson
Re: WASTED Punk Fest @ Morecambe, 19-22 May 2005 « Reply #2 on May 25, 2005, 5:58pm »
In the early afternoon I spent some time at the Platform acoustic stage, I also bumped at 2 Czechs (there were 4 of them coming for the Wasted from Moravia) and after some chat we split for our desired concerts ... mine was Market Arena stage.
They were excellent !!! And their singer f**** excellent ... she mixed up with the crowd, and for closing their gig she did Iggy Pop' I Wanna Be Your Dog ... Geez, that was by far best cover of Iggy I ever heard !!!
I got their CD, btw, and since Terri was behind the stand, I got it signed by her.
Btw. from the very beginning I noticed that all the musicians mix up with the audience and as a matter of fact, many were around for the whole festival !! Quite impressive ... I bumped at Wattie Buchan in the merchandise area , but he was hurrying backstage so I didnt interfere ... Geez how I regret it But ... I noticed - and that was also impressive - that none of the musicians wandering around was bothered by the audience, so I also respected their privacy ... I also stood very close to Robbie and Davey of the Exploited ... they were wearing Agnostic Front hoodies, but of course, I cannot be cheated when it comes to Exploited / Agnostic Front looks.
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson
Again ... excellent rocking act .... which you can tell just from watching the audience !
Btw. if my visual memory does not fail me, thse two guys in the forefront are related to Resistance 77.
Drongos in action : Btw. that little fellow, the kid in between was invited to sing along with the band ... Who the fuck are you ... LMAO ... we really had lot of fun straight from the beginning !
Geeeeeeez ... on Soulfly boards I think someone grouped them into acts to rouse fucking riot ... they played all their classy stuff ... and fucking riot indeed we got ! ....
I was front line for the rest of this night, and I can tell you, I got my strained comp-effected neck muscles thoroughly massaged ... I dont know how many fellows used my shoulders as the jumping base, but be it as it may, my blocked neck got un-blocked very fast ! ....
This was also the evening when the merry lot poured beer in great abundance ... not before long my hair and clothes were full of it ... and then we got the glue-sprayers ... the glue threads were everywhere, in people's hair, clothes ... Simply,we had fun ! And then the dancers and bumpers and bouncers ....
There was however one disadvantage ... the riot prevented me from taking shots ... I always managed just the start of the gig ... but then, I could concentrate on the music better and join the fun !
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson
This is the band I always wanted to see live ... and yet, when I heard some of ther live CDs I wasnt really impressed ... but still, GBH, ANL, UK SUBS, Exploited were the acts that actually kicked my ass and made me come over to Morecambe.
So how were ANL ? FUCKING GREAT !!!!!!!! They were brilliant from the beginning to the end ... And guess what : I found myself joining in singing ... and I soon realized I knew ALL of the lyrics ... Sick, isnt it ?
After this gig a fellow took pix from behind the barrier of the nuts enjoying the gig in the front ... so I asked him to shoot mine in turn ... I guess you can tell to what extend I enjoyed the day so far ..
I saw this band couple of times before (first time it was back in 1996 at Fuck Reading @ London Astoria I think). They were as good as I expected them to be !!
.
During this gig I think it was a fellow landed upon my head ... but my neck still holds !
And then ... old good EXPLOITED .... you already know I love them ... their Pardubice and Prague gigs less than 3 weeks ago were brilliant, great, exciting fun ... so I will not bother you with this (and again, I joined in singing for I know all of their lyrics ... ) and just add here couple of pix which I took regardless of danger of not minding the rioting neighbours properly:
Btw. that fellowwith pink threads all around him (the "fixer" in forefront) ... this is my ideal kind of hair "design" !
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson
Re: WASTED Punk Fest @ Morecambe, 19-22 May 2005 « Reply #5 on May 25, 2005, 8:01pm »
Saturday
I went to jetty Cafe later in the morning ... there was strong wind blowing, but at least for a moment there was no rain ...
I went for Market Arena again ... The first band to play were Italian LOS FASTIDIOShttp://www.losfastidios.com/ ... Not bad at all for the start olf the day !
Next came STAGE BOTTLES from Germany ...
Coffe break ...
... followed by UK M D M
They were good and as you can see they did attract some attention from the audience.
They really made the place rocking !!! I never heard (of) them before and in result of this gig I actually bought their CD at tha stall.
Btw. there were lots of shake hands between the singer and the audience ... so since he was close to me, I just stepped forward offering my hand ... he just grabbed it and pulled me over to him and I got kissed ... LMAO ... you have to go to a punk event to get this kind of attention !
Btw the "old lady" was rocking like hell for all three days !!!! I couldnt get my eyes out of her ! She was pretty impressive !
After the gig all very just merry ... this chap came to me pointing to his Goldblade t-shirt saying "they are my neighbours" ... so I went :
The next act were 9 9 9http://www.nineninenine.cjb.net/ ... pure punk (or Oi / punk shall I say ? ) ... they were really good !!! At first the whole thing looked rather innocent ... but then came Nasty Nasty... Homicide... and couple of other old tunes and the whole place went fucking crazy !
Next came The SUBHUMANS ... pretty agressive riot rousing (anarcho) punk !!!!!!!
Btw. Pina: this is my kind of haircut !!!!
Right. now and then, everyone needs a pause / piss break.
I remember the band when they started, but it is not exactly my kind of punk ... though she was / they were brilliant and of course, she looks great !!! So ... since there were many men keen to take shot of her, I did my share and stepped back to make space for those in more dare need of pix taking !
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me. Hunter S. Thompson