Wilderness - beats still pumping at gone 1.15am!

Sat 3 Aug 2024, 12:17

Up here at the western edge of The Green, where we have lived for 20 years, the sound levels were quite noticeably louder than ever before. And unlike previous events with wind speed and direction directly carrying sound this time the wind direction was a bit off “ optimal “ to the south.

We were clearly hearing and perceiving the actual words of the announcements and occasional snippets of lyrics which has never happened before and is surprising given that we are over 4-5000 metres from the site because it takes my kids over an hour brisk to walk to site and then get to the stages areas. And my aging ears aren’t what they were only a few years ago last time I was mobile enough before construction and agricultural injuries have conspired to limit my wanderings.

Amplification pre-COVID was quite enough then for the sensorial needs of the attendees and although probably irksome to those living in the “lower “ and southerly part of Town was at a tolerable level up here in the northeast corner and didn’t feel the need to shut windows and also went reasonably quiet. But last night I felt it necessary to shut the windows on a hot stuffy room and was aware of ongoing intrusion until nearly first light. Now I could night-owl for England but in the early hours occasionally my nighttime podcasts were obscured by peaks of sound and that has never happened before! 

What was different last night to prior events? Were the Stages set up in a different place and oriented to a different bearing? Was a decision taken to significantly increase the volume or amplification? And I don’t recall things carrying on at an irritating level into first light before.

So on the give and take for a local community, many of which attend the festival like my wife and kids (and they were there until the wee hours and remarked that it was rather loud on arriving home even so far away up here) this year the organisers seem to have swung too much to their “take “ and I can commiserate with those living in closer proximity to the site until about 4 or 5am.