# Massive Attack @ The Downs



## wiskey (Sep 1, 2016)

This Saturday in Bristol ... Their Queens Square gig in 2003 was one of my first forays to Bristol and a great day out with the Brizzle urbanites 

Tickets for Saturday sold out in a morning but seem to be floating around if you look hard enough. 

Not sure the weather is going to be fantastic but I'm going to head up in the evening  

Anyone else going? 

http://m.bristolpost.co.uk/stage-ti...wns-festival/story-29649837-detail/story.html


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## big eejit (Sep 2, 2016)

Not going but heard their sound checks all over Bristol today.


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## shambler (Sep 3, 2016)

Seem to be loads of tickets about that I can't afford. I'll be heading on down anyway to see what happens  Normally manage somehow.

Must be more urbs going. Pint?


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## fizzerbird (Sep 3, 2016)

great memories of 2003...have photos too but on my way to work so will have to wait...


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## wiskey (Sep 3, 2016)

All the tickets I've seen have been for face value or less. 

And there was plenty of work going if you couldn't afford it.... If you organised yourself.


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## wiskey (Sep 3, 2016)

fizzerbird said:


> great memories of 2003...have photos too but on my way to work so will have to wait...


Have a good shift... We will sing for you x


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## two sheds (Sep 4, 2016)

shambler said:


> Seem to be loads of tickets about that I can't afford. I'll be heading on down anyway to see what happens  Normally manage somehow.
> 
> Must be more urbs going. Pint?



that wasn't the one i went to was later with a pleasant stroll back through brissle of a night kalidarkone  ?


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## wiskey (Sep 4, 2016)

two sheds said:


> that wasn't the one i went to was later with a pleasant stroll back through brissle of a night kalidarkone  ?



We went in 2003. Queens Sq. 

I went tonight (and saw Kali  ) 

I was distinctly unimpressed. Mostly with the weather but also the organisation, particularly the accessible/disabled access and the ridiculous, unbelievable _queues_ for everything  

The shuttle bus to Long Ashton worked a treat both ways though.


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## two sheds (Sep 4, 2016)

The one we went to was stunning, loved it.


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## kalidarkone (Sep 4, 2016)

I volunteered as a steward, which was fun, but after 8 hours on my feet and being soaked, I just wanted a stiff drink and some food, I was unable to get either unless I queued for an hour- so I left- before massive played!!
Admittedly I'd done 5 x 12.5 hour shifts in 6 days previously in my proper job- so did not really have the energy or enthusiasm to stay. Feel a bit sad about that 

Did not like that you could not bring food or drink in.


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## kalidarkone (Sep 4, 2016)

wiskey said:


> We went in 2003. Queens Sq.
> 
> I went tonight (and saw Kali  )
> 
> ...


Yeah I feel the same, I think also that timing for the amount of scanners on the gate needed to be adjusted as people came alot later then expected due to the weather.


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## kalidarkone (Sep 4, 2016)

two sheds said:


> that wasn't the one i went to was later with a pleasant stroll back through brissle of a night kalidarkone  ?


No hun, you are thinking of Ashton Court community festival


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## two sheds (Sep 4, 2016)

kalidarkone said:


> No hun, you are thinking of Ashton Court community festival



Aha yes.  lovely it was. I thought 2003 were a bit early.


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## Geri (Sep 4, 2016)

kalidarkone said:


> I volunteered as a steward, which was fun, but after 8 hours on my feet and being soaked, I just wanted a stiff drink and some food, I was unable to get either unless I queued for an hour- so I left- before massive played!!
> Admittedly I'd done 5 x 12.5 hour shifts in 6 days previously in my proper job- so did not really have the energy or enthusiasm to stay. Feel a bit sad about that
> 
> Did not like that you could not bring food or drink in.


 
So what was the payment for stewarding? Just free entry?


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## kalidarkone (Sep 4, 2016)

Geri said:


> So what was the payment for stewarding? Just free entry?


Yes and £20 towards a charity of my choice, but in retrospect, very cheap labour, ensuring more profit for the organisers.


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## kalidarkone (Sep 4, 2016)

Oh and a sandwich, crisps, fruit, tea.


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## Geri (Sep 4, 2016)

kalidarkone said:


> Yes and £20 towards a charity of my choice, but in retrospect, very cheap labour, ensuring more profit for the organisers.


 
That's very crafty, as they can claim they donated X amount of money to charity.


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## kalidarkone (Sep 4, 2016)

Geri said:


> That's very crafty, as they can claim they donated X amount of money to charity.


Well I guess that would be £1400 but split between up to 70 different charities.  Yeah not sure about my cause uk- thats the steward organisation. I guess if you really want to go to an event and can't afford it, then it's ok. To be fair I could have done a bank shift at work, stayed dry, taken my own food but been £ 100 better off.


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## kalidarkone (Sep 4, 2016)

If it had been hot and and sunny or dry at least it would have been worth it!!


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## wiskey (Sep 4, 2016)

kalidarkone said:


> Well I guess that would be £1400 but split between up to 70 different charities.  Yeah not sure about my cause uk- thats the steward organisation. I guess if you really want to go to an event and can't afford it, then it's ok. To be fair I could have done a bank shift at work, stayed dry, taken my own food but been £ 100 better off.



MyCause will donate the money that it said it will, which is a percentage of the money it's paid by the gig for your time. You volunteer your time in exchange for a ticket it - which had the weather not been diabolical might have been worth £37 to you. They take running costs but afaik they are some sort of social enterprise. It's pretty much the same as Oxfam stewarding except you choose the charity - and different from Green Stewards who simply pocket all your wages.

But yes, the only people who benefit from volunteers at festivals is the festival, not the volunteer companies or particularly the people who spend 8hrs working.


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## kalidarkone (Sep 4, 2016)

Yeah Im not bitter- as obviously the weather is not down to them and I chose to do it - I probably shouldn't have because of my screwed energy levels- but thats my problem. I'm just being cynical as I know nothing about Mycause uk - so interesting to hear a little about them relative to other stewarding organisations -from a seasoned steward


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## fucthest8 (Sep 5, 2016)

We turned up quite late, on purpose, due the weather and all I _really _cared about was seeing Massive Attack. Spent a pleasant afternoon in the pubs of Bedminster instead 

Queued for an age for booze, but bought loads so that we didn't have to go back. Exited the booze queue in time for the last two of the Bobby Gillespie show (fucking crack a smile mate) then stood around chatting shite until Massive Attack showed up. Who were fantastic. (Sound quality was _amazing_ too). I mean it, I thought it was a fantastic, fantastic set.

Leaving was horrible mind, that last downpour was _really_ unpleasant. We somehow managed to bag a taxi (or was he?) that took 7 of us back to the B&B and then actually came back for the last 3 of us. (I wasn't convinced he would).

Still not convinced he was really a cabbie though. Not that we cared and there was enough of us spread the cost so that it was worth it. 

I had a brilliant time. Oh and we waved at dervish a _lot_ but he didn't see us and we couldn't get to him


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## bendeus (Sep 5, 2016)

Thought organisation was pretty shitty. Queues were unacceptable both at bar (because mobile app functionality for ordering pints and avoiding long waits at the bar died a death, apparently due to massive server overload from the entire crowd basically arriving between 5 and 7 due to the rain) and bogs (just not enough of them).

Thought Primal Scream were pretty fucking good actually (smilefail aside). Sound and lighting were spot on, and was that the Other Stage I saw before me?

MA were mental. Big, big gig. I was off my tits so maybe didn't notice but I'm pretty sure they didn't play Karmacoma, which was a surprise, nor Teardrop, which was an even bigger one. Not complaining, though, it blew me away. It was nice being there with a bunch of Brizzlers - you could really feel the pride and luv raining down for the city's favourite sons (and the rain raining down, of course).

Weather was utterly mental, esp. during the final few hours. I kinda liked it, though, given that I'd cunningly rewaterproofed all me goretex the day before and had wellies and overtrousers. Bone dry underneath and loving the crazy horizontal rain/chemical cocktail/massive lightshow mashup. Felt a bit sorry (only a bit, mind) for those optimistic souls who'd turned up in jeans, converse and tracky tops, of whom there seemed to be many.

Somehow, unbelievably, managed to hail a cab that nobody else seemed to have noticed as soon as we stepped off the Downs. Dry house afterwards was bliss


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## fucthest8 (Sep 6, 2016)

bendeus said:


> I was off my tits so maybe didn't notice but I'm pretty sure they didn't play Karmacoma, which was a surprise, nor Teardrop



You're right, they didn't.



bendeus said:


> loving the crazy horizontal rain/chemical cocktail/massive lightshow mashup



Same


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## fucthest8 (Sep 6, 2016)

Nice quote from here

"Engulfed in Massive Attack’s seductively entrancing and heavy hip hop infused electronica, it was easy to forget it was raining, and hard to give a shit when you remembered."


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## bendeus (Sep 7, 2016)

fucthest8 said:


> Nice quote from here
> 
> "Engulfed in Massive Attack’s seductively entrancing and heavy hip hop infused electronica, it was easy to forget it was raining, and hard to give a shit when you remembered."


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## dervish (Sep 20, 2016)

fucthest8 said:


> I had a brilliant time. Oh and we waved at dervish a _lot_ but he didn't see us and we couldn't get to him



Totally didn't see you, would have been great to meet up for a chat. 

We only stayed for two MA songs, which were pretty good, and the light show was awesome, but after being out in the rain solidly since 10am I had finally soaked through and we decided to go home.


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## William of Walworth (Oct 12, 2016)

bendeus said:


> Felt a bit sorry (only a bit, mind) for *those optimistic souls who'd turned up in jeans, converse and tracky tops, of whom there seemed to be many*.



Very belated reaction here ...  but I suspect those people will only do that once, and that the next fest/outdoor gig they do, they'll check the forecast and their Goretex stocks a bit better ....

We were in Bristol for that day (not for gig -- we did meet paolo though before he went  ). 

And we knew from days ago that the weather would be ridiculously poor. And then on the day it got worse. I know forecasts are boring and quite often wrong, but checkemout man ...


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