Bandanaman wrote:

DBM wrote:

railway raver wrote:I think you'll find there somewhere in the region or twice to ten times the amount of fence jumpers and robberies than last year.

Utter hogwash.

There were far fewer fencejumpers - and robberies - than last year.

Ok, I don't know any official figures on this matter, but last year, while at the festival I didn't hear a single story about robberies. However, this year it seemed I couldn't get away from stories about it. Pretty much every group I spoke to had experienced something being robbed or waking up to find someone in their tent, now to me that says this year it was worse. Is it possible less people reported the crime this time round?

I'm not sure how you managed to avoid hearing a single story about robberies last year, as it was the talk of the camp. In fact, one of the organisers (Luke Piper, if I remember rightly) got up on the main dance tent stage after the closing act to apologise to everyone over the level of robberies.

It did seem to me that this year was worse than last year.

I will accept that I was camped next to the Oxfam steward's tower this year though, so maybe I just heard more about it. But, I definately came into contact with a greater number of people who'd been victims of tent robberies, as well as the awful story about the lady who was robbed at knife-point with her nine month old baby in the tent. I even saw a gang of them do a runner after security got onto them.

Security was much tighter this year all around the festival. As for the larger perimiter fence, it looked pretty much the same to me.

I expected, seeing as I paid more for this year's ticket than for last, a much safer festival. It did not, to me, feel like I got what I paid for. Blindingly fun weekend; yes. Value for money where safety was concerned; unfortunately not.

I heard that story aswell, was quite shocking thought , althought I have no certainty as to if it certainly happend..

Think it did, we were told it by Shadow Security.

Also, I'd like to say that the Shadow Security in my opinion were very safe people. We made friends with a few of them, chatted away for ages. Proper safe guys (and girls). The oxfam stewards were also very, very safe. Shadow and Oxfam both did their jobs VERY WELL!

However, the "undercover" security were a different matter. Obviously, I am sure not all of the undercover security behaved in the same way. But, from our experience, they weren't just rude and loutish, but did not do their job well at all. They were walking around, with beer, and radios on loud. You could hear them a mile off, and see them flashing a torch in people's faces. They walked up to us and just mumbled a load of stuff, pointing their torches in our faces. It actually made us feel quite suspicious as to wether they were really undercover security, and not just clever theives, as we were amazed at how not-undercover they were!

Anyway, apart from that, I know Shadow and Oxfam both worked very hard to keep the crime down. Much respect.

i know what I saw and I know what happened to some of my friends. bang out of order.

Didn't see anything bad from Stuart, but Shadow were not good. I work in a lot of clubs and I've seen a lot of different styles of security management. Shadow's whole vibe and the things I know they did was bad enough to make me warn everyone I know and work with off them. I would hope that there are some good people with good intentions somewhere in the organisation, but the frontline crew i was exposed to were absolutely dreadful. The fact that they couldn't even keep to the safe site speed limit in those vans let alone drive responsibly was shocking. they seemed to delight in driving at high speeds through the crowds between marquees that were right next to each other, especially sunday when everyone's reactions were at their worst. The festival site is tiny compared to many. There was no excuse. Don't be whining about how hard it is to stop the fence-jumpers that's what you are paid for. And there were still plenty getting through.


I would rather have had the police there - they always do a brilliant job at Glastonbury. I've sat and skinned up with the law at Glastonbury

Sorry but we cant keep everyone happy and im sure you are aware that you get good and bad in any job or place of work. Im happy that myself and the people i worked with did a great job and worked my balls off to keep those horrible pikeys out and also caught some up to no good as well.

All the stories are hearsay and what you dont no you will make up. Im happy to hear some good points regarding security but all the other points are based on hearsay

If the police are called to an emergency do they drive at 5mph. When my mate was driving and needed to get to somewhere quick he was always on the horn and not driving recklessley.

security wrote:Sorry but we cant keep everyone happy and im sure you are aware that you get good and bad in any job or place of work. Im happy that myself and the people i worked with did a great job and worked my balls off to keep those horrible pikeys out and also caught some up to no good as well.

I've no doubt there were decent people working there who did a lot of good but at the same time, some of the security guys working for Shadow were acting like complete arses. Real heavy attitude, unnecessary aggression. Their behaviour was likely to cause more problems than it solved. I mean, do you really need to physically threaten people because they play their stereo on the Sunday night? Nowhere in the rules did it mention a blanket silence needed to be maintained on the Sunday so how the hell were people supposed to know?

My brother works security and these guys were acting in exactly the manner of the very people he says should never be working in the security business. Namely people who go around looking for fights.

security wrote:All the stories are hearsay and what you dont no you will make up. Im happy to hear some good points regarding security but all the other points are based on hearsay

Great so if we say something good then it's true but if we don't its merely "hearsay".

security wrote:If the police are called to an emergency do they drive at 5mph. When my mate was driving and needed to get to somewhere quick he was always on the horn and not driving recklessley.

This is laughable. At one stage I saw that 4x4 careening through a crowd as it came down the slope by the breaks tent. They were beeping the horn alright but the thing was flying along and swerving dangerously. I remember thinking "oh shit, it must be going off" and started looking around for a riot or something. About ten yards on from the crowd the jeep comes to an abrupt stop by a shadow security guy who was on foot. He turns around and starts laughing and him and three guys in the van proceed to stand around grab-assing for about ten minutes.

Some emergency.

security wrote:If the police are called to an emergency do they drive at 5mph. When my mate was driving and needed to get to somewhere quick he was always on the horn and not driving recklessley.

Okay, I'm not disputing your claims that many of the security guys did a good job but what sort of emergency was there ever over the weekend that required fast driving? The police need to drive quickly on occasion as do all emergency services but festival security doesn't fit into that category. It's not worth the risk of hitting someone to stop a fence-jumper or to apprehend a dealer.

As already stated you get good and bad in every job. All i can do is say sorry for the bad element ot it but it upsets me that we are all tarnished with the same brush

The security in our group were polite at all times and did not go round heavy handed. This event was one of the best i have worked and was so chilled out that i felt like taking my uniform off and having some fun and a few spliffs myself.

I will admit there was a couple of guys from both companies that were a little over the top but im presuming they have come from working some shit hole night club somewhere and attitude is all they no.

I think its good that you are saying what you think and so things can be improved for next years event

Security, Do you actually represnt any of the orginisations working at the glade? as I have asked you twice already.

If you do Im sure your bosses would not take to kindly to you talking on there behalf.

This whole thread is being fueld by rumours and imo is getting out of control, and at the same time has lost all sense and use

At around 6 am on the monday my mates (3 boys 2 girls) and i were woken up by Stewart Security. The first to be woken up said he was dragged out by his head. They searched us and our tents and asked for ID. They gave us some weird excuse about our neighbours,a couple, being arrested a few hours earler and them telling security that we were pick pockets, they had to check us out first and if the couple were lying then take them to police station (they were in back of van at time apparently). What the hell?? how does that work??
Naturally they found nothing and said thatks for our cooperation and left. All my friends are lovely people and are no threat to anyone. Something weird was going through Stewart Security's heads that day. Please sort it out for next year. I have the security leader's name and number if any of the promoters want to get in touch. Other than that it was the best festival i've been to.

I think, no matter who is employed next year, security is always going to be an issue. You can't expect a bunch of people to all be lovely. They are, after all, glorified bouncers, and we all know how bad bouncers can be. You can't blame the organisation for the individuals mistakes. However, what i do think the people who have a cases, as in it actually happened to them so make offical complaints to the company. Nothing is going to happen unless it is done offically, with witnesses accounts on paper.

I personally didn't see anything, but some of you obiviously did and if you want something done, you need to take action. we all want a better, safer Glade for next year but unless the Crew know they can't make the right choices.

xXx

I personally didn't have any problems with heavy-handedness, but I do agree about them driving their trucks recklessly. At night-time I'd be walking about worse for wear and it'd feel like I was stumbling around in the middle of a motorway because of all the cars speeding past me. Surely this is unneccesarry on a site as small as the Glade? Obviously I can understand the need for ambulances and that, but not some security guard by himself on a burger run.

Also, what was going on at the ID Spiral on Sunday evening? Me and my mates were minding our own business and suddenly several car loads of security turned up. There was a bit of a commotion going on but we were all too dazed and confused to really make head or tail of it. It was probably nothing, but it felt a bit threatening and serious at the time.

imitationleather wrote:Also, what was going on at the ID Spiral on Sunday evening? Me and my mates were minding our own business and suddenly several car loads of security turned up. There was a bit of a commotion going on but we were all too dazed and confused to really make head or tail of it. It was probably nothing, but it felt a bit threatening and serious at the time.

Well our group committed the rather serious crime of playing some chill-out tracks at an extremely low volume on Sunday. Very aggressive security response, particularly when we continued to question why we had to shut it off (it wasn't bothering anyone). Doubt that was the commotion though - what time was it at?

Um, errr... I'm not really sure! I think it was at about 8/9ish, when nearly the whole festival was streaming over to the ID Spiral. I suppose it could have just been that because it was the only stage still going all the security people wanted to be where the action was.

I'm just glad they didn't try talking to me because I doubt I would have been very coherent!

I saw that weirdness on Sunday, no idea what it was about but they were wondering around questioning people for a while before fucking off. made me really nervous as seemed to almost invade ID Spiral. Didn't see them taking anyone away though they might have.

xXx

imitationleather wrote:Also, what was going on at the ID Spiral on Sunday evening? .

Yeah, I was with badlord in ID Spiral on Sun night (or more like Mon morning) and they were being very aggressive cos we were playing tunes. I wouldn't mind but it was Twin's Selected Ambient Works II and the volume was so low, WE could barely hear it.

trebor wrote:Yeah, I was with badlord in ID Spiral on Sun night (or more like Mon morning) and they were being very aggressive cos we were playing tunes. I wouldn't mind but it was Twin's Selected Ambient Works II and the volume was so low, WE could barely hear it.

I think that was part of the confusion. I was (surprise) feeling a little mashed and in my mind the stereo had faded into the background and I kinda forgot it was playing. So it took us ages to figure what these thugs were getting so worked up about. There was a guy asleep right beside us and he only woke up because of the shouting the bouncers/facist-fun-police were doing. So it could hardly be a noise complaint.

In a way, it's funny looking back on the whole incident because it was so ridiculous. These bouncers were acting like the were single-handedly busting a rave and we'd forgotten the stereo was still playing. At the same time, it angers me because it really put me on edge at the time - I'd just lost my digital camera and we were trying to figure out where it might be - so I was not in the humour to be threatened.

Raver - Yes i was working glade and cant see how they would be annoyed at me saying what i think. You have aired your views on here so surley im allowed to as well.

Not sure about a music cerfew on sunday so cant say what was happening

Shadow security ruined my Glade this year...

Me and a mate quietly sniffin watchin autechre next thing we both dragged outta th tent to see two nob wagons and a bout 8 security. had us against the hud padding us down with bag searches as if we were criminals. they found our stash and abbruptly chucked us in the van.
when we calmly protested about the situation we were threatened with handcuffs and being locked in a cage in the back of the van!!!
when they took us up to the security office thankfully shadow pissed off and the proper security kicked in, they found out we only had K and no class A's they sat us down gave us a bollockin and let us back in the festival without wristbands, the swines even cut off my mates band from last year!
Unfortunately on Sunday afternoon we were picked up by the shadow security for havin no wristbands when we explained the situation they laughed theyre fat asses off we even offered our ticket stubs and drivers license's as proof and to even get in touch with the security office on those friggin radio's that were louder than radioactivemans set, but hell no!!! hurled in the van and outta the fest we went
we then had to walk a mile to aldermaston and folk out 70 quid for a room!!!
now this was my first year to the glade festival but my mate has been since day 1 and he said compared to how it started its gone well down hill.
And personally i cant wait for glastonbury next year not even

piss off shadow kiss my face. PLEASE SORT OUT THE SECURITY WATCH FOR NEXT YEAR THEIVES AND JUMPERS MAYBE???????