When I was 14, I wanted to go to NASS Festival but wasn't allowed. Now, ten years later, I finally got to go! It's a small festival just down the road from me with more focus on skating/BMXing and DJ sets than live music, but this year my beloved Enter Shikari were headlining on the Friday. So naturally I had to go.
Getting there was easy since I got a lift from my grandparents (literally too about 20 minutes), but I was queueing to get in for almost 2 hours, I think. The day tickets went through the VIP queue, but there were very few checkers and they were checking bags VERY thoroughly. Was super annoying as I was really thirsty and had no water on me as I knew I would get it taken off me on the way in. Generally not well organised as I was also sent through the camp site on the way in AND out even though I shouldn't have been there on a day ticket. Useless!
After buying a programme and a drink and getting lost and annoyed, I spent most of the day at the vert ramp as live music didn't start until 5pm.
Whenever I got too hot I went to the dirt ramps to sit under a tree. I'm glad I took a book with me to read (Fight Club) as it kept me occupied.
Back at the vert I could see some guys posing for photos but didn't think much of it. But then when I looked properly I realised it was only bloody Enter Shikari so I had to go muscle in on the action for a bit nand have a chat and a pose. Grinned like a mad thing for a solid hour afterwards.
At abvout 4pm the skateboarders came off the vert and it was BMX time.
Live music started on Main Stage at 5pm, where there were also invisible toilets.
The first band was Bare Knuckle Parade, who offered a kind of folk punk mix of goodness. Think Mumford & Sons, but with an accordion. They're also from Bath which means I should be able to go see them again some time too!
I'll admit to being a bit distracted during their set as Rob Rolfe and some Shikari crew were playing frisbee to the side of the stage...
Black Peaks were next, with some good clean wails.
Spotted some guys with Enter Shikari balloons at this point. Apparently Rob took the skies as soon as they arrived.
Near the end of their set I spotted Rory C, but waited until the band had finished playing before going to say hi and get a selfie. I'm glad I waited as he seemed to have really enjoyed Black Peaks. I'm still fangirling a bit now to be honest...
Decided to get some nachos which looked terrible but tasted amazing. Managed to make a friend who wanted to watch me eat as it's 'good to see skinny girls who actually eat', who then proceeded to assume I was a lesbian as I hadn't noticed any hot guys (apparently they were everywhere?), and tell me that she smuggled mkat in via the vajayjay. Uh huh haha.
By the time We Are The Ocean took to the stage, it had become very obvious that this isn't a festival for music lovers. There were less than 50 people watching, and I had considered them to be a fairly big band. I had seen more people at Sika Studios watching a DJ earlier that day. Sheesh.
Last trip to fill up my water bottle and grab some drinks at the bar (two-fisted style) allowed me to see some inline skating. Makes me want to buy a pair and give it a go again!
Even though only a small crowd was gathering, I hurried to the barrier before Modestep to guarantee a good spot for later.
I enjoyed them much more than at Download and had a good dance, although the dumb girl behind me was recording herself and screaming "NASSHYPE" intermittently for the whole set and kept smacking me in the head, and someone tried to grab my hat off my head and was surprised when I swore at them for it. One of the staff told her to stop though and checked I was okay afterwards, even warning me that Shikari crowds were well known for being rough and crowd surfers...lol.
My panic on placement was for nothing, as the crowd cleared before filling up again for Enter Shikari. My balloon friends even ended up next to me on the barrier with their backpacks on their fronts stuffed with pillows to avoid pain (I wish I'd thought of that...).
The setlist was pretty much the same as the night before, aside from the unfortunate strict curfew that cut them off a few songs short of the end so we were all left hanging. I thought that was pretty ridiculous considering the fact that we were in the middle of the bloody countryside and the DJs would be just as loud until 3am+...
Rory crowdsurfed right by me haha luckily not on me or I'd have been crushed. A couple other crowdsurfers went over me but I'm short enough to just duck below the barrier and shield my head with my arms until they're over!
The staff wouldn't give us any setlists, but I did convince the nice lady from before to get Rory C's #NASSHYPE paper plane for me! I mean, I have no proof whatsoever that he made it, but shhh.
Overall it was an odd festival. It definitely would be much more fun in a group, but I have no friends so I had to go by myself. Chilling in the sun with a drink watching skateboarding was good fun, but could have used some chatter. Most of the people there seemed to only care about getting drunk, taking drugs, and DJs. I would probably go again if there was a good live music line up though, as it was nice to get to the front with minimal effort or injury and to meet my favourite guys in the world again.
Getting there was easy since I got a lift from my grandparents (literally too about 20 minutes), but I was queueing to get in for almost 2 hours, I think. The day tickets went through the VIP queue, but there were very few checkers and they were checking bags VERY thoroughly. Was super annoying as I was really thirsty and had no water on me as I knew I would get it taken off me on the way in. Generally not well organised as I was also sent through the camp site on the way in AND out even though I shouldn't have been there on a day ticket. Useless!
After buying a programme and a drink and getting lost and annoyed, I spent most of the day at the vert ramp as live music didn't start until 5pm.
Whenever I got too hot I went to the dirt ramps to sit under a tree. I'm glad I took a book with me to read (Fight Club) as it kept me occupied.
Back at the vert I could see some guys posing for photos but didn't think much of it. But then when I looked properly I realised it was only bloody Enter Shikari so I had to go muscle in on the action for a bit nand have a chat and a pose. Grinned like a mad thing for a solid hour afterwards.
At abvout 4pm the skateboarders came off the vert and it was BMX time.
Live music started on Main Stage at 5pm, where there were also invisible toilets.
The first band was Bare Knuckle Parade, who offered a kind of folk punk mix of goodness. Think Mumford & Sons, but with an accordion. They're also from Bath which means I should be able to go see them again some time too!
I'll admit to being a bit distracted during their set as Rob Rolfe and some Shikari crew were playing frisbee to the side of the stage...
Black Peaks were next, with some good clean wails.
Spotted some guys with Enter Shikari balloons at this point. Apparently Rob took the skies as soon as they arrived.
Near the end of their set I spotted Rory C, but waited until the band had finished playing before going to say hi and get a selfie. I'm glad I waited as he seemed to have really enjoyed Black Peaks. I'm still fangirling a bit now to be honest...
Decided to get some nachos which looked terrible but tasted amazing. Managed to make a friend who wanted to watch me eat as it's 'good to see skinny girls who actually eat', who then proceeded to assume I was a lesbian as I hadn't noticed any hot guys (apparently they were everywhere?), and tell me that she smuggled mkat in via the vajayjay. Uh huh haha.
By the time We Are The Ocean took to the stage, it had become very obvious that this isn't a festival for music lovers. There were less than 50 people watching, and I had considered them to be a fairly big band. I had seen more people at Sika Studios watching a DJ earlier that day. Sheesh.
Last trip to fill up my water bottle and grab some drinks at the bar (two-fisted style) allowed me to see some inline skating. Makes me want to buy a pair and give it a go again!
Even though only a small crowd was gathering, I hurried to the barrier before Modestep to guarantee a good spot for later.
I enjoyed them much more than at Download and had a good dance, although the dumb girl behind me was recording herself and screaming "NASSHYPE" intermittently for the whole set and kept smacking me in the head, and someone tried to grab my hat off my head and was surprised when I swore at them for it. One of the staff told her to stop though and checked I was okay afterwards, even warning me that Shikari crowds were well known for being rough and crowd surfers...lol.
My panic on placement was for nothing, as the crowd cleared before filling up again for Enter Shikari. My balloon friends even ended up next to me on the barrier with their backpacks on their fronts stuffed with pillows to avoid pain (I wish I'd thought of that...).
The setlist was pretty much the same as the night before, aside from the unfortunate strict curfew that cut them off a few songs short of the end so we were all left hanging. I thought that was pretty ridiculous considering the fact that we were in the middle of the bloody countryside and the DJs would be just as loud until 3am+...
Rory crowdsurfed right by me haha luckily not on me or I'd have been crushed. A couple other crowdsurfers went over me but I'm short enough to just duck below the barrier and shield my head with my arms until they're over!
The staff wouldn't give us any setlists, but I did convince the nice lady from before to get Rory C's #NASSHYPE paper plane for me! I mean, I have no proof whatsoever that he made it, but shhh.
Overall it was an odd festival. It definitely would be much more fun in a group, but I have no friends so I had to go by myself. Chilling in the sun with a drink watching skateboarding was good fun, but could have used some chatter. Most of the people there seemed to only care about getting drunk, taking drugs, and DJs. I would probably go again if there was a good live music line up though, as it was nice to get to the front with minimal effort or injury and to meet my favourite guys in the world again.
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