Bad Security, Traveller Scape Goats, and Dogs

My other memory’s of 1990 besides the magical day I spent with Ry Cooder, Was all the shit with security and travellers . I will also throw dogs into the mix as well . Lets take dogs first I would always take my dog Swan to the festival . He was a perfectly formed staff handsome light fawn friendly with humans and other dogs a real star every one loved him especially kids . He would breeze round the site in a Cuban hat and a pair of shades, I kid you not . Feargal Sharkey once offered me £500 on the spot for him . That year he was on the Pyramid as we were setting up he went to the middle of the stage had a shit then went to the corner had another shit .The stage manager went mad . The lighting crew shouted down “LEAVE HIM ALONE ITS A SIGN” He would always be wandering into the crowd . He came once back minus collar I am sure I spotted it the next day round the neck of some punky type . But they had left his home back stage pass beautifully made by my daughter . I will scan some shots and post them up .

But it was to be his last year . A close friend his kid was bite in the face by a lurcher type dog on the Thursday .Michael knew the family and that was it from then on total dog ban . It was very much the right call more more dogs were on site . Things could of got really out of hand .

Now the security thing that year . From early on we knew things were not in safe hands . Stories of the contract had been given to a joint London / Birmingham posse with shall we say criminal elements involved . I was asked by a friend who was new to the festival to go and retrieve some confiscated Jack Daniels . I entered a tent up at their compound . A big guy sitting behind a wooden fold down table with a array of confiscated drink piled up behind him . Well lets say they weren’t handing much stuff back . But he instantly knew I was not going to be a push over . My friend spotted his bottle . He begrudgingly started to decanter it into the plastic bottle we had provided him . But not before he handed it round to 3 to 4 of his cronies who all took large swigs . Totally out of order ,out of 20 people queuing to get drink back . I was the only one to leave with at least some drink back . They where coining it right from the word go .

But the most damming evidence came in the way of another friend . She had won the contract to do the catering with in the security compound . As the festival progressed I heard reports she was going to pack up and leave site . It turned out she was witnessing torture in the form of beatings and people being tied in chairs and burnt with cigarettes all in the eating area of he catering tent . She complained and was told to shut the fuck up. You just make and serve the food it has got fuck all to do with you . She told me they would be laughing and joking over meals how many people and stalls they had robbed .When she eventually got home she was a physical and mental wreck . So much so she decided to pack up and move to France . I was in the Greenfield on Monday afternoon When I recognized a person from were I live . He was a wrong one who I had run ins with in the past. He was in security gear and high as a kite . He bragged to me how he had a contact in the security . Who had sold him passes t-shirt photo id . He had spent the whole festival being a free lance robber showing me an array wallets and money he had robbed we nearly came to blows there and then . He called me a dick head and swaggered off down the hill .

In my opinion the Travellers thing was the smoke screen the security needed . I think the security knew they had been rumbled they were going to take on the travellers to cover their tracks . So they did, prompting the confrontation to show the travellers were the problem . Knowing the travellers would duly oblige . When all the the time the security were the nastiest thing ever to be in that beautiful valley . But the festival learned a valuable lesson . The security now days is good I have worked with them no worries . The same security for quite a few years now . You can tell they have taken the festival to the hearts which is good every one has got to grow with it . To make sure we never have to work with people like that again

More to come  Norm