At last. It’s here. The weekend of the inaugural New Ashton Court Festival of Dadrock is at last upon us. And here at The Blogger we’re ready to party. So if anyone knows where we can find a party this weekend let us know.
One of the few things to have actually impressed about the fiasco that’s been Ashton Court this year has been the quality of their art work. In a town that consistantly elevates the most hopeless cases of conservative mediocrity to the height of excellence it certainly stands out.
But as I looked at it, I couldn’t help thinking it reminded me of something… Somewhere… Indeed a quick check of my old Bristol Festival of Ideas programme revealed striking similarities. Then I dug out my Venue Festival Guide…
Again striking similarities. Shit. Is there someone selling festival programme design by the yard in Bristol? I think we should be told.
Meanwhile in other Ashton Court news, the worst PR operation in the known universe was at it again this week. Thursday saw The Cancer announce: “The organisers expect tickets to sell out in advance so it might not be possible to get one at the entrance.”
Yeah right. We all believe that one don’t we? Just like the organisers were “in talks” with Massive Attack right?
Then of course comes a typical Cancer/Avon & Somerset/Ashton Court supersized PR blunder: “Unlike previous years, festival-goers will not be able to bring their own alcoholic drinks in glass bottles.”
So you can bring booze then? Just not in glass bottles? Shurely shome mishtake?
And finally… A few people have been querying the ticket prices the Ashton Court organisers have advertised widely as such good value. £12 for a day or £20 for the weekend. Problem is, if you actually try to buy these tickets anywhere they’ll cost you £13 or £21.50 respectively. It’s not actually possible to buy the tickets at the prices promoted by Ashton Court.
How does that work then?
More decent Ashton Court dissent courtesy of Bristle KRS here. (No doubt this must be The Bristol Blogger using yet another pseudonym as there’s only one person in all of Bristol who disagrees with the media/PR propaganda line on Ashton Court isn’t there?)
Over at The Cancer‘s ‘Seven’ today, Suzanne “I don’t know how she does it” Saville reveals that not only are any critics of the Ashton Court Festival vandals/yobs/alkies/fence wreckers/freeloaders/intravenous drug users/anarchists/chavs/stupid/never-done-anything-worthwhile-in-their-lives-ever, they are also THATCHERITES!!!!
Her colleague Steve Wright, meanwhile, is charged with finding enthusiasts for this year’s festival now in year number 32. Strangely all his subjects seem to be under-30 and have been going to the festival for about 5 years. Why the lack of old festival hands in the round-up Steve? Surely nothing to do with censoring out the many voices of dissent?
(Links for these articles will be added as and when the articles are put on The Cancer’s website)
When I saw the ACF artwork, I thought ‘what a load of 1960’s retro tosh’. Looks indeed like some lazy git is generating this stuff from a computor program and selling it by the yard to Evening Post/Venue/ACF Committee.
P.S. Blogger- someone on Indymedia is claiming that you and I are one and the same. Bagsy me Superman & you Clark Kent.
The venue artwork was done by Tom Lane of http://www.gingermonkeydesign.com, and it’s entirely possible he did the AC stuff too. Does this make things better, or worse?