Festival Survival Guide booklet 2010 - Drinks Initiatives

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FESTIVAL
SURVIVAL
GUIDE
Check out the
Insider
Tips

Festival Listings ‘10
When Who Where
4 – 7 June Life Festival Belvedere House
14 June – 2 July Various Live at the Marquee
– Cork
23 June Green Day Marlay Park
25 – 27 June Sea Sessions Bundoran
4 July Bob Dylan Thomond Park,
Limerick
9 – 11 July Oxegen Punchestown
Racecourse
22 – 25 July Carlsberg Comedy
Festival
23 – 25 July dlr Festival of
World Cultures
Iveagh Gardens,
Dublin
Dun Laoghaire
30 July – 1 August Leonard Cohen Lissadell House,
Sligo
31 July – 1 August Castlepalooza Charleville Castle,
Tullamore
31 July – 1 August Indiependence Mitchelstown, Cork
3 – 5 September Electric Picnic Stradbally, Co. Laois
10 – 12 September Temple House
Festival
Ballymote, Sligo
Festival
Survival
Guide
A good festival should be one of the best experiences of
your life, but get it wrong and it can turn into a nightmare.
Fionn Davenport, radio presenter, travel writer, DJ
and festival veteran, has some tips to get you through,
whether you’re a day tripper or a happy camper…

Because you Never Know What
you Might Forget...
• Plasters. In case you trip
over a tent rope or those
bargain wellies pinch at
the heels.
• Bog Roll. The best
festival currency: the truly
desperate will trade just
about anything for a few
clean sheets.
• Baby Wipes and Hand
Cleansing Gel.
Baby wipes are the festival
equivalent of a bath and
a far better option to the
smelly queue for the
showers. While you’re
getting them, pick up
some anti-bac hand gel
that doesn’t require
soap and water.
• Condoms. If you want
to avoid life-changing
Insider Tip
# 1
conversations three months
after the festival when the
special love you made is but
a lingering memory.
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste.
A dodgy set of chops will
make condoms totally
redundant.
• Sun Block. The sun can
turn a crowd into a human
barbecue, so bring plenty
of sun cream and keep
lashing it on unless you like
being a human lobster.
• Tickets. You’d be surprised.
• Don’t bring. Umbrellas
into the arena, gas, glass
bottles, medication in
unmarked containers,
gazebos, marquees or
animals, regardless of
your reasons!
Write the time/location of
your must-see bands on
your hand every day – it’s
easy to lose track of time
Looking Good?
Dressing for festival highfashion
will only give you
grief! This is no place for
your best clobber – think less
catwalk and more slosh-pit.
• Rain Poncho. Better than
the glorified bin liner they
(sometimes) give out at
the festival.
• Something Warm. You
might be hot during the day,
but those nights can get
pretty chilly.
• Wellies. Best for the
mudpit that even a light
shower will turn the arena
into. Flip flops are just flops
when it’s raining.
when you’re having fun… and
granny trolleys might look
silly, but they’re a lifesaver for
transporting your gear to
the campsite!
• Socks. Bring plenty. Wet
feet are crap.
• Sun Hat. Sunstroke is like
a really bad hangover and
the worst flu you’ll ever
get... at the same time.
Anything’ll do. (Except for a
jester’s hat, which will just
look stupid.)
Lauren Murphy
Music Journalist: The Ticket,
Hot Press and more.

Transport
Getting there can be a total
pain – an hour long drive at
any other time may take half
the day at a near crawl.
• Exhaustion. Ever sat
behind the wheel in slowmoving
traffic after three
days of camping, gigging
and partying? It’s not
nearly as much fun as it
sounds. Our best advice is
don’t bother and rely on
public transport.
• Behind the Wheel. If you’re
used to a car, then a busy
road isn’t the best place
to try driving a campervan
for the first time. Get some
practice first!
Insider Tip
# 2
• Breath-Testing. Random
tests are commonplace
along the festival routes;
failing one isn’t really a
good way of celebrating
the weekend.
• The Morning After the
Night Before.
Even if you feel fine to drive
the following day, you may
still be over the legal limit
and could get a €5,000 fine
or a 6 month sentence (or
you could be liable to both).
Your body gets rid of alcohol
at the average rate of one
standard drink – that’s half
a pint or a glass of wine
or a shot – per hour. Every
mobile has a calculator, so
do the maths.
To blag your way backstage,
carry a bag of oranges and
a hassled look: tell security
that you should have gotten
them hours before but where
• Information. All of the
major festivals’ websites
have transport info;
otherwise just check
out cie.ie for the Iarnród
Éireann, Dublin Bus and
Bus Éireann sites.
the hell can you get fresh
oranges on a festival site at a
moment’s notice? Or be really
good-looking and nonchalant.
I generally go with the oranges.
Fionn Davenport

Hungry? Thirsty?
Long gone are the days when
festival-goers only option was
a burger and chips. Whether
you’re a fan of traditional
Irish fare or have more exotic
tastes, you’ll be spoilt for
choice. Even veggies and
sweet teeth are catered for.
Whether bringing your own
food or indulging in festival
fare remember to keep it dry
and keep it green:
Insider Tip
# 3
• Dry Foods. Better
something that won’t go
off, get mushy or grow
green stuff; so no meats,
bananas or cheese.
• Cleaning Up. In a greenfield
site? Help keep
it that way. Clean up
after yourself and take
everything with you –
including your rubbish.
Most people will remember
the usual things like a torch,
pen, condoms, socks etc.
but come rain or shine one
must never forget a pair of
Of course most people will
have a drink – it’s all part of
the festival atmosphere and
alcohol can add to the fun by
helping you relax.
• Water. Bring as much of
it as you can. Alcohol will
seriously dehydrate you
and even a clouded sun will
make it worse.
• Drink at Least One Litre
Per Day. There are plenty
of top-up taps, but do so at
night – the morning queues
are horrendous.
• No Glass. The amount of
liquids confiscated at the
gates could quench the
thirst of a small town.
Bring plastic containers
and bottles.
sunglasses and a sense of
adventure, and don’t forget
to swap your top with your
random new friend!!
• Pace Yourself. Drink water
or a soft drink every few
drinks. You will feel better,
look better and have a
better chance of lasting
the course!
• Eat Something. Nothing
will make drinking
a disaster more than an
empty stomach.
Eat before you drink.
• Wrecked? Getting pissed
isn’t pretty or smart. You’ll
just wreck the weekend for
your mates if they have
to look after you when
you’re the worse for wear.
Remember: over-doing
it will do nothing for your
looks either – you’re dropdead
gorgeous until you
drop down drunk.
Cillian Stewart
Organiser, Castlepalooza
festival

• Hair of the Dog. It won’t
beat your hangover, it just
prolongs the agony.
• The Secret to Sobering Up?
Time. Yeah, time! Whether
sitting in a tent or standing
in a field, it’ll take roughly
two hours for your body
to break down one pint of
booze. Nothing – not tea,
energy drinks, burgers and
chips or an ice cold shower
– can speed up this process.
One
standard
drink
• = • =
A glass of stout/lager/cider (284ml)
A small glass of wine (100ml)
A pub measure of spirit (35.5ml)
Insider Tip
# 4
• Beer Goggles. Want a
weekend to regret? Then
let the booze do the
chatting up for you.
• No Strange Mixers!
Don’t accept a drink from
a stranger or leave yours
unattended – you never
know what you’re getting
or what could have been
put in it.
• Go Online. There’s plenty
of info about drinking and
alcohol consumption at
drinkaware.ie
At the end of the festival when
the fields are full of heavy
traffic, lots of mud and many
cars stuck in it, your wellies can
come to the rescue again. Many
wellies are left littering the
And remember,
it takes your body
about an hour to
get rid of the
alcohol from
1 standard drink
fields, use them to stick under
your front or rear tyres to help
you get out – and remember to
stay in 2nd or 3rd gear if you’re
stuck in the mud!
Sara
funkywellyboots.com

Happy Campers
The ‘wherever I lay my hat’
approach to a good night’s
kip will seem a bad idea
halfway through the first rainy
night, so plan your sleeping
arrangements with care. A
good tip: turn up early to pick
your spot.
Insider Tip
# 5
• Tent. So long as it’s
waterproof, any old tent
will do. There’s a chance it
may get damaged, so don’t
bother with a fancy one.
• Location, Location,
Location. Pitch it in open
ground, at the top of a hill
and far, far away from the
communal toilets.
• Pitch it when you Arrive.
You don’t want to test
your tent-pitching skills
in the dark so peg it down
before you start dancing
and drinking.
BEWARE THE MUDPERSON –
The legends of a mythical
creature constructed entirely
of mud are true. Known to
terrorize festivalgoers with
strange, erratic dancing motions
• Bring a Torch. Here’s a fun
game: try finding your tent
amongst thousands like it
in the dark.
• Snuggle Up. A black bin
liner may have limited uses
at home, but it’s the perfect
ready-made waterproof
cover for your sleeping bag.
• Plastic Bags and Tape.
Plastic bags make the best
shoes and seats around.
and indecipherable verbal
babblings. May be observed
safely from a distance but
never under any circumstances
attempt to engage the beast
in conversation.
• Flag It. That’s right, a
flag: “it’s a green pup
tent” just isn’t enough
of a description when
looking for your tent at
day’s end, so why not
mark it with something
distinctive (and there’ll be
lots of tricolours, so go for
something else).
Vinny
Adebisi Shank

Stay Safe, Stay Free
Festivals are usually heavily
policed, with a huge number
of undercover Gardaí milling
around. Don’t give them a
reason to interfere with
your weekend.
• Drugs. Even aside from
the health risks, just don’t
bother – the Gardaí will
happily bust you for even
the slightest infraction.
• Human Pyramids, Moshing
and Stage Diving. They
sound like a great idea, but
they’re not, and can end up
with you hurt or arrested
and the event being more
heavily policed next year –
which means tickets will be
even more expensive. And
that will be all thanks to
you, you free-flying fool.
Insider Tip
# 6
• Valuables. Why bring
any? Cash and a mobile
phone are the only things
you’ll need. Leave the
rest at home.
• Cash. Bring enough but
spread it about your body.
Back and shallow front
pockets are useless – you
may as well give it away.
A money pouch or bound in
a small plastic bag stuffed
into the toe of your shoe
is good.
• Minding Your Stuff.
Make friends with the
occupants of the tents
around you and they’ll
keep an eye on your gear.
Turn off your phone and roam
free, waiting for people in
fields is well overrated!
DJ Tu-Ki
Giveaways
Win tickets to the best gigs of the summer!
Go to drinkaware.ie for your chance to win.
You don’t need to buy anything from us to enter,
but you do need to be over 18. Different tickets
are up for grabs all summer on the competitions
page, so keep checking back. More info and links
to festival websites with full line-ups can be
found at drinkaware.ie
Insider Tip
# 7
Festivals are all about sharing
and mucking in, and I’m not
really like that, so my advice
would be to get your own
corner and don’t interact with
anyone whatsoever.
LoneLady
Singer

With limited numbers,
indoor toilets and hot
showers we have loads of
weekend camping tickets to
Castlepalooza to give away.
For your chance to win, go to
drinkaware.ie
Insider Tip
# 8
Gear up for Oxegen by
catching Green Day at
Marlay Park on June 23rd.
Thanks to MCD we have a
pair of tickets to give away!
Free (green) day out
competition only at
drinkaware.ie
Multi-tasking minis are the
key to rocking the Festival
Chic look and whilst beauty
and skincare tends to come
second to wellies and
sunglasses on your must-have
Fancy winning the Rolls
Royce of wellies? We have
four pairs of uber-cool
Hunter wellies to give
away this summer. Your
festival feet will love you
for entering!
To enter, get stuck in at
drinkaware.ie
festival list, you should throw
in a few essential mini beauty
classics. Trust me your skin
will thank you and you won’t
look like the Wreck of the
Hesperus either.
Europe’s favourite Rock
and roll weekend lives
up to its reputation with
Muse, EMIN M, Arcade
Fire, The Black Eyed Peas,
Jay-Z, Florence and the
Machine, Stereophonics
and tonnes more acts
rockin’ Punchestown this
July. And thanks to our
pals at MCD we have five
pairs of day tickets to
Oxegen to give away.
You know where this
is going by now, right?
drinkaware.ie
Niamh O’Reilly
Editor of Beautycouture.ie
E

Up for a laugh? Well, we have
a pair of tickets to give away
to the Carlsberg Comedy
Carnival. Taking place in the
Iveagh Gardens, Dublin from
July 22nd-25th this year’s
line-up includes; Andrew
Maxwell, Des Bishop, Ed
Byrne and Tommy Tiernan.
Yeah, yeah… you heard us.
Visit drinkaware.ie to enter.
We have two festival kits
to give away from the
festival survival experts at
ultimatefestivalkit.com.
This kit contains all those
little essentials you’d spend
hours trying to find in your
local shopping centre; pvc
poncho, emergency blanket,
showergel, deodorant,
shampoo, chewing gum,
anti-bac hand gel, sunscreen
and the all important glow in
the dark whistle!
Once more with feeling…
go to drinkaware.ie to win.
Checklist
Tickets (no, really, you’d be surprised)
Cash and mobile – and somewhere smart
to keep them
Extra layers for warming up and cooling down
Rain poncho, sunblock & sunhat
(cos you never know)
And if you’re staying over.....
Tent (before you leave check the pack for
pegs and poles)
Plastic bags, tape and bin liners
Clothes and footwear for every weather
A flag
A torch
Bog roll
Wipes and hand gel
Toothbrush and paste
Grub and water
Condoms (once again, you never know)
Oh yeah, one last thing...
Have a great time.

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