Mat Bowles

Very very cool. angelil took many pictures until her battery ran out, and I filled the phone up as I forgot my camera. draxar's height was useful, and was well worth the journey.

Best bit was right at the beginning. We're approaching the pub currently active, and we can see smoke and a very packed crowd. We're making our way through it, and Pink's giving a commentary about what he can see, mostly a few flames above heads. Then I can see the smoke, then the flames, then the barrel as it heads towards us through the crowd and the crowd is getting out the way.

Next thing I know, they're coming right at me, and we're all jumping backwards. The guy carrying it runs out of energy and it goes to ground directly where I was standing a few seconds earlier. A big barrel full of flames and tar not 3 feet from where I'm standing, and a bunch of lunatics scrambling for control over it.

Utter insanity. Well worth the journey. A proper post about the politics of the thing may follow on VTX tomorrow, suffice to say the number of disclaimer announcements, signage &c pointing out that you're there at your own risk was depressing. That they palpably need to do it is even more depressing. If you're going to an event famous because people run around the streets with barrels of flaming tar on their shoulders, then you are choosing to put yourself at risk. If you choose to run around with said tar barrel, you are choosing to take on the risk. So why was the event nearly cancelled due to insurance issues? FFS

Anyway, time to watch a Dr Who episode on my newly delivered DVDs sleep...