Was it lush or was it lackin’? Let’s find out… 🤘😎🍻

Alright butt, gather round! 🏕️ We snuck (legally, promise!) into the Steelhouse Festival 2025 VIP area – clipboard in one hand, pint in the other – and now we’re spillin’ all the posh beans. Was it worth the £50 upgrade? Was it actually VIP or just a Very Inconvenient Purchase? Let’s go full rock ‘n’ roll TripAdvisor and break it down – The Good, The Good, The Bad, and The “C’mon now mun, really?” 🎤💸

🤩 THE GOOD (Round One) – Location, Location, Location!

Tucked just above the arena like a rock star’s treehouse, the VIP area had one hell of a view. You could sip your cider and still hear the riffs bouncing off the mountain. 🏔️ Tailgunner, Sophie Lloyd, and Dan Byrne’s secret-but-not-so-secret angelic set all sounded lush from up there.

You didn’t need to elbow your way through the mosh pit or queue at the bar for twenty minutes just for a warm Carling. VIP meant peace, pints, and proper good vibes. 🍺👌

Bonus points for being slightly uphill too – a natural flood barrier when the heavens inevitably opened. Wales, innit. ☔️

😍 THE GOOD (Round Two) – The Perks, Baby

Let’s talk about the actual perks for that £50 top-up:

✅ Private Bar – Faster service than the main arena bar. You could actually see the bar staff’s eyes, which is rare at festivals! 🧑‍🍳👀

✅ Seating and Cover – There were actual chairs. And not just any chairs – dry ones! Plus a sheltered marquee for those of us who melted in the sun or shriveled in the rain. Absolute game-changer. 🌂🌞

✅ Exclusive Acoustic Sets – Mate. Dan Byrne’s VIP acoustic set? Spine-tingling. Voice of a choirboy raised on Jack Daniels. Worth the £50 alone. 🎶🔥

✅ Clean Loos – Might sound dull, but anyone who’s ever braved the general arena portaloos at 10pm knows this is a big deal. These ones didn’t smell like a dragon’s arse. That’s a win. 🚽💯

😬 THE BAD – Bit of a Foodie Flop

For a £50 ticket, we half expected a mini cheese board or at least a VIP-only burger truck. But nah, same food options as the rest of the arena – and you had to leave VIP to get grub.

Not a dealbreaker, but still – we were ready to nom a posh sausage roll like rock royalty. Instead, we were queuing next to Steve from Tonypandy again, who was dressed as a traffic cone. 😅

🤷‍♂️ THE “EH?” – Atmosphere Swings

Here’s the thing – VIP was sometimes too chill. Almost like being backstage with your nan. If you wanted to feel the roar of the crowd, you missed out by being up there sipping G&Ts in relative silence. 🦗

Also, there were moments where the music felt distant – especially when a band really hit their stride and the mountain was shaking. From VIP, you could hear it, but you couldn’t feel it. And let’s be honest, rock is about feeling it in your ribs, mun. 🔊💥

💸 SO… WAS IT WORTH £50?

For us? YESS MUN! 🏴

If you’re over 30, have knees that click like cymbals, or just fancy a bit of breathing room away from mosh pit madness, it’s a tidy investment. Especially with bonus acoustic sets and actual places to sit and breathe.

But if you’re a young pup who lives for the pit and doesn’t mind standing in ankle-deep mud with a plastic cup of warm Strongbow… save your £50 for merch and band tees.

🥁 FINAL VERDICT: 8.5/10 🎟️

+ Clean loos

+ Quicker pints

+ Acoustic magic

+ Real chairs, dry feet

– No exclusive food

– Missed a bit of that raw arena energy

Would we do it again? Aye. Especially if Dan Byrne’s angelic pipes are part of the package again. Diolch VIP – you were lush. 🎶🏕️🍻

📸 Got a pic from the VIP area? Send it to us at The Riff Report HQ and we’ll add you to our “Very Important Pissheads” wall. 😎

#Steelhouse2025 #VIPorNotVIP #TheRiffReport #VoiceOfAnAngel #CleanLoosAndCiderFlow