It’s Twestival time again.
If you’ve never been before, it’s a worldwide effort to hold a festival on a particular day, organised via Twitter, and raise money for charity.
Basically, it’s an excuse for a party. It’s on Thursday 24th March at the Slug and Lettuce, and there will be drinks, live bands, a raffle, and possibly cake.

PLUS you’ll get to meet people that you’ve previously only talked to on Twitter.
Tickets are £5 if you buy them now (early bird special price til 14th March) – and available from
http://www.amiando.com/Twestival2011_bristol.html
You can win an iPad 2 in this year’s raffle.

You will almost certainly spend some time going “I recognise that person from twitter…” and yet not be totally sure who they are.
Last year, I didn’t recognise @Niteglow at all. He had to put some sunglasses on and look to the side, to prove it was really him.

Actually I *nearly* didn’t go at all last year.
This year, I’ve been to a meeting held by the team organising it.

What put me off last year?

The Twestival is a charity fundraiser. I’d not been to many, before.

A couple of years ago, I went to a comedy night at Jesters to raise money for charity. Jon Richardson was the headline act.
I was unemployed at the time, but I thought it seemed like a good cheap night out (tickets under £10).
We sat down, got some drinks, and were subjected to harrowing pictures of dying children for half an hour until the first comedian came on. They were pretty poor.

I think there was three acts before Jon Richardson. And an auction where people were bidding stupid amounts for (not-signed) DVDs of Russell Brand, and other shit.
I was pestered between acts to buy food, more drinks, roses for my girlfriend, then raffle tickets, then arm bands.
Jon Richardson wasn’t on until gone 11pm, by which point I was feeling a bit like I hadn’t given enough money, and was pretty tired.
He was still very funny.

Last year’s Twestival, I arrived (late – I couldn’t find the venue), walked in and was immediately greeted by someone.
I was expecting to be hassled to buy something, but was told IF I wanted to check my coat, I could do so at Y, for X amount, but that I didn’t have to. I declined.
Yeah – IN YOUR FACE added extras – I’ve paid my money to be here – I’m not going to feel guilty for not giving more.

Next up – cake.
“And we’re selling cake for £1 a slice”.
CAKE?! Hassle me into buying cake, will you?! Well….well…actually I’m quite hungry. And it does look nice. Yeah why not. I’ll have a slice.

Raffle tickets? Yeah they’re probably £2 each, and some crap I’ve no interest in, on the cards.
Oh..right..they’re £2 a strip, and I could win a PS3 (among many other lavish prizes).
I’ll erm..have a strip then….please.

And on the niceness went.
I didn’t get hassled to buy flowers, or armbands. I didn’t get hassled at all. There wasn’t any videos of death, or descriptions of illnesses. It was a nice night out with a few drinks, some live bands, and a lot of people checking their phones as often as I do, without any bad feeling from those around us.