It took three trains and seven hours but I finally got back from Glasto. Four of those seven hours were spent waiting for connecting trains, sitting on platforms and scaring away other passengers with my wild-eyed, hygiene-challenged festival aura. Or it could have just been the white Wayfarers I bought on impulse and made me look like the guy from The Buggles.
The waiting provided me ample opportunity to reflect on the previous three days. As I’d predicted the weather and the lineup was a mixed bag. It rained when I arrived on Friday, creating the obligatory Glastonbury mudbath. But after that the weather was a schizophrenic mix of overcast and sunny that kept things dry and meant that it never got too hot.
The bands. I only to got see a fraction of what was on offer, of course. The Editors and British Sea Power were very disappointing. (The singer from BSP was flat and out of key.) Elbow were underwhelming. So were the Kings of Leon and Ben Folds. Shakin’ Stevens looked like he wished he was anywhere else but on the Pyramid Stage and The Feeling were awful. Except for a note perfect version of Video Killed the Radio Star.
Duffy was OK. She wore tiny red shorts and when she walked out on stage three lads in front said ‘F*ck Me!’ in unison which made me laugh. Every Aussie at Glastonbury – and there were thousands of us – packed the John Peel Tent for the Hilltop Hoods who put on an energetic show and inspired an equally energetic ‘Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!’ chant. The Wurzels sang songs about Combine Harvestors to a large and appreciative crowd. Amy Winehouse drew the biggest crowd but mainly because people don’t think she’s long for this world. In fact, two girls behind me shrieked ‘She’s still alive!’ when she came out on stage.
Highlights: Jay-Z was amazing. Easily the slickest act and the Noel Gallagher montage was hilarious. (Though it has to be said, all the crowd sang along with Wonderwall when he did a p!ss-take of it.) The Tings Tings sounded bigger and better than on record. Ethiopiques, a North African Buena Vista Social Club, had women of a certain age swaying. The Racontuers really ‘rawked.’
The absolute highlight, however, was The Hoodoo Gurus on the Other Stage at midday on Sunday. Dave Faulkner’s got considerably less hair, Brad Shepherd is a little stockier, but every single song was brilliant. Man, it was like I was back at Selinas circa 1989. To be honest, it bought a tear to my eye.
Some other random observations: The biggest queues were for the ATMs and the Orange Chill and Charge tent where you could recharge your mobile phone. Trash City and Shangri-la were like something out of Mad Max. And Gaymers cider is really quite good.
I’ll leave you with an equally random comment I got from a woman walking across the field in front of The Other Stage early Saturday morning.
‘Don’t you think seagulls are just the Pierce Brosnans of pigeons?’
I’m still trying to figure out what she meant.
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G’day
Glad you caught the Guru’s, thought you might be impressed. I don’t think they’ve lost any of thier appeal.
Cheers
Rooty
Sounds like you had fun. In fact it sounds like Glastonbury this year was more fun in practice than it appeared on paper.
I haven’t seen the Hoodoo Gurus for 20 years. They are playing tomorrow night in Kentish Town, I have a hard decision to make…can I be bothered to go out and see them.
Yes, Gaymers cider is good, their pear cider is better. Addlestons cloudy cider is the best.
And now I have “I want you back” running through my head constantly. Thanks.
“Don’t you think seagulls are just the Pierce Brosnans of pigeons?”
I would have loved that girl, whatever she meant with that.