MY, OH MY! How quickly a year flies!
It seems just like yesterday since Stevie Wonder brought down the curtain on Glastonbury's 40th birthday celebrations.
But the time has come to make the journey to Michael Eavis' Worthy Farm in Pilton once again.
Even by Glastonbury standards, last year's festival was particularly spectacular. Not only was there the anniversary aspect but we also had a full week in which not a single raindrop fell.
It was, in fact, the first totally-dry Glastonbury since 2002 and so wishing for a repeat performance from the weather gods is rather optimistic.
Nevertheless, my hiatus from this blog for this year's festival looks like being pretty extraordinary again.
For, I will not only be attending Glastonbury - but also three further days of music on the following week at Hyde Park in London.
The reasons for this, in my head at least, are three-fold. Firstly, by paying for Hyde Park tickets, the number of clashes at Glastonbury is vastly reduced. More on this below.
Secondly, attending more gigs is the perfect way to banish the inevitable Sunday night Glastonbury blues which I have not avoided yet in three previous visits.
And, finally, there is no Glastonbury Festival next year so splashing out on extra music now seems especially worth it.
The fallow year was actually meant to be this year but with resources such as portaloos and security being taken up by the 2012 London Olympics, it made more sense to delay the recess.
So what exactly will I be looking forward to see at Glastonbury 2011?
Well, for a start, the Pyramid Stage headliners are U2 on Friday, Coldplay on Saturday and Beyonce Knowles on Sunday.
U2 will make a belated return to the festival, having intended to play last year until pulling out due to a back injury to their front-man Bono.
Coldplay are also making a long-awaited return to Glastonbury, having last played there in 2005, while this is Beyonce's first appearance, coming three years after her husband Jay-Z headlined.
To be honest, it is far more likely that I will spend the last hours of Sunday at the West Holts Stage celebrating good times with Kool & the Gang over a few last pints of Brothers cider.
I will have already spent a fair bit of Sunday in front of Pyramid anyway, waking up to the sea-shanties of the Fisherman's Friends before watching Don McLean and Paul Simon on the afternoon.
On Friday, I intend to make visits to the Park Stage for Jenny & Johnny and Big Audio Dynamite before a long evening stint at the Pyramid for Morrissey and U2.
And, on Saturday, I will probably be back at the Pyramid again for the likes of Stornoway and the Gaslight Anthem.
However, I would like to get myself around the site a bit and, on Saturday afternoon, I will combine some real ale and folk as Thea Gilmore's version of Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding is followed in the Acoustic Tent by Pentangle.
And, of course, I would hope to indulge in some Glastonbury traditions by attending Tony Benn's talk at the Poetry & Words tent - if there is room - and by seeing to a bit of Billy Bragg on Leftfield.
Then, there are the visits to the Green Fields, the Stone Circle and the plethora of late night areas, now operating under a new one-way system. I am a little skeptical about those new plans but it is intended to improve access.
By way of a disclaimer, this itinerary is not for definite - nothing ever is at Glastonbury where there are constantly plenty of distractions. But the schedule is perhaps more definite than in other years.
The reason for this is that the number of possible clashes between the various acts has been vastly reduced by my choice to extend my trip by attending Hyde Park on 30 June.
There, I will see a one-off gig by Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Chase & Status and the Vaccines - before returning there for the Wireless Festival on 2-3 July.
At Wireless, I expect to see the likes of Pulp, the Chemical Brothers, Devotchka, Yuck, Fight Like Apes and Katy B among many others.
And so it is no surprise that, right now, I feel like a kid at Christmas and simply cannot wait to get going. I think Millie the Micra and myself are in for the most fun we have ever had.
Showing posts with label tony benn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tony benn. Show all posts
Monday, 20 June 2011
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Glastonbury hits 40
THE ANNUAL pilgrimage to Pilton Farm in Somerset takes place this week as Glastonbury Festival celebrates its 40th birthday.
Gorillaz, Muse and Stevie Wonder will headline the Pyramid Stage after U2 were forced to pull out due to Bono having surgery on his spine.
Bono's misfortune is Damon Albarn's gain and the Gorillaz front man gets top billing at Glasto for a second time in a row, having played an emotional set with Blur to close the festival in 2009.
But Glastonbury has rarely been just about the headliners as proven in October when tickets sold out within a day without the line-up having been announced.
As it happens, Aussie octogenarian Rolf Harris opens the Pyramid Stage on Friday after attracting a huge crowd last year when playing the Jazz World Stage, now called West Holts.
That stage name is not the only change this year with the site bigger than ever following the creation of three new late-night areas due to popular demand.
And in a welcome re-think, the Leftfield Stage is back. It looks set to make a big impression on its return, especially on Saturday night when fans of shouty political folk-punk will flock to see successive sets by Frank Turner and Billy Bragg.
Elsewhere, folk with a more indie feel will be provided by Stornoway on Saturday and Turin Brakes in the Acoustic Tent near the always-impressive Red Flag Real Ale bar on Friday.
I would also love to see another set of folk musicians currently making a big leap into the mainstream - Mumford & Sons. But they face an almighty clash on Friday night with Florence and the Machine who I have yet to see live.
However, there are certain acts for whom the decision is rather easier for myself.
The aforementioned Frank Turner, the bizarre sound of The Flaming Lips, 90s legends The Lightning Seeds, and The Kinks' frontman Ray Davies - complete with gospel choir - are top of my own must-see list for this year.
Added to those, the Sunday night sets of Faithless and Stevie Wonder on Pyramid will round off what promises to be a glorious weekend very nicely.
Glorious is certainly what is being promised in terms of the weather for this year with Glastonbury expected to bask in bright sunshine and temperature of around 21 degrees.
Perhaps, for once, there is a good chance that the plastic ponchos and the infamous wellies can be packed away without being used.
But other, more enjoyable traditional Glastonbury pursuits - Brother's Cider on the first night, Spicy Cider from the Cider Bus, sitting at the Stone Circle - are sure to continue.
Tony Benn's Sunday afternoon speech is another fine tradition. Famously, the former Labour MP for Chesterfield said on retiring that he was "leaving Parliament to spend more time doing politics".
A man of real principle, Mr Benn is a worthwhile pause for reflection in a often hectic weekend.
On the other hand, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg - who organisers hope will still turn up - may get a less than generous welcome.
Although, I suspect, both his attendance and his reception will depend on the contents of the coalition government's emergency budget.
But that particular issue is for another time. For now, I am off to enjoy myself and spend the next few days forgetting about the outside world - except, perhaps, the World Cup.
ESSENTIAL LINKS
*Official Glastonbury Festival website
*BBC Glastonbury Festival website
*The Guardian Glastonbury Festival website
*Halvin's Clashfinder 2010
*Glastonbury Festival map
*E-festivals message board for Glastonbury
*BBC weather for BA4 (Wells nr Glastonbury)
Gorillaz, Muse and Stevie Wonder will headline the Pyramid Stage after U2 were forced to pull out due to Bono having surgery on his spine.
Bono's misfortune is Damon Albarn's gain and the Gorillaz front man gets top billing at Glasto for a second time in a row, having played an emotional set with Blur to close the festival in 2009.
But Glastonbury has rarely been just about the headliners as proven in October when tickets sold out within a day without the line-up having been announced.
As it happens, Aussie octogenarian Rolf Harris opens the Pyramid Stage on Friday after attracting a huge crowd last year when playing the Jazz World Stage, now called West Holts.
That stage name is not the only change this year with the site bigger than ever following the creation of three new late-night areas due to popular demand.
And in a welcome re-think, the Leftfield Stage is back. It looks set to make a big impression on its return, especially on Saturday night when fans of shouty political folk-punk will flock to see successive sets by Frank Turner and Billy Bragg.
Elsewhere, folk with a more indie feel will be provided by Stornoway on Saturday and Turin Brakes in the Acoustic Tent near the always-impressive Red Flag Real Ale bar on Friday.
I would also love to see another set of folk musicians currently making a big leap into the mainstream - Mumford & Sons. But they face an almighty clash on Friday night with Florence and the Machine who I have yet to see live.
However, there are certain acts for whom the decision is rather easier for myself.
The aforementioned Frank Turner, the bizarre sound of The Flaming Lips, 90s legends The Lightning Seeds, and The Kinks' frontman Ray Davies - complete with gospel choir - are top of my own must-see list for this year.
Added to those, the Sunday night sets of Faithless and Stevie Wonder on Pyramid will round off what promises to be a glorious weekend very nicely.
Glorious is certainly what is being promised in terms of the weather for this year with Glastonbury expected to bask in bright sunshine and temperature of around 21 degrees.
Perhaps, for once, there is a good chance that the plastic ponchos and the infamous wellies can be packed away without being used.
But other, more enjoyable traditional Glastonbury pursuits - Brother's Cider on the first night, Spicy Cider from the Cider Bus, sitting at the Stone Circle - are sure to continue.
Tony Benn's Sunday afternoon speech is another fine tradition. Famously, the former Labour MP for Chesterfield said on retiring that he was "leaving Parliament to spend more time doing politics".
A man of real principle, Mr Benn is a worthwhile pause for reflection in a often hectic weekend.
On the other hand, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg - who organisers hope will still turn up - may get a less than generous welcome.
Although, I suspect, both his attendance and his reception will depend on the contents of the coalition government's emergency budget.
But that particular issue is for another time. For now, I am off to enjoy myself and spend the next few days forgetting about the outside world - except, perhaps, the World Cup.
ESSENTIAL LINKS
*Official Glastonbury Festival website
*BBC Glastonbury Festival website
*The Guardian Glastonbury Festival website
*Halvin's Clashfinder 2010
*Glastonbury Festival map
*E-festivals message board for Glastonbury
*BBC weather for BA4 (Wells nr Glastonbury)
Monday, 22 June 2009
Glastonbury
Wellies at the ready - it's that time again when thousands of revellers descend on Somerset for Glastonbury Festival.
This year's festival will be my second visit to Worthy Farm after my maiden experience at last year's event.
I became truly captured in the magic of Glastonbury as the sun beamed out over the Pyramid Stage when Crowded House played 'Weather With You' on Saturday after two days of rain.
And I placed my deposit to guarantee a place for 2009 as soon as I could.
The outlook for this year's event is set to be unsettled with warm weather interspersed by summer showers. Not that it's likely to bother anyone.
As usual, the gates to the campsite open on Wednesday but I will be arriving on Thursday due to logistical reasons.
But, hopefully, I will be in time for the first main act, Newcastle-based band Maximo Park playing at the new William Green area.
The opening night of wandering aimlessly around the site is sure to follow with likely stop-offs at the Brothers Bar and the Cider Bus before late night indulgence in Trash City and Shangrai-La.
A visit to the Stone Circle is a must and, this year, I'm hoping my body-clock holds out to allow me to see dawn rise over the campsite from the hill.
In terms of music, the festival remains generally as varied as ever, though without the JayZ-sized risk from 2008 in the headliners.
Instead, Michael Eavis has lined up Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Blur to finish on the Pyramid Stage over the weekend.
In a Friday night clash, Young will compete against The Kinks' Ray Davies who I am more likely to see for the expected sing-a-long.
But Saturday will be all about The Boss and his two-hour set as a headliner with Kasabian as the warm-up.
On Sunday, there is another unseemly clash with Blur on at the same time as The Prodigy.
The return of Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon et al is likely to shade it for me, though, especially having seen Keith Flint's group on previous occasions.
As for the rest of the acts, I am very excited to see ska legends The Specials on Friday with Madness on Sunday thrown in for good measure.
And another personal favourite, Art Brut, will make an appearance on Saturday at the Other Stage
Novelty acts Bjorn Again and Spinal Tap earn their place alongside old-timers Rolf Harris and Sir Tom Jones.
And I expect to make room for the traditional speech from Tony Benn, a real conviction politician who completely shows the current spineless bunch for what they are.
But the wondrous element of Glastonbury is its unpredictability.
These plans are just that - plans. I expect many of them will go to waste, which makes the whole muddy mess even more fun.
Useful links:
*The official Glastonbury Festival website
*Halvin's Clashfinder - an impressively accurate compilation of the set times for every act on every stage
*Efestivals messageboard - Glastonbury rumour and counter-rumour
*Glastonbury Map
*BBC Weather (for Glastonbury)
This year's festival will be my second visit to Worthy Farm after my maiden experience at last year's event.
I became truly captured in the magic of Glastonbury as the sun beamed out over the Pyramid Stage when Crowded House played 'Weather With You' on Saturday after two days of rain.
And I placed my deposit to guarantee a place for 2009 as soon as I could.
The outlook for this year's event is set to be unsettled with warm weather interspersed by summer showers. Not that it's likely to bother anyone.
As usual, the gates to the campsite open on Wednesday but I will be arriving on Thursday due to logistical reasons.
But, hopefully, I will be in time for the first main act, Newcastle-based band Maximo Park playing at the new William Green area.
The opening night of wandering aimlessly around the site is sure to follow with likely stop-offs at the Brothers Bar and the Cider Bus before late night indulgence in Trash City and Shangrai-La.
A visit to the Stone Circle is a must and, this year, I'm hoping my body-clock holds out to allow me to see dawn rise over the campsite from the hill.
In terms of music, the festival remains generally as varied as ever, though without the JayZ-sized risk from 2008 in the headliners.
Instead, Michael Eavis has lined up Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Blur to finish on the Pyramid Stage over the weekend.
In a Friday night clash, Young will compete against The Kinks' Ray Davies who I am more likely to see for the expected sing-a-long.
But Saturday will be all about The Boss and his two-hour set as a headliner with Kasabian as the warm-up.
On Sunday, there is another unseemly clash with Blur on at the same time as The Prodigy.
The return of Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon et al is likely to shade it for me, though, especially having seen Keith Flint's group on previous occasions.
As for the rest of the acts, I am very excited to see ska legends The Specials on Friday with Madness on Sunday thrown in for good measure.
And another personal favourite, Art Brut, will make an appearance on Saturday at the Other Stage
Novelty acts Bjorn Again and Spinal Tap earn their place alongside old-timers Rolf Harris and Sir Tom Jones.
And I expect to make room for the traditional speech from Tony Benn, a real conviction politician who completely shows the current spineless bunch for what they are.
But the wondrous element of Glastonbury is its unpredictability.
These plans are just that - plans. I expect many of them will go to waste, which makes the whole muddy mess even more fun.
Useful links:
*The official Glastonbury Festival website
*Halvin's Clashfinder - an impressively accurate compilation of the set times for every act on every stage
*Efestivals messageboard - Glastonbury rumour and counter-rumour
*Glastonbury Map
*BBC Weather (for Glastonbury)
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