Glastonbury!!!

[Keith]

The mother of all music festivals kicks off this week, and once again I am very excited!

I have been to Glastonbury once in 2007, and it was amazing. First of all you just can't imaige how big the place is until you have been, the spirit and atmosphere of the place is amazing, there is just so much to discover. It is like you could have the event without the bands playing, because there is just so much to get lost in, but even taking in the music, you get lots of suprises, with special appearences that weren't on the bill, and you can be on your way to see a band, and stumble across a gig going on in a smaller corner of the festival. There just so many different stages, and tents, and areas with lots of activites besides the music going on. The year I went I only really scratched the surfuce in terms of seeing eveything. And of course since its debut 41 years ago it has played host to a who's who of music, and more importantly an up and coming band or artist can be made at Glastonbury. The festival is a true british tradtion, and there is nothing quite like it, it is magically!

Anyway better give you just some of the acts playing this year, U2 [who I won't be watching], Morrissey [highly recommended, even if his solo stuff isn't as good as the Smiths], Biffy Clyro, B.B King, WU-Tang Clan [one to see], Metronomy, Elbow, Tinie Tempah, Beyonce, Paul Simon, Laura Marling [highly recommended!], Don McLean, Primal Scream, Fleet Foxes [recommended], Bright Eyes, Chipmunk, The Chemical Brothers, Friendly Fires, Queens of the Stone Age [highly recommended!], TV on the Radio [recommended], Noisettes, Chase and Status, Janelle Monae, The Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble, Kool and The Gang [one to see], The Go Team! [highly recommended! saw them at Glasto 07], DJ Shadow [recommended], Battles, Noah and the Whale [recommended], The Horrors, Warpaint [highly recommended!], Anna Calvi [recommended], Yuck, The Streets [recommended], Foster the People, Caribou, Wild Beasts [recommended], Graham Coxon, Ellen and the Escapades, Gruff Rhys, Lykke Li, John Grant, Gabrielle Aplin, The Secret Sisters, Deacon Blue, Suzanne Vega, John Cooper Clarke, Caitlin Rose, The Beat, Chumbawamba, Guillemots [acoustic set], The Wombles!, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, Asian Dub Foundation, Lee Scratch Perry [highly recommended!], Plump DJs, Katy B, Billy Bragg and many, many more!

So as you can see everything from indie to country, folk to blues, hip-hop to metal, rap to dance, guilty pleassures, novity acts and everything in between.

As normal I will be enjoying the BBC's brilliant convenge, the great thing about that is they show whole sets on the red button, where you can see performances from the smaller stages, and more obscure acts.

So if anyone happens to be going this weekend, then do report back, or just post your thoughts on Glasto and other festivals. I will be posting over the weekend.

 

[Keith]

Well there were suprise appearences from Radiohead on friday and the recently reformed Pulp on Saturday, both on the small Park Stage, which is another reason why I am jerious of people attending the festival this year!

Anyway after a slow start, the last couple of days have produced many highlights.

So far Jimmy Cliff's magical performance on friday, Anna Calvi, Battles, Noah and the Whale, Laura Marling, Janelle Monere, The Nosettes and Paul Simon have been the best sets I have seen so far.

Tonight I am looking forward to seeing The Streets and Queens of the Stone Age top the bill on the other stage, and might catch a bit of Kool and the Gang and Beyonce too.

 

[Keith]

Well its been an intertesting closing night so far, Kool and the Gang certainly had lots of energy and colour, working the crowd brilliantly, still their rontine does seem dated compared to someone like the wonderful Jimmy Cliff! Still can't beat a bit of Jungle Boogie!

Stupid BBC3 only showed about twenty minutes of both The Streets and Queens of the Stone Age, and have lef half an hour for weekend highlights. Anyway Mike Skinner was in pretty fine form, although I can see why he is calling it a day at least with the Streets, because he does seem spent to me, and is getting a bit repetive. Queens produced a excellent raw energy, power pop, dirty rock set, with soring anthems. Just seen the end of Beyonce, well it sounds like she went down pretty well, the set of was spectutaler, however it did have a very overly sentimantal feel to it, and did I get a hint of lipsinking surely not! Anyway it looks like it was visually entertaining, weather it was much more than that, I can't say.

 

[Dod Draper]

U2 and Beyonce were massive buzz-kills. I'm not a big Coldplay fan but liked their set nonetheless.

Queens of the Stone Age were awesome, as per usual. Should have more of them and cut The Streets a little shorter.

 

[Keith]

True, but you could have seen most of Queens set on the red button,and I am sure it is online also. I do think the Beeb's Glasto convenge has gone down hill with those annonying teen presenters, and the less focus on music, but then again I supose the red button makes up for that.

By the way did anyone catch TV On the Radio doing the Ghostbusters theme, now that was cool!