Monday 29 June 2009

My Glastonbury 2009

Safely back in London, it is time for me to prepare for the next big event in my social calendar - the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto. It is the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world - best known for its contemporary music, but also features dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and many other arts.

I bought the ticket towards the end of last year, not quite sure knowing what state of mind I might be in after 6 months of travelling in Latin America, but I figured it would be something fun to look forward to.

Sam is chief organiser and has cleverly rented a camper van. Parked up in the family camper van section is a breath of (almost) fresh air compared to the other tent-only campsites. The rest of the happy campers include Sam's father, Martyn, his four brothers; Hedgie (good Jonathan), Alex and Lewis, cousin Pippi and her boyfriend (bad) Jonathan, and Sam's school-friend, Will (Herrington-boy).

I travel to Worthy Farm in Somerset aboard a National Express non-air conditioned coach along with Pippi and (bad) Jonathan (who discover along the way that they are not travel-compatible!). The journey from London Victoria to the farm takes about four hours and given that the sun is blazing, we are a little warm. The Italian chap beside me keeps offering his shoulder as a headrest, telling me that he would be very grateful! I force myself out of sleepiness to avoid the awkwardness and instead quiz him on his Glasto knowledge, this year is his 20th anniversary of attendance. We pass the heritage site of Stonehenge on route.
Stonehenge

The first hurdle we cross at Glastonbury, is the 5-mile trek from Entrance A (coach drop-off point) to Exit C (location of fellow happy campers and camper van). Navigation with the pathetic map we've been given is nearly impossible!
Jonathan takes his hat off to the Glasto-organisers

Part of the grasslands has been cordoned off, preventing us from crossing to meet up with the others (bloomin' Maximo Park wrecking our plans!). I quickly realise that my phone will be about as much good dropped down a portaloo as it is in my handbag (no signal, and quite shortly afterwards, no battery). After a quick re-jig of plans, Sam and Will manage to rescue us and lead us up the 'hill of death'. What a view!
Walking down the hill of death!
Our very respectable camp, equipped with 5 tents & a camper van
My temporary home laden with all Glasto-essentials

The shocking thing about Glastonbury for me is the sheer size and volume of people and acts - sprawling across 900 acres, with 190,00 attendees, 50 stages and over 1000 acts..
One of the main campsites, near the Pyramid stage
There are many options for food & drinks - noodles, crepes, Indian, Chinese, tofu, goat curry, sushi, Caribbean, Mexican etc.
With more bands & artists than one can imagine....

This evening is about becoming oriented with the site and stages, especially relaxing around the Queen's Head listening to folk-type music such as Liz Green. It is becoming clear that with most phones not functioning that coordinating our group of nine (with different musical tastes) through crowds of people is quite a challenge.

Myself, Will, Pippi & Bad Jonathan
Black clouds loom, soon the rain pours down

This evening the rain begins, Pippi and I take shelter with hot chocolate in hand.
Looking out at the downpour
And with rain, the mud follows....

The highlight for me this evening is bopping along to East 17, my all-time favourite band during my late childhood years. I am amazed that I remember all the words, clearly a true fan!
East 17, in the blurry distance

The word around the site is that Michael Jackson is dead. It is quite common for wild rumours to spread through festivals so we are not quite sure whether to believe it. The late evening is spent in the Pussy Parlour where Billy Nasty throws out a dubstep set.

On Friday morning, we are woken by the baking sunshine. Hedgie (good ) Jonathan crawls out of his oven-like tent and collapses on the grass where it is mildly cooler!
Hedgie, fast asleep on the grass on Friday morning

This morning is spent wildly chasing the elusive goose that is the health centre. There is something in the air here that has really triggered off my asthma - with all my wheezing and gasping I manage to sleep very little. Eventually a medical centre is located, I see a doctor, get a prescription and I'm given directions to an on-site pharmacy situated on top of a hill on the other side of the site (Grrr). I arrive a wheezy mess and almost hug the lady who gives me a new inhaler. Deep breaths, then time to reunite with the rest of the troops at Regina Spektor.
The New Yorker, Regina Spektor, is an artist I had forgotten about since university and was pleasantly surprised by this re-discovery (especially the songs Us and Samson). Then, it is time for Icelandic singer, Emiliana Torrini in The Park. Her sweet voice is who I listened to at the most challenging times during my Master's degree. Sitting up on the hill in the sunshine is very pleasant.
Emiliana Torrini
Stone wall at the entrance to The Park
Sand sculptures in The Park
The Park
Chairs were a good idea afterall...
It all gets a bit too much for Will!
Emiliana Torrini plays on The Park stage
Before the rain!

Cannot rest too long, it's time for Lily Allen. Looking very purple and glittery, she wears a white glove in respect for Michael Jackson. She sings her 'F*£$ you', anti-establishment song, which sends most of the crowd crazy shoving two fingers in the air to the government. I find this very strange!
Lily on Pyramid - the audience making rude gestures

Then, over to Jazz World for The Streets, picking up a grilled Hallumi wrap on the way (yum!). The performance is quite mundane, but we have seats at the District 66 bar which keeps any complaints at bay!
Sunset over Jazz World

They play the classic, Dry your Eyes, which makes me a little more forgiving of their performance. We stop off in the comedy tent and a familiar comedian is on the stage. Last year Sam and I went to the Edinburgh Comedy Festival and went to see this guy's act, however, the fire alarm went off in the middle of a joke, we evacuated the building and the performance was abandoned. So, it is incredible that we walk into the comedy tent just in time to hear the punchline of the same joke and the rest of the act! Talk about perfect timing.
Half the act viewed in Edinburgh, the other at Glastonbury!

Then, we get our first taste of the wonders and strange occurences of Trash City. Hard to explain, but basically full of weird and wacky folk, fireballs, helicopters and pinball machines.
Sam watches the antics of Trash City
The grand opening of Trash City

Brief stop at the Ladybird Circus on the way back to camp

It is easy to get up on a Saturday morning when you know that Ralf Harris is singing songs in the sunshine. I feel a wave of emotion pass through me as he sings Two Little Boys.
Pretty Flags around Jazz World

Practical flags (Lewis is here)
Will religiously applies the Factor 50 & still manages to get burned!

Enough nostalgic childhood memories of Tie me kangaroo down sport and we are off to the Lancashire Hotpots. Witty and entertaining, well worth going to see. It is ridiculously hot outside, so we seek shade inside the Avalon Cafe where more acoustic stuff plays.
Avalon Cafe, a haven of calm & cool
Capturing the crowd
Sam resting his feet between gigs

WHERE ARE YOU? The most frequently asked question of the festival for those with functional phones (mainly T-mobile it seems!). Answers range include; I'm to the left of Pyramid. I'm under the England flag. I'm in the Pussy Parlour. Other common phrases or exclamations inlcude; Eeeew, that was soooo disgusting. Oh my God, it smells so badly here. How can people be so disgusting? These comments are generally but not exclusively related to portaloo discussions.
Pippi shows us the effects of dry shampoo!

This afternoon gets a bit more lively with the much-hyped, much-anticipated La Roux playing over in the Dance Village. I enjoy the set, and the song Fascination is certainly growing on me! Bulletproof is still my favourite..."this time baby...I'll be bulletproof", very catchy!
La Roux
In the crowd I get separated from the others while The Qemists play. I listen to some of Deadmau5, and then make my way over to Kasabian. At which point I realise that I no longer have my ticket (needed for entering and exiting our campsite). After a flash of panic I decide to retrace my footsteps through the still-mucky grounds and miraculously about fifteen minutes later I see a small folded white paper - my ticket!
I find my ticket right beside this posterboard (note rubbish levels on the ground!)


I wander back to the Pyramid stage for Kasabian, and then over to the Other stage for Pendulum - both bands give amazing performances and there is a great atmosphere in the audience.
These young lovers passionately kiss before the crowds pile in for Pendulum
Rocking out at Pendulum
The feeling of listening to wonderful music while watching the sunset is incredible
Making my way back to the Dance Village
No rain this evening over the festival

Back at the Dance Village I bump into Sam, Lewis and Will - just in time for Eric Prydz. Good fun, but not quite as much fun as 2 many DJs!! This is the best gig of the festival for me, I simply do not want the music to stop! With mixes of MGMT, Michael Jackson, Eurythmics, The Gossip.......it is just incredible.
The grand finale, 2 Many DJs

Sunday morning begins with 6 day riot, who I have never hear of but I enjoy a great deal. There is a rush to get over to Dance West for Goldfish, the South African duo whom Adam introduced me to a couple of years ago. I like the fact that they play instruments live during their DJ sets.
Goldfish

A little too early on a Sunday morning for more dance music, it is time to sit on the grass and listen to Emmy the Great and Amadou and Mariam. Later, Will and I head over to see the Cuban band, Orquesta Aragón. We eat some delicious Goan fish curry, drink some pear cider and giddily dash over to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (great costumes but not such an exciting show).
Then it's time for...Madness!! Baggy Trousers, House of Love and Wings of a Dove - what fun to sway and sing along to!
Madness
Lewis (with Hedgie in stripes) during Madness
Will + Pear Cider = Bad idea

Next, it is time for the Noisettes, London Electricity and Mr.Scruff. For me, the question of whether to see The Prodigy or Blur is curbed when somehow I end up passing out on my way to the toilet and land up on a stretcher bed in the Glasto emergency medical tent...the mystery remains as to what actually happened. After four hours of teeth grinding, seizures, hallucinations and paranoia under the supervision of the medical team and drinking pints of water, I begin to come around. About 2am I make my way back to camp, wrapped in a survival blanket, and try to explain to the others what happened. There is talk of drink spiking. Having looked into the symtoms, it appears that it was some kind of amphetamine. Those four hours were, without doubt, the most scary few hours of my life. I remember crying and crying, beggin the medics to make it go away. Without a phone, there is no way to contact anyone. The rain is torrential tonight, leaving the grounds looking like a mud-bath once more.

On Monday, we are all up by 6am. I am still feeling quite weak and wobbly after the terrible occurences of the night before. The boys and the van speed off to join the 15-mile tailback of vehicles leaving the festival. I later learn that on route to Exeter the rear window literally pops out of the van, smashing into smithereens. How on earth did that happen? Myself, Pippi and Jonathan are hoping that we can hop onto one of the earlier coaches back to London (we currently have tickets for the midday). No such luck, we have no choice but to laze about in the sunshine, reading our Glastonbury 'Review' and wallowing in our festival odours. Considering the constant reminders of 'Love the farm, leave no trace' I cannot believe the rubbish. There are fields filled with abandoned tents, wellys, cans, cups, food, cigarette butts, clothes, shoes and torches. It is unimaginable how this farm will return to luscious pastures anytime soon.
Glastonbury abandoned once more

After a slight detour on the coach to avoid traffic, we eventually return to Victoria. Back to London and the heatwave of 2009 (last one 2003 apparently!).

So, in review here is my list of yays and boos of my first Glastonbury.

The Yays.
Sunshine. Seeing Sam & co. Drinking hot chocolate with cream and flake under a shelter while the rains pours down. 2 Many DJs. Crepe with butter, sugar and lemon. The choice of amazing music. Standing at the top of the Hill of Death. Sitting on top of the camper van with an even better view. Nice people. Goan fish curry. Emiliana Torrini. Mr. Scruff. Babywipes. Pear cider. Free stuff. Welly boots (as comfy as slippers!). East 17's Alright. Dry shampoo. Pretty flags (all colours of the rainbow) and practical flags (e.g. Lewis is here). Fancy dress - makes it much easier to spot friends in the crowds. Tiger (the adorable 18-month baby next door) waving at us, giggling and singing 'ee-eye ee-eye oh'!

The Boos.
Ending up with Glasto medics, twice. Rain. Mud. Poo and portaloos. Phones without signal or battery. Climbing the Hill of Death at least twice a day. Clashes between great bands. The smell of other people's pear cider vomit. Walking miles to see bands. Sore feet. Not meeting up with friends due to lack of phone. Catching a glimpse of onself in one of the rare portaloos with a mirror. 02 phone network (system flooded).

It was fun though! Back next year? ....ah sure, who knows where I'll be?