Glastonbury opened it's gates this morning for a weekend that promises to be a wonderful one.
I have many musings on the line up so let's jump straight in, in no particular order...
1. I find some of the line ups a little strange, for example Robert Plant before Jack White?! Surely it should be the other way round as Plant is a music legend. With a career spanning over 40 years with Led Zeppelin and other acts, Plant has the reputation and the back catalogue to headline. I always got the impression that Glastonbury like their legends to headline, whether they are cool and current or not, see Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones.
2. On the subject of Robert Plant, I heard a rumour late last summer that Led Zeppelin were going to be doing the 2014 festival circuit. I was travelling from Manchester back to the Lake District and a friendly guy in Subway started a conversation about festivals. He told me a few rumours surrounding the acts signed up for 2014 already and he mentioned Led Zeppelin. I am slightly disappointed that they aren't playing Glastonbury because they would have been a brilliant headline act.
3. I would also just like to point out that I love Jack White. He is one of my favourite artists and I believe he has the genius to keep on creating amazing music until he is an old man. His new album Lazaretto is just perfect and he always delivers a mind blowing live performance. Glasto-goers, he is highly recommended! Jack White plays the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night.
4. Lily Allen takes to the Pyramid Stage on Friday night. I can't wait to see her performance. I think she is doing some really interesting stuff right now and I am just waiting for her career to go crazy once again. And I'm sure she'll have some entertaining stuff to say about the festival! I was glad to hear that she had decided to come back to making music and was keen to hear her refreshing take on pop. She's a brilliant lady!
5. One of my favourite bands of recent years is Haim. Haim are playing the Other Stage on Friday and I cannot stress how important it is to go and see them! Their album Days Are Gone is a perfect pop record which draws inspiration from 70's disco and rock and 90's R&B. As a live band they perform as if they grew up in 1970's America, channelling elements of early Rolling Stones and that soulful kind of Southern rock. They are three super talented sisters and you would regret missing their set! I watched their performance at Glastonbury 2013 on my TV and loved it. I also managed to catch their UK tour earlier this year and that was definitely the highlight of my year so far. They have so much live rock energy.
6. Once again I have an issue with the running order... Saturday on the Other Stage looks a little like this: Manic Street Preachers, Pixies and then headlining is Jake Bugg. It's fantastic that such a new act has been put in to headline, however I feel that Pixies or Manic Street Preachers would have been a better choice. Both bands have a rich back catalogue that they could delve through to create long, quality set. I am wondering whether they have just chosen Jake Bugg to counteract Metallica who are headlining the Pyramid Stage at the same time?
7. A band that I would love to see live is The Subways. I have spent many an hour watching their live performances on YouTube and I love them. The Subways are performing on the Other Stage on Sunday midday. They bring an old school punk element to their live shows and their set list is full of energetic pop songs that I can guarantee you will know. They seem to balance the line of super cool rock band and record selling pop band. Their mix of male and female vocal is a beautiful sound!
8. The John Peel Stage has a great range of new music across the full weekend. There are too many bands to name, but here's a list of the ones that are worth while checking out, whether at Glastonbury or just on your computer at home:
- Kaiser Chiefs: new material is anthemic and vocals at times are Bowie inspired.
- Chvrches: sweet Scottish vocals over electronic pop.
- Temples: 70's inspired and very chilled rock. Big sound and bigger hair.
- Clean Bandit: A radio favourite and a big band. A very entertaining watch.
- Fat White Family: Funky is all I have to say.
- Royal Blood: Shortlisted for the BBC's Sound of 2014, a classic heavy rock band. I can imagine they will be fantastic live.
- Dry The River: Beautiful voices. Very chilled.
- MGMT: It will be interesting to see their live performance. Their music is perfect for a festival.
9. Emiliana Torrini has a stunning, stunning voice. It would be fantastic to catch her live. She is a favourite to chill out to. She is performing on Saturday night on the Avalon Stage.
10. Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit perform on the Avalon Stage on Sunday night. I saw Johnny Flynn at Leeds Festival a few years ago. He performed in a tiny tent and it was packed full because so many people were desperate to see him. He is high energy and his music is a beautiful mix of country, soul and blues. His voice perfectly blends with the music.
11. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip for one of the last times on Saturday night, at the Left Field. This duo have been making music as separate artists but the true magic is when they pair up. Expect laughs and banter along with a beautiful blend of poetry, rhymes, dub and bass. Definitely a unique one, but not one to miss. I saw them earlier this year and hope to see both artists again in the future.
12. Kate Tempest. Poetry has never been cooler. She is a poet, artist, writer, lyricist, performer. She is art. She performs on Left Field on Sunday night.
There are hundreds and hundreds more acts to list and I am just scratching the surface. All other information is on the Glastonbury website.
Of course, I am not there, but I will be catching up on TV and online with as much live streaming as I can.
C x
