Glastonbury 2007

It was very wet and muddy. In fact it didn't stop raining almost all weekend.we got there early Thursday morning - knowing that the Wednesday had been the busiest they had ever had - and found that the only place we could find to camp was some way back from the action - up near the perimeter fence.We got pitched up though and took a wander round the site.It was overcast but not too bad at this point - with squally bits of rain but the ground was holding up alright.So we checked out the green fields - checking out all the massages and craft workshops that were going on and then went up to the "sacred space" to see Banky's portaloo Stonehenge...there were bits and pieces going on Thursday night but i cant actually remember what we did...

anyway - Friday and the festival started proper - and it started raining proper as well - we saw Mr Hudson and the Library on the Other Stage early onand The View on the Pyramid(main) stage.Mr Hudson showed real diversity with several singers and a steel drum being implemented in their set, meaning a rich and varied sound kept things interesting despite the onset of drizzle. The View on the other hand were a bit average, Indie stodge with a couple of good tunes and an admirable amount of energy for 11.30 in the morning but nothing to rave about.We met up with some mates to see The New Pornographers in the John Peel Tent. Despite poor balance meaning it was difficult to hear the vocals they showcased a warm sound and played an enjoyable set. Then we wandered over to see a bit of the Coral on the other stage - they have a strong back catalogue now and despite being off the scene for a while still showed they can perform on a big stage - Dreaming of You prompted waltzing in the mud - it was the feel good set that we needed.Friday night the Arcade Fire were a bit disappointing for me - despite some good songs they seemed to leave pregnant pauses throughout the set, losing all momentum and my interest. I'm not sure how they got the reputation as one of the best live bands around.We finished off with Spiritualized on the new Park stage, playing late and acoustic, Jason Pierce led a string section through some of his greatest (non) hits - it was a beautiful sound and a fabulous end to the day - Broken Heart, Cool Waves and Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space were highlights of a set that went on and on. I love you Jason!

Saturday morning we saw Brakes on the Other stage and they were fantastic. I've been dying to see them live for a while and the short set here was enough to whet my appetite for a proper gig. Porcupine or Pineapple was preceded by throwing 2 pineapples into the audience and they played Cheney 3 times as well as a large selection off their recent album and a pounding All Night Disco Party. Then we wandered through the mud and rain - which was getting worse by this point, over to the circus and cabaret area.

We saw an energetic and impressive Maximo Park followed by a more subdued Editors Saturday night. Then we caught a bit of the Killers, the mud was horrendous up near the Pyramid stage though - we bought seats and were sitting watching the Killers while people were getting stuck right next to us in the mud wellies were coming off and people were sinking by the minute, it was funny it was also a good workout trying to get back to the tent!
The sound was lousy though so we went and saw a bit of the Twang in the John Peel Tent. I couldn't handle the cheesy banter though, despite some pretty good sounding tunes so we left early.

Sunday - it rained ALL DAY most of the other days were wet in the morning but cleared up in the afternoon/evening, on Sunday - it didn't stop...
We took a mission to take some of the stuff back to the car - it was really heavy carrying bags for about 3k to where we were camped so we thought we would try and ease the pain a little on the way back - which did work but only slightly.Saw the Chemical Brothers Sunday night and they were alright.

Mud was bad coming out though - we got to the car about 8.30 (after the 3k slog - in the rain and mud)but got stuck in a queue trying to get out of the car park - bearing in mind this was just fields.we were in a queue for about 3 hours wondering why we were waiting so long- when we got to the last field we realised...the whole of the middle had been churned into a slippery mess and as cars were coming through the gap in the hedge they were almost immediately getting struck.we reversed through the mud and then had to make several attempts to get across the quagmire - including getting out and pushing.we made it though managing to weave our way through about 20 cars who were all attempting the same maneuver - it was like a big stock car race.Tania's engine was smelling pretty bad at this point though so we had to leave it to cool off for a few minutes. Which gave us opportunity to watch as the cars tried to make it through - there were tractors helping out - giving cars a push with big bales of hay strapped to the front - it was hilarious.

Anyway after getting out and stopping for lunch we got stuck in traffic after an accident near stonehenge and got home about 9.30 Monday night...

It was good but not as good as previous years - purely due to the weather - it didn't flood as bad as last time

Frank Skinner's Skateboarding Dog

We went to a pilot of Frank Skinners new show last night - didn’t know what to expect as we hadn't had any indication as to what the show would entail.It turns out to be a topical comedy show showcasing Frank introducing clips from the week and making amusing comment, as well as introducing new, and some established comics to put their spin on events. It isn't a particularly original concept, and the remit seemed to be wide enough to cover politics, sport, and pretty much anything else you care to mention. I'm not sure who wrote the scripts for this show but most of the gags elicited little more than groans from the baked TV audience and some of the guests seemed equally out of sorts with random content which seemed neither topical nor amusing.I'm a big fan of Skinner when he uses his quick wit and off the cuff remarks, particularly when interviewing guests, but I don't think he is suited to this format, and he certainly needs to get some new writers.

Wireless and the White Stripes

The Wireless festival - as I think I wrote last year is less a festival than a big afternoon gig, and aptly enough the headliners tonight blew everything else out of Hyde Park and reeling into the night. It is certainly a better organised event than the similarly commercial V festival but its another one where the music is pretty much the only distraction.

With that in mind, Jack and Meg showed they have mastered the blues as they played an exceptional set of down and dirty rock. The noise Jack squeezes out of his guitar is sensational. A sonic assault that has real power and beauty in equal measures; while his singing is soaked in the tradition of a great many blues men - just dripping with emotion and screaming with sheer energy that the music provokes.
It wass one of the best gigs I have seen in a long long while; visually the purely red and white video screens and the silhouette of Meg and her drum reflected on the backdrop of the stage made a dramatic impact - and you never felt like the two of them were doing anything but filling the stage.

It was a monumental performance, from Hotel Yorba through to the new single Icky Thump, and their profound cover of Jolene. They finished on Seven Nation Army and it became clear that White has possibly sold his soul to the blues - I think he got a good deal.