[Music] Glastonbury 2024

[Machiavelli]

Now I’m finally back and have internet connection I can say that Coldplay are shite. Well ACTUALLY their first few albums were great, got some great tunes, Yellow for example, but their post Viva La Vida output is absolutely dreadful, just basic pop, should go back to their routes IMO.

You've got most things right in this post but, crucially, not everything

 

[jackalbion]

Some really strange programming decisions this year, again.
Personally love someone like SZA getting such a big gig but it's so obviously going to cause problems for the rest of the site.
My feeling is the programmers are out of touch and probably in denial about the realities of their core demographic. They also seem to be enamoured by online and streaming hype over what people at the festival actually want.
Really they should have just made Sugababes the Sunday headliners. It was obvious from last year (or was it the year before?!) that they'd pack out any stage and, as expected, it was carnage on our stage for them.
But my other big takeaway is just how much music has changed. Who is there to actually headline such a big event?!

Crowds really noticeably a big problem this year, seemed like every act I left except up the park was just a slow March. Couldn’t really stroll around as I usually like to do. Didn’t fancy any Saturday headliners so went to Strummerville which was relaxed. I think they are out of touch, some really good artists in the country, yet not a sniff (except parts of Saturday and Sunday on Woodsies), think Woodsies and the Park Stage do a really good job at bookings (believe the Park have the same bookers as Green Man which lines up). For example JPEGMAFIA are in the country, yet no sort of attempt to see them on the lineup. Death Grips in the country last year, nothing. You only need to look at Primavera with a Lineup that appeals to all tastes and all genres. Do we really need to see Two Door Cinema Club for the billionth time again, or could they push the boat out for someone like Pavement, or Dinosaur Jr, or FKA Twigs, Mitski, Freddie Gibbs, Madlib, Troye Sivan, so much good music that resonates so well. Even the late night areas seem to have neglected live music, with so many DJs everywhere, the Earache Takeovers used to be really good. Williams Green seemed to have disappeared which was a really good platform for young guitar bands to perform (like Black Midi, Squid, Shame) and that’s gone. Apologies for the rant here, I still love the festival and think there’s so much good on, but I’m being more drawn to some other festivals like Green Man, Primavera, End of the Road, Outbreak, even Wide Awake for more interesting line ups.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I mean to briefly summarise I’ve walked myself into the ground chasing acts.

A few highlights starting off on the Friday were confidence man, amazing stage presence and amazing crowd, the energy when you gets thousands of Gay men in a field is truly unmatched, phenomenal.

Bombay Bicycle club were my next highlight a great little cameo from Damon Albarn and obviously me on lead guitar. Didn’t intend to stay for the whole set, but ended up doing so as I couldn’t be bothered to exit the crowd, they have a really good catalogue, Eat Sleep Wake, an absolute TUNE.

LCD Soundsystem are obviously one of the greatest bands of all time, not much more needs to be said. To hear All My Friends, with All My Friends with a beautiful sunset, incredible.

Fontaines another which I’ve waffled enough on here about how much I adore them. Barnstorming.

Kneecap were first thing Saturday and once again, I’ve waffled about them before. Just pure unadulterated Irish culture, very funny but with a interesting message, like a bit of chaos towards the system.

Mannequin Pussy I thought were really solid, good to see a bit of alternative music there, back end of the set definitely had some Hardcore roots, love that sort of stuff, wish Glastonbury would give more the opportunity, bands like Turnstile have got a huge crowd before at the festival, especially with Outbreak the same weekend, could definitely borrow some acts.

Bloc Party was a good bit of indie nostalgia, Silent Alarm probably the best album of that era and the same genre, except maybe a couple of Franz Albums.

Quick shoutout to @WhingForPresident for recommending Cassisdead to me, didn’t know what to expect but a superb show on Lonely hearts club.

Followed that up with Yard Act who blew the roof off Woodsies, when I first saw them I wondered where they could take the sound, but tracks like Trench Coat Museum came off really well, and a bit of wit it was a great show.

Orbital were superb on the Park, an immersive amazing set from them, with very enjoyable guests.

Sunday I started with Lime Garden, good local Brighton band, got a new album out, would recommend highly.

Had a bit of a golden run coming up, starting with Blondshell, just think her voice is amazing, really quite simple catchy indie tunes. A really nice set, really pleased to have caught her.

Alvvays next, another band I’ve been a huge fan of for years. The new tunes sounded great, the old tunes sounded great, Archie Marry Me, one of the my favourite.

Finally the end of the run, Kim Gordon. Wow I mean I don’t really have words to describe what a legend she is. The music is experimental, new, fresh, the band is so tight, perfectos of their instruments. She’s 71, yet in my opinion played some of the best most exciting new music of the weekend for me. Don’t think anyone had her down at releasing a trap album, and the way it was performed live was mind blowing for me. I’m a huge sonic youth fan, and it was a legendary for me to see her. A real assault of the senses, my highlight by far. Loved being on the barrier for it, shout out to the security guards for hand signalling me the England score.

Justice saw out the weekend, another mind blowing performance, arguably could have headlined in my opinion.

A few other notes as well, finally made it in to NYC Downlow, truly shows you how mental Glastonbury is, it’s more exciting for people to find out what it’s like one day than to describe it. Also saw Fat Dog on Thursday night, an absolutely ridiculous band with mental lyrics, weird humour and just a bit of chaos added in. Think they’ll be the next from the South London Scene to hit it big.

Anyway let’s hope JPVH gets a Dutch call up!

Nice summary. Do you still need a moustache to get into NYC Downlow?

 

[jackalbion]

Nice summary. Do you still need a moustache to get into NYC Downlow?

You buy it on the door now, £2 donation to a charity, I just put it in my back pocket to not rip my own one off . Did quite enjoy my mate saying to the door man “what exactly am I paying for here?”.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Crowds really noticeably a big problem this year, seemed like every act I left except up the park was just a slow March.

I read that post Covid the number of general admission tix has been increased by an additional 7’000.

I recognise the extra £2.5m revenue (minus VAT) must be appealing for the organisers but sounds like it’s to the detriment of the overall experience.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Kasabian are f***ing mega, just loved their set. Saw them support LG a couple of years back, HUGE.

 

[jcdenton08]

Avril Lavigne was great. Some really good pop songs there and she’s better at singing than I thought she’d be - would see if she toured and the prices were reasonable

 

[Bry Nylon]

Avril Lavigne…she’s better at singing than I thought she’d be

I’ll bet she’ll nick that for her next tour poster

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Kasabian are f***ing mega, just loved their set. Saw them support LG a couple of years back, HUGE.

Properly great live act.

 

[jcdenton08]

I’ll bet she’ll nick that for her next tour poster

Aside - I used to run a theatre blog. Great way to nab comp tickets basically and I enjoy writing. Eventually my reviews were syndicated with a local rag. I gave a negative review to one production, and they put a completely out of context quote on their poster!

I said something like “The glittery gold costumes only serve to dazzle the eyes, in an ultimately futile attempt to distract from the failings in the book”

“”Dazzles the eyes!” - MY NEWSPAPER” appears a month later on the poster.

 

[worthingweird]

The headliner?

SZA

Who ?

 

[jcdenton08]

Yeah, you've seen them about, the rap singers? You've seen the rap singers, on the on the Top of the Pops they have them, don't they? They used to come on there, didn't they? The rappers, the rap singers come on the Top Of The Pops.
You've seen them on there, there'd be a young woman singing, and then one of the rappers would come on and they'd talk, and do a little dance.
You've seen them, the rappers, the rap singers on the Top Of The Pops now.
They're on the on a lot of the adverts now.
They might have a rap singer on one of the adverts.
It might be a sausage, or some wool or something, and there'll be a rap about it, about how good the sausage is.
You've seen them on the... You've seen them on the Top Of The Pops and on the adverts.
You've seen the rap singers, you've seen them, yeah, you know what I'm talking about, the rap singers, and on the films they have them now. You might see a film in the pictures and James Bond or someone, he might go in one of these nightclubs and there'll be a rapper in there doing a rap. You've seen them, yeah, on the Top of the Pops and in the, in the adverts.
In the films, they might have them.
And, um, in the shopping centre you see them as well, don't you, the rappers? They run along the, um, you know, there's like a hand rail — a banister along the steps there.
They run along, they run along the hand rail, don't they? And they get to the end and they go, "Oooh", like that, in a shopping centre, by the, where the multi-storey is.
They run along the — the rap singers, they run along the banister, don't they? The hand rail, where the steps go down, and they jump off there onto the, er the disabled access ramp.
They might jump down on there, where the wheelchairs go.
Not when there's one there, they just jump down, and they go like that, the rappers - so, you've seen them on the Top Of The Pops and on the hand rail, they run along the hand rails, don't they? By the shop, by, where the multi-storey is, and where the Corn Exchange is — by the Corn Exchange, you see? And then they're on the ramp, aren't they, on the disabled ramp, and they jump up off there onto it's like a little wall, about that high, but it's not made out of concrete, it'll be like logs that have been sawn in half and put up, and they jump up on there, where there's flowers in, flowerbed, they jump up on there.
Yeah? The rappers, the rap singers, you've seen them by, where the Corn Exchange is, by the, by the multi-storey, yeah, they run along the banister of the steps and they go like that, and then they jump down on the... It's not just for wheelchairs — prams, as well, can go on it.
Then they jump up on the little wall thing and then they flip off there, don't they? And they run along, the rappers, to where there's... You know where the shopping trolleys come out from Sainsbury's and there's like a perspex kind of cover over it, they jump up on there, don't they? Then they go, "Ooh", like that, where the Corn Exchange is, round the back of the multistorey.
Your rap singers, singing.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

Yeah, you've seen them about, the rap singers? You've seen the rap singers, on the on the Top of the Pops they have them, don't they? They used to come on there, didn't they? The rappers, the rap singers come on the Top Of The Pops.
You've seen them on there, there'd be a young woman singing, and then one of the rappers would come on and they'd talk, and do a little dance.
You've seen them, the rappers, the rap singers on the Top Of The Pops now.
They're on the on a lot of the adverts now.
They might have a rap singer on one of the adverts.
It might be a sausage, or some wool or something, and there'll be a rap about it, about how good the sausage is.
You've seen them on the... You've seen them on the Top Of The Pops and on the adverts.
You've seen the rap singers, you've seen them, yeah, you know what I'm talking about, the rap singers, and on the films they have them now. You might see a film in the pictures and James Bond or someone, he might go in one of these nightclubs and there'll be a rapper in there doing a rap. You've seen them, yeah, on the Top of the Pops and in the, in the adverts.
In the films, they might have them.
And, um, in the shopping centre you see them as well, don't you, the rappers? They run along the, um, you know, there's like a hand rail — a banister along the steps there.
They run along, they run along the hand rail, don't they? And they get to the end and they go, "Oooh", like that, in a shopping centre, by the, where the multi-storey is.
They run along the — the rap singers, they run along the banister, don't they? The hand rail, where the steps go down, and they jump off there onto the, er the disabled access ramp.
They might jump down on there, where the wheelchairs go.
Not when there's one there, they just jump down, and they go like that, the rappers - so, you've seen them on the Top Of The Pops and on the hand rail, they run along the hand rails, don't they? By the shop, by, where the multi-storey is, and where the Corn Exchange is — by the Corn Exchange, you see? And then they're on the ramp, aren't they, on the disabled ramp, and they jump up off there onto it's like a little wall, about that high, but it's not made out of concrete, it'll be like logs that have been sawn in half and put up, and they jump up on there, where there's flowers in, flowerbed, they jump up on there.
Yeah? The rappers, the rap singers, you've seen them by, where the Corn Exchange is, by the, by the multi-storey, yeah, they run along the banister of the steps and they go like that, and then they jump down on the... It's not just for wheelchairs — prams, as well, can go on it.
Then they jump up on the little wall thing and then they flip off there, don't they? And they run along, the rappers, to where there's... You know where the shopping trolleys come out from Sainsbury's and there's like a perspex kind of cover over it, they jump up on there, don't they? Then they go, "Ooh", like that, where the Corn Exchange is, round the back of the multistorey.
Your rap singers, singing.

As you said two posts above - you like writing!

 

[jcdenton08]

As you said two posts above - you like writing!

Can’t take credit for this one, it’s a Stewart Lee routine I copy and pasted. I also like plagiarism!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Who ?

Someone who ancient, white internet trolls who still think ELO and Bucks Fizz are cool won’t have heard of,

 

[raymondo]

Now I’m finally back and have internet connection I can say that Coldplay are shite. Well ACTUALLY their first few albums were great, got some great tunes, Yellow for example, but their post Viva La Vida output is absolutely dreadful, just basic pop, should go back to their routes IMO.

I've been listening to their first two albums a lot this week - they were so good then.
Chris Martin certainly knows how to work a crowd, quite a showman, knows what his crowds want, seems a very genuine decent guy (nope, no idea really) ...but, post their first couple of albums, their music is samey mush IMO.

 

[Is it PotG?]

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I read that post Covid the number of general admission tix has been increased by an additional 7’000.

I recognise the extra £2.5m revenue (minus VAT) must be appealing for the organisers but sounds like it’s to the detriment of the overall experience.

Over the period I went the hospitality tickets and areas grew exponentially as well. Be interesting to know the percentage of these tickets.

 

[heathgate]

I live only a short hop from Glastonbury on the Somerset Levels,... our village is in a direct line from Glasto site to the M5 at Bridgewater or Burnham.... it's hilarious seeing the exodus every year, sat nav campers trying to find short cuts down very narrow lanes, getting backed up by tractors and other sundry farm traffic.... already this year I have seen a very expensive looking rat look VW camper wedged in a ditch in 3 foot of water.... also a mini bus with a dozen tired looking revellers sat in a field entrance with smoke billowing from the engine..... the smallest single track lanes clagged as far as the eye can see..... us locals know better than to travel on Glasto Monday.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

That’s exactly my experience…..especially the wellies and sunnies.