My Glastonbury 2022 Story, Part 2, Heat And Dust.

My Recycling Team.

It was Wednesday morning at Glastonbury. The sun was shining, the gates were open, and thousands of people were pouring onto Worthy Farm every hour. I was up and about early, bright eyed and eager to play my part in keeping the place tidy. After breakfast I put on my recycling team t-shirt, got my gloves and my litter-picking stick and made my way to the office to meet the rest of our team. As well as Odele, there was another old friend called Dan and several people who I recognised from previous years. As we were all veterans, we knew the drill by now. We helped ourselves to rubbish bags from the wheelbarrow, white bags for organic stuff like cardboard, paper cups, plates, wooden knives and forks etc, blue bags for plastic bottles and tin cans and black bags for stuff that can’t be recycled. I think Glastonbury generates about 2000 tons of rubbish, of which about 70% is recycled. 

Wednesday Evening.

Once we were sorted out, we followed our team leader down the lane to start work. I learned a new word from our leader this year, which is bimble. He kept saying things like, “We’ll have a quick bimble in here to see if there is any rubbish lying about”. Wednesday was quite an easy day because people were just arriving. We had a bimble outside the perimeter fence and along the queue of people and picked up quite a few discarded cans. Mainly we were bimbling around the market areas. The litter picking has got easier over the years. I think people are remembering the motto Love the farm, Leave no trace. Also, years ago we used to pick up lots of cigarette butts and packets, that has vastly diminished. One annoying thing is finding lots of little metal nitrous oxide containers. Although it was quite leisurely work, it got very hot. Every time I saw a water tap, I stuck my head under it to cool off. We stopped for lunch at 12.00 and went back to base. 

In the afternoon we carried on in the market areas and along the main drag as far as the old railway line. There was one bit of drama in the afternoon when we lost a team member. She had tripped over a guy rope earlier in the day and injured her leg. She bravely tried to carry on, but it was no good. The paramedics diagnosed a torn ligament. I think she was found a sit-down job back at the office, so that was good. We finished at 5.00 and collected our meal tickets. I was gagging for a drink and my feet were aching from all the walking, so I stopped off at my favourite crew bar on the way home for a refreshing pint of cider. After dinner that evening I didn’t go far because I had done enough walking for one day, and I knew the next day would be gruelling in the heat.

Thursday was the hottest day of all. I think it must have reached about 30 degrees C. The work wasn’t too bad at first but got harder as the morning wore on. We were sent to the Park area which is Emily Eavis’s pride and joy, and she likes it to be kept clean. Because the music on the main stages didn’t start until Friday about 100,000 people had been partying in The Park all night long. The rubbish bins were all overflowing, so we had to bag up all the excess rubbish that lay everywhere. It was especially bad near the food outlets and bars. We were busy, but at least the time went quickly. Because there had been no rain it was also very dusty. We worked our way up through The Park, past the famous Ribbon Tower and up to the GLASTONBURY sign. The last part was really steep. It was like climbing Glastonbury Tor. Thousands of people had been up here the previous evening because you get a fabulous view of the whole site. They left a lot of rubbish up there as well.

 It was gone 12.30 when we stopped for lunch, and our leader said to meet back at Tom’s field at 2.00. It took ages to walk back to base where I found a massive queue for lunch. I was hot and irritable and tired. I couldn’t be bothered to queue up, so went to the counter where they were handing out packed lunches. You got a baguette, an orange, and a piece of cake. “What sort of cake would you like?”, asked the girl. “I don’t care, just give me a cake”, I snapped. (Sorry about that) I sat in the shade outside and cheered up. The afternoon was a lot shorter and easier. We finished work at 5.00 and everyone was in a good mood because we had done the difficult shifts. There was no more work for us until Sunday evening. 

Me and Fiona.

On Thursday evening it was the recycling team's party. Michael Eavis sent a message thanking everyone for their work and apologised for not being there. He did turn up later. I got Odele to take my photo with Fiona who organises the recycling crew of 2000 people. I thanked her for inviting us back every year. Fiona is responsible for a lot of friendships being created. The big news was that Paul McCartney was playing a surprise Glastonbury warm-up gig in the small nearby town of Frome. I bet the citizens of Frome were chuffed about that.  Tomorrow morning the music at Glastonbury 2022 would begin, and what an amazing incredible day it would turn out to be…….(Continued below)

  

My Glastonbury 2022 Story, Part 3, Friday On My Mind.

Me at Pyramid Stage.

It was slightly cooler at Glastonbury on Friday morning and there was a bit of cloud cover as well, which I think most people appreciated after the scorching heat of the previous days. I had been at Worthy Farm for five days now, and it was time for some music. There was a choice of The Libertines or Ziggy Marley on the two biggest stages. I opted for Ziggy Marley who was the first act on the Pyramid Stage. It is easy getting right to the front for the early acts, impossible later in the day. My workmate Dan was there with his family as well. Ziggy and his great band put on a show of infectious joyful danceable music. Although he played some of his own songs, most of the show was a tribute to his dad Bob Marley. I can’t remember all the songs, but he certainly played I Shot the Sheriff, Get Up, Stand Up, Jamming, Is This Love, Could You Be Loved, and One Love. I asked Dan what he thought the last song would be, and he said One Love. I was hoping it would be No Woman, No Cry or Redemption Songs. It was One Love, so Dan was right.

Ziggy.

Rufus Wainwright was due up next on the Pyramid Stage. I was tempted to stay for his set but decided to head for the Acoustic Stage where there were a few acts on that I wanted to see. When I arrived, there was a band on called Pavey Ark. I had never heard of them before, but thought they were very good. They finished with their own version of Bowie’s Moonage Daydream. It was the following act I had come to see called Irish Mythen. She is from Ireland originally and now lives in Prince Edward Island in Canada. I only discovered her a few weeks ago when I heard her excellent version of Into The Mystic on youtube. She has an incredible powerful voice and can hold a note for an eternity. I was right at the front on the barrier and halfway through her set I shouted out, “Into The Mystic”, she looked at me and said, “I’m only here for 40 minutes, but maybe”. She didn’t sing it, but never mind, she wanted to promote her own songs, which is fair enough. 

Irish Mythen.

I can’t remember the titles of many of her songs now. One I really enjoyed was called Tullamore Blues. I think another was Gypsy Dancer which was voted song of the year in Canada a few years ago. She finished with a fabulous acapella version of The Auld Triangle. What a wonderful character she is. During her performance I met up with Conor & his wife from Ireland who I got to know in 2019 when we watched Lankum together. Next up were a band called The Mariachis from Mexico who sang popular hit songs in a mariachi style. They all wore huge sombreros and played guitars, accordions, trumpets and other instruments. I watched for about twenty minutes, then decided to go for a wander through the Theatre and Circus fields. 

Priti Patel.

Some people think that Glastonbury is just a music festival, but all the performing arts are represented. There were all sorts of weird and wonderful things going on. There were caricatures of political figures wandering about. Boris Johnson was demanding the right to party, Priti Patel was selling holidays in Rwanda, Michael Gove and Rishi Sunak were there as well, being ridiculed by passers-by. In Crooners Corner I spotted Jerri Hart who I have seen busking in Bath. He was singing songs like That’s Amore and people were dancing to it. I crossed Bella’s Bridge and was meaning to catch some of First Aid Kit on The Other Stage because I have seen them before. The crowds heading that way got too much though, and I turned back. This Glastonbury was the most crowded I have ever known, even worse than in the bad old days when 100,000 people used to climb over the fence to get in. I’m not the only one who thinks that. One lady said that on Sunday the crowd leaving after Diana Ross was frightening. I decided to watch the Sleaford Mods on the West Holts stage for a while. They were quite entertaining, every line of their songs seemed to end in an obscenity. They sang songs such as Jobseeker, Thick Ear, and Kebab Spider. They had a guest singer called Billy Nomates to sing Mork & Mindy.

Brian Kennedy.

After that amusing interlude, I made my way back to the Acoustic to see Brian Kennedy who I know from his years with Van Morrison. I thought I would only stay for a few songs for old times’ sake but stayed for his whole show. Brian has had some health issues in recent years, but he looks on top form now. He has a new album out called Folkie which he was keen to promote. I think my favourite song of his set was Carrickfergus. Other songs I enjoyed included Captured which was the first song of his I ever heard, A Better Man, Put The Message In The Box, Christopher Street, Get On With Your Short Life. He finished as expected with You Raise Me Up.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

After Brian’s triumphant set I hurried back to the Pyramid Stage because Robert Plant & Alison Krauss’s set was already underway. It was getting quite windy, so I sheltered against one side of a mixing desk. They were on great form. Lots of people thought they were one of the best acts of the weekend. I have seen Robert Plant many times over the decades, but I don’t remember seeing Alison before. She is a beautiful woman, great singer and excellent instrumentalist. The songs I recall hearing include two Everly Brothers songs, Gone, Gone, Gone and The Price Of Love, Two Led Zeppelin numbers Rock n Roll and The Battle Of Evermore, When The Levee Breaks, Please Read The Letter. There were lots of others, but I can’t remember them now. I’m sure there is a setlist available somewhere.

After that I thought I ought to get back to base for some dinner and also get a coat and jumper for the evening because I knew it would get very cold later. On my way back I met someone who I have known for about 40 years, I know him as ‘Charlie the artist’ from Frome, so I had a chat with him and his wife. Later, I arranged to meet Odele at 10.00 by an ice-cream van to watch Billie Eilish. When she arrived, we made our way through the crowd to a good vantage point. I didn’t know anything about Billie Eilish at all but thought I ought to watch because she was a headliner. She is actually the youngest ever headliner at Glastonbury, only 20 years of age. I didn’t like the first three songs or so. They sounded a bit samey to me with a relentless drumbeat. I warmed to her gradually though after a few songs. She has a very nice personality, and very confident. She must have great parents. It is great that her brother who is also in the band is her best friend as well. Don’t ask me what the songs were, I haven’t got a clue, except one song called Your Power which was very moving. She was clearly upset because this was the day that the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade ruling. More of Trump’s toxic legacy. I should have done my homework and listened to some Billie Eilish music before seeing her. Anyway, after about an hour I was getting really cold despite having a coat on. I said cheerio to Odele and headed off. I think I ended up in the warmth of the Bread & Roses Saloon. That brought Friday to a close for me. Saturday would turn out to be one of the most memorable days in the history of this great festival…..(Continued below)

My Glastonbury 2022 Story, Part 4, A Chance Encounter.

Les Amazones D'Afrique

Saturday is the peak of the festival. Everyone who is coming had arrived, and nobody had gone home yet. I think there were about 230,000 people on site including workers. For a few days it is the biggest city between Bristol and Plymouth, and then it disappears once again into the mists of Avalon. I was determined to make the most of the day and made my way back to the Pyramid Stage. The first group on were called Les Amazones D’Afrique. They are a super-group of four female singers from Africa who were founded in Mali in 2016. They sounded great and looked magnificent in their colourful costumes. They had incredible energy as well, leaping about and dancing. I didn’t understand what they were singing about of course, but that doesn’t matter. As the great Tony Benn said at Glastonbury many years ago, “Music is the international language which everyone can understand, it doesn’t matter where you come from”. You don’t have to understand the words to enjoy the rhythms and experience the joy.

Katherine Priddy.

After that great start to the day, I made my way slowly to my beloved Acoustic Stage. There was a singer songwriter performing called Katherine Priddy. I think I have heard her before on BBC 6Music. I sat down to listen and thought she was wonderful. She has a beautiful voice and writes very clever songs. Two of the songs were based on Greek myths, Icarus and Eurydice. Another song I liked was called The Isle Of Eigg which is in Scotland. You can find her singing Letters From A Travelling Man at Glastonbury on youtube if you want. After she had finished her excellent set, I was watching the next act which was Laura Viers when I noticed Katherine standing by the side of the stage with her manager. I went over and bought a CD of her new album called The Eternal Rocks Beneath which she signed for me. I asked for a photo, and she obliged with that as well. What a nice lady. I said to her, “Did you know that Priddy is the name of a village near here in Somerset?”, “Yes”, she replied. “It is famous for magic mushrooms”, I added. “Oh, I wouldn’t know about that”, she said, and that was the conversation. I haven’t played the CD yet, but when I do, I’ll write a review of it.

I was so chuffed with meeting Katherine that I forgot to write any notes about Laura Viers, so I can’t think of anything to say about her, sorry Laura. After that, I set off on another long walk. There were two people who I know who were performing at Glastonbury, playing in the tiny Avalon Café. They weren’t mentioned in the lanyard because that is just for the main stages. I wanted to find out when they were on. There wasn’t any mention of them on the blackboard, so they must have been playing on the Sunday, or already performed. At least I tried. While I was up that way, I thought I might as well watch a band on the Field Of Avalon stage. 

Theatre Field.

It was a band called Molotov Jukebox. This is another band previously unknown to me, but they sounded excellent. They have a great singer called Natalia Tena. You may have heard of her because she is also an actress and has appeared in Harry Potter films and Game Of Thrones. There is a nice pub in the Field Of Avalon called The Avalon Inn, so I enjoyed a pint of cider, talked to people and watched the world go by. You don’t have to be rushing about all the time. The Tom Robinson Band and Dr John Cooper Clarke were due on next on this stage, but I made my way back to base to prepare for the evening. I was looking forward to seeing Richard Thompson as much as anyone in the line-up this year, but when I arrived promptly at 8.00 it was to the sad news that he had pulled out at short notice due to covid. 

I was very disappointed but got over it quickly. Ralph McTell was called in to replace Richard. I have seen him many times over the years, starting at Peterborough Folk Club in about 1968 when I was still at school. Ralph played an excellent set including my favourite song of his called From Clare To Here. After Ralph finished his performance, I stayed for a few songs by The Waterboys. They obviously love Glastonbury because they have released a brand-new song called Glastonbury Fayre which is about their previous appearances here. They were on top form, and I heard about five songs including I’m Still A Freak and Blackberry Girl.

I left The Waterboys because Paul McCartney was already underway. I avoided the crowds by using my old trick of going up the lane at the side of the Acoustic, turning left, crossing Muddy Lane and emerging at the back of the Pyramid Stage field. I watched from the back, near that ice-cream van I mentioned yesterday. It would have been impossible to get nearer. Let 'Em In was the song when I arrived. Paul McCartney has had a lot of criticism in recent years, with people saying he can’t sing any more, but his voice sounded fine to me. Maybe they have technology to improve the voice these days. I won’t go through the whole show because you have probably seen it on the telly, but this is what I can remember Maybe I'm Amazed, In Spite of All the Danger, which was the first demo song he ever recorded with The Quarrymen, Love Me Do, which was the first Beatles song I ever heard, when I was ten years old. Blackbird, Lady Madonna, For the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Something, (The only song I didn’t really like, with him playing ukulele). Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, You Never Give Me Your Money, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, Get Back, I Saw Her Standing There, Band on the Run, Glory Days, I Wanna Be Your Man, Let It Be, Live and Let Die, Hey Jude, I've Got a Feeling, Helter Skelter, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End. There were others, but I can’t remember them now. 

During the show I got chatting with this woman called Layla from Bristol. After the surprise of Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen joining him on stage she said, “What other surprises do you think there will be?”. I said, “I think he should do a duet with John Lennon”. She looked at me like I was mad. When it happened during I’ve Got A Feeling when John Lennon singing was projected onto the stage backdrop, she was amazed. She didn’t know that I had been following his recent American tour and knew what to expect. I think the show was a triumph for McCartney at the age of 80. I couldn’t help thinking what great ambassadors for this country The Beatles were. Everyone around the world loved The Beatles and they gave this country a great image abroad. They were just four working class kids from Liverpool. Anyway, that brought Saturday to a close. There was just one day left, and what a great day it would be……(Continued below)

A new portrait of Michael Eavis by Sir Peter Blake which was unveiled at the festival. It will be displayed in The National Portrait Gallery. 

ps, I found this picture and the McCartney photos on the Glastonbury site. I hope they don't mind.

My Glastonbury 2022 Story, Part 5, Sunday Morning Coming Down.

Black Dyke Band.

It is Sunday afternoon now. I am writing about the events of only seven days ago, but already it seems like longer ago than that. Like a half-remembered incredible dream. I’m glad I kept making notes in my wee notepad to jog my memory of what I did. As I made my way towards the Pyramid Stage on Sunday morning, I could hear a brass band playing across the fields. It has been a tradition at Glastonbury to begin Sundays with a brass band.  This was the Black Dyke Mills Band who are Britain’s premier brass band, founded in the mill towns of West Yorkshire in the 19^th century. They are top quality, playing several classical pieces, film scores by John Williams and even their version of Hey Jude. The reason for this was that they have a connection to Paul McCartney because on The Beatles Yellow Submarine where they sing ‘And the band begins to play’ that is the Black Dyke band. Also, Paul McCartney produced a single by them in 1968 called Thingumybob which was the 4^th single released on the Apple label. It must be quite a collectors item I would imagine.

Dakhabrakha

They were very enjoyable, but I had come to see the next band on stage who were called Dakhabrakha from The Ukraine. While I was waiting for them to appear I got talking to this nice lady from Bristol’s Bangladeshi community. It was her first Glastonbury and she told me that she had come along because her cousin called Mya-Rose Craig (Aka Birdgirl) was speaking on the Park Stage at 3.00. I said I’d try and go along, but I didn’t in the end. I have looked her up since, and she is a top ornithologist, environmentalist, and equal rights campaigner. She has appeared on lots of TV programmes such as Springwatch with Chris Packham who was also at Glasto this year, but I didn’t see him either. You meet some very interesting people at Glastonbury. The performance by Dakhabrakha was very moving, especially because of the war in their country. There were lots of Ukrainian flags being waved in the audience. The band were three women who wore national costumes with tall hats and there was a man who sang and introduced the songs. On the backdrop it said NO WAR, STOP PUTIN. I liked that because it didn’t say STOP RUSSIA. I don’t blame the Russian people for this tragic mess, they probably just want to get on with their lives, like most people. It is the mad megalomaniacs like Putin who have created this war. Nobody should have that much power. Putin isn’t the only one either. There are similar types in other countries as well. 

I don’t want this to turn into a political rant, so I won’t say anymore about that. I must say though that Glastonbury with all its diversity is a shining example to the rest of the world where 230,000 people can all live together peacefully with no prejudices for days on end, no violence, no deaths and not a gun to be seen anywhere. Apart from the political aspects of Dakhabrakha’s show I enjoyed the music. They had a guest singer for one song called Jamala. The drum rhythms were very infectious, and they also impersonated birdsong into the music. I used to have an album of Bulgarian music and some of the singing reminded me of that.

Errol Linton.

I needed a sit down after that. My feet were aching from all the walking of the previous six days, so in the market area I stopped at the pharmacy and bought some ibuprofen to ease the pain. When I reached the bucolic surroundings of the Acoustic Stage field I sat at a table and took my shoes and socks off. I found that my feet were blistered. I knew that I shouldn’t do much more walking this afternoon because I had work at 6.00. It felt great to wiggle my toes in the long cool grass under the table. There was a singer on called Chloe Foy, she sounded pleasant, but I didn’t pay much attention. The next act really grabbed my attention, so I went inside to listen. His name is Errol Linton, somebody else who was previously unknown to me. Errol has been playing the blues around London for the last 30 years and is only now getting the recognition he deserves after being championed by the likes of Cerys Matthews. I think his parents came to London from Jamaica in the late 1950s and Errol grew up in Brixton. As well as being a great singer he also plays mean harmonica. Richard Green on Guitar is quite a character as well. I think it might be the best British blues music I have heard in years.

Damo.

I had been hoping to see P.P. Arnold and Kate Rusby on the Avalon Stage but it is impossible to see everything you want. I decided to stay and watch Damien Dempsey. There was a large Irish contingent in the audience for this singer from Dublin, some wearing or waving Irish flags. If you didn’t know otherwise, you would think you were in Ireland. To his fans he is known as ‘Damo’. Before he came on, they were all chanting “Damo, Damo”. I haven’t heard such chanting of someone’s name since Jeremy Corbyn was at Glastonbury in 2017. I wanted to see him because I like two of his songs called Colony and Party On. He played a great set of about 40 minutes which the crowd loved and included Party On, so I was well pleased.

Diana Ross.

The legendary Terry Reid who appeared at Glastonbury in 1971 was due on next, but I thought I better be heading back to base to get ready for work. On the way back I listened to some of Diana Ross’s set from the back of the field. She sang several Supremes songs including Baby Love, Stop! In the Name of Love, and You Can't Hurry Love. I would love to have seen The Supremes in their heyday, but I have never been a huge Diana Ross fan. She didn’t seem to capture the audience’s heart like Dolly Parton did when Dolly played this legends spot a few years ago. There has been a tradition for a few years now that during the legends act the security people in front of the stage do a kind of flash mob type dance routine during one song. Nobody has objected before, but I heard later that the diva Diana Ross didn’t want them to do it, probably because it would detract from her. Eventually she was persuaded to relent. Anyway, I only listened to about twenty minutes, but I could still hear her warbling in the distance when I was back in Tom’s Field.

The Park.

My team still had four hours work to do. When we met up at the office, we were told to make our way to The Park and meet by the Ribbon Tower. Jack White of the White Stripes fame was playing a surprise gig on the Park Stage, so it took us ages to get there. Almost an hour had passed before we even started work. It was mainly levelling off bins that had overflowed and bimbling around the edges of the vast crowd. Just because we were working didn’t mean we couldn’t listen. I don’t know much about Jack White, but he sounded great, especially Seven Nation Army and Ball And Biscuit which I have watched since on youtube. When Jack finished and the crowd dispersed, we bimbled in and picked up as many cans and pint cups as we could before another crowd arrived for Jarvis Cocker. He also sounded great to me and you can find his performance as well on youtube if you want. I especially enjoyed House Music All Night Long. The time raced by and we were finished work for this year. We were given our meal tickets and said cheerio to our leader. Courtney Barnett was the last act at the Park Stage, but I decided to catch Suzanne Vega for my last act of 2022. Kendrick Lamar was on the Pyramid, but his name means nothing to me.

Jack White

 I was getting bored with cider, so a large gin and tonic was my first drink of the day. I had missed the start of Suzanne’s show, but I remember she sang a great version of Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side, Tom’s Diner and a song called I Never Wear White. I had taken so many photos this festival I knew my camera was running low, but I used the last bit of memory to film my favourite Suzanne Vega song called Luka. I put it on youtube and I was quite pleased with the result. Afterwards in the Acoustic crew bar there was a party going on. There was to be four bands on, and I expect people were partying until dawn, trying to squeeze the last drop of fun out of the festival. I watched one group who played a lot of Johnny Cash numbers and people were dancing. I tried to join in the merriment, but my feet were killing me. I sat down and watched and eventually made my way back to my tent, tired, but happy.

Suzanne Vega

Next morning after breakfast I said cheerio to Odele who was leaving early because she had work the next day. I was in no hurry because I knew the traffic leaving the site would be horrendous. Eventually about 12.00 I packed my rucksack and took down my tiny tent which had done such a great job all week. All that remained to show I had been there was a small square of flattened faded grass which will soon recover.  I couldn’t believe that a whole week had gone by in the twinkling of an eye. Then I bought a packed lunch with my last meal ticket and chilled out with Bob, Paula, Stella, and a few other people until Kate and Donna were ready to go. They had all their stuff piled high on two trolleys. I thought the wheels would collapse, but they didn’t, and we got to the car park with relative ease. We had to be a little bit patient with the traffic, but it wasn’t too bad by the time we got on the road. Finally, Donna dropped me off on the square in Westbury and my Glastonbury adventure was over for another year. Thank you very much Michael & Emily Eavis for organising such an amazing event which is one of the most wonderful things in this country. The music is great, but it is the people who make Glastonbury. See you all next year. THE END

Suzanne Vega, Luka, Acoustic Stage. Glastonbury 2022