My Glastonbury 2024: Part 3, Keeping Fit At Glasto.

However warm it is at Glastonbury during the day it can get very cold at night. That wasn’t a problem for me the first few nights because after walking about 20 miles every day and then drinking a few pints of cider, once I got in my sleeping bag it was like sleeping in the arms of Morphia. I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol on Thursday because I had to get up for work, so I kept waking up because of the cold and had to put on more layers of clothes. As soon as it was daylight, and I could hear the cows mooing in their nearby barn (called the Pilton Mootel) I was up and about. At 5.30 I set off across the site to be at the Greenpeace tree for 6.00. 

Tea break with Millie.

After roll call we soon had the Greenpeace field nice and tidy and then worked our way up to Kings Meadow which contains the Stone Circle. Millie lined us all up in a row and off we went across the field. Even at this time of the day there were hundreds of all night party people still sitting around among the stones, so we picked our way around them and soon had it all spick & span. This is always a good area for litter pickers to find things. I found an unopened packet of cigarettes which are very expensive these days, so someone I know was pleased about that. Then we headed even further up the hill to Strummerville. This is an area dedicated to the memory of Joe Strummer of The Clash. Joe loved Glastonbury and always came with Keith Allen and his daughter Lily. They always built an enormous bonfire. The fire lives on today and we found lots of people huddled around it early in the morning. Then we headed across the field above the Tipi village before stopping for a break.  

Keeping Fit.

We finally arrived at The Park at 11.00 where from the Park Stage TV fitness coach Joe Wicks was conducting a keep-fit class for 1,000 people. We all joined in, it was great fun, although more exercise was probably the last thing I needed. Word got to Joe that we were there, and he said,” A big shout out to the recycling crew at the back there, you are doing a great job”. We all waved our litter picking sticks at him. Finally, the word came through from Bronwen that the morning pick was complete. Me, Peter & Helen relaxed at a coffee place for a while before starting the long walk home. Squeeze were on the Pyramid Stage when I arrived. I wasn’t going to bother with them, but started listening and enjoyed their set, especially Cool For Cats. 

Josh Rouse

After lunch which was vegetarian tagine, and a rest I headed for my favourite stage The Acoustic. When I arrived, there was an American singer-songwriter performing called Josh Rouse. I didn’t know anything about him at all, but his songs were very pleasant although I can’t remember what they were called. After that, more and more people arrived until the Acoustic tent was rammed. They were here to see The Red Hot Chili Pipers. They are a loud Scottish rock band with bagpipes as the main instrument. I found them amusing as a novelty for a while, but then they got on my nerves, I can only take so much noisy bagpipes. Thankfully the crowd thinned out after that, and I was able to lie on the ground and listen to Stornoway who were much more to my taste although I’m not an expert on their music. 

Stornoway.

I saw them here a few years ago and thought they had disbanded, but here they were. I can’t remember what the songs were called, but they finished with an excellent folky version of The Only Way Is Up which was made famous by Yazz. They said that they were playing acoustic sets later at the Wishing Well and The Crows Nest. I found a video of them singing Zorbing at The Crows Nest which you can see below if you want. After that I wandered back to the Pyramid Stage and listened to Paul Heaton, formally of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South. He was reunited with Norman Cook aka Fat Boy Slim for Happy Hour and sang a whole list of hit songs ending with Caravan Of Love. 

Polly Jean Harvey.

The highlight of the evening for me was PJ Harvey’s performance. Her career has largely passed me by I’m afraid, but after seeing her at Glastonbury I think I am a fan now. The reason I wanted to see her is because a friend of mine in Westbury Sasha plays in a PJ Harvey tribute band called 50ft Queenie. That was one of the songs performed. I also enjoyed Let England Shake, Inside The Old Year Dying, The Garden, Dress,(See video below) To Bring You My Love, and others that I can’t remember now. PJ Harvey reminds me of Kate Bush crossed with Patti Smith and a dash of Freida Kahlo. She is wonderful. I went right down to the front of the Pyramid Stage on the right-hand side for the next band LCD Soundsystem because people had recommended them to me. I had imagined them as kids with computers, but found they were a proper rock band who looked to be aged in their 50s. The music is very infectious, and you can’t help dancing because it pulsates right through you. I thought they were great, although the singer and main man James Murphy seems to have a chip on his shoulder about something. 

LCD Soundsystem

I moved to the back before their show ended to avoid the crowds and stood on one of those stone benches where you get a great view across the vast crowd. Dua Lipa was the headliner on Friday, but it was dark by now and I was exhausted. I would have loved to have seen Fontaines DC on the Park Stage, but it was just too far away for me. You can hear the music quite clearly from Tom’s field, so I crawled into my sleeping bag and drifted off into oblivion while Dua Lipa sang me a lullaby. Another exciting day at Glastonbury was just hours away.

To Be Continued……………………….