My Glastonbury 2017 Review. Part 4, Long Walk To The Beat Hotel.

It was Friday morning at Glastonbury, the sun was shining and finally on my sixth day at Worthy Farm the music was about to begin. You can get these little guides in a plastic cover that you can hang around your neck, they call them lanyards. At breakfast I studied my lanyard and put circles around the acts I was hoping to see. It often doesn’t work out that way though at Glasto because there are so many stages you can set off to see one band and on the way there something happens and you end up watching something else. The music was due to start at 11.00 so at about 10.00 I set off on a marathon walk that was to last all day.

When I reached the Pyramid Stage The Hacienda Classical Orchestra were rehearsing and doing a soundcheck for their performance. They sounded good but I didn’t hang around because I was heading for the second biggest stage which is known as ‘The Other Stage’ to see The Pretenders. What a great band to start a festival with. I got there early so I managed to get a good spot right near the front and waited patiently. Precisely at 11.00 they came on stage and I must say Chrissie Hynde looked great in her Motorhead T Shirt and tight blue jeans. She is one month older than me but is still a sexy rock chick. I like her attitude as well. She is as outspoken as ever and had a few choice words about Rupert Murdoch which I bet the BBC didn’t broadcast. She still has her original Pretenders drummer Martin Chambers, I don’t know how long the new guys have been in the band but they rocked. Chrissie dedicated a song to Michael & Emily Eavis and also sang a song for Glastonbury legend Joe Strummer and everyone who goes to Strummerville which must have pleased my mate Dave who is a huge Clash fan. You can’t beat a good bit of guitar based rock to kick-start a festival. Chrissie’s voice is as good as ever and although I wasn’t familiar with some of the songs, they played lots of classic Pretenders songs such as Stop Your Sobbing, I’ll Stand By You and of course Brass In Pocket.

After that brilliant performance I went to the Pyramid Stage where Paul Carrack had already started his act. I had seen Paul in a previous year but that was an acoustic show. Today he had a full band and sounded magnificent. Although I have known about him for years, today it finally hit me how good he is, especially his voice. When I arrived he was performing a song called Watching Over Me. Wandering through the crowd who should I spot sitting on the grass and listening intently but Odele. She said that Paul reminded her a bit of Van Morrison and I can see what she means with the soulful emotion of the songs and also the band, especially the brilliant saxophone player. I think Van would have no problems playing with this band. I didn’t write down a setlist but songs I remember included The Living Years and Over My Shoulder which were big hits for Mike And The Mechanics, How Long by Ace, Love Will Keep Us Alive, by The Eagles and Tempted by Squeeze. It was great that Paul Carrack was finally given a slot on the Pyramid Stage to show how great he is. When the likes of Elton John & Phil Collins have sold millions of albums it seems an injustice that Paul Carrack who has a better voice and written songs that are just as good as them is only now getting the wide attention he deserves.

 Odele told me that she had just had an amazing experience in the Greenpeace place nearby and I should go and try it, so I did. They sit you down on a revolving stool and put this 3D visor over your eyes and headphones over your ears. Then suddenly you are actually up the trees in the Brazilian rain forest or in the middle of the ocean and if you turn your head or move the stool around you get the whole experience in all directions. I found it quite scary because if you look down there is nothing under your feet and you think you are about 300ft up in the air. It is an incredible experience though. When I took the visor off I felt quite unsteady on my feet for a couple of minutes. 

After that, Odele was going up to the Healing Fields so I said cheerio and headed for the Acoustic Stage where I had arranged to meet my friend Dave. When I got there I had a look to see who was on and it was a singer called Naya. She is only 17 and inspired by Bowie & PJ Harvey. I wasn’t very impressed though and went to the bar where I found Dave and was also pleased to see Brent & Steve who also come from Westbury. I had my first pint of the day and then me and Dave headed back to the Pyramid because we are both fans of First Aid Kit. We had a few minutes to kill so I got Dave to have a go on the Greenpeace 3D thing and he was mightily impressed with it as well.

First Aid Kit are two sisters from Sweden called Klara & Johanna Soderberg. They also have an excellent backing band. I first became aware of them through Glastonbury a few years ago and bought their album The Lions Roar. At Glastonbury this year they sounded a lot rockier than I remember and some of the lyrics to the new songs sounded quite dark. They were still great though even though they have evolved a bit from the Country/Folk group that I thought they were. One of the most memorable songs for me this year was their version of Kenny Roger’s The Gambler. They saved my favourite song of theirs till right near the end which is Emmylou, a tribute to Emmylou Harris. I couldn’t believe how quickly their set went by.

As the First Aid Kit fans left it enabled me and Dave to get right to the front for the next act which was Kris Kristofferson. I was looking forward to this because he is a legend who has written some of my favourite songs such as Sunday Morning Coming Down and Me And Bobby Magee. I was to be disappointed though. It started badly when one of his assistants or roadies came on and started tuning or playing his guitar and talking to the audience and milking the attention. It got on my nerves. Finally Kris shuffled on stage, he seemed to be reading the songs of an auto-cue and it all seemed very shambolic. It seemed very sad in front of such a vast crowd. After two songs I said to Dave, “I’m off mate, I can’t stand this”. As I walked away I could hear him introducing a female singer and it sounded slightly better. I wasn’t the only person leaving either, believe me. Apparently later on Johnny Depp joined him on stage but I was long gone by then. I hope I haven’t offended any fans of Kris. When I saw Dave later he said he had enjoyed it and his opinion is as valid as mine. I just think with his laid back style he might have been more at home on a smaller more intimate stage.

Another reason I left was because I knew that Sharon Shannon was on the Acoustic Stage and I managed to catch the end of her act. I love Sharon, she is to the accordion what Jimi Hendrix was to the guitar and is the perfect festival music for audience participation. She was kicking up a storm and everyone was dancing, especially to her great song Galway Girl. After Sharon finished I used my handy wristband to gain entry to the Acoustic bar because they have a little stage in there and I hoped Sharon might come in and have a bit of a session. It was quiet though so I just had one drink and went back to the stage where Martha Wainwright was performing. I have always been curious about her because she is the daughter of Kate McGarrigle who I love and Loudan Wainwright. She seems a very nice person and spoke fondly of her memories of previous visits to Glastonbury. Her songs seemed very pleasant but sadly I’m not familiar with her music because I haven’t ever bought an album by her so after a while she started sounding a bit samey to me. That’s not her fault though, it was mine.

I moved on and was feeling a bit tired and hungry so I stopped at Pilton Pasta and had some nice carbonara. I have been here previous years because they have tasty food and are nice people. The money they make goes to supporting a children’s hospice so that is why I like eating there. When I reached the Bandstand I was knackered so I sat down and watched a girl band called Elle And The Pocket Belles. They were really entertaining and were singing Glenn Miller/ Andrews Sisters type songs from WW2 and dressed accordingly (See photo). The sun was still beating down so next I went in the Bread And Roses Saloon and had a sit down for a while and a pint of cider.

Once I revived a bit I carried on walking. By the time I got to the Other Stage it was now eight hours since I saw The Pretenders at the start of the day. George Ezra  was on next. I really like George and if I was asked to name a great young British singer/songwriter I would choose George over Ed Sheeran any day. I first discovered his music when I saw him supporting Robert Plant three years ago. He writes great songs and I can understand what he is singing about. He sang a mixture of old and new songs and the ones I particularly remember were Cassie O, Barcelona, Pretty Shining People and Budapest. It was great to see George back because he has been a bit quiet lately.

I carried on my epic walk through Silver Hayes in the general direction of the Beat Hotel because I wanted to try their cocktails, they had names like Rhubarb Kerouac and Beatnik. On the way there I stumbled across the Hare Krishna’s tent so I wandered in. They have been at Glastonbury throughout all the years I have been going. I did something I have never done in all those 38 years and I had some free food. It was quite bland spaghetti type stuff but I ate it and it wasn’t really free because I chucked some change in the bucket as a donation. I told one of them how a friend of mine joined the Krishna’s about 45 years ago but he didn’t seem very interested. On a sofa in there were two old hippies fast asleep which reminded me of the olden days at Glastonbury. I moved on and I couldn’t get near the bar in the Beat Hotel. It was jammed with youngsters who thought they were hip. I found that annoying because I’m the original Beatnik !

I got a large G &T at another bar and chatted to some girl but it’s all a bit of a blur now. Finally, the sun was setting over Avalon so I thought I better get back nearer to base because I must confess I was quite drunk by now. I headed back towards the Pyramid where XX had just finished and was surprised to find thousands of people leaving. This surprised me because I thought thousands of people would be arriving to see Radiohead. “ Why is everyone going?”, I asked a passer by. “They are all youngsters”, he answered, “They’ve never heard of Radiohead”. I was amazed because I’m so old that I think of Radiohead as a modern band. Then I remembered that it is 20 years ago in the rainy year of 1997 that their performance at Glasto made them world famous. Some of these kids weren’t even born then. Anyway, I watched their show from the top of the field but it left me cold. I have one album OK Computer but I wouldn’t say I was a big fan. Before the end I got lonely and decided to go back to base. There was quite a few people sat around the fire. I nipped to my tent and fetched a bottle of brandy that I had been saving and got a coffee and had a nice brandy coffee. I ended up chatting to this nice lady from Russia called Vera who lives in Portugal now. Also a guy from Oxfordshire called Michael and a Scottish lady called Katie. Some of the best fun at Glastonbury is around the fire.

Finally, about 2.00 in the morning I thought I better get to bed because I was completely bollixed after a long brilliant day. I fell asleep into blissful slumbers completely unaware of the historic drama that would happen the following day.

TO BE CONTINUED ………………………….

My Glastonbury 2017 Review. Part 5, 'Recharge Your Activism !'

Saturday is the peak day at Glastonbury. Everyone who is coming had arrived and nobody had gone home yet. There must have been about 180,000 people on site now. I was up and about early and after breakfast I sat in the shade of the trees opposite the restaurant and studied my lanyard. I was joined by a baby robin who was really tame. That’s another thing I love about this place, it is a wildlife sanctuary. In the distance I could hear the music starting on the Pyramid Stage. It was the Bootleg Beatles & The Pepperland Orchestra. They were celebrating the fact that it is 50 years since Sergeant Pepper was released. I set off down Muddy Lane on an another day long adventure. I reckon I must have walked well over 100 miles at this years Glastonbury. In the market area I spotted a face I thought I recognised but I wasn’t sure. “Excuse me, is your name Tony?”, I asked. It was, I hadn’t seen Tony for over 20 years. I think the last time I saw him was when he had a clothes stall on Milsom Street in Bath. He recognised me immediately which was great. We had a bit of a chat and he told me that he was playing in a duo at the Avalon Café the following day at 2.30 so I put a note in my lanyard to try and remember that.

I said cheerio and made my way to the Pyramid Stage where Vieux Farka Toure and his band were playing. He is a musician from Mali, a singer and guitarist. He also brought on a guest female singer who was good. I like getting to the Pyramid Stage early in the day because it is easy to get right to the front on the barrier and there is always a chance of getting on the telly. That happened last year when I was watching Baaba Maal. I really enjoyed this show with its infectious dance rhythms. He even got the audience singing along to one song although nobody spoke Malian. I think the song was called yamore.

After that it was Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. I listened to a few songs and enjoyed Midnight Special and he brought on a couple of guest singers who were very good. I got a bit bored after a while because I’ve seen him before and I can see Jools Holland on the telly any old time.   I wandered on and had a sit down at a bar in Williams Green and just watched the world go by and then watched a bit of Thundercat on the West Holts Stage but basically I was just passing time before the big event of the afternoon that everyone was waiting for which had nothing to do with music. I carried on and by the Leftfield Stage I could hear Billy Bragg singing so I sat down for a listen.

Then behind me I could hear cheering and turned around and this convoy of three land rovers was approaching and in the third one I could see the unmistakeable face of Jeremy Corbyn smiling through the window and waving out. I jumped to my feet and followed the vehicles as did dozens of other people. They disappeared through a gate into the rear of one of the market areas. Because I still had my Markets Access wristband on I waved it at the man on the gate and was allowed through. I whipped out my camera and approached Jeremy’s car determined to get a photo with him which would have been a real feather in my cap. Just as he got out of his car I was within 20 feet when this stern looking security woman ordered me away. “I have a pass”, I explained. “I don’t care”, she replied, “Out !”. I took one picture in defiance of her then another security man escorted me out.  Jeremy had gone into the rear of the Solstice Bar so I ran quickly around to the front of the bar where I guessed he would be. The Solstice Bar is one of the many bars that are run by The Workers Beer Company and all profits go to good causes. That was why Jeremy was here. To promote that and also the special pint pots that had been made especially for the festival from recycled steel. Jeremy came out and started pouring pints for the many, not the few. I was about 12 feet away along the bar and tried taking pictures but it was difficult with all the heads in the way.

Then Jeremy headed off to the Pyramid Stage to make his historic appearance. I didn’t go because I had got wind of the fact that he would be making an unscheduled speech on the Leftfield Stage. I went there and grabbed my place right at the very front and waited patiently. While we were waiting we were entertained by Billy Bragg, Ralph McTell, Steve Knightley from the band Show Of Hands and Louise from a band called She Drew The Gun who I had never heard of before. They were all very good especially Billy singing Sexuality and Ralph singing Streets Of London. Steve Knightley even recited Let The Slave by William Blake which is on a Van Morrison album.

Finally, Jeremy arrived to huge cheers and singing of 'Oh, Jeremy Corbyn'. I was a bit concerned that because there were no large screens in there that the crowd would press forward to get a better look and I’d be crushed against the barrier. It was fine though. Jeremy spoke passionately for at least half an hour. He recalled all the previous figures from the left who had spoken here such as Tony Benn and E.P. Thompson. It was a great inspiring speech. After it was all over I treated myself to a Leftfield T-Shirt with the slogan ‘Recharge Your Activism’.

I didn’t know what to do with myself after that. I did intend to see Toots And The Maytels but apparently they didn’t turn up. Katy Perry was on the Pyramid and Liam Gallagher was on the Other Stage but I couldn’t be bothered with either. I sat down outside the Theatre Bar and watched all the weird things going on. There was a huge turtle going through the crowd accompanied by lots of dancers dressed as sea creatures. Two guys dressed as mermaids being carried by dwarves, (How do you think that up ?) Also a giant ostrich wandering around and a man cycling a piano along accompanied by a woman playing the cello. I moved on and listened to Chris Difford & Glenn Tilbrook from Squeeze playing an acoustic set. I listened from outside and got chatting to two guys wearing red military jackets and had my photo taken with them.

At about 7.30 I made my way to the Pyramid because I had promised a Facebook friend that I would see The National. Also, Megan from Thursday night said they were her favourite band. I had never heard their music before. The first thing to say is that the singer got on my nerves a bit. At one point he gave out the phone number of a senator in Ohio and said anyone from Ohio should phone him about the health care bill. “For f..ks sake”, I thought to myself, “You are in England now, we have enough of our own s..t to deal with at the moment”. Also, he was obviously drunk and kept drinking glasses of wine and throwing the bottles around. Having said that, I found something compelling and moving  about the music even though this was the first time I had heard it. One song that I particularly remember was called The Day I Die. I think it was called that anyway.

After that I was at a loose end again. I did consider going to see Alison Moyet at the Leftfield but I was too tired so I just sat in the bar of Bread & Roses and listened to some girl singer who wasn’t very good. I should have made the effort to go and see The Jacksons but I didn’t. I went to see the Foo Fighters.

I have really tried to get into them because my niece Lee is a big fan of theirs and Odele thinks they are great as well. I watched all of their streamed gig at the Cheese & Grain in Frome earlier in the year. Perhaps it is because I haven’t got any of their albums but I just can’t get it. Dave Grohl said, “I think we are gonna play all night long”. I thought to myself, “No you’re not mate, you will play for the two hours which is advertised”. Nobody plays all night long. I was getting a bit cold now so after 30 minutes I started heading home. I watched a bit more from the top of the hill and then gave up.

It was great around the fire that night. I got talking to a bloke called Carpy who was from Cornwall and a big Van Morrison fan. We had a chat about favourite Van songs and I said I’d see him at the Eden Project a few days later. I didn’t though unfortunately. Odele arrived back from the Foo Fighters and Robin joined us. Me and Robin had a brandy coffee. The last thing I remember was me standing on the stones around the fire singing Status Quo songs and shouting, “Hello Wembley !”.

Finally, I thought I better get to bed before I fell in the fire. What a great day it had been and what an amazing day lay ahead.

TO BE CONTINUED………………………

My Glastonbury Review 2017: Part 6, 'Where's Your Car Debbie?'

It was Sunday at Glastonbury, the last day of the festival and I emerged from my tent all bleary eyed and goopy after the events of the night before. I soon pulled myself together though and was determined to make the most of the day. Carpe Diem, Seize the day. That’s my motto ! I spotted Odele in the marquee at breakfast and sat with her. “What’s top of your list for today?”, asked Odele. “You are”, I replied, with a grin. She said she was going to see London Grammar on the John Peel Stage later so I said I’d look out for her if I was up that way. It had rained overnight. Not enough to make the ground muddy and it was quite welcome to keep down the dust. It was quite overcast and windy though so I put a jumper on and my jacket. I was to regret that later.

The Black Dyke Band were performing when I reached the Pyramid. They are one of the most famous brass bands in the world and were founded in Yorkshire in 1855. It has been a tradition at Glastonbury over the years to have a brass band open the proceedings on Sunday morning. I listened for a few minutes to them performing a medley of James Bond music. I enjoyed it actually but I moved on because I’ll see them again in a few weeks when they are appearing with Brian Wilson at Glastonbury Abbey.

The other reason I moved on was because Dave had told me that Slaves were really good. They were on the Other Stage at 11.00. I hadn’t heard of them before but I’m glad I made the effort because they were great. They are a British duo from Royal Tunbridge Wells and are Laurie Vincent on guitars and Isaac Holman on drums and vocals. In Wikipedia it says they are ‘British punk with harsh bluesy garage riffs’. What I liked about them is that they are also very funny. Isaac said that they wanted to form a proper band but nobody liked them so they ended up as a duo. He said that Laurie told him, “Until we get a proper drummer, you just bash these”, and gave him some drums. They seem to have an obsession with manta rays and David Attenborough. They have incredible energy, the song I found most memorable was Where’s Your Car Debbie?.

It started raining towards the end of their set so I took refuge in a nearby beer tent and had my first pint of the day. Once the rain eased off I moved on. Passing the Leftfield I noticed there was a debate going on called ‘Is Democracy Broken?’. The Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell was taking part along with Jonathon Bartley from The Green Party and a couple of others. I sat in and listened for a while. It was very interesting. I think the Labour Party & The Greens should unite in a progressive alliance before the next election. Listening intently in one corner I noticed Billy Bragg so I asked him for a photo. He was happy to oblige but Looking at it later I looked awful after not shaving for a week. I didn’t stay right to the end of the discussion because I wanted to see as much as possible.

The festival was nearly over and there were huge areas that I hadn’t visited so I headed up to The Greenfields & The Field Of Avalon. I walked all the way to Kings Meadow and up above the Stone Circle. You get a great view of the site from up here. There was a choir all dressed in red who were about to perform but I didn’t wait for that. Standing in the middle of the field were two blokes playing piano and a saxophone just for the fun of it. I went and had a look at the 80ft long stone dragon in the stream and carried on walking. In the Field Of Avalon I had a look at all the craft stalls, which were amazing. I watched one bloke who had a little chain saw and was carving up dead wood found on the farm into owls. They looked brilliant. Finally, I arrived at the Avalon Arms and had a large gin & tonic because the pints were going straight through me. On the Avalon Stage I caught the end of a female duo called Sound Of The Sirens who sounded really nice. I wish I had heard more of them. After that I had another drink and watched Chris Jagger’s Rocking Kronies. Chris actually lives in Glastonbury town so he didn’t have to come very far. I’m sure me and Kim met him years ago one afternoon out the back of the George & Pilgrim in Glastonbury. Anyway, I thought the half an hour I watched him for was great. His band served up a lively blend of Country, blues, rock, Cajun & zydeco. I particularly liked his female fiddle player. I only watched a short while because I remembered that my old friend Tony was playing in the nearby Avalon Café. He was in a duo called Hodmadoddery  and playing to a tiny but appreciative audience. They did one song that I particularly liked written by Peter Hamill but I haven’t got a clue what it’s called. After a while I took a photo and said cheerio because time was getting on.

On the West Holts Stage I caught the end of a set by a trio called Yorkston, Thorne & Khan. They are a sort of cross-over band of British & Indian music. I was really impressed with what I heard. Also, I was really pleased when they said that we should have a big shout out for the recycling crew for keeping the place tidy. As one of the army of 2,100 recyclers I took that as a personal compliment and my chest puffed out with pride. They finished with a Sufi song which I really enjoyed.

It was back to the Other Stage then because I wanted to see Rag n Bone Man. I have seen him on the telly and been really impressed with his soulful voice especially his song Human. Sadly there were about 80,000 people all with the same idea. This seems to be the year of Rag n Bone Man. It was so crowded that I couldn’t hardly move or get a good view of the stage. People were even watching from the old railway track at the back. It was getting really hot as well so after only one song I gave up and headed for the more bucolic surroundings of the Acoustic Stage. On the way there I stopped at Pilton Pasta for some food because I was starving by now. The lady in front of me had some food which looked delicious so I said, “I’ll have some of what she just had”. I can’t remember what it was called.

I knew I would find Dave right at the front for Justin Townes Earle and sure enough he was. Right on the barrier. I really enjoyed this set. He deserved a bigger audience. It was just him and a great pedal steel guitar player. The honky-tonk style ballads were the best I thought. My favourite song was called What’s She Crying For?. Justin said that the best songs used to be made in Nashville but these days Nashville is just 15lbs of s..t in a 5lb bag. When I spoke to Dave afterwards he said listening to Justin was like channeling Gram Parsons so I think he enjoyed it.

After that, Dave went off to meet Sarah who was watching Barry Gibb but I decided to go back to base to have a rest and I wanted to get rid of my jacket because I was too hot. I made the supreme effort and went and had a shower as well which was as refreshing as two hours sleep I reckon. I also had some dinner because I was still hungry and a can of Thatcher’s Gold. Then I set off again on one last epic walk.

As I walked down Muddy Lane on a beautiful Sunday evening I could hear Chic & Nile Rodgers so I watched for a bit through a gap in the trees and they sounded great although it’s not really my type of music. I was on a mission so I hurried on. Skirting the Other Stage I listened to The Courteeners for a while and this was another band I hadn’t heard of before but I was quite impressed with their guitar based music. I think they could be the next big thing. They might be already for all I know. I was heading for the John Peel Stage which is a stage I haven’t bothered much with in previous years. The Beat Hotel was as packed as the night before so no Jack Kerouac cocktail for me this year. The John Peel Stage was absolutely rammed. It is in a marquee but the vast crowd surrounded it for about 100 yards. As well as a normal bar there was a smaller cocktail bar so I queued up there and bought some drink that had rum in it among other stuff. It was nice though. I stood on top of a bench and surveyed the crowd hoping to spot Odele but to no avail. I should have got her phone number earlier but I didn’t think of that. I did meet a couple of my recycling mates but I can’t remember their names. Goldfrapp were on when I arrived but I couldn’t see them and the music meant nothing to me. After that it was London Grammar. This is another band I knew nothing about but people had told me they were great. I see they have an album in the charts called Truth Is A Beautiful Thing. I decided to get nearer to listen and was surprised how easy it is despite the vast crowd to get quite near the front by worming my way along the side. I listened for about 30 minutes and there is no doubt that the singer Hannah Reid has a fabulous voice. The trouble is with me though if I’m not au fait with the music it always starts to sound samey to me. Also, I was getting claustrophobic so I wormed my way out again.

There are some woods near there so I went in there for a bit of peace. It is really nice and they have built walkways so you can get right up in the tops of the trees. Also, I found a bar in there which was relatively quiet so I had yet another drink. Then I thought I better head in the direction of home. That was to prove more difficult than I thought. As I approached the Pyramid Stage area more & more people were going in the same direction. Thousands of them. “Where is everyone going?”, I asked someone. “To see the ginger one”, he replied. I hadn’t realised it was this late.

I fought my way out of the crush and sat down on a nearby bench. There was a man sat down next to me. “I can’t understand what all the fuss is about “, I said, “He is hardly Bob Dylan is he?”. “I can’t stand Bob Dylan”, he replied. “He can’t even sing”. This got me angry because I was tired and irritable now. “Bob Dylan is the greatest poet since Keats & Shelley, that’s why they gave him the Nobel Prize for Literature”, I exclaimed and stomped off in the opposite direction, leaving him with a flea in his ear.

I decided to take a long walk round via the Other Stage to avoid the crowds. It was empty compared to earlier in the day. That is when I noticed the little rucksack on the ground. I immediately thought BOMB !. Then I thought that nobody is going to leave a bomb in an empty field so I gingerly opened it up. There wasn’t much of any value in it except two pairs of really nice sunglasses. For a few seconds I considered keeping the sunglasses and throwing the rucksack away but my upbringing told me not to do that so I handed it in at INFO in the market area. After one last drink on Williams Green I braved the journey home via the Ed Sheeran fans. When I reached the top of the field I listened to a bit and I just don’t get it. I have tried really hard to get into Ed Sheeran’s music. Partly because he claims to be a Van Morrison fan and mentions Van twice on his new album and even had breakfast with Van. Also because of his Irish background. I still can’t get it though. I’m not ageist against music by young people. I said I like George Ezra and I loved Slaves at the start of the day. What is so great about Ed Sheeran?. I don’t think he is even a good guitar player. Even the lyrics seem very trite, all about liking the shape of someone. Youth to me is supposed to be about rebellion. There is no mention of all the shite that is going down in the world. He seems a very establishment figure. He goes to parties with Princesses Eugenie & Beatrice & James Blunt. I think he is the Brexit of music. One day soon people will realise it has all been a big mistake.

Anyway, When I got back to camp it was much more fun. There was a big gang around the fire tonight. I went and got the remains of my bottle of brandy and joined in. When you are Billy No-Mates like me and have spent most of the day on your own, you really appreciate the camaraderie around the fire. Nobody is going to tell you to bugger off are they?. I met a nice couple from Nottingham who I worked with two years ago. There was a sing-song going on. One guy had a guitar and was singing Beatle songs and Irish songs in an English accent which I didn’t like very much. Then this young guy asked if he could have a go. He was brilliant and sang Space Oddity by David Bowie, Psycho Killer by Talking Heads and best of all, a song I love which was Creep by Radiohead. It is really funny to hear two dozen people sat round a campfire singing 'I'm a creep, I'm a wierdo'. I enjoyed it more than the real Radiohead who were on Friday night. I asked him to sing some Lou Reed and he was going to but the guitar owner asked for it back, so that was the end of that. God knows how the night ended up. I can’t remember for the life of me.

Next morning I woke up in my tent which was a relief. After breakfast I realised the party was over and it was time to go. I took down my tent and packed my rucksack. The motto is ‘Love The Farm, Leave No Trace’. It was sad when the only thing to say that I had been there at all was a sad little square of faded grass. I made my way to the marquee and sat outside with Odele & Roger. Finally, I said cheerio to a few people such as Stella, Paula & her husband and some people whose names I can’t remember. I wondered if I would see them again. It was especially sad to say cheerio to Odele who had been such a good mate. It was hard to drag myself away but I knew I had to go. I hauled on my rucksack, picked up my tent and set off.

The walk to the bus station was a lot easier than when we arrived because lots of it was downhill. I waited patiently in the queue for about an hour for a bus to Castle Cary and passed the time with a bunch of people telling jokes. Finally, the creaky old bus arrived and we piled on. Sitting next to me was a punky lady with purple hair. I asked her what was her favourite act of the festival and she said Napalm Death. They were her favourite band. That’s what I love about Glastonbury, the diversity. Just the other side of Pilton I took one last lingering look out over the Vale Of Avalon at the fields that have been my temporary home for about four months of the last 38 years and took one last photo through the bus window. I wondered if I would ever return. I headed home, back to the forlorn rags of everyday life.

THE END.

Review: Van Morrison At The Eden Project 2017

I still hadn’t recovered from Glastonbury when I set out for Cornwall on Saturday morning. I think I’m getting too old for this rock n roll lifestyle. I’m glad I made the effort though because it turned out brilliantly. I caught the 9.56 train from Westbury and changed trains at Exeter St David’s. After Exeter the journey gets really nice because the train runs right along beside the sea and I took some photos from the train window. Soon we were in Cornwall. Then I made my first mistake. I thought my hotel was in St Austell but when I arrived I discovered it was in a place called Par which was the previous stop. I was one over par!. It cost me £13.00 in a taxi to get back to Par. Never mind, after I threw my stuff in the room I got another taxi to the Eden Project which was only about three miles away.

Soon I arrived at the gates of Eden. The Eden Project is a place that I have wanted to visit ever since it was opened in 2001. It is built in an old clay mine and is these huge domes that contain thousands of plants and trees from various climates all over the world. It also has an arena which holds the annual Eden Sessions every summer. I got there too early as usual and was a bit bored to begin with. There was a girl singer on called Kezia and then someone called Nathan Ball and his band. I quite miss the old days when Simon from Wavelength used to organise pre-show get togethers for the fans. I would much rather have been chatting to other fans about Van. I just sat on the grass watching and drinking wine and getting fed up and wishing I hadn’t come so early. Then I spotted Miquel all the way from sunny Spain with his wife Elena and their two daughters. It was great to see them and I cheered up immediately. They went off for a look around and I watched someone called Ruarri Joseph who was quite good but I thought it would be a shame to come all this way without looking inside so I went in the tropical rain forest dome.

It’s not often you get the chance to walk through the tropical rain forest at a Van Morrison gig. It must have been about 40 degrees centigrade in there and very humid. I was sweating by the time I emerged from the jungle 30 minutes later. You could go right up into the canopy of the trees and walk across rope bridges. There were even tropical birds in there. The most interesting plant I saw was called Titan Arum. It comes from the forests of Sumatra and is the worlds biggest flowering plant. It is also the worlds smelliest plant. Just before it is due to flower it emits this powerful aroma which is like rotting meat. This is to attract flies and insects for pollination. Boy did it stink. I wouldn’t want one of those in my garden I can tell you. The neighbours would complain. It was quite fascinating though.

I needed another drink after that and sat where I knew Jamie & Susan would arrive. They had come all the way from Texas to see Van in Cornwall and Adele at Wembley the next night but they told me the sad news that Adele had cancelled which must have been very disappointing. They were determined to enjoy the Van show though.

It was time for Paul Brady next who is someone I had never seen previously but I had always liked his music. I didn’t write down his setlist but the most memorable songs for me were Lakes Of Pontchartrain, The Island, which is my favourite of all his songs and a song called Paradise Is Here which he said was inspired by Krishnamurti who as you know was a big influence on Van as well. I was to have a chance encounter with Paul Brady later in the evening but I’ll tell you about that when I get to it.

Then it was time for Van. Despite the large crowd I found it quite easy to wheedle my way right to the front on the barrier. It was Van’s usual band of Dave Keary, Paul Moore, Paul Moran, Mez Clough, Dana Masters & Sumudu. Near the end of the show when I moved position though I did notice somebody else playing keyboards when Paul was on piano but I don’t know who he was. I also noticed that the whole event was being filmed. The show began with Too Late followed by the Vegas version of Have I Told You Lately and I thought to myself, “Here we go, another greatest hits outdoor show”. I did notice that Sumudu was also playing a little keyboard during this song. The show didn’t turn out as I expected though because Van announced that he was bringing out a new album in September and the show was being filmed for youtube so that is something to look forward to. The first song that I had never heard Van perform before was called I Can Tell You Don’t Love Me No More which I believe is a Bo Diddley song. Van played Maracas on this song. Then a song which I think might be called Transformation which I thought was great with Dave Keary on guitar capturing the emotion of the song perfectly. On first listen I think this song is destined to be a favourite with the fans although it does remind me of other great Van songs. Then it was straight into the bluesy Roll With The Punches which also was very impressive indeed. It makes me think that Van’s new album is going to be very Blues oriented. Then it was the Bo Diddley song Ride On Josephine with Dave again displaying what a great guitar player he is. It reminded me a bit of Not Fade Away by The Stones.

It was a real treat to hear those four songs. Next, we were back to more familiar Van territory with the medley of Baby Please Don’t Go/ Parchman Farm/ Don’t Start Crying Now/ Gimme Some Lovin’. The crowd pleaser of Here Comes The Night was followed by Real Real Gone with great backing vocals by Dana & Sumudu. The crowd also loved Days Like This.

Then it was Moondance and I needed to go for a wee so I gave up my place on the barrier to make a quick march to the loo. On the way who should I meet heading for his car but Paul Brady. I said hello and told him how much I enjoyed his performance and asked him if I could have a photo. He graciously said ok and I gave my camera to a nearby security man and asked him to take a photo. Sadly though I had used up all the memory in my camera filming Van. That was disappointing but never mind, it was a pleasure to meet Paul Brady.

When I got back to the arena Van sang a duet with Dana Sometimes We Cry. Then it was the great Why Must I Always Explain which the new song Transformation sounds a bit like to me. The great songs continued with I Can’t Stop Lovin’ You with Dana & Sumudu sounding perfect. Things got even better with In The Afternoon/ Ancient Highway/ Sitting Pretty. Crowd pleasing hits of  Wild Night/ Carrying A Torch/ Jackie Wilson Said/ and Whenever God Shines His Light followed in quick succession before the inevitable Brown Eyed Girl and a protracted Gloria.

I met up with Miquel & Elena & the children for the long walk out of the Eden Project. They kindly gave me a lift back to Par which I was grateful for because I would never have got a taxi with that crowd and was in no condition to walk three miles. Back at the hotel I had one last drink. The bar was full of people who had been at the concert. Then I went to bed and fell fast asleep after a wonderful day at the Eden Project and I’m very glad that I went.

THE END.

Review: Madeleine Peyroux & John Etheridge, Bath Forum May 27th 2017.

It was my friend Dave who introduced me to the music of Madeleine Peyroux a few months ago when he gave me a copy of an album of hers called Keep Me In Your Heart For A While, The Best Of Madeleine Peyroux which I really enjoyed. I was especially taken by her versions of songs by Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen. I also really liked her voice which reminded me of Billie Holiday. When I saw that she was to appear at the Forum in Bath as part of the annual Bath Festival I knew we had to go.

It was a nice sunny Saturday evening when we boarded the 5.48 train at Westbury for the short journey to Bath. The city was bustling with people out enjoying the nice weather and we had time for a quick drink in a pub called The Cork. Sitting outside the pub I thought that I should come to Bath more often as it is such a nice place, especially in the summer. Then it was time to make our way to the Forum which is fast becoming my favourite music venue in the area after seeing the likes of Patti Smith, Richard Thompson, Kate Rusby and quite a few others here over the last few years. There was quite a long queue to get in because of the increased security measures following the tragic event in Manchester a few days earlier.

The opening act was a jazz fusion guitarist called John Etheridge. He is known for being a member of Soft Machine and has worked with the likes of Stephane Grappelli and many others. I thought I might find him a bit boring because really I like songs, but I was pleasantly surprised because I really got into his music. The first tune he played was a Sonny Rollins composition called Doxy which I wasn’t all that enamoured with but the second number was a Charles Mingus tune called Goodbye Pork Pie Hat  which apparently was written in tribute to Lester Young. I really enjoyed this one and closed my eyes and just  listened to Mingus, mellow, fantastic. Then he changed guitars to one that he had adapted and it was amazing because it sounded like bass and guitar combined. I didn’t recognise the tune but Dave told me it was called Stormy Weather. John finished his enjoyable short set with a really nice South African tune but I have no idea what it was called.

The interval seemed to last for ages. I went outside for a cigarette and took a photo of the tour bus to pass the time. Then finally it was time for Madeleine. As well as singing, she also played guitar and ukulele and was ably assisted by John Harrington on guitar and Barak Mory on upright bass. As I have said, I only have one album by Madeleine so I didn’t recognise all the songs so I’ll just tell you about the ones I did know. The first song was called Fun Out Of Life which I believe is a Billie Holiday song which suits Madeleine perfectly. I didn’t know the second song in which she pretended to sing into a telephone but it showed that she is a very humorous lady and also she doesn’t think much of Donald Trump. ( Who does?) This was followed by Tango Till They’re Sore in which the bass played used a bow on his instrument to great effect. Madeleine said she only sang three kinds of songs which were about Love, Blues & Drinking and the next song was about all three. It was called Guilty and in the lyrics she sang, ‘ I can’t stand myself’ which reminded me of a Van Morrison lyric. One of my favourite songs of the evening followed which was Our Lady Of Pigalle and Madeleine played ukulele on that one. I didn’t know either of the next two songs, one of them was in French but very enjoyable and the other was for people who felt that their vote didn’t count for anything. This was followed by a brilliant version of The Beatles It’s Getting Better which she said was the only cheerful song she was going to sing.

Other songs which I enjoyed were Easy Come, Easy Go which I think might be a Bessie Smith song,Trampin’ which was great and a song which was based on a poem by Lynton Kwesi Johnson that Maddy had put music to. Shout Sister Shout was dedicated to all the women in the audience. Every Thing I Do Gohn  Be Funky From Now On was originally a song by Lee Dorsey I believe but Madeleine's version is great. She sang a love song in Brazilian-Portuguese, I haven’t got a clue what it is called but it sounded wonderful. Leonard Cohen’s Dance Me To The End Of Love was fabulous as was Careless Love which brought a wonderful concert to an end.

I wanted to buy Madeleine’s most recent album called Secular Hymns but I was amazed to find that there was no merchandise stall in the foyer which is most unusual at a concert these days. Anyway, we grabbed a quick drink in the pub opposite the station and caught the 10.38 train home. Thank you very much Bath Forum, John Etheridge,John Harrington, Barak Mory and most of all Madeleine Peyroux for a great night out in Bath.