We wandered down to The Park Stage at the beginning of the day, and saw The Travelling Band and Villagers, who were both pleasant enough, the first reminding me of The Magic Numbers. During the set, five differently coloured balloons of varying sizes were thrown into the air, so that everyone helped in keeping them bouncing for the duration of the gig. It was nice just to lie on the grass (which was more like straw at this point) eating pate on toast from the tea and toast tent, absorbing what could be some of the up and coming bands of 2010.
The Temper Trap
After hearing 'Sweet Disposition' on the '(500 days of) Summer' soundtrack I decided to get hold of The Temper Trap's
album, and I was impressed. I love the contrast of Dougy Mandagi's high pitched voice with the dark and dramatic percussion the band uses. We must have arrived at The Other Stage quite early, as we were literally 3 people behind the front row of the crowd, and it was amazing to be so close for such a good show. The bassist (and his hair) thrashed around the stage, clearly giving it everything, and Mandagi looked relaxed and suave when he blasted out piercing notes which were immaculately delivered. At one point he poured a bottle of water onto a large drum and hit it, sending up an artistic spray, which was refreshing for the front of the audience! I was thrilled upon returning to spot myself a number of times in their crowd on the highlights show on BBC3, proof that there are other benefits of being near the front, not just a good view!We Are Scientists
I first saw these guys in M
anchester when I was a fifteen year old moshing teenager and remember them being good, so to see them again at Glastonbury five years later was awesome. The two frontmen had some great comedy banter between each other, which was a welcome change from a straightforward music performance, and lead singer Keith Murray has a voice that is made for indie pop. The great thing about a lot of their tracks is that they are instantly recognisable, so whenever they started playing, the crowd all got involved and sang along, and as it was the last day, everyones' hearts were fully in each word.Faithless
Maxxi Jazz looked awe inspiring in a white suit, bare chested as usual, as he stood to view the masses before Faithless started their stint. Because of the sheer energy of their tracks, you could almost feel the floor vibrating from so many people jumping up and down to them. When they played 'We Come 1' (which lasted quite a while!) everyone had their finger in the air, which was quite a sight on the screens either side of the stage. Despite being around for a decade and a half, it is obvious that they haven't lost their touch on the dance world and they certainly deserved to gain the prime spot on The Pyramid Stage before Stevie Wonder.
Stevie Wonder
I was so excited to see Stevie Wonder, not because I love his songs, or even that I was curious as to what he would do to make the last Glastonbury 2010 performance extra special, but because I knew that the audience would be in a state of euphoria after a gorgeous, sun soaked festival. When 'Super
stition' began, everyone was dancing away, alcohol in hands and smiles on faces, making it a truly magical moment. Of course, for the festival's fortieth anniversary, what would be more appropriate than a rendition of 'Happy Birthday', where Stevie was joined on stage by Michael Eavis, the organiser of the whole event. It was pretty funny to watch a grey haired seventy five year old farmer sing along with Stevie Wonder, if you can call it singing, it was quite a bad kareoke rendition! Complete respect to him for doing it though, it was just what was needed to finish the set. Shangrai- La
After a phenomenal last performance, we decided to celebrate our final night with a trip to Shangrai- La once again, but not before we stopped for a spot of (very improvised!) salsa dancing in the Cuban Dance tent! This time we walked through The Unfair Ground to get to Shangrai- La, where a fountain of fire, a crash landed aeroplane and half naked women suspended from poles greeted us. It is obvious why it is called The Unfair Ground, as it was exactly that- a funfair gone wrong. Bez's Acid House had a giant baby head ab
ove the doorway, and there was a working coconut shy, with celebrity faces (such as David Cameron and Tracey Emin) as the targets! We ended the night in Hotel Slumbarave, which had a confusing maze to conquer before we could enter the main room. It had beds complete with duvets and pillows around its edge, and as soon as we arrived, a pillow fight ensued! It was the perfect closure to an amazing six days.So, six days of heat,
drink, music, dressing up and performance, and an uncountable amount of memories. Over in the blink of an eye, yet photos (and these blog entries!) will help it to last forever. As well as the artists I have written about, I also saw The Courteeners, MGMT, The Hold Steady, Dizzee Rascal, Grizzly Bear, The Cribs, and part of the Scissor Sisters; basically enough music to keep me happy for a fair while! I would gladly go again, camp in the same place, with the same people and have an absolute ball as I did this time. On a finishing note, I would say my top five acts were:
1. Florence and the Machine
2. The Temper Trap
3. 2 Door Cinema Club
4. Snoop Dogg
5. Stevie Wonder
I have had serious withdrawal symptoms since returning, and cannot wait to go back again!
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