Glastonbury Festival 2010: Day 2

Thursday
The second day of Glastonbury arrived in a haze of sunshine, and after a breakfast of porridge on our camping stove and changing into our bikinis we were ready for exploration part two. We headed towards The Park this time, a vast expanse of green looking over the entire site, dominated by a viewing tower that looked like a helter skelter. Up on the hill in big embroidered letters read 'Glastonbury 40' an ode to this year's 40th anniversary of the festival. Other features of the area included a sand sculpture, hammocks, people-sized bird nests and a bus full of junk!

We soaked up some sun on the hill and then moved on to the Healing Field, where everything from massages to palm reading and yoga classes to counselling were available all free of charge. The field was split into four; earth, fire, air and water, and each section was tailored to its element through use of colour, artwork and the activities available.

We decided to rest for a while, and this coincided with when Hattie Hatstar and her band were playing in the solar powered Small World Stage. The trio were lighthearted and comical, playing songs such as 'Sweat Shop' and 'Evil Twin' and used a variety of unusual instruments including the ukelele, accordion, kazoo and double bass. Their mix of topical lyrics and toe-tapping beats was perfect for a break from the crowds.

After a quick trip to the Greenpeace area to watch a friend on the climbing wall, I topped up my cider cup and ventured over to the Queen's Head Stage, for my first taste of Glastonbury music. I was pleasantly surprised at Two Door Cinema Club's set list, as baring in mind they were opening the Other Stage at 11am on the Saturday, I expected their 20 minute set on this day to consist of their B-sides and unknown album tracks. However, they played all their well known electro indie tunes including Cigarettes in the Theatre and Come Back Home, their latest release.

They were followed by Egyptian Hiphop, who I had been recommended to watch by a friend. The majority of their songs were good, but the overall performance was let down by the obvious fact that the 17 year old band members were scared stupid, not even introducing the band before beginning to play. The lead singer cowered behind Kurt Cobain esque hair, and the drummer even wore a plastic bag over his head! Not an act I would rush to see again.

Having been relatively tame the night before, just having a few drinks and going to bed early, our gang decided to be a bit more outlandish this evening and head to Shangrai-La. A maze of alleyways where you never find the same place twice, Shangrai La is the place of choice for the creatures of the night. We ventured into The Nanos, an area including The Drum Machine, where an array of electronic drums can be used by anyone to make your own tracks, and we watched a couple of really good dubstep DJs in Club Dada, which has played host to Lady Gaga and Damon Albarn in the past.