eFestivals has been tipping BlackBud as the best new band in the country since March, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. They’ve yet to properly release any songs (tho a few recordings [which in my opinion don’t yet show them at their best – see them live!] are available from their website), but that certainly didn’t stop those lucky enough to see them enjoying them to the full.
They’d won the slot on the Avalon Stage via a competition last summer. The New Tent slot came about via the competition that the Festival ran to find new bands, with BlackBud one of the worthy winners from over two and half thousand entrants. Michael Eavis even came to see them at the Avalon Stage, having declared himself a fan after judging them winners at the competition finals.
Of the two shows, the first (in the Avalon Tent) was the better. Each time Joe (guitar/singer) stroked his guitar into life, the crowd clapped and cheered mid-song like they were watching an old master at his best, while Adam (bass) and Joe (drums) held the rhythm as tightly as you’ll hear.
Having seen them about half a dozen times now, I’d been under the impression that their weakest point (if they have one) was their stage charisma, but this was something different entirely. Quite how I don’t know, but the band had everyone's complete attention, with Joe holding us the crowd in his hand, whilst prodding and playing with us thru the strings of his guitar.
They’d spent the previous two weeks working with an experienced producer, developing their already good songs, to bring even more out of them. The result was a performance that had the hairs rising on the back of my neck, and there was a definite feeling by all that they’d just seen something very special. For me, this was undoubtably the best performance I saw across the whole Festival.
On Saturday, a fortuitous downpour started about 15 minutes before they played, and although there was a decent sized crowd in the New Tent before that rain, it ensured they played to a very full house of around 5,000. I can’t believe that any more than a handful of those who were hiding from the rain walked away unimpressed.
The sound at the start wasn’t the best - it took a couple of songs for them to really get going - and perhaps there were nerves at what was their biggest crowd to date. Soon they were flying, but even so I was surprised by the roar at the end. The proof of their success to this crowd can be measured by the fact that they spent around half an hour selling CDs afterwards, selling all that they had!
This was a band making the most of their big opportunity. In a review of a BlackBud gig in March I wrote "Each summer, I see hundreds of bands on festival stages, and the truth is that few really impress – typically less than ten each year. I already know that BlackBud are on my list of best bands for this year." And you know what? They lived up to it!!!
If you didn’t catch them at Glastonbury, they’re playing at Larmer Tree (Friday), Guilfest (Saturday), and Ashton Court (Sunday) over the weekend of 16-18th July, and at the Summer Sundae Weekender on Saturday 14 August. If you want to tell your grandchildren that you saw them before they were famous, then you’d better be quick!
review by Neil Greenway photos by Phil Bull / Neil Greenway
Glow sticks, festival flags, wind art, poles and festival toys
FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS - glowsticks, rave horns, flashing mouths, LED whistles. Festival gear - streamers, wind art and pole kits - with bag, ground stake, peg and securing cord. Torches, tent beacons and a great selection poi, juggling and toys. more >>
Glastonbury Festival 
more pages about Blackbud
