The New Tent is definitely getting a reputation as the place to spend Friday nights over the Glastonbury lost weekend - in fact the line-up for 2004 had many residing there all weekend long. 2003's slot at this time was a terrific performance by Lemon Jelly and this year it was the turn of the Isle Of Wight's very own The Bees.
With their own blend of of indie-pop, tinged with 60s catchy hooks and 70s psychedelic rock, their happy tunes put a smile on the faces of those who stared wide eyed at the stage, as the band threw everything musically from the thick dub grooves of old-skool reggae to funky soul, crashing brass section to Beach Boys harmonies, Motown Hammond Organ and dirrrty guitar with lots of bizarre lyrics wrapping it all up.
It was warm and it was buzzing as the swollen crowd jolly about to the full tilt, sonic rush of Chicken Payback one minute and are canoodling to the warm, bliss of I Love You the next. There songs are a vibrant palatte of different sounds, all of it sparkles with all the heady joys of a warm tent bathed in sometimes frenetic and sometimes ethereal lighting. In fact it's a heady summer feeling, laid back stuff throughout from the band at the forefront of Shroom-adelic Brit rock.
With their new album not released until after Glasto is over, many of the other songs they play like One Glass Of Water and Wash In The Rain are totally new to much of the happy crowd and they are captivated. With this new material truly The Bees are about to become a household name. Two tunes No Atmosphere and Horsemen just totally bliss us all out, it's the Beach Boys - Pet Sounds all over again.
But the highlight of that barmy summer night had to be when Paul and Aaron unleash a glorious, truly, truly awesome Minha Menina with a fat sound provided by the horn section and all the way up the field to the bar everyone is grooving. It's so unbelievably joyous, that they can't stop gliding to it's groove, so much so, that when the song finished the applause went on forever.
So loudly, so longly, everyone was so happy to have been there to hear it, that it leaves the singer Paul Butler speechless. Totally! They were clearly embarrassed, they don't know what to say, after some self conscious laughter they gave the adoring crowd another tune to groove to.
Their fans clearly enjoy seeing The Bees, some so much they were dressed for the occasion as big giant bees. This was a little confusing to a few of the more shroomed out members of the sun kissed audience who stare perplexed not at the band but at the crowd.
As the band played a few older favourite tunes from their first album, Sunshine Hit Me, I realised why it was so aptly named as No Trophies and Sky Holds the Sun brought a warm glow to us all and we smiled to each other, already bonds and festival friendship had begun.
The tunes were a perfect microcosm of Glastonbury, a mixture of many styles, all happily residing in the whole. At times it's squelchy, sometimes gloriously warm, sometimes tripping, sometimes holding a mulled cider, sometimes running full pelt naked through the Stone Circle, it's having a smoke stood around a wax flare, it's two stalls playing different tunes that blend together and it all made us happy. If Glasto were a sound it would be the buzz of The Bees.
A perfect start to another 'best ever' festival! I can't wait to get their new album Free The Bees because for me at least it'll forever remind me of Glastonbury Festival incarnate.
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