The King Blues embody the spirit of Glastonbury at the Avalon Stage

Glastonbury 2009 review

By Mike Regan | Published: Wed 1st Jul 2009

Glastonbury Festival 2009

Wednesday 24th to Sunday 28th June 2009
Worthy Farm, Pilton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 4AZ, England MAP
£175 - SOLD OUT

Daily capacity: 150,000

A criminally underpopulated Avalon stage watched The King Blues deliver one of the weekend's most rousing sets. Their brand of politically charged punk swiftly dispersed the crowd's early afternoon blues. Entering on to a stage clad decorated by only their signature blank white canvas, intended to be decorated with their spray painted band logo, however front man Itch suffered the indignity of the can running out "for the first time in our careers".

Yet the band's playing was anything but shabby, racing through frenetic tracks 'I Got Love' and 'Let's hang the Landlord', they had the crowd pulling out their most impressive reggae-punk shapes. Some bands just embody the spirit of Glastonbury and this year that band was The King Blues. Dedicating songs to the G20 protesters and anti-fascists rendered their set as politically polemical as anything Tony Benn could have produced at the Speaker's Forum.

Despite playing to an unfortunately sparse tent, The King Blues managed to deliver one of the weekend's most raucous and enjoyable sets. Their time on stage even had a hint of the comedic when their beleaguered front man was cursed by more bad luck when whilst performing an elaborate manoeuvre, he managed to fall over the monitor. Embarrassing blips aside, with youthful anthems like 'Save the World. Get the Girl', a more lucrative place on the bill is surely deserved.

review by: Mike Regan