Chubby Dude in a Tiny Car

was hoping The Waterboys would be early on the Pyramid like a couple years back. saw them headline the acoustic stage a few years ago, but getting there for a headliner can be pain that i dont have the patience for in my old age. also - the acoustic stage is not nearly far enough away from paul mccartny as i intend to be on saturday night.

i did see Johnny Cash - but i don't remember any of it... back then i was wasted from the time i got there til the time i left. i also saw Dylan, well i stood at the back of the field for a few songs before concluding it was shit and going somewhere else. i've never been a fan of "slots" i dont know why but just the term "legend slot" just annoys the hell outa me. having said that - Neil Diamond was one of the best things i've ever seen at the festival.

i spent the early / mid nineties in the squat parties of london and the free festivals of that time - been out of the scene for a loooooooooooooooong time so i'm also not surprised i dont know any names!

i was expecting to get to the bottom of that list and come out with nothing but confusion (i'm another of us on the wrong side of 40... very nearly 50) but Channel One Sound and Dubkasm - that'll do nicely!

when Channel 4 came knocking in 1994, Mr. Eavis should have said NO!

sound systems in the main market, joe bananas on the corner, big bottles of Brothers, crusty with a wheelbarrow selling beer on the bridge, outdoor cinema, starting at the top of muddy lane and having whatever you wanted by the time you got to the bottom, having enough room to play frisbee, having enough room for campsite fires, collecting firewood on Wednesday from the big pile, bootleg t shirt sellers wandering the campsite, dragon field being open to public, having to walk down the hill through the village from the coach drop off, the massive queues for the bank of payphones next to the pyramid... but saddest of all... me having the ability to stay up past midnight...

for me its the Levellers' version of Lowlands of Holland. seen the Levs at Glasto a bunch of times - in fact they were the first thing i ever saw at the festival in '94 - and really there are a few songs i could choose, but for some reason that i dont even actually understand "Lowlands..." in particular always transports me right back to that field on that night - pure magic.

a-ha. one of the best live bands ever. i'm actually quite surprised they've never played there, especially during the "foot of the mountain" period when they had a huge popularity boost for a while. they played at Guilfest so its not like they don't (didn't) play festivals.

Springsteen. although i have been informed that in 2009 i had the "greatest night of my life" - the reality is that i was so wasted i do not remember one single second of Bruce's show. years later and i still can't bring myself to watch any of it as i'm (still!) so angry at myself.

the merch stall in the pyramid field and the NME stage field usually sell stuff from at least the major acts on those stages. can't say about anywhere else tho as i've never looked.

for the first few years of The Glade being there i pretty much spent near enough ALL my time there. these days my favourite stage is the Summerhouse (or Blazing Saddles as it was) you can sit there all day and be constantly surprised and entertained. you are also guaranteed to see Pronghorn, Lekiddo & Mik! i also love and spend a lot of time in Avalon.

Napalm Death at the Underworld on Friday - every bit as good as the first time i saw them in '91! being an old, knackered man now my plan was to just nurse a beer standing at the back and just enjoy the show - a couple of songs in and that plan was out the window and i was down the front like the good old days. it was a great night, the band were brilliant as usual, it was a great atmosphere in there, i could count the number of people watching the show through their phones on one hand it was almost like a show from good old days before mobile phones. brilliant. (but i am a physical wreck, middle-age and stage diving are not good friends...)