anditmakesmesmile

I've got a ticket for the Bob Vylan 6:30 show at Pryzm in Kingston. Going free if anyone wants it.

The reason why it’s the world’s biggest festival is because it took risks. How big was Pulp in 1995. SZA is a poor choice because it’s a safe choice and it totally lacks creativity.

Does Glastonbury feel a need to make one of the headliners American? I don’t want to go all ‘British first’, but I do think they should have had the balls to put home grown Little Simz on instead of SZA. She’s six albums in, a Mercury and Brit winner, got five star reviews for her Ally Pally shows literally everywhere (from the NME to the FT). She has already proved herself headlining West Holts. And she’s already booked for the Pyramid. Emily Eavis was even at the Ally Pally show - how can she have walked away from that show and not thought “wow - that is a Pyramid headliner” (or maybe that was her thought followed by “if only she was American”). It was the second best concert I went to last year. The best was Sault - and she stole the show in that!

The first one wanted me to pay and the second had no subtitles. Anyone got a decent link…?

I wouldn’t describe myself as a big Dexy’s fan. But, The Celtic Soul Brothers (More, Please, Thank You) is one of the best pop songs ever written. It is definitely on my desert island discs list. But… it’s not Geno. Or Come on Eileen, so they’re unlikely to play it.

White Lies, three times on three different stages in one year, 2009. Friday on the Other Stage Saturday on the John Peel Stage Sunday in the Guardian tent (I had to look that up - other than knowing I saw them I cant really remember anything about the last performance)

i saw the Hills of California a couple of weeks ago. Tremendous. Better than anything else on right now. Yet mainly got three star reviews.

One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve got older is that I have to work a little bit harder to hear new music. Glastonbury helps, obviously - and I put the research in for the month before. But I was wondering if there are any good websites, blogs or podcasts that people listen to to keep themselves in the zeitgeist.

1) Sault, Drumsheds 2) The Bays, Jazz Cafe 3) Little Simz, Alexandra Palace 4) Fred Again, The Other Stage, Glastonbury 5) Blur, Hammersmith Apollo 6) Nick Cave, Beacon Theatre 7) Bob Vylan, Sunrise, Latitude 8) Gabriels, Pryzm, Kingston 9) Tom Walker, Brunel Museum 10) Loyle Carner, Hammersmith Apollo

Little Simz sang on Fear No Man (her own song) Ganavya sang on Ever So Lonely (a cover of a song by Monsoon. I'd not heard of Ganavya before but she was a guest on Gilles Peterson's show a couple of day;s later) Cleo Sol sang on a few songs Kid Sister sang on Dont Waste My Time (and I think one other) Michael Kiwanuka sang on Colour Blind Chronnix sang on Angel and I think one other (Glory?) Apparently Jack Penate sang on something. But I dont know what. He's credited on writing a few songs for Sault. Plus so many musicians. so many choristers. so many dancers. Who, a week later, havent posted anything to instagram or twitter.

I think (and like most of the night, it’s all conjecture) the staging was designed by Es Devlin.

Apparently the set and staging were all designed by Es Devlin

Do you mean on the day? I missed this too - I was in meetings all morning (although I knew it was coming). But the weird thing is… I bought my tickets on Twickets. So original price (and only one pair the whole week on Viagogo for £250 each). And I kept looking… there were quite a few on Twickets on the run up to the 14th. I doubt there will be next time though.

Of course - none of the bars were selling booze. Which must have meant the venue would have cost more to hire.

Was it or wasn’t it worth the ticket price? Hell, yes it was! What an event. I think anyone who was there realised they were witnessing something very special. One of those gigs that in 20 years time people will still be talking about. Hyperbole? Maybe. Keen to hear others’ thoughts.

Actually - yes - I think that’s right. I thin Nine might be next year.

No, a different album in seven different cities.

Apparently London gets Nine. I’m hoping we might get a bit more… it’s only 34 minutes long!

Sault - having teased us last weekend with an Instagram post saying “Sault Live London 2023”, they now seem to backtrack with their latest instagram post saying “New unreleased album live for the first and only time”. But presumably to have a live album they had to have a live performance. Did we miss it?? I'm so confused. Can anyone shed any light on what’s going on?

I saw her in Silver Hayes in ‘22. Mad as a bag of snakes. Brilliant.

Foals never made the cover of Vogue! …just saying

God, that’s long.

I saw Nick Cave do a solo performance in New York earlier this year. It would be amazing for him to do something like this on the lake in a style similar to Damon Albarn's a couple of years ago

Most people couldn’t name a single Stormzy track before he’d headlined. He’d only released one album (compared to Simz’s five - two of which were nominated for the Mercury, one of which won). Surely a lot of it has to be about how big a show it will be. Anyone at Ally Pally last weekend knows that Little Simz would carry it off.

No, not just a personal thing. The reviews for Little Simz have been astonishing. Phenomenal reviews. I’ve never seen reviews like it. I think everyone at Alexandra Palace realised they’d seen something very special that night.