Rolling Stones...

[Wooderson]

Actually, as time passes I'm starting to think that the best song Albarn's ever written is maybe actually 'On Melancholy Hill', which I'm guessing went down a like a tonne of bricks along with the rest of the Gorillaz set in 2010.

"Caramel" is better than Melancholy Hill.

One of my fave songs of his is actually "Kingdom of Doom". He has an incredible, varied discog though. National treasure donchaknow.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Yeah - I'm generally very fond of Albarn - I like his eclecticism and his willingness to push himself, even when the results aren't always first rate. I dig that he crops up in odd places and has a dilatentte-ish, Bowie-like magpie sort of instinct for collaborators and co-workers. Even when he doesn't deliver in spades I'll still usually give him a listen to see where his muse has taken him.

[The Nal]

Having only seen Blur for the first time last week I can only sort of put Blur at Glasto into context. I can't obviously, but its the only frame of reference I have. Really enjoyed the gig, sang my heart out pished up on cognac and had a great time but I agree with CG. Wouldn't have them up there with the Maccas or the Stones or the Springsteens or the Neil Youngs of this world. Still wouldn't have missed the Prodigy in 09 mind you.

But if you grew up listening to Blur - which I didnt - the gig would obviously be more special. Seeing Damon and Graham sort out their relationship would've been pretty cool.

I'll vote for Under the Westway as my favourite Blur song. I think its a classic.

Edited August 9, 2013 by The Nal

[CaledonianGonzo]

Yeah - Under the Westway is very good, though maybe a little bit reminiscent of A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

[The Nal]

Yeah - Under the Westway is very good, though maybe a little bit reminiscent of A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

And All the Young Dudes. Sounds like a classic. A good old English classic.

But anyway, there haven't been many top notch bands I've seen who've done anything as good as this on the Pyramid. 10 minutes of genuine bliss.

http://youtu.be/cT_FCI88ajo

Edited August 9, 2013 by The Nal

[russycarps]

Blur had the courage to openly state their feelings/preferences on Glastonbury. To go on the record. Highly unusual for any band to be so specific about any particular gig. I guess it would be a challenge to deny that - as you so rightly say - intoxicating atmosphere, even when it might alienate vast swathes of your fanbase who thought "their gig" was the best.

Didnt think the Stones had it in them to be as moving or as moved as Blur were... not unlike McCartney if I'm honest. That said, bar Damon weeping on stage in '09 and seeing Dick Ashcroft put the microphone to his heart during Bittersweet Symphony, some of Keef's actions on stage this summer were one of the only other times I felt caught by a performer who "got" the experience. So what do I really know... He looked *particularly* touched by the experience. Mick's megawatt smile at Lisa just after her solo aswell, poor aul Charlie's grin when the camera popped up on him... there was clearly a sense of occasion on stage. I got it anyway. I felt it. And I never expected to. Even typing this feels strange.

Music when done right - like all the best human persuits and passions is an intensely emotional experience. When a performer and crowd are having similar reactions youre in for a wild ride.

Anyway, its unfair to compare these titanic one-off performances... But at Glasto context is everything. For that reason the catharsis and healing the crowd fed off from Blur was always going to be a more satisfying exchange than the relief and delight served up by the Stones. This is where the fundamental difference lies.

good shout on dickie ashcroft. I'm not a verve fan at all, and I dont think I've played a record since that gig, but it was amazing. Was about much more than just the music that gig.

That gig was the sort of thing that could only happen at glastonbury. See also: portishead this year

Edited August 9, 2013 by russycarps

[Wooderson]

But anyway, there haven't been many top notch bands I've seen who've done anything as good as this on the Pyramid. 10 minutes of genuine bliss.

http://youtu.be/cT_FCI88ajo

Thats the highlight of this year's Glastonbury right there.

[The Nal]

Thats the highlight of this year's Glastonbury right there.

"Thank you Mick. Faaacking great we laaaav you"!

There was a few in that set to be fair. the mid song cheers for Fisher during Gimme Shelter, the sing-along during Cant Always "Git" What You Want, singing the Satisfaction riff back at the band etc etc.

[MEGABOWL]

Blur had the courage to openly state their feelings/preferences on Glastonbury. To go on the record. Highly unusual for any band to be so specific about any particular gig. I guess it would be a challenge to deny that - as you so rightly say - intoxicating atmosphere, even when it might alienate vast swathes of your fanbase who thought "their gig" was the best.

Didnt think the Stones had it in them to be as moving or as moved as Blur were... not unlike McCartney if I'm honest. That said, bar Damon weeping on stage in '09 and seeing Dick Ashcroft put the microphone to his heart during Bittersweet Symphony, some of Keef's actions on stage this summer were one of the only other times I felt caught by a performer who "got" the experience. So what do I really know... He looked *particularly* touched by the experience. Mick's megawatt smile at Lisa just after her solo aswell, poor aul Charlie's grin when the camera popped up on him... there was clearly a sense of occasion on stage. I got it anyway. I felt it. And I never expected to. Even typing this feels strange.

Music when done right - like all the best human persuits and passions is an intensely emotional experience. When a performer and crowd are having similar reactions youre in for a wild ride.

Anyway, its unfair to compare these titanic one-off performances... But at Glasto context is everything. For that reason the catharsis and healing the crowd fed off from Blur was always going to be a more satisfying exchange than the relief and delight served up by the Stones. This is where the fundamental difference lies.

Agree with that. I think that combination of act/crowd/music/place in time is something that does happen with unusual frequency at Glastonbury.

Spot on about Keef too, hadn't noticed it until I watched the video footage after but he seems to really enjoy it. Big grin as soon as he walks on stage, the kiss on Lisa Fischers shoulder, whatever he was doing at the end-sort of worshipping the stage, kissing it or something. He loved it.

[MEGABOWL]

The whole atmosphere thing is a bit irrelevant a lot of the time. If an enthusiastic crowd is what you want, then it's acts like Dizzee, Kasabian, Faithless, too. The last time Wilco played, they played to a largely unethusiastic crowd. The Glasto audience is a pretty undemanding lot really... give 'em well known songs that they can sing along, and jump up and down to, and you're home and dry.

Bruce gets the piss taken out of him (quite rightly) for such dross as Outlaw Pete, yet Tender is a great song... really? I'd be crying if my voice sounded like that.

I want both. Different strokes for different folks Tony. You and other people may go to follow the music. That may be the only thing you're interested in. Other go to a gig like Dizzee or Kasabian solely for the atmosphere. There's a sliding scale of the two for some people, I want a decent gig with a great atmosphere. I'm into the big collective experience. I wasn't stood at Blur or the Stones to moan about the vocal, study how close the guitar playing was to the original or worry about how many rarities were in the setlist. I might do that analysis after but at the show, give me a decent performance with thousands of others enjoying it, singing along etc. and I'm a happy boy.

Don't get me wrong but if I think the performance is complete shit I can't get into the atmosphere, but I also struggle sometimes to get into a good gig if the atmosphere's shit. So for me it's a long, long way from irrelevant.

[MEGABOWL]

"Thank you Mick. Faaacking great we laaaav you"!

There was a few in that set to be fair. the mid song cheers for Fisher during Gimme Shelter, the sing-along during Cant Always "Git" What You Want, singing the Satisfaction riff back at the band etc etc.

Micks' "Well that's a new one" when the crowd sing along too quickly during CAGWYW makes me smile. The crowd response to Honky Tonk Women was great. 'Wild Horses' was the moment for me though. It just completely floored me.

[Wooderson]

I want both. Different strokes for different folks Tony. You and other people may go to follow the music. That may be the only thing you're interested in. Other go to a gig like Dizzee or Kasabian solely for the atmosphere. There's a sliding scale of the two for some people, I want a decent gig with a great atmosphere. I'm into the big collective experience. I wasn't stood at Blur or the Stones to moan about the vocal, study how close the guitar playing was to the original or worry about how many rarities were in the setlist. I might do that analysis after but at the show, give me a decent performance with thousands of others enjoying it, singing along etc. and I'm a happy boy.

Don't get me wrong but if I think the performance is complete shit I can't get into the atmosphere, but I also struggle sometimes to get into a good gig if the atmosphere's shit. So for me it's a long, long way from irrelevant.

Totally agree with this. An audience inspires a performer to the real heights.

[Gnomicide]

Neil - never seen him live but that will change in a couple of weeks.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse tour cancelled....

:(

[tevaburger]

and seeing Dick Ashcroft put the microphone to his heart during Bittersweet Symphony,

i love The Verve, love Ashcroft but wouldn't put too much into this being a Glasto-specific moment. He did that same thing when I saw them w/ a rather uninspiring NY audience in April 2008 in a theatre underneath the Madison Square Garden during same song, which would have have been a few months pre-Glasto, so it was probalby a nightly thing he did on that reunion tour.

[Wooderson]

i love The Verve, love Ashcroft but wouldn't put too much into this being a Glasto-specific moment. He did that same thing when I saw them w/ a rather uninspiring NY audience in April 2008 in a theatre underneath the Madison Square Garden during same song, which would have have been a few months pre-Glasto, so it was probalby a nightly thing he did on that reunion tour.

Ah bums. Thought that was a spontaneous move.

[MEGABOWL]

Ah bums. Thought that was a spontaneous move.

'Fraid not

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=k0yr0tLo63E&t=39

[MEGABOWL]

It's a bit irrelevant. A good performance with a good atmosphere is better than a good performance without one... but a dull show with the best atmosphere imaginable, is still a dull show.

Oh yeah definitely. I've seen the Prodigy live.

I suppose I view the atmosphere as a more important factor at a festival too. You're not usually getting the same show you'd get at a performers own gig but when an act takes a festival crowd with them, i.e. not just their own fans, it's very exciting. I've experienced moments of uplift and euphoria at Glastonbury gigs that I haven't experienced with the same performer at their own shows.

[russycarps]

tony I think you'd be better off watching opera or classical music really, where everyone sit in silence watching perfection in performance

"The whole atmosphere thing is a bit irrelevant a lot of the time"

is one of the most ludicrous things ever posted on this forum

[Wooderson]

I remember the hush that fell over the crowd when the Verve started "History". Fantastic moment.

[Wooderson]

Man. New one on me... Thinking less of a crowd's positive reaction due to the fact that a previous act that you're not too keen on got a decent response. Wow.

[russycarps]

that was slightly sarcastic. But I get that.. I can't help it. I mean, take an extreme example, would you enjoy being in an enthusiastic crowd that were loving someone you loved, if you knew they were all BNP supporting Skrewdriver fans?

I've been to see The Who many times, and sometimes been surrounded by really unpleasant knuckleheads. It takes away from my enjoyment. When I first went to see them in the late '60's, they were everything I wanted from a band. Deeply spiritual lyrics, the mod thing was dead and buried, the audience was generally pretty open-minded (well, it felt like they were)... and then in later years, the mod revival kicked in, and there were all these twats dressed up like it was the early 60's again, with the same narrow minded attitudes that many people of that time had. It depressed me. I don't see how things like that don't affect your enjoyment of an 'event'.

I wouldn't go to see bands like Oasis or Kasabian now, even if they were my favourite bands because of the audiences they attract. It's the same reason I stopped going to football matches when I was a kid.. too many twats.

Most people are twats. It is inevitable loads of knobheads will like bands you like. You cant let them ruin your enjoyment of your favourite band though.

Edited August 10, 2013 by russycarps

[russycarps]

all kinds of things come into play at gigs, even in evreyday life. I don't know how you can choose what affects you. I went to a Springsteen gig once after an argument with someone who I cared about... Bruce was fine, but the gig, or the evening was miserable.

aye but thats a differnet thing really.

I went to a gig with girl which was perfect on paper - great set list, great sound, great crowd - but she kept going outside to make phonecalls. Drove me mad. Utterly ruined the gig

[Comfy Bean]

Just spotted this on youtube. I was waaaaay further back but wish I had been here.....

[Dave F.]

Just spotted this on youtube. I was waaaaay further back but wish I had been here.....

I'd like the sad twat with the lazer pen to focus it on the back of the heads of those with the flags so I could take all of them out from my sniper position at the electricity pylon.

I'm not going back through all of these pages - did anyone actually see Mick out & about around the festival or did he scarper in his limo?

[Matt42]

I remember seeing a photo of him watching the arctic monkeys...