Best set you've ever seen at Glasto...

[tevaburger]

Radiohead '03 - years and years spent listening to the 97 set (which I wasn't at) on a radio-recorded cassette meant that the anticipation for this was immense for me, and it was always going to be one of gigs of my life, and it still is. they were so good..."Nice day.!!..wasn't it a nice day today? this next one is dedicated to REM, who are standing over there!" what other band can claim 2 sets that go down as among the greatest ever on the Pyramid? Once more on the Pyramid please!

Stones '13 - maybe the gig of my life, in terms of who it was, how they delivered, where i was, just that day in general. marvelous. highlight of my year. My grey Stones Glasto wellie t-shirt is one of my most valuable clothing items.

Macca '04 - at that point in time I thought this would forever be the gig of my life...unfortunately i've seen/read about too many repeats of the "Hey Jude" crowd singalong since and the fireworks during 'Live and Let Die', and a special moment in '04 does seem like it's been repeated frequently since, lessening the luster a bit...but still a great memory, an amazing gig and a nice walk away from the pyramid-left singing into the night with the masses.

and of course...Portishead this year. i hope that those who didn't catch them realize how truly special that set was, especially in how many mentions it gets on here. Chic?..come on, missing Portishead is something some of you should regret.... i'm not a huge fan by any means, and this was my first Portishead gig but that was just amazing. truly incredible. i hope this gig still gets as many mentions on a thread like this in 10 years' time as it does now. just an amazing experience and so glad i chose the Other on Friday night.

Springsteen '09 - more because of what he means to me, and the fact that I got to see him at my favorite place. I've been lucky enough to see him 20+ times and some pretty good gigs, and Glasto might not make my top 5 Bruce gigs, but seeing him up front and close on the Pyramid was one of my favorite memories and unlike some of the other Bruce fans on here I think he was truly great on the saturday night. the (many) naysayers on here have not changed my view of that. As truly special as Neil Young and Blur were also in '09, Bruce still stands out for me that year. Shakey was simply incredible, and Blur, whom I've not been hugely into, were a great finish, superb....Bon Iver was great in '09 too on the Other on Sunday.

[The 38 year old virgin]

As a long standing shakey fan it's great that there are so many saying his was the best ever in 2009. I went to his warm up show in Nottingham, and he absolutly tore the roof off. Pretty much played a perfect set (except no Cortez the killer), so I looked forward to seeing him on the pyramid on the tv the following Friday. Imagine my utter despondency when they played 4 songs of his, then cut to some other bullshit.

If that wasn't the nail in the coffin of my armchair glasto experience, it was confirmed the following night when they screened 4 hours (about half) of Bruce fucking Springsteen

[dingbat2]

Most of the best gigs I have seen in recent years have been at the Other Stage

Kasabian 2005

Orbital 2010

Flaming lips 2010 I think

Arcade Fire 2007

Elbow 2008

...and the gig that is the best I have ever seen at the Other stage....

Portishead 2013

It's a great stage when you have the right band playing there at the right time of their career.

Edited November 30, 2013 by dingbat2

[Mardy]

Orbital 94 or the Orb 93. Both outstanding for that sense that it was new, it was ours, it was a turning of the tide.

[jeffie]

Most of the best gigs I have seen in recent years have been at the Other Stage

Kasabian 2005

Orbital 2010

Flaming lips 2010 I think

Arcade Fire 2007

Elbow 2008

...and the gig that is the best I have ever seen at the Other stage....

Portishead 2013

It's a great stage when you have the right band playing there at the right time of their career.

[swede]

Oh Scruffy. There is a world out there beyond boys playing guitars you know

I'm guessing you didn't see it but within the context of what she was doing (pop music) she did it fantastically well. I stand by it. She's not someone I'd listen to on record but as a performer she's pretty incredible.

There's loads of pop music I'd take over boring guitar music any day of the week. I have pretty diverse tastes really, it's just that my favourites tend to be in the Nick Cave/National/Arcade Fire/Bowie/Pulp arena, if such a thing exists. I also love a bit of cheese, a bit of metal, even a bit of opera.

The whole guilty pleasures thing is bollocks as far as I'm concerned. You shouldn't feel guilty about anything you like.

I could narrow my list down though for sure. Probably to Nick Cave, Blur, Chic and Cohen. But Beyonce was my standout for 2011.

[jeffie]

The musical snobbery on here at times is unbelievable.

[grumpyhack]

How could I forget to add this in my earlier list. Glenn Tilbrook and The Fluffers in the Leftfield Tent in 2008. A great ending to a superb set - all equipment scattered over the stage and no way to do an encore.

As it was The Leftfield it was a 'politically correct' area - except large numbers of men in the audience forget about being correct and were just drooling over Lucy Shaw on bass - sex on legs!

[Spindles]

+1

[Zoo Music Girl]

The thing is I reckon we are all guilty of musical snobbery from time to time, if we're honest. I know I am and have been on here (see my Nickelback comments!).

It would be dull if everyone thought the same. I think the key is just to not let it bother you what people think of your tastes. Doesn't mean you can't have fun arguing about them though.

[russycarps]

Is it really that surprising that people are horrified to see beyonce described as one of the best Glastonbury sets ever?

[greenArmy12]

Another for Pulp at the park in 2011

Nick Cave was special this year and for the surprise element the hives this year were superb

[chrislfc]

Sir James Paul McCartney 2004

[JayBalls]

First time this year but Chase and Status blew me away and Mumford & Sons was a great atmosphere.

:-)

[mungo57]

Between muse 2010 and chic 2013 for me

Honourable mentions go to Stones this year, Chems in 2010 I think it was (the Beyoncé year, may have been 2011) and QOTSA same year as Chems!

Oh and of course Mr Cave and his Bad Seeds this year!

Edited November 30, 2013 by mungo57

[whisty]

I don't like Sunday nights (having to drive home and all that entails), so the best of them and the only one that I've enjoyed in 6 visits was Gong 2009 in the Glade.

Edited November 30, 2013 by whisty

[jeffie]

And anyone who is reading this that has ever been insulted by Russy's snobbery - just remember he's seen Avril Lavigne, before you take his comments too seriously!!

[Mardy]

I like Mardy for the same reason! (sorry to drag you into this when you've done no wrong, Mardy).

Edited November 30, 2013 by Mardy

[Zoo Music Girl]

too true. I am definitely a music snob at times. I do however own (and play) loads of ACDC and Queen so am hardly immune from the stones that are being hurled towards my glass house as we speak.

And anyone who is reading this that has ever been insulted by Russy's snobbery - just remember he's seen Avril Lavigne, before you take his comments too seriously!!

[dirty_dog]

Thom Yorke 2010 & Ben Howard 2013 for me

[markm69]

Madness in 86.

Waterboys in 89.

JC in 94

And last year the Beat were immense on Sunday night.

[RandomBunny]

Faithless 1997 - Pouring rain and hardly anyone there, but they went for it and we totally loved it!

Radiohead 1997 - Incredible.

Madness 2007 - Lost Vagueness, packed out and we were right at the front, Brilliant.

Deacon Blue 2011 - Random but they were superb!

Pulp 2012 - At the Park, we had a perfect view from the hill. Excellent set.

It's so hard to think of the best but these stick out in my head straight away so I guess they must be the front runners. There does seem to be a ten year gap though, they couldn't have been that bad?!

[MJMilz14]

Blur 2009.

It may be Cliche, but my god it was brilliant.

[DJL]

I'll go for one in each year that i've been...

Chemical Brothers in 2000, Pulp 2011 and the stones for 2013 - all for completely different reasons

[cidy]

best sets for me are usually the ones i stumble on by accident

ukranians many yers ago

the pale

skinny lister this year .

as for the biguuns

macartney was good

but bowie tops it for me