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Glasto 1997


Harebell
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6 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

For a generous and positive statement that's still one of the most contentious things I think I've ever read on here.

A personal thing. I was also at glasto 97, 2003 etc so have seen them many, many times. The reason I loved it was the fact that I had listened to the Bends on repeat for a year and naively (at my then youthful age) hadn't absolutely no idea how many other people love them. 

I remember just and the whole crowd shouting every word, the rain coming down and everything was in it's right place for me that night. 

The 2 glasto headline slots / oxford 2001 / London in rainbows gig etc etc all faultless but t in the park started it off for me.

 

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Only getting around to replying now.  I had to find the program to jog my memory regarding bands.

It was incredibly muddy indeed.  I went on a "package" arranged by someone from Dublin.  It included flights and shuttle to the site.  We never saw a ticket.  I went with them twice and it was fine; I think things got stricter thereafter.

I camped with the group I travelled with and one guy kept saying I had to go and see Beck. Glad I did, because he was outstanding.  I saw Cast on the Pyramid too.

Had a hairy moment on my way to the Dance Tent for Primal Scream.  I came from the Pyramid, where according to my program I saw Ocean Colour Scene.  There was a bottleneck at one of the bridges and my boots got stuck in the mud, while my body was pushed along.  I didn't fall, but it was scary for a bit.  Can't remember what I thought of Primal Scream that night as I have seen them many times over the years.  Another night I saw Daft Punk at the Dance Tent - I do remember that.

I must have seen Van Morrison, Sharon Shannon, Andy White, Echo & the Bunnymen, if I did what I circled in the program. Have seen all of them frequently and these mustn't have been their best shows, otherwise I would remember them.

My main memories are: Beck, the boot-incident on my way to Primal Scream and the mud.

The program has a very nice map on the centre pages.  If I had a scanner I'd post it. The site was so much smaller...  The back page has an ad for 'Select' with Oasis on the cover.  I used to like Select...

Edited by Watergirl
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1 hour ago, Watergirl said:

Only getting around to replying now.  I had to find the program to jog my memory regarding bands.

It was incredibly muddy indeed.  I went on a "package" arranged by someone from Dublin.  It included flights and shuttle to the site.  We never saw a ticket.  I went with them twice and it was fine; I think things got stricter thereafter.

I camped with the group I travelled with and one guy kept saying I had to go and see Beck. Glad I did, because he was outstanding.  I saw Cast on the Pyramid too.

Had a hairy moment on my way to the Dance Tent for Primal Scream.  I came from the Pyramid, where according to my program I saw Ocean Colour Scene.  There was a bottleneck at one of the bridges and my boots got stuck in the mud, while my body was pushed along.  I didn't fall, but it was scary for a bit.  Can't remember what I thought of Primal Scream that night as I have seen them many times over the years.  Another night I saw Daft Punk at the Dance Tent - I do remember that.

I must have seen Van Morrison, Sharon Shannon, Andy White, Echo & the Bunnymen, if I did what I circled in the program. Have seen all of them frequently and these mustn't have been their best shows, otherwise I would remember them.

My main memories are: Beck, the boot-incident on my way to Primal Scream and the mud.

The program has a very nice map on the centre pages.  If I had a scanner I'd post it. The site was so much smaller...  The back page has an ad for 'Select' with Oasis on the cover.  I used to like Select...

http://selectmagazinescans.monkeon.co.uk

Not my work, by the way, but enjoy all the same :)

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I do get annoyed at these BBC presenters who go on about the mud in 1997 when in fact it was far worse in 1985 { I Survived 85 } - I was working in the Guest Bar { backstage area } in 1997 which was next to the BBC encampment and while they claimed they were ' roughing it ' they in fact had a whole fleet of Winnebagoes but in order to get into character they had a bucket of mud that they could dip their boots in to give the impression that they had been walking about in it.

Sure in the Punter area there was mud but between the BBC encampment and their Winnebagoes there was a metal road { with hay down } with contractors brushing away any hay if it got a mud splat on it. 

all I recall was the Bootleg Beatles in the Acoustic Area - I am sure that was the year Neil Young cancelled { broke his finger } .

This is a shot { not taken by me } from 1997 of the Pyramid area { as most people know the actual Pyramid burnt down in 1994 hence the temp stage }

glastonbury-mud.thumb.jpg.0575d9b4ef98ab93ab135a2fc899bc56.jpg

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I just watched that entire John Peel's Glastonbury 1997 link.  Hardly any music in it - all about weather, food, John and Jools.  Great stuff.  It does contain one brilliant clip however, 14 minutes in, of Sharon Shannon & Donogh Hennessy playing 'Mouth of the Tobique' in the BBC tent.  Quite a find.

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2 hours ago, gooner1990 said:

So even John Peel was pretending he was covered in mud? :(

 

I personally knew him though my WBC work and he was one really genuine guy and unlike many in the BBC he did get out to the Punter area { not just at Glasto } - he told me a story that sounded a right tall tail but about a year later I ran into the actual Security who were involved and they confirmed all he said - one year he was trying to get into his trailer ' late at night ' but he could not find the key so he walked round and found a window partly open so he thought he would climb in - 1/2 the way in was when security spotted him and they jumped on him - at that time a backstage pass was a landyard pass { not a wristband } anyway in the scuffle his pass was lost in the grass - they had him on the ground and a few were sitting on him but just before they were ready to bundle him in a Landrover { to dump him in Pilton Village } one of the Supervisors came up in another Landrover and he recognised him straight away.In fact he did see the funny side of it and he Thanked Security for their protection - a really down to earth guy - Reading one year - I bumped into him late at night and we took a stroll down to the river and this Punter really cracked us up - he stopped us and said something like ' do you know you look the spitting image of John Peel but he is a bit taller than you ' - we just could not stop laughing - Sad he died in 2004

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I arrived late on the Friday, having spent a couple of hours searching for a sufficiently unmanned part of the fence to jump over.  You got given your wristband on exit, so once you were in you just had to go out again through a normal exit and you'd be sorted.

I didn't watch Radiohead as I'd hardly heard of them at the time (although I did see them in 2003 and was suitably impressed).  Instead I watched Kula Shaker on the other stage who I have to admit I really enjoyed, but even they seemed baffled why anyone had come to see them when Radiohead were playing on the main stage.  My mates watched Primal Scream, who apparently turned up very late and were terrible.  Kula Shaker did the same set again the following afternoon on the main stage when someone didn't show up (Neil Young possibly?), but for some reason they didn't come across nearly as well as they did the night before.

It was famously muddy.  Deep, welly-sucking, energy-sapping mud.  Getting around was slow and treacherous.  That said, it didn't actually rain the whole time I was there, and by Sunday the mud had almost dried up and people were having mudball fights.  Some twats were lobbing mudballs at Sting during his afternoon set, which he seemed to take unnecessarily personally.  He clearly didn't enjoying batting away mudballs with his guitar when he was trying to be the uber-cool rock god.

That said, I thought the mud was far worse in 2007 and just as bad last year (I didn't go in 1998), but maybe that's because I turned up late in 1997 and missed the worst of it.

 

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'97 was my 3rd. Really hazy now all this time later. I was going to ask about that Kula Shaker 2nd set as I remember them covering for someone else who had failed to show up. Looking at glasto-worker's aerial photo about as well - can't believe they landed performers by helicopter in the backstage compound that close to those tents back then. They moved it to up on the hill later on didn't they?

The mud was bad, but to me '98 then '07 were worse - closer to last years mud really with lots of deep and sticky areas I'd say. I was in a pair of 'dead man's boots' having inherited them for glasto that year from a family friend that had died. Although not wellies, they survived pretty well and are still in the 'glasto Locker' at home to this day as a mark of respect.

What a stunning line up for me at least - towards the end of indie / Britpop, but what a time to be in to such a music movement. As mentioned above, I seem to vaguely recall there being a 'New Bands Tent' south of the Railway Line that year too - anyone have better memories?

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6 hours ago, Pinhead said:

'97 was my 3rd. Really hazy now all this time later. I was going to ask about that Kula Shaker 2nd set as I remember them covering for someone else who had failed to show up. Looking at glasto-worker's aerial photo about as well - can't believe they landed performers by helicopter in the backstage compound that close to those tents back then. They moved it to up on the hill later on didn't they?

The mud was bad, but to me '98 then '07 were worse - closer to last years mud really with lots of deep and sticky areas I'd say. I was in a pair of 'dead man's boots' having inherited them for glasto that year from a family friend that had died. Although not wellies, they survived pretty well and are still in the 'glasto Locker' at home to this day as a mark of respect.

What a stunning line up for me at least - towards the end of indie / Britpop, but what a time to be in to such a music movement. As mentioned above, I seem to vaguely recall there being a 'New Bands Tent' south of the Railway Line that year too - anyone have better memories?

I think Kula Shaker filled in for Neil Young that year. 
 
I am sure that was the same field where this was taken in the 80's - the only difference was it was not fenced off - we just walked in and certainly did not have a special pass

that shot may have been 1987 or before it certainly was not taken in 1989 as I had already joined the WBC and the guy next to me { with short hair } was living in Thailand - we went over in 1988 and he liked it that much that he never left { and as far as I know is still there - last time I saw him was in the 90's } 

it was all very rough and ready with a little marquee at one side where the pilot was sitting having a cup of Tea  

but by the 90's it was fenced off and when they were landing a helicopter they used to send out a few stewards who would form a square on the outer edges although it was still possible  to stray into it .

Cant recall when they moved the chopper pad but I am sure someone will have a date.

worke445.thumb.jpg.b6af3e743e2f1275e5400bcd7d91e327.jpg

Edited by glasto-worker
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97 was my 3rd Glastonbury. Me and a friend went from Birmingham on the Thursday, went by coach and we left sometime late morning. By the time  we got there and started pitching our tent, it was  getting dark. So we were trying to put our tent up on a hill in the dark in the rain. I remember Radiohead being brilliant and I remember Neil Young and Steve Winwood both not turning up  on the Sunday. It was  really muddy but I don't recall it raining that much over the weekend the  main problem was  it had poured it down for days before the festival. This was my last Glastonbury for 13 years nothing to do with the mud, but I didn't go again until 2010.

 

 

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My first experience of mud at Glastonbury (after the glorious years of 92 94 and 95) and my least favourite glasto by a country mile

I remember the traffic was horrendous on the Thursday and took us nearly 8 hours to get in and had to pitch in the dark. The mud was that bad you were sinking where you were stood. 

We ended up in a beer tent near the campsite (think it's called Michaels mead now) and a girl was freaking out on a bad acid trip. I seriously wanted to go home at this point,the atmosphere was awful. I think I only watched a handful of bands over the weekend. Surprising highlight was Steve Harley & the cockney rebel in the accoustic tent

One of the lads who was with us wanted to go home Saturday morning so we took him to castle Cary and called in a pub on the way back and stayed in there for hours playing pool,drinking nice beer and putting good tunes on the duke box....and keeping warm.

I love Glastonbury but truly hated it that year and left Sunday afternoon,which I had never done before and ever done since. 2016 was a doddle compared to 97!

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'97 was one of the very few Glastonburys I missed. I was living in Freshwater on the Northern beaches of Sydney. My neighbour was Warren Mitchell, who I used to see walking his dogs early mornings down by the Lifeguard Hut amongst the Lorikeets.

Strange now that so many of my neighbours are basically Alf Garnett.

People mock me now because I say I am a Progressive.  They say it is just Identity Politics, and that "Progressive" is just a label. Again, the Arc of History is long. We sit in that arc from barbarism and war to secularism and peace uncomfortably disturbed by the massive wobble we see now. Hold tight my friends.

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does anyone remember being in the Other Stage field, Mid calf deep in sloshy mud and be happily walking along and all of a sudden there would be a hole and the mud would be over the top of your wellies? There were similar holes all over the field.  Nightmare!

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I went with my brother and his girlfriend.it was her first time the and she instantly hated it. She and my brother had a minor domestic on Friday when we arrived in the mud because we were still enjoying ourselves and she felt left out.

 

So - on Saturday I went off on my own and let them to it. I wandered down to Avalon to see Whisky Before Breakfast, but a traveller came and told me everything was running late, and invited me to come and eat with bread and butter with them around 'King Arthur's Round Tabke' (Was how it seemed at the time).

Then I wandered off to see Dodgy on the Pyramid, and got chatting to a gorgeous tall bloke in a cowboy hat, and I shared my spliff and white rum with him, and then I persuaded him to come with me to see Neneh Cherry, and The Chemical Brothers. It was my first time seeing The Chems and they blew me away from the first beat - just amazing - that is the one that Lily Allen and Emily Eavis both remember from being there as children. 

 

I always thought that I lost the bloke when I decided not to see David Bowie, but I have just checked and that doesn't match up, which I think is a relief - at least not a double whammy of letting a gorgeous bloke walk away AND missing David Bowie. 

We were camped somewhere round where the Naughty corner is now, and there was a large rectangular army type tent at the bottom of the field that went late into the night and was brilliant. It was just ad hoc, and it wasn't packed, just people drifting in and out all night.

It was crazily muddy, especially as virtually no-one was equipped for it, so it seemed most people were sliding around with carrier bags tied over their trainers! 

On the Sunday my brother wanted to go off in his own so I entertained his girlfriend by taking her to West Holts (as it is now) to see The Jungle Brothers and Luciano. We danced and sung 'Your World and Mine' together in the mud and she nearly smiled.

The mud had nearly dried out everywhere by Sunday, it was springy, and there were even faint traces of grass coming back through, and little patches of blue sky. The one thing you can say for 1997 is that it didn't rain all weekend, it was just muddy.

on the way out on Monday morning, I remember getting sold a 'Desperation sandwich' for £1 by the traveller at the bottom of the field. It was actually like someone had thrown up in a folded slice of bread - but I still ate it! I must have been very hungry, or still under the influence of some very unhelpful substances!

 

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The guy up in the greenfields selling homebrew wine, lovely stuff and the bottles stood up very effectively in the mud..

Camped in the middle of Pennards, its normal madness but keeping the fire going all week took some work!

Car-henge and that whole area was lovely. Musical highlights Beth Orton, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, lots in the dance tent..

Using a fork to take several lbs of mud off your jeans every now and again and instantly feeling light as a feather..

 

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