Celebrities you’d most want to spend five days at Glastonbury with…

[Woffy]

3 minutes ago, nikkic said:

I grew up in Bracknell. 

One of the worst towns on Earth. 

Why anybody would voluntarily live there is beyond me. 

'To be born, or at any rate bred, in Bracknell, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.’

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

55 minutes ago, Woffy said:

'To be born, or at any rate bred, in Bracknell, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life that reminds one of the worst excesses of the French Revolution.’

The Importance Of Being Honest.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

1 hour ago, Woffy said:

Andy Bell from Erasure = Andy 'Ding Dong' Bell (source: Smash Hits, 1980s)

One of my mates happened to be in a pub in Dublin with a load of his friends from his mom and dad's home village in Ireland, watching Ireland play rugby against another nation (I know not which). Anyway, apparently, Andy Bell and his partner came into the pub and started drinking and having a laugh with them. Then they all went clubbing together.

[tevaburger]

another for Guy Garvey 

[Gacheezbo]

Bob Mortimer.

[Homer]

I met Mike Gatting a couple of years ago and he was a really nice bloke.

[Harry49]

Prof Alice Roberts. Seen her a few times in the Bimble Inn over the years and looks like a pleasant companion.

[Homer]

Hold on, I've already said Mike Gatting - surely the thread is over now?!

[dotdash79]

Howard Marks or Barry from eastenders both equally lovely people. 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

13 hours ago, dotdash79 said:

Howard Marks or Barry from eastenders both equally lovely people. 

I went to see Howard Marks regale his life story (or parts of it, at least) many years ago. As soon as he walked on stage nearly everyone in the non smoking theatre lit up a joint, and a big plume of dope smoke rose to the ceiling. I was just looking at it when the stranger in the seat next to me offered me some poppers. Which I accepted.

[dotdash79]

8 minutes ago, Yoghurt on a Stick said:

I went to see Howard Marks regale his life story (or parts of it, at least) many years ago. As soon as he walked on stage nearly everyone in the non smoking theatre lit up a joint, and a big plume of dope smoke rose to the ceiling. I was just looking at it when the stranger in the seat next to me offered me some poppers. Which I accepted.

Howard used to DJ at a friends night and some of his stories were amazing. Plus he was always very generous with his gear (he used to be also given a lot of stuff from people)

my mate once put Bez and Howard Marks on the same night, that was some after party. 

[blutarsky]

Norman Cook 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

2 hours ago, dotdash79 said:

Howard used to DJ at a friends night and some of his stories were amazing. Plus he was always very generous with his gear (he used to be also given a lot of stuff from people)

my mate once put Bez and Howard Marks on the same night, that was some after party. 

I recall hearing Fatboy Slim telling an interviewer that people would go up to him all night giving him what was described as 'cheeky halves'. 

And wow, you are mixing in the right circles. That Bez and Howard Marks night must have been mental. 

I was once given the opportunity to go to an after show party for the Inspiral Carpets. I can't recall where we did go. However, I do recall one of my mates going up to the bouncers on the way out, and asking them for his drugs back - that they'd busted him for them on the way in to the venue. He said we've (I've just remembered where we went) a party to go to, and we need them. Now you have to give that 10 out of 10 for both gall as well as lunacy. I think the bouncers are still laughing now, and that was many years ago!

[John the Moth]

Mrs Moth 

[Quark]

I've given this some thought.  I would pick one of:

Phill Jupitus (both a music fan and a funny chap, plus he's always there anyway)

Dave Grohl (gets a lot of stick but genuinely think he'd be a blast to hang out with)

Keanu Reeves (all reports point to him being both a lovely chap and incredibly down to earth, and I reckon he'd get stuck in)

[Troop Dogg]

On 7/19/2021 at 11:05 AM, The Nal said:

Daley Thompson

2 lesbians probably, sisters, I'm just watching...

[JoeyT]

Yeah got to say Guy Garvey would be one of my choices. Seems like the nicest bloke ever.

Lars Ulrich has seemingly fallen as knee deep in love with the festival as we all have so it would be great to spend 5 days soaking it all in with him. Which has just reminded me of the speech he did when presenting an award to Michael back in 2014. See below, isn't it great!

You know what?

Michael Eavis is the greatest rock star in England.

You know why?

Because he’s not trying to be.

Michael Eavis is the centrepiece of the Glastonbury festival.

And the Glastonbury festival is the centrepiece of British music culture and the centrepiece of the British music year.

So by definition, since Michael Eavis is the centrepiece of the Glastonbury festival, he’s the greatest rock star in England, primarily because he doesn’t try.

And you know what, that’s the ultimate definition of cool.

Glastonbury is the least corporate festival you can play.

This is the festival that promotes autonomy, individuality, uniqueness, and which encourages independent thinking via free spirit approaches and esoteric thoughts. And it’s pretty clear to me that Glastonbury is much more than just a typical boots-in-the-mud festival.

It’s a state of mind.

It’s a cornerstone in people’s year.

And it’s a huge part of people’s lives.

Everybody wants to play Michael Eavis’s festival.

And the only way you get to play is quite simple; you have to be invited.

I have now experienced this first-hand myself, and I can attest to the fact that these are not two-way conversations that take place between representatives, between managers or between booking agents.

All roads lead through Michael Eavis and also his daughter Emily. And if they want to invite you to partake in the festivities they host each year, they will let you know.

As I touched upon earlier, the truest rock stars happen by default.

They don’t know.

They don’t seek.

They don’t chase

They just are.

It’s an instinct rather than an objective or a mission.

It’s something that happens, not something you create.

Every single piece of Glastonbury feels organic and incidental to me, and that’s what makes it stand out.

There is a refreshing lack of corporate attitudes, a welcome void of corporate approach.

The mindset that precedes the event is as pure and organic as the air at Worthy Farm itself, devoid of the clutches of commercialism, but abundant with a genuine feeling of togetherness and community.

I have played almost every single festival on this beautiful planet, and I can tell you that there’s no other experience like Glastonbury … both from a fan’s point of view and a musician’s point of view.

And every element of this uniqueness is a result of Michael Eavis’s approach … and every element of this uniqueness directly reflects his personality.

I can say all of this with conviction of course, because this year, something truly special happened in my life.

The band I’m in was invited by Michael and Emily, to play the festival.

I never in a million years imagined that would happen.

I thought it was beyond our reach, and after a decade of hope I had finally come to peace with that.

When asked about it, I would profess my desire to visit, or perform, on the hallowed grounds of Worthy Farm, yet I had truly given up on it leading to an appearance.

But lo and behold, this year, news filtered back to me that Michael and Emily were finally interested.

I never asked why and I never questioned it.

How exactly it happened I’ll never know, and I guess I’d prefer not to, but I can look each and every one of you in the eye and tell you that it was categorically the least conventional “music business” approach to landing a festival slot that I’ve ever been a part of.

Fast forward to the Friday of the festival …

My gang and I made the trip to the site the day before our band was due to play, and it wasn’t long before word got back that Michael had invited us to come be his guests in “the ribbon tower” and enjoy the sunset. Unfortunately, one thing led to another, led to another and it was soon clear to us that we wouldn’t make the tower in time for dusk. So basically from 8.30 on, my primary mission was to find Michael Eavis, one out of 300,000 people, a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, except it wasn’t really like a needle in a haystack, because this man is the absolute epicentre of the festival. And wherever he is, wherever he moves, whatever space he’s occupying, that’s where the magnetic field is at its strongest.

So there we were schlepping around in our old school Land Rover looking for the man, when all of a sudden, without fanfare or fireworks, there he was, about 20 feet from us, standing casually up against a fence, the unwilling, but undeniable centre of attention.

Michael is a peculiar mixture of big and small (and I don’t just mean physically!) … he is the living human embodiment of everything this festival encompasses, the unique combination of humility and purity mixed with the fact that for this one weekend every year, he is the most powerful man in England.

I was about a second and a half into my encounter with him when I realised he had greeted me like an old, long lost friend, like someone with whom I had shared many late night beverages and tall tales.

I instantly felt completely at home, and at ease, in his company.

He was totally unassuming and yet there I was, standing with the person who was directly responsible for me standing in that very spot.

Well I must admit, a part of me, felt just about as tall as the wellies I was wearing during our 10-minute exchange of pleasantries.

I must further confess that I spent a large part of the weekend obsessed with the phenomenon of Glastonbury itself.

The idea that 40 weeks a year there is no trace of this weekend on these fields. 40 weeks a year there’s a family of farmers that live and work here like many other farming families in England.

When I was driving, or walking, around the site, I would occasionally get within eyeshot of the actual livestock, or the working elements of the farm. On one side of me was a crowd of roughly 175,000 people. On the other side of me was a fully functioning, working farm, each of these “worlds” living in total harmony next to each other.

Absolutely priceless.

And in my travels, absolutely unprecedented.

Michael Eavis’s story has been so well documented over the years, and has obviously enjoyed the same treatment this evening. In a nutshell – local farmer and landowner goes to a festival, becomes inspired to do his own, and accidentally starts what will become the biggest gathering of people based around music the world sees on a regular basis every year.

Remember … there is no truer recipe for rock-stardom than the word “accidental”.

“Accidental” is the central ingredient in true rock-stardom, because the minute too much ‘thought’ goes into it, you’ve already lost.

Things become contrived and cerebral.

It becomes a “product” and not a state of mind.

And what Michael Eavis represents is the purist definition of a state of mind.

Glastonbury is a place you go to physically of course, but ultimately, it represents a state of mind.

His state of mind.

All of which hopefully and finally explains why Micheal Eavis is the biggest rock star in Britain.

So when you see such noble human causes as Greenpeace or Water Aid represented at the festival, when you realize passionate political causes such as the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament have been supported, and when you realise that the profits generated are given back to charities both national and local, you can see that Glastonbury has a uniquely human and genuinely selfless state of mind for a festival.

And remember the key to it all –

Michael Eavis.

Because Michael Eavis is Glastonbury.

And Glastonbury is Michael Eavis.

But guess what, for tonight, Michael Eavis is ours.

The doors have been locked from the outside.

And so I am EXTREMELY happy to announce that Michael Eavis is the “worthy” recipient of the 2014 Music Industry Trust Award.

Please give a warm welcome to Michael.

[Hugh Jass]

1 hour ago, Quark said:

I've given this some thought.  I would pick one of:

Phill Jupitus (both a music fan and a funny chap, plus he's always there anyway)

 

Remember Jupitus getting very angry a few years ago during Marcus Brigstock's daily morning show in the Cabaret Tent (think it was called Early Edition, loved it and always started the day with it) at a punter who asked if he was there on the BBC's dollar. He did not like that question one bit.

[CaledonianGonzo]

I stood next to him at a Toots and the Maytals gig in Edinburgh a few years back.  He neither added to nor detracted from the experience.

That said I think he lives in the Kingdom of Fife so isn't exactly an unusual spot in Edinburgh.  He's the Dylan Moran of Proclaimers Twins.

 

[Somto Unigwe Raphael]

Nobby Solano