Happy Glastonbury!

[claret2018]

It blows my mind that James are playing arenas. I thought they were a novelty one hit wonder. Obviously I’m in the wrong!

[Squarepusher]

Really looking forward to getting stuck into a few more performances on iplayer in the coming days. So far, I've only watched LCD Soundsystem and Noname, who were both great. Janelle Monae is high up the list. Saw her in Manchester a few years ago and it was one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen. Just an incredible live performer. Little Simz and Danny Brown are another two of my favourite current rappers, so I'll be checking them out. Haven't been a huge fan of the last couple of albums by The National, but I've seen them live a couple of times and they've been great, so I'll check their set out. Whether people find it weird or not, I love watching loads of the sets on iplayer every year.

[Swizzlestick]

Really looking forward to getting stuck into a few more performances on iplayer in the coming days. So far, I've only watched LCD Soundsystem and Noname, who were both great. Janelle Monae is high up the list. Saw her in Manchester a few years ago and it was one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen. Just an incredible live performer. Little Simz and Danny Brown are another two of my favourite current rappers, so I'll be checking them out. Haven't been a huge fan of the last couple of albums by The National, but I've seen them live a couple of times and they've been great, so I'll check their set out. Whether people find it weird or not, I love watching loads of the sets on iplayer every year.

Little Simz and The National both fantastic.

[JohnMcGreal]

Really enjoyed Romy followed by The National. Great Sunday night acts.

[AmbleClaret]

It blows my mind that James are playing arenas. I thought they were a novelty one hit wonder. Obviously I’m in the wrong!

Very wrong.

[claretskeith]

It blows my mind that James are playing arenas. I thought they were a novelty one hit wonder. Obviously I’m in the wrong!

You thought that James were a one hit wonder?

[dermotdermot]

It looked like the worst Glastonbury ever to me.

[Clovius Boofus]

A good line-up for what I'm into.

Heilung
Lambrini Girls
Sleaford Mods
Yard Act
Fat White Family
Kim Gordon
Fontaines D.C.
Idles
The Breeders
Bar Italia
Mount Kimbie
Baxter Dury
Sprints

[Clovius Boofus]

It blows my mind that James are playing arenas. I thought they were a novelty one hit wonder. Obviously I’m in the wrong!

They are not my thing either, past or present output, but they have continued to put new music out that gets airplay both here and abroad, and have a massive live following, that's bigger now than ever before.

[Clovius Boofus]

By the way, I met Tim Booth around 7 or 8 years ago in a café in the Manchester Northern Quarter. I chatted with him for about 20 minutes about new bands. What a sound guy. No bullshit ego or anything.

[ŽižkovClaret]

Finally got around to watching Soft Play's set (Formerly Slaves).

Big dumb fun. Feels like if you somehow made a band with Animal from the muppets and a toddler on the verge of overdosing on e numbers.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

We got back late yesterday. We watched quite an eclectic mix tbh. My fiance has been well over a dozen times but I was a Glasto virgin. I couldn't believe the sheer scale of the place ( from Wednesday to early Monday morning we did over 60 miles on site walking! )

Some of who we saw included

Jonathan Pie
Soft Play
James
Kasabian
Dexys
Confidence Man
Paloma
Idles
London Grammar
Billy Bragg
Will Varley
Last Dinner Party
Frank Turner
Don Letts
New Model Army
The Farm
Billy Nomates
English Teacher
Henge
( And a few others )

[helmclaret]

Sounds great that.

How did you go about getting tickets? Is it a case of just applying the second the tickets are released?

[THEWELLERNUT70]

It blows my mind that James are playing arenas. I thought they were a novelty one hit wonder. Obviously I’m in the wrong!

We see James again this weekend at Lytham, it'll be the 3rd time in 4 weeks we've seen them, they are outstanding live and genuinely somehow managed to make the crowd and themselves feel as one, a rare old thing given the size of the venues they sometimes play

[RVclaret]

We got back late yesterday. We watched quite an eclectic mix tbh. My fiance has been well over a dozen times but I was a Glasto virgin. I couldn't believe the sheer scale of the place ( from Wednesday to early Monday morning we did over 60 miles on site walking! )

Some of who we saw included

Jonathan Pie
Soft Play
James
Kasabian
Dexys
Confidence Man
Paloma
Idles
London Grammar
Billy Bragg
Will Varley
Last Dinner Party
Frank Turner
Don Letts
New Model Army
The Farm
Billy Nomates
English Teacher
Henge
( And a few others )

Massive isn’t it? So much to do and see beyond main stages.

I thought Confidence Man were great.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Sounds great that.

How did you go about getting tickets? Is it a case of just applying the second the tickets are released?

We had both laptops and phones set up and just constantly refreshed without letting the refresh timer run down by more than 5 seconds at a time. Also try and get on the site a couple of minutes before so you're set up and logged in. We managed to get ours 15 minutes into the sale and it was relatively hassle free.

This time though my fiance thought it was a poor do that campervan passes weren't available at the same time and were released a couple of weeks later

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Massive isn’t it? So much to do and see beyond main stages.

I thought Confidence Man were great.

Confidence Man are superb live, I've followed them for a good few years and seen them in small clubs to the vastness of that crowd on Friday afternoon, it was mental being in there ( we were stood around 5 yards away from a big where's Wally flag near the front , me having a claret and blue northern soul t shirt on )

I had tickets to see them at The Trades Club in Hebden but unfortunately COVID broke and that was that because when everything reopened they were somewhat bigger than that !

[THEWELLERNUT70]

We had both laptops and phones set up and just constantly refreshed without letting the refresh timer run down by more than 5 seconds at a time. Also try and get on the site a couple of minutes before so you're set up and logged in. We managed to get ours 15 minutes into the sale and it was relatively hassle free.

This time though my fiance thought it was a poor do that campervan passes weren't available at the same time and were released a couple of weeks later

Just to add as well you need to pre-register too within the preregistration timeframe where you upload photo ID and some details and when you get your ticket your photo is franked and watermarked like a banknote

[shulgin]

My third time. Line up not as good as previous years but it's not just the music. It's about seeing the sights and having a laugh with friends. Plenty of DJs seen too. Best for me were The Streets, LCD Soundsystem and PJ Harvey. My list:

The snuts
Sofia kourtesis
Squeeze
LCD Soundsystem
The Farm
Barry cant swim
Corinne Bailey rae
Michael kiwanuka
Bombay bicycle club
PJ Harvey
Danny brown
Disclosure
James
The streets
Seasick steve
Soft play
Bob vylan
Little simz
Sampha
Farm
Nia archives
Justice
Jamie xx
Antony Szmierek

[houseboy]

I’ve never got Coldplay. 4 average musicians, VERY repetitive lyrics, some decent riffs, more pop than rock, and audience participation. They do put on a mighty show though.

I am a fan. Not a massive one but a fan nonetheless. They are not great musicians (anybody could play drums for them) and they don’t play the lengthy and more complex stuff I prefer, but they just have that ‘something’ that makes them special. They do write some very good songs and the old album X & Y was brilliant. The main factor is Martin. He is some frontman. Again he isn’t a great singer but his stage presence is something else. I saw them at the Etihad a year ago and he can make someone in an audience of over 50k feel like he’s in their living room. I don’t know how he does it, sheer professionalism I suppose, but he performs like someone who is just glad to be making people happy and is constantly smiling and laughing. When the music stops and he talks everyone listens. Charisma can’t be taught but he has it in spades.
Sunday was brilliant by the way.

[CoolClaret]

Hope Jay Kay gets back in shape, gets back mates with Stuart Zender and headlines The Pyramid Stage on one of the nights in the next few years after Jamiroquai release their next album.

Serious band.

[Tricky Trevor]

I am a fan. Not a massive one but a fan nonetheless. They are not great musicians (anybody could play drums for them) and they don’t play the lengthy and more complex stuff I prefer, but they just have that ‘something’ that makes them special. They do write some very good songs and the old album X & Y was brilliant. The main factor is Martin. He is some frontman. Again he isn’t a great singer but his stage presence is something else. I saw them at the Etihad a year ago and he can make someone in an audience of over 50k feel like he’s in their living room. I don’t know how he does it, sheer professionalism I suppose, but he performs like someone who is just glad to be making people happy and is constantly smiling and laughing. When the music stops and he talks everyone listens. Charisma can’t be taught but he has it in spades.
Sunday was brilliant by the way.

Wouldn’t argue with any of that.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Hope Jay Kay gets back in shape, gets back mates with Stuart Zender and headlines The Pyramid Stage on one of the nights in the next few years after Jamiroquai release their next album.

Serious band.

Love Jamiroquai but alas I think Jk's days of getting in shape are long gone due to serious back issues

[BabylonClaret]

The two bands I was really looking forward to seeing - OCS and The K’s seemed to have not been filmed by the BBC

OCS on acoustic which isn't covered.

Usually just Pyramid, Other Stage, West Holts, woodsies (John peel stage) and main Park stage 0lus a few other bits and bobs here and there.

Bloc Party, Heilung, Idles, The Deep Blue, The National, Coldplay, SoccerMommy, Nothing But Thieves all superb. Plus An Evening Without Kate Bush (real highlight)

[BabylonClaret]

Sounds great that.

How did you go about getting tickets? Is it a case of just applying the second the tickets are released?

Get lucky and organised. Be ready ro go and group up with others so you try for each other.

[ClaretTony]

I have seen James 4 times in recent years, absolute top notch live band. The last time i saw them was at Wembley Arena, supported by The Charlatans who were a bit meh. I was very close to the front and had Tim Booth crowd surf over the top of me as he made his way back to the stage. They have had some good support bands over the years when i have seen them, first time at Brixton Academy was Echo and the Bunnymen, next time at O2 Kentish Town an unsigned band called Slow Readers Club who were excellent and then Brixton again they had Star Sailor.

I was fortunate enough to get tickets to see them with an orchestra this coming Saturday in Bedford, supported by Johnny Marr, Inspiral Carpets, Magic Numbers and Tom A Smith. Should be a great day.

Many, many years ago I went to see the brilliant genius that was David Bowie at Maine Road and the support act was James who, at the time, I'd never heard of. They were brilliant that night.

[BabylonClaret]

We see James again this weekend at Lytham, it'll be the 3rd time in 4 weeks we've seen them, they are outstanding live and genuinely somehow managed to make the crowd and themselves feel as one, a rare old thing given the size of the venues they sometimes play

Sadly we can't go as we are otherwise engaged and due ro a stupid timing error by me we got caught across site at 3 thinking James were on at 4

Still we went for a cream tea, heard a bit of the set drift in and made our way down for Bithing But Theives in time for Sometimes

[KernowHouseClaret]

I thing I love about Glastonbury is seeing and new music, the stand outs for me were The Last Dinner Party and The Mary Wallopers

[ClaretTony]

I am a fan. Not a massive one but a fan nonetheless. They are not great musicians (anybody could play drums for them) and they don’t play the lengthy and more complex stuff I prefer, but they just have that ‘something’ that makes them special. They do write some very good songs and the old album X & Y was brilliant. The main factor is Martin. He is some frontman. Again he isn’t a great singer but his stage presence is something else. I saw them at the Etihad a year ago and he can make someone in an audience of over 50k feel like he’s in their living room. I don’t know how he does it, sheer professionalism I suppose, but he performs like someone who is just glad to be making people happy and is constantly smiling and laughing. When the music stops and he talks everyone listens. Charisma can’t be taught but he has it in spades.
Sunday was brilliant by the way.

I enjoyed the Coldplay set and you are so right about Chris Martin and being a top front man. Maybe not a Freddie Mercury or a Mick Jagger and maybe not even an Andy Bell, but he's so good you know he's enjoying it as much as anyone else there.

[Loyalclaret]

Another amazing 6 days at Glastnbury. The line up felt weak this year but there is so much going on around the site, it really is wonderful. They continue to excel with dance music, the production and vibe is brilliant for someone who likes beats of all descriptions.

I can not accurately describe the energy of the crowd, even after 5 nights, the place is still jumping. We lucked out with the weather again, two sprinklings of rain over the whole time.

Watch so much dance music but a smaller list of bands this year, favourites:
Coldplay
London Grammar
Streets
Confidence Man
Olivia Dean

Roll on next Oct