The World’s greatest music festival had it’s 40th birthday, basked in four days of sunshine -  and yet again I was sat at home watching it on’t telly.

Still, there’s a lot to be said for missing Glasto this year especially with the World Cup on but as I was sat watching all those cane-heads living it up in glorious sunshine, one word sprang immediately to mind.  ‘Bugger’.

There was a lack of wow factor about the headliners this year, with practically everyone having played the festival.  Gorillaz stepped forward to replace the injured U2, Muse headline Saturday and Stevie Wonder?  To close the festival?  Thoughts abound of him singing a cheesy  ‘happy birthday’ to Glastonbury.  Groan.
 
The first showing on Friday nights insight proved one thing.  None of the British acts can come close to the larger than life  persona of Snoop Dogg.  He is one cool mf - especially for a skinny six foot four black lad with pig tails.  Then again I guess you would need to be.  Glasto is known for it’s diversity but is still dominated by guitar acts so Snoop stood out like er, a six foot four black lad with pigtails.


Gorillaz were the Pyramid headline on the Friday night.  Sorry Damon, you triumphed last year with that other band but you completely misjudged it this year.   Remember, you were supposed to be replacing U2? The concept album that is Plastic Beach is far too heavy and introspective for closing the Pyramid Stage, no matter how many iconic musicians you get to join.  Jazz World Stage yes, Pyramid Stage definitely not.  If I had have been there I’d have stuck the vs up to the stage and buggered off somewhere else too. 

 Oh and I know the Eavis’s are very busy but had they heard Plastic Beach?

The Beeb stick to the same tried and tested presenters.  Radcliffe has stepped into the blustering old fogey role which the late John Peel turned into an art form and does it quite well though lets face it those were shoes he was never going to fill.  The ubiquitous Jo Wiley and the ever-lovely Laurene Laverne  provided the female quotient.  Also around provide the female comperes and are backed by the smuggest voice in radio- Mr Zane Lowe.  Lovely bloke I’m sure that he probably is though.  (If he isn’t please let me know.  I’m dying for an excuse not to like him).Their cosy campsite chats were interspersed by OBs from around the stranger areas of the festival proving, as if any were needed, that Glastonbury is a festival like no other.

I don’t imagine Saturday’s headliners caused that many dilemmas.  If you were to draw a venn diagram the correlation (bit in the middle) of fans who liked Muse and the Pet Shop Boys wouldn’t be pretty big.  Suffice to say of Muse, I don’t like them, especially their new stuff, but it was patently clear that everyone there was having a whale of a time, so each to their own.  I’ll keep my comments about a Queen tribute to myself.  The Pet Shop Boys audience also seemed to be having a nice time.  I think I would have went for that one.

But Sunday proved I know fuck all anyway.  Stevie Wonder not really a headline act?  He brought a joyous atmosphere as he played his greatest hits – Sir Duke, Jammin Masterblaster and Superstition.   Joy wasn’t something either Muse or The Gorillaz were able to provide.  The finish as predicted – ‘Happy Birthday’ was not cheesy at all, in fact it was probably never more appropriate in celebrating the 40th birthday of the most special music festival of em all.

Posted In Comment, Jul 01 2010. Words - The Ginger