Glastonbury 2004: reports and reflections

Gore Tex'd in the Glade
Report by 'disco dave 2000', July 2004

Top weekend, and very hard to give the festival a proper review, but here goes.

Arrived late afternoon on Thursday, with things already getting underway and a load of people already on site and camped up, as they were getting ready for the footie.

Not much to say about that the game that hasn’t been already said, other than great to watch with 60 000 plus people on the main stage and a fantastic atmosphere (until the end that is).

Music highlights from Friday started with a band called Kasbian on the Other stage, visually great, and some fine guitar action – never heard of them before, possible never will again, but enjoyable.

Then over to the main stage for Nelly Futado – probably not the greatest female vocalist ever, but good for the sunshine (yes there was some) and went well with pear cider.

Loads of wandering and aborted efforts at finding folk, ended up via Lost Vagueness to return to the other stage for Chemical Brothers – completely mad of course and very loud – they finished with Private Psyc. Reel.



Saturday, as I'm sure you know by now was a fucking nightmare, a real downpour that, turned a relatively dry site into a mud bath.

But so be it, got the Gore-Tex body suit out and headed for the Glade, which had some tree cover and wasn't as bad underfoot.

Cassette Boy was brilliant, really funny cut and paste stuff, going from slightly predictable George W Bush things to East Enders and a great section taking the piss out of Big Brother – day nine hundred and fifty five in the BB house etc etc.

After that, there was a comedy band (I hope) called Wevie Stonder – again great fun and everyone laughing in the rain, next up was DJ Patthan playing some fab world influenced music.

After he finished though it was tent time for beer and food, in the ballroom, which was swimming by that stage.

Followed by an aborted meet up at Amp Fiddler, who had got stuck in the mud somewhere – hi Kirsty and crew.

From there to later it gets a little hazy, vague recollection of Black Eyed Peas and the start of Paul McCartney, but you probably get the picture by now – mud and rain.



Sunday was dryer, but the damage had been done, to the site and most people’s heads.

Of course I was up early for a spot of Opera – banging, and then some bloke who used to be in Dr Hook – folk music, so I took the opportunity to guzzle mushrooms and get spiritual.

That is until a fire juggler got a bit too close and I had to run off fearing my own safety – "not the face" – were my parting words to the soap dodger.

The Zutons were brilliant and the best guitar band I saw all weekend – thank you Chockablock for the recommendation, I was fairly uncoordinated for a meet up at that stage ;-)

They are from Liverpool, which interested me, having recently moved here, and were described as a barmy, mystic band, and lived up to the tag – god I might even buy their album ...



Managed to recover in time for Joss Stone – brilliant voice and performance for someone so young, and then met up with folk to watch the godfather of soul – James Brown.

Enjoyable, but having never seen him before, wasn’t as great as I imagined.

By the end we were taking the piss a little, as we don’t reckon he is the “hardest working man in show business”anymore. He had about 40 people on stage helping him out.

Then again he is 70, so perhaps we were being a bit harsh.



More wandering, to the Radio 1 stage, for more action from old men - where Graeme Park and Mike Pickering were doing a Hacienda reunion – ie loads of old ravers splashing around in the mud to old records – fantastic fun. Final live band was Orbital – class – the noise, atmosphere for the last tune Chime was amazing – I have recollections of inflatable Darleks, but I may have made that up.

Then I was captured and kidnapped by DJ Nut Nut as we stormed back stage to pollute Norman Cook’s toilet, but that story will have to wait for another day. Although rumours abound that he will be attendance at the Big Chill, so all well and good.

Still knackered, must have walked about 30 miles I think, but even with the rain and mud, great, no hassles from remaining brew crew, loads of recycling going on everywhere, and loads of choices for food and drink.

Bring on Eastnor.