In our last post-event report, we covered the first days at Glasto 2013 – and it was more about fashion and feeling at home. By Friday it’s all about the music.
The choice is enormous – the styles are broad-ranging to understate the case – and the options are many.
This year was a year for the youngsters on opening day on the Pyramid stage – Rita Ora, Jake Bugg, Arctic Monkeys, The Vaccines, Dizzee Rascal, and Professor Green.
Now for the aging rocker, this is cool but less attractive than moseying off to the acoustic stage to find the somewhat overrated Jake Bugg had raced round for a second gig by way of warm up for the main acts. Now come on, that’s hardly fair. Yes, you cry, he may well have been influenced to pick the guitar up having watched Don MacLean play Vincent on the Simpsons but his clever lyrics and achy melody play well into the hands of the younger set. Bit too EMO for me…but you pays yer money….
Martha Wainwright, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, The Proclaimers, KT Tunstall, Ricky Ross, Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, and ..be still my beating heart ….. Steve Winwood, followed on over the next 24 hours.
Now these are the guys who can sing a song, play a melody and wrap you round your little finger, all before setting you on your way, with gladdened heart, in search of more legends later in the weekend on the main stages.
And legend there were …Kenny Rogers, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Nile Rodgers and Chic for goodness sake.
And we’ve not mentioned the lads themselves – the aging rockers supreme – The Rolling Stones. Mick and the boys were the business – all, bar Ronnie Wood, over 70 years and standing. In Mick’s case – no standing at all – he strutted and danced the night away as if he we 18 all over again. The sound was immense – the style sublime and the show spectacular.
Pay no attention to the detractors – they were not present – they watched it on the Beeb. And the BBC while splendid in so many ways – did something to the sound that did not capture the Stones magic in the way they did capture, in previous years, the likes of Neil Young and the Amazing Rocking in the free world.
Do yourself a favour and find that on YouTube and put it through some decent speakers….showmanship in extremis.
Jagger does move – to misquote this years big hit. He never stops – the voice is strong and the stamina like Andy Murray’s.
The band are special – playing guitar like we love it – Keith Richard and Ronnie Woods joined by the man from the past – Mick Taylor.
From Jumping Jack Flash to open – through Brown Sugar – via a classic Taylor-led Midnight Rambler (it must have been 10 minutes plus) to the dual encore of You can’t always get what you want – and the Satisfaction finale – they rocked like no others.
We had huge grins as we walked back to the tent, with supper consumed in the late night catering zone… sated in all areas. Tea in hand – rock and roll.
The Finale the following night was back to the youngsters – Mumford and sons are born out of Glastonbury. This is their latest of 4 appearances at the Worth farm – they played to 200 the first time – now they entertained more than 50,000. They have only two albums to call on so the tracks are elongated and none the worse for that. If the Stones rocked us – they ‘folked’ us supremely.
This was the Waterboys meets David Gray said the Guardian – and it was magic. The encore – a formality, was a rousing performance of With a little help from my friends. They were joined by The Vaccines and Vampire weekend for that.
We went home happy for a second night – this time back to Benderloch rather than the tent.
We had a ball and the memories will last for many years to come. They will get mixed up and messed about and over a dram we will remember it better than it was – but we were Rocked.
It was the best yet. Michael Eavis says so. It must be true.
Campbell Cameron, Music Editor
Photographs accompanying this article are by Campbell Cameron. They show, in any order, Mick Jagger’s personal water tap; the Stones’ set identifier; Campbell Cameron with Glasgow School of Art student daughter, Ellis Cameron, who’s style caught the eye of The Times and featured in a Glasto Glam roundup; and an awesome piece of kit keeping Glasto going.
