After four amazing days at Glastonbury (reports are available for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) it’s time to reflect on the best music that was on offer there. Here’s a playlist that covers the very best music at the festival, for all those of you who couldn’t make it to the actual thing. This is best enjoyable knee-deep in mud, drinking beer from a transparent plastic cup.
Blog Page 1493
Should Tommy Robinson speak at the Union?
The Oxford Union has a proud and illustrious history of inviting far right bigots to speak within its hallowed halls. Both Nick Griffin and David Irving were booked for the same speech in 2007, and Griffin was also originally a planned guest of dishonour at the 2013 debate on whether it was desirable to have gay parents. The infamous assertion in 1933 that “that this House will in no circumstances fight for its King and Country” may just have reflected a subconscious desire of the participants in that debate to not burn any bridges. That the Oxford Union is scouting out Tommy Robinson, Britain’s up and coming fascist pin-up, should come as no surprise to anyone.
When the Oxford Union, or indeed any other organisation with a major platform such as the BBC, attempts to give airtime to rather odious right-wing views, there is predictably an almost entirely manufactured outcry. In these circumstances Unite against Fascism normally complains about giving attention to extremists, and this occasion has been no different. Presumably they will follow their usual tactic of busing in activists from around the country in order to intimidate and dissuade the Oxford Union from upholding their commitment to free speech, a method that was found to be highly effective in experiments conducted in Germany in the 1930s.
Of course, the UAF will argue that “no platform” is not curbing the EDL’s right to free speech; there is simply no obligation on the part of the Oxford Union to offer the EDL a chance to air their views. In itself, I cannot question this proposition. As a genuine small-state libertarian, the only obligations that exist for me are those of the government to not unduly interfere in the liberties of its citizens. There is no duty of any private organisation to actually air any individual’s views. UAF, however, are being deliberately disingenuous. The Oxford Union is first and foremost a debate chamber. You cannot have a debate if you are to deem your opponents’ views as unacceptable before you can rationally scrutinise them. The tactics that UAF use are circular in justification; they prevent debate because they assume they have already won it.
One of the most common objections that UAF use is that allowing free speech inevitably leads to the fascists taking over. I can’t help but think that anti-fascists really need to up their game if the far-right can be assured of victory the second that they open their mouths, but this is really beside the point. Granted, the protection of free speech in the United States allowed disgusting racist propaganda such as The Birth of a Nation to be made freely available for public viewing, but free speech allowed Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak out in defence of racial equality. Similarly, in the UK, the BNP has totally fallen apart. Despite what UAF would like you to think, this was not because we made it impossible for them to tell anyone what they believed in. Entirely the opposite occurred; every foray that they made into the public eye, whether on the BBC or through other means, was disastrous.
It is not just the case that the BNP were a small party that struggled to get off the ground that could easily be put down. At one point they had 55 local councillors and two MEPs. Had there been an election in 2008 where seats were allocated proportionally, then they would have outperformed the Green Party. Yet now we hear almost nothing from them. The EDL is the in-thing for those who want to blame their own personal shortcomings on foreigners. Who’s Nick Griffin? Nobody. He’s probably somewhere in Cambridge holding up a cardboard sign that says “WILL SPOUT RACIAL HATRED FOR FOOD”. One thing that Margaret Thatcher was definitely wrong about was her aversion to giving extremists the oxygen of publicity. Given that she graduated with a degree in Chemistry, she really should have known that oxygen in sufficient quantities is poisonous.
If the Union and other such organisations are willing to give attention to any contentious minority purely for the purpose of generating controversy and therefore publicity, then this is disgusting and manipulative. That sort of media manipulation, however, is disturbing not because of what the minority might espouse, but because it prostitutes an essential civic virtue for the sake of cheap personal gain. It is no different from attempting to get out of jury duty. There is a difference between inviting the controversial to speak purely to win attention, and bringing a matter to light because you think the matter itself deserves attention.
The EDL have so far succeeded because they have managed to capitalise on acts of Islamic extremism, whilst carefully avoiding any overtly racist rhetoric (at least, enough to avoid alienating their supporters as the BNP did). If Tommy Robinson does come to the Union to speak, this is a chance to put him and his supporters to the test. If they really do have valid and rational criticisms of Islam, then by silencing them we would have committed a grave offence against truth. If, however, UAF can send their best speakers to utterly demolish the EDL and expose them as bigots, then that will do far more for their credibility as anti-fascists than any number of attempts to forcibly silence those that they find objectionable.
Oxford to adopt local currency
The Oxford Pound, due to be launched in 2014, will be worth the same as the pound sterling, but it will only be valid tender in shops participating in the scheme. The aim is to boost independent businesses, keeping money circulating within the city.
Adam O’Boyle, who runs the Turl Street Kitchen, is pioneering the scheme. He told Cherwell, “We are currently in the very early stages of development. We have a small committee put together, and have an economist looking into the prospects for a local currency”.
According to O’Boyle, there are currently around a dozen local traders behind the scheme, but he expects that this will increase. He hopes that the new currency will be in use by next spring.
Few of the independent shops that Cherwell contacted were aware that a local currency was due to be implemented next year, but many seemed eager to register their support for such a system.
A spokesperson for Red Opia, a gift shop in the Covered Market, said, “If it’s helping small businesses, then sure, it sounds like a good idea”. She added “I’d need to know more before I said ‘yes’ or ‘no’ myself”.
The Oxford Pound will take inspiration from a similar system in Bristol, which has been in operation since 2012. Their system has been a resounding success, with around 400 independent businesses subscribed to it. Discounts are often available to those who use the Bristol Pound, and the mayor is now paid in the city currency.
Bristol’s system is run jointly by the community interest company Bristol Pound and the cooperative Bristol Credit Union, which charges to convert local money into sterling. O’Boyle’s committee is looking into working with a similar organisation in Oxford. It is expected that competitions for the design of the new banknotes will be announced later this year.
O’Boyle said, “As Oxford residents we would hope to do all we can to support local traders. As for students, who are, in a sense, temporary residents, using the Oxford Pound would be a great way for them to involve themselves in the local community”.
One Hertford geographer told Cherwell “I think that this scheme is an excellent idea. In the world of Amazon and Ebay, local businesses as well as the high street have suffered badly. We often hear of concerns for the Covered Market’s future. Hopefully this will put some life back into Oxford’s local economy”.
O’Boyle hopes that Oxford colleges will one day purchase Cherwell newspapers in Oxford Pounds.
Oxford Union invites EDL leader
The Oxford Union has invited Tommy Robinson, the English Defence League leader branded a “fascist” by opponents, to a nationalism debate at the society in Michaelmas.
Unite Against Fascism Joint Secretary Weyman Bennett has said that the organisation, which has campaigned against the EDL since its inception, “opposes the invitation to Tommy Robinson and will call a peaceful demonstration”.
Secretary’s Committee member Simon Blackaby, of St John’s College, tweeted Robinson saying “the Oxford Union would love to host you as a speaker” and requested an email address to send a formal invitation to. Robinson tweeted back asking Blackaby to “[direct message] me your number”.
[mm-hide-text]%%IMG_ORIGINAL%%7907%%[/mm-hide-text]
Union President Parit Wacharasindhu confirmed the invite was genuine and defended the decision, saying that the society was “founded on the principle of free speech. It provides a neutral arena where political views can be aired so long as they are contested”.
However he said that there would be “security concerns – an issue raised by both parties – which need to be resolved” before a formal invitation letter could be sent.
The EDL was founded in 2009 as a street protest movement. The group describes itself as a “human rights organisation” that “protests against radical Islan’s encroachement into the lives of non-Muslims.”
Wacharasindhu also stated that the debate format “ensures his views are extensively questioned and scrutinised” and denied claims that the Union had affiliated itself with the EDL in any way.
“No speakers are ever given a platform nor are their views ever endorsed by the society or any of the individuals in it”, he said.
In January the Union revoked an invitation it had extended to Nick Griffin, the BNP leader, to debate the motion ‘This house would be glad to have gay parents’.
The society later claimed that the invitation had not been authorised by senior members and said it would take “disciplinary action” against the junior member responsible. The Union said that it “does not wish to be associated with the BNP in any way whatsoever” and that it “strongly disagree[s] with their views.”
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Lennon, was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of obstructing officers in east London.
Robinson and his co-leader Kevin Carroll were staging what they claimed was a charity walk to Woolwich, the scene of a gruesome terror attack last month. However the police pressed the EDL to take an alternative route that avoided the East London Mosque in Tower Hamlets, which they refused.
Blackaby did not respond to requests for comment.
Pembroke internship auction "insult"
Pembroke students have voiced their dismay after the college hosted a ‘silent auction’ run by Abingdon School, a leading independent school, which included the auctioning of internships. One Pembroke second-year student branded the auction “disgusting”.
The auction, which took place at the end of Trinity term, included lots which offered placements at The Berkeley Group and Cancer Research Technology. The practice has come under fire in recent weeks after MPs released an open letter to Westminster School, which conducted a similar auction, calling the practice “explicitly favouring privilege”. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, an alumnus of Westminster, was also vocal in condemning his alma mater.
Felicity Lusk, Headmistress of Abingdon School, responded to these claims by saying, “The silent auction was organised by the Abingdon School Parents’ Association in order to raise funds for the School. As with any school we are very grateful to all the people – individuals, parents and former pupils – who support the School. We are very appreciative of any company or organisation who offers work experience opportunities. The internships offered in the silent auction are open to whoever the person who bid for them chooses – they may or may not be a pupil at Abingdon School. Abingdon School very much values being part of the local community working alongside other schools, most recently in providing science, music and and language teaching, to further education for all children.”
[mm-hide-text]%%IMG_ORIGINAL%%7904%%[/mm-hide-text]
Despite this, David Messling, the OUSU Vice-President for Access and Academic Affairs at the time of the auction, responded by stating that, “The selling of internships flies in the face of any professed concern for social mobility. It is a practice so backward and obnoxious that by any modern standards of equality of opportunity it belongs in the middle ages. On behalf of students, we hope that the University and colleges are not permitting any such auctions to take place in Oxford. They are an insult to all the excellent work colleges, including Pembroke, are doing to make Oxford open to all.”
Pembroke’s JCR President Becky Howe told Cherwell that she found it “bizarre that internships – which are usually offered to students who have displayed their merit – can be awarded as prizes in an auction.” Will Brown, a Pembroke History and Economics student and Chair of the Living Wage Campaign, condemned the actions, stating that “flogging off internships to the highest bidder is an affront to the basic principles of meritocracy and fairness and I’d hope that such an ugly form of elitism would have no place at Pembroke. The college should be doing more to ensure that no student is excluded from internship opportunities by their financial circumstances, rather than helping to further entrench inequalities of opportunity.” Pembroke College was unavailable for comment.
There’s No Place Like Home…
After two months in Oxford, returning home gives you the welcome opportunity to let your hair down and relax. Here are some of the best things about going home:
1) Escaping the ‘bubble’.
It’s easy to forget that the world outside Oxford doesn’t go on hold for 8 weeks, patiently awaiting your return to ‘reality’. A serious current affairs catch up is required; even if a copy of Heat is the closest thing you get to ‘current affairs’.
2) 40,000 winks.
The perpetual business of college life takes its toll on the nocturnal habits of the average Oxonian. Whoever said students spent the majority of their time asleep obviously didn’t go here. Now’s the time to catch up on all those precious hours missed, made all the more pleasurable by the inevitable ‘bed upgrade’; yes, you really do need that double bed.
3) The never-ending stream of daytime TV.
Here less is more. That is, the less intellectually stimulating the better. Trawl the channels for Sheldon, Stewie, Scrubs et al., anything to purge the Chaucer, Foucault and Gladstone from your mind.
4) ‘Unpacking’.
Definition: cover your bedroom floor with the contents of your room at college- piles of books, boxes of goodness-knows-what, random articles of clothing, that tie you stole on that crew date weeks ago (it’s red and from St. Peter’s – any taker’s?) and a tiny little foot-width pathway for visitors to walk on. The likelihood is that it’ll either stay that way until October or your Mum will ‘tidy’, and everything unsightly will mysteriously disappear.
5) Food, glorious food.
Banish the Value and Basics ranges from your mind, replace with the glorious ‘Finest’ and ‘Taste the Difference’. The weekly shop suddenly becomes a lot more fun when it’s delivered to your door and someone else is footing the bill; there’s no such thing as a milk rota here! Cooking is infinitely more enjoyable when you can be more adventurous than what can be concocted with just a kettle and a microwave (if you’re lucky). The knives are sharp, the pans really are non-stick and if you want to have lunch at 3pm, you can have lunch at 3pm.
6) Empty your mind, at least for a week or two.
This is the long-yearned for ‘holiday’ that tutors are determined to deny us. Collections seem a thousand miles away, it’s time to hang up your thinking cap, give that gnarled writing hand a rest and let your mind wander aimlessly.
7) Happy Hour.
When your liver’s finally recovered from the end of term ball, bop and binge combination it’s time to venture out again. If you’re from the North a pint is nearly as cheap as water, and it’s no longer necessary to take out a mortgage just to buy five Jagerbombs. If you’re from London you’ll find that the club quality improves exponentially the further in from the M25 you go. That said, you’re not the only one who starts to yearn for Park End after a few Fubar-less weeks.
8) No small talk
Funnily enough your family know where you live, where you went to school and even better they know what college you go to and what you study (because you never shut up about it). Your home friends could write a pretty comprehensive biography on you and so approximately twenty minutes out of every day is saved from this most inane of activities.
On the flip side; returning home makes you realise you do actually like Oxford.
1) Parental home truths.
At the dinner table- “I don’t think you should have seconds dear. All those late night Hassan’s have taken their toll”. At 9am – “Stop lying in bed you lazy so-and-so!” After one day of being back- “If you’re living under my roof you need to do some chores. Get the hoover out!”
2) Pet problems.
At first your dog is adorable as he bounds towards you to welcome you home. You’re still fairly flattered as the over-enthusiastic “playing” begins; you always were his favourite. But it’s not long before your patience fades as his slobbery tongue makes a beeline for your face. By the time the shoe theft and clothes chewing commences you’ve had enough; the college tortoise wouldn’t do this to you.
3) Your friends have all gone.
Gone where!? They might not be at university but they’re certainly not at home. You’re coming late to the party (‘eight week terms’ my arse) and they’ve either burnt themselves out and run out of money, left the country or started an internship that renders them unavailable for much of the week. On to Facebook and Nexus it is then; refresh, refresh, refresh.
Glastonbury 2013: Sunday
Sunday was press tent day for Cherwell Music, which meant a twelve hour shift and the chance to glean a ton of backstage gossip!
The sheer size of the festival cannot be put into words and there’s a backstage production and press unit to match. A lot of people probably don’t appreciate the volume of work that goes into the festival to provide ‘the Glastonbury spirit’, or the fact that some of the workers have been here every year since the festival’s genesis back in 1971.
These veterans have seen it all, but some of the backstage sightings were still pretty special. Wayne Rooney, who had apparently been refused entry to the production area the previous evening by a security guard who was very happy to make the Sunday papers for his efforts, made an appearance, as did the band Phoenix and Florence Welch, who had previously been rumoured as a special guest for the Stones.
The Glastonbury rumour-mill was still in full swing come Sunday afternoon with the suggestion that Daft Punk were going to pop up on every conceivable stage and slot and murmurs of a David Bowie DJ set. This eventually culminated in 3000 people waiting fruitlessly at the Park stage for an hour last night after Cat Power’s set, convinced someone would appear. Meanwhile, if they were over at a secret room inside Shangri-La’s Heaven they would have been able to catch an unannounced appearance by Thom Yorke alongside his Atoms for Peace bandmate Nigel Godrich.
The outlying areas of the festival such as Shangri-La are where the true spirit of the festival lies and this is something I would soon learn as I was dispatched to Silver Hayes and the infamous ‘Block 9’ by the press team. Silver Hayes, previously known as the Dance Village, has been rebranded this year to shed its shady image of drugs and crime and this seems to have worked a treat. Highlights here included the blues stage dressed as a Jamaican shanty town, home to Mungo’s hi-Fi and the infamous ‘pussy parlour’. Similarly outré scenes could be found over at Block 9, where a post-apocalyptic theme was completed with the most amazing mock sets of ruined New York clubs. For a long time, Glastonbury has been stigmatised as a middle-aged festival with an early bed time but with areas such as these two, the frankly mental Shagri-La and Arcadia, Glasto has caught up with the party.
Back in the press tent, Cherwell spotted Rufus Wainwright amongst other celebrities. There was time to catch a bit of Zane Lowe and some Vampire Weekend who were both on form, if a tad unoriginal, before packing up the tent for another year. As my first Glastonbury drew to an end, it became apparent just how different it is from any other place, not just festival, in the world. Walking through all the different areas is like passing through a collection of miniature festivals, with the result that every reveller has a completely unique experience. The older members of the press team reminisced about festivals gone by – ‘no way is it your first one!’ – and we got to go see Mumford try their hand at headlining. As the folksters plucked the last chords of the euphoric ‘Find a Little Help from my Friends’ with members of the Vaccines, First Aid Kit and Vampire Weekend joining them, the collective nature of the festival was truly captured. It’s hard to put the experience of this festival into words, just go and try it! There’s always a first time for everything and it’s bound to be absolutely incredible.
Glastonbury: ★★★★★ Five Stars
Tahiti: A Breath of Footballing Fresh Air
The Confederations Cup is usually a fairly mundane affair; only the last two tournaments have had much of a following outside of international football enthusiasts. However the 2013 edition of the tournament has captured many football fans interest and this is largely due to the first appearance of Tahiti in the tournament.
Tahiti is the largest island of French Polynesia, and has a population of just under 200,000 people. The island is situated nearly 4,000 miles east of Australia and close to 5,000 miles west of Chile; it is about as far as you can get from a continent. Thus it is not exactly a hotbed of international football – in fact their national sport is Va’a which is a form of canoe racing.
Footballing minnows Tahiti qualified for the Confederations Cup by winning the 2012 OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) Nations Cup which was hosted in the Solomon Islands. Tahiti were 1-0 winners in the final in June 2012 against New Caledonia who had knocked out New Zealand in the Semi-Finals. The task of winning this tournament has been made immeasurably easier for smaller countries by Australia’s move to the ‘Asian’ qualifying zone in 2006. However, the New Zealand team were still very much expected to win as they are a team made up of professional players whereas all the other teams at the 2012 OFC Nations Cup were made up of mainly amateurs.
Tahiti’s team is full of tradesmen, including labourers, and school teachers. Twenty-two of their twenty-three man squad for the Confederations Cup ply their football trade in the Tahitian top-fight; an amateur league. The other man – Maram Vahirua – was born in Tahiti before moving to France where he played several games for the French under-21 team and played in the French professional leagues. Now 33, the first match of the Confederations Cup was his first game for Tahiti.
Tahiti’s performance since their famous tournament victory of 2012 has been much less impressive. They have lost five out of six 2014 World Cup qualifiers including a 4-0 loss to New Caledonia and consequently won’t be returning to Brazil next year. They ended up third in the group of four with a goal difference of ‘-10’ and only managed to score twice in six games.
Whilst Tahiti clearly do not have footballing pedigree – obvious to anyone who watched one of their games at the Confederations Cup – they brought a lot of simple joy back to playing football on the international stage. Representing their country against the likes of Spain and Uruguay clearly meant so much to the Tahitian players and it was a fantastic moment to see them score in their opening game against Nigeria. Although 3-0 down when Jonathan Tehau towered at the back post to head past Vincent Enyeama, their joy knew no bounds. Most of the Tahitian players rushed to celebrate with Tehau and their supporting staff on the bench were ecstatic; it was fantastic to watch these men have their moment on the big stage.
Despite Tahiti losing 6-1 in the end to Nigeria, 10-0 to Spain and 8-0 to Uruguay the Tahitians continued to take immense pride in moments other footballers likely take for granted. When Fernando Torres missed a penalty the Tahitian goalkeeper – Mickael Roche – leapt up in happiness and gesticulated wildly to the adoring crowd; Roche had not even touched the ball when the penalty was missed. Indeed the Tahitian manager Eddy Etaeta seemingly wanted to give most of his squad a chance; most teams use only one goalkeeper at a national tournament unless there is an injury, Tahiti used a different goalkeeper in each of their three matches to allow all three goalkeepers to experience playing against a top class international team.
Tahiti may have lacked international quality in the football department, but they have certainly entertained at the 2012 Confederations Cup. They have shown viewers the sheer joy that representing one’s country in an international football tournament should bring footballers. They have certainly done their country proud and I for one hope to see them or another similarly sized footballing nation at another international tournament soon. Perhaps it would encourage England’s footballers to show as much pride in representing their country…
See Jonathan Tehau score against Nigeria – http://tinyurl.com/tahitigoal
See Tahitan goalkeeper Mickael Roche celebrate Fernando Torres missing a penalty against Tahiti – http://tinyurl.com/tahitipenalty
Is Glastovision a good thing?
The Beeb has been going almost as mad for Glastonbury in the last few days as it has for Wimbledon, with multiple channels, as well as certain regions of the mystical land known as ‘The Red Button’, devoted to coverage of the festival. So of course all the usual festival-goers who couldn’t quite make it this year are tuning in all evening to watch other, more financially secure (or at least more on the ball) middle-class white rebels have an absolute whale of a time while they’re stuck at home.
Oh wait, no they aren’t.
The festival experience is about community, partying, committing to a whole weekend in a tent, abandoning social norms, refusing to eat or sleep in a vaguely healthy manner, drinking too much, and, yes, mud. Try as they might (and who knows, maybe 3D TV will one day accomplish this), the BBC cannot bring this to a living room audience. Live performances are only worth televising when there’s something particularly special about them. Jools Holland still gets views because bands are doing live sessions intended for TV audiences; things like The U2 360° Tour, The Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang Tour and Michael Jackson first doing the moonwalk on Motown 25 are valuable because of their special significance.
There’s nothing especially significant about Rita Ora playing the Pyramid Stage on a Friday afternoon, except perhaps as a sad indictment on the state of the festival today (Professor Green was on next). After a great deal of back-and-forth, The Rolling Stones, who initiallly insisted that none of their set be televised, have eventually conceded for an edited hour of their set to be shown on the BBC. Maybe they have the right idea. Apart from the obvious financial motivation of wanting to sell their own performances themselves, Jagger was reportedly worried about quality control. Music at festivals quite simply doesn’t sound as good as indoor concerts; the acoustics are unmanageable. Of course, no one who’s actually there realizes this because they’re all, quite rightly, off their faces.
By all means film the acts, and allow those who went to relive it by finding the footage online (I for one scour all the footage of bands I saw trying to see myself in the crowd), but don’t fill up the weekend’s schedule with non-stop coverage, and don’t pretend that it comes close to replicating the experience of actually being there. After all, the only way one could precisely replicate the experience of seeing Mumford & Sons headline the Pyramid Stage at the end of Glastonbury 2013 live would be to lie in the middle of the road while one of your mates repeatedly ran you over in a car and another one jumped up and down on a huge pile of broken banjos and ukeleles.
Glastonbury 2013: Saturday
Having delved into the depths of Glastonbury’s offerings on Friday, Cherwell Music thought they’d go straight up the central reservation and into the mainstream for most of Saturday, and where better to start than Latvian rockers Prata Vetra on the John Peel stage? No?
There is method in my madness, from the Cherwell campsite, the Latvians sounded like another ‘surprise set’ in the form of the Killers and I was sure the Las Vegas quartet were here in Pilton but to no avail! Anyway, the Latvians most definitely delivered, blending soaring guitar melodies with the sort of vocals heard at the top of the British alternative charts only realising they weren’t from these shores halfway through the set! Three and a half stars.
From here I headed through the titanic mists of Silver Hayes to the Other stage where I was met by the 1975, a band no doubt about to be billed by NME as the ‘saviours of indie rock’ and the reinventers of the wheel. In reality they’re a bit pretentious (on a scale of 1 to Mount Kimbie I’d say about 6) and lack any real depth. Some cracking tunes though such as Radio-1-listener and teeny bopper favourite ‘Chocolate’. Two and a half stars.
What Glastonbury would be complete without a cheeky bit of Billy Bragg? And that’s what I got over on the pyramid stage. Usually to be found in the politically orientated area of the festival ‘Leftfield’ the veteran rocker strummed out some tunes to a hefty crowd and put forward his message for the festival, more activism! It starts with the people, and the avoidance of self-cynicism, was the general gist and a powerful message supported by his politically fuelled songs. What a legend. Four stars.
From here I basically camped out at the pyramid, as did a fair few others trying to get a good spot for the Stones. Laura Mvula was fairly uneventful with most of the audience actually sat down! Her unique compositions, and unique voice seemed to just about win the audience over but there seemed to be a lack of ‘oomph’ to get the festival crowd going. Three stars.
Next up was Ben Howard and, with his live performances almost becoming legendary, I snaked my way to the ‘cage’ at the front for what was a cracking set. Although frequently put in the ‘pop-acoustic’ category, this performance showed real substance, real flair and sounded nothing like the record! Howard has been with the same band for a long time now and it really showed as their interactions seemed effortless and even almost subconscious at times. His move away from basic acoustic songs and to something a bit more rocky and experimental is a welcome one. Definitely one to continue watching. Four stars.
It suddenly occurred to me that I was yet to eat all day so quickly headed to the ostrich burger van – they’re awesome! – and for a quick sit down. I caught a bit of Noah and the Whale on the Other stage who, along with Alt-J, have become a contender for ‘sunset slot’ dominators against Elbow at festivals. A very well-crafted set. Four stars.
Onto Primal Scream who were to support the Stones as a mini (and younger) version of the Stones, bizarre! They certainly rose to the occasion though and delivered a truly memorable set. Gillespie, dressed in purple suit, jived around with his characteristic charisma and the bands rendition of ‘Rocks’ was a sublime moment. Having seen them last year, my hopes for Primal Scream weren’t particularly high but with the release of ‘More Light’ seamlessly blending old material with new in their set, my fears were unfounded. Four and a half stars.
And now onto the Stones. The pyramid was packed with a record crowd over 100,000 people deep and, after a one and a half hour wait, the ageing rockers sure delivered. With an anthemic ‘Jumping jack Flash’ to open, the Stones set the tone for the evening with hit after hit. Highlights included turning the pyramid stag into a blues club with ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor delivering a knock-out solo, the bass solo in ‘Miss You’ which is the best I’ve ever heard, and the ‘dragon’ on top of the stage spreading its wings, taking flight and spouting fire during ‘Sympathy for the Devil’. Whilst there were fears that Keith wouldn’t be up to it, his chops seemed secure and, although not as good a guitar player as he used to be, Ronnie Wood goes from strength to strength and sure made up for it. But the star of the show was Mick Jagger. After quipping that ‘they finally got round to asking us’ with Michael Eavis having famously asked the band to play every year since the festival began, he added touches of humour to the set, moved around like a twenty year-old and possessed vocal cords that show no sign of giving up! The set ended as it began, with a bang, literally. As the fireworks took flight to end ‘You Can’t Always Get What you Want’ complete with full choir and Taylor onstage once again, the Stones proved that, if you try sometimes, you get what you need. Astonishing performance. Five stars.
So that’s it for my mainstream Saturday, Cherwell is currently trekking to the press tent whilst writing this for a twelve hour shift. Whilst less music may be seen today, check back in tomorrow to find out what happens behind the scenes, and in the Winnebagos, of the greatest festival on earth.