Glastonbury preview
Monday, 23 Jun 2008 17:01
This year's Glastonbury has been clouded by controversy before even beginning
The lineup for this year's Glastonbury Festival has been shrouded in the kind of controversy that only the British press could really cook up, with the crowded festival marketplace and poor weather in recent years being forgotten as the press looks to pin the blame for slower ticket sales squarely on the shoulders of Jay-Z, only the greatest rapper in the world.
And while it's fair enough that hip-hop might not be your particular cup of tea, the roster of artists and musicians performing at this year's event shows that i)the Somerset staple is still as diverse and challenging as ever and ii)there are
other people on than Jay-Z, you know.
inthenews.co.uk's Lewis Bazley takes you through the highlights of the lineup before scampering off to do the packing he's been ignoring.
Friday:
Kate Nash gets things started on day one, with her homespun wisdom and cockernee sparrah tones while
Royworld are well worth checking out on the John Peel Stage for some radio-friendly rock that breathes as if the lovechild of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.
Two of the brightest new bands in music take to that same stage later on with
Glasvegas and
MGMT looking to make good on more buzz than a bee colony.
Literate punks
Vampire Weekend(Other Stage) and the genre-bending
Santogold (The Park) are equally feted as pushing the boundaries while there's a confusing double header on the Other Stage with the ELO-goes-pop of
Hoosiers followed by the arty-farty 'math rock' of
Foals. Don't miss
Lupe Fiasco's lyrical fire at Jazz World - though shying away from the MOR of
KT Tunstall and the
Feeling on the Pyramid is probably a good idea, with
Phill Jupitus and the Blockheads (Acoustic) a much more entertaining proposition.
And to end the day, you can either mash it up at the regular
Fatboy Slim shindig in the Dance Arena, indulge in the bohemian revolution with
Pete Doherty in The Park - crack not included - or find your reggae ting with
Jimmy Cliff at Jazz World - prepare for a lump in the throat during Many Rivers to Cross.
But for sheer unmissable, potential festival legendary status,
Kings of Leon's performance on the Pyramid could see the Followills cement their place in the big leagues.
Click here to see why
Saturday:
For sheer exuberance, you can't wrong with Florida five-piece
Black Kids (Other Stage) who might want to start a Partie Traumatic but will certainly not teach your boyfriend how to dance with you. Craig Finn and the amazing
Hold Steady take to the Pyramid as lunchtime nears, doubling your appetite with their brainy barroom rock while one reason to hope for sun is so as to pogo to your heart's content as the
Wombats exhort you to dance to Joy Division.
There's a steady growth in intensity on the Other Stage throughout the day, actually with chart-topping nu-soul from
Duffy, before
Elbow arrive with their heart-pounding anthems - if their set at the Meltdown is anything to by, this could be as religious an experience as Arcade Fire in 2007.
Hot Chip will be Ready for the Floor as the hour grows late and you couldn't have a better warm-up act for
Massive Attack with fear and dread set to flood over the Somerset fields.
It's a slightly different proposition elsewhere in the festival with a mum-friendly double act of
Crowded House and
James Blunt on the Pyramid while
Thea Gilmore is as thoughtful on the Acoustic Stage as
Alphabeat are gleeful in The Park.
You've got options galore in the Dance Arena, with the likes of
Simian Mobile Disco,
Metronomy and
Roni Size all providing hymns for the church of dance but going Back to Black with
Amy Winehouse still isn't a definite, after her recent health problems. And judging by her shambolic Rock in Rio performance, that's probably a good thing for both Amy and her fans.
The wonderful pairing of
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova winners of a best song Oscar for one of their many stellar contributions to the Once soundtrack, but while
CSS will preview new material in The Park, the Pyramid Stage is the place to be, with
Jay-Z promising an "extravaganza" - guest stars abound?
To see an Encore from the Jigga, click here
Sunday:
There's ambitious Brooklyn prog to kick off the final day from
Yeasayer on the John Peel Stage, while
Stars will do their utmost to break your with string-laden emotional pop - watch out for Barricade, a love story between football hooligans.
There's precocious nu-soul from the ludicrously talented
Laura Marling in The Park and the Reading girl's almost certain to join
Mystery Jets on stage for a rendition of recent hit Young Love.
An even more chart-friendly triple-bill follows on Pyramid as
Scouting for Girls claim Elvis is alive and well,
Mark Ronson mines other artists' back catalogues and
Pigeon Detectives are shambolic in a well-intentioned way.
There's something infinitely more challenging on the John Peel Stage as Canadian electro-duo
Crystal Castles are following by the triumphantly-returning
Spiritualized looking to set your Soul on Fire.
It's another vivid and varied day in the dance arena, with silky-voiced
Sam Sparro followed by sets from
Annie Mac and
UNKLE while there's amazing pedigree on show on the Pyramid, with the gravely tones of
Neil Diamond followed by soaring synth and crazy couture from
Goldfrapp before
Leonard Cohen takes things down a notch. After a weekend of trudging around the site, you'll say Hallelujah along with him.
And to finish, there's the traumatic proposition of choosing between the fabulous
Groove Armada - with At the River always magical at Glastonbury - or the
Verve, renewed and ready to go down in festival history.
But for an artist whose diversity truly reflects the weird and wonderful eclecticism of the best festival on earth, check out
Manu Chao at Jazz World - he's King of the Bongo, don't you know?
Lewis Bazley