Article Response: Glastonbury 2002

All "the worst" bit was done by me by the way, I forgot to credit myself and I don't want to imply that Mark or the Vicar thought Air were less than grebt.

Why is Jean-Michel Jarre persistently held up as something dreadful? On the occasions when someone has said something I've done reminds them of him I've always felt quite chuffed. Having said that I've never heard anything by him apart from Oxygene so maybe it's the idea of him I like.

I feel empty inside.

Blimey Graham I thought it was a rather good article.

My (admittedly shaky) memory is that the Vicar and Mark did indeed consider Air to be less than grebt, though they did leave the 'lectrifying Kate and Anna McGarrigle to go see them. I didn't hang around at Air, but then I was never likely to.

Air were lovely though a bit too downbeat to work on such a huge stage as we were quite far back. Luckily I had binoculars so I could actually see what was happening on stage. "A New Star" and "People In The City" were particularly fine, and then there was lots of instrumental stuff from Premier Sympthomes and The Virgin Suicides which is good but not quite as good. Still a much better option for some Floydy stuff than Roger Waters. I can see why people didn't like them and it wasn't as good as when they toured after "Moon Safari" but I'm still hoping that the Prodigy will suck up the crowds at Witness so I can get down the front to see Air close up.

As for Jean Micky Jar he does seem to be a byword for awfulness even though EVERYONE loves Oxygene - I heard a fair amount of his stuff as a kid and Equinoxe is pretty good too but its still downhill from Oxygene. I have a comedy American hippie friend who assumed Oxygene was an underground electonic classic known only to the cognescenti, as seemingly that is the case in America. Late one night he starts saying he has some amazing album that'd be perfect for the mood and when he puts it on is shocked that everyone starts singing along and talking about penguins.

Glastonbury not hip-hop friendly, I suppose not. Though I seem to remember it was hip-hop all day Sunday in the dance tent a few years ago.

The camping area near the new bands tent struck me as being a bit like Milton Keynes is meant to be, spacious but lacking in atmosphere.

Not telling you where I camped as it was full enough but it sure had atmosphere.

Luckily however it didn't have a bunch of wankers with a generator and a lot of gabba records like wot happened on Sunday night circa 1999.

Camping by the new bands tent RULES!!! Especially when you are very very close to collapsing in yr lovely sleeping bag after watching LOTR in the cinema field rar rar rar!

I'm sure that camping near the new bands tent has its advantages, I didn't say it was totally awful. And distance to the cinema was the main reason I didn't bother with LOTR so there is that. I was looking for some food round there at one point and there didn't seem to be anywhere for a good falafel.

And what is this sleep you speak of? I've have heard others of your species mention it but it remains a mystery to me.

I remember the hip-hop day a few years ago. It was marvellous.

Haha I saw US3 on the telly coverage of Glastonbury - they were shit, but they were hip-hop (sort've).

Which part of Telepopmuzik's set merited the scorn?

I bet it was the Fade to Grey/Fever/Breathe medley was it? I actually thought all of their show was great. Air were so boring I could have cried. I feel I've been harsh on Groove Armada all these years, I mean I used to say I hate them but Superstylin' is an amazing record. Now I'd have to be nicer still I think.

Superstylin' was one of the best singles of last year, and noone really noticed.

Sure, but whats that got to do with the Jackson 5?

Not enough I say, not enough!

VERY GOOD ARTICLE GENTS/LADY

the place where we camped is best as it is near the Greenfields and stone circle, which is where all the real action is.

my ambition is to go to Glastonbury and see no bands whatsoever, or at least no bands on the Pyramid, Other, Jazz/World, & New Band Tent stages. I'm taking avoidance of the dance stages for granted.

There were plenty of people there this year who stuck to the main stage for all three days it seemed. Still, all the more space for the rest of us elsewhere, and being able to nip for a whizz after the beta band and get back to the front of the stage for orbital all within the space of 5 minutes was worth the entrance fee alone. Well, sort of.

No mention of Belle and Sebastians encore of The Boys are Back in Town? And I have a hard time dealing with the little 'racist Glastonbury' comment slipped into Seckou Keita's review (good though they were). I don't see Manu Chao on the main stage at Reading or V2002, or Susana Baca (Peru), the Black Eagles (Circus tent, from Tanzania), Imbongi (Zimbabwe, all over the shop)..... etc etc. Other than that, I agree wholeheartedly with the rest. You just can't beat the pear cider from the brothers bar, can you....

Oops yeah, that doesnt read very well. A tongue-in-cheek in-joke that perhaps shouldn't have made it to publication.