Well it’s coming up again soon, wondering if anyone can be arsed/can afford to go. Me, I am, after bagging a press pass, go me, making it 29 years since I darkened their fields. Can’t say the line up is all that appealing, at least to an old folker like me; Cambridge and Shrewsbury looking a lot better. But hey, any recommendations around what/who not to miss? And, anyone up for a mini-mingle?
https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/line-up/line-up-2023/?stage
Fred Again.
Again?
As many times as possible.
You have me fairly addicted to Fred Again. You have my gratitude.
Missed this – awesome stuff, glad to have spread the love.
@Bingo-Little I love what I’ve heard of FA but the releases are a bit of a thicket of repeated tracks and live versions. Please to direct me to his best LP (if that’s still a even a thing 🙄). TIA.
Best album is Actual Life (April 14-December 2017), although they’re all pretty good.
Alternatively, just use this handy playlist.
Apart from the obvious Elton and Blondie, if I were going I would definitely make time for:
Rickie Lee Jones (coolest woman who ever walked the planet, a total must-see. One of the very few artists I would definitely make an effort to see in concert even though I hate going to concerts. Her lockdown concert from home, on YouTube, was just brilliant).
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears (I love Sniff ‘n’ the Tears, am amazed to see they’re still performing. If I only saw one band in the whole line up it would be these guys. Paul Roberts is a very talented singer, songwriter, guitarist and painter.)
Martin Stephenson and the Daintees (everyone should own Boat to Bolivia.)
Jacob Collier (A musical genius and though I’m not that keen on his music he puts on a good show when he uses all his stage technology that he developed.)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra (I only know one song, So Good At Being in Trouble, but it’s a goodun’.)
Gilbert O’Sullivan (How could you not?)
Alison Goldfrapp (Tales of Us has some very, very beautiful songs on it.)
Dreadzone (Their last album was their best yet.)
@Gary
Thanks for the heads-up re RLJ, G!
Just checked and she’s on in Dublin on Sun 9 July at the National Concert Hall. Fucking awful venue, but having missed her just before COVID, had kind of given up on ever seeing her so good news
Excellent! I’d be interested to read your review.
One thing I’ve been thinking about Rickie recently: music nerds (whoever they are!) sometimes discuss the question “What’s the best debut album of all time?”. The usual answers are always things like The Doors, Velvet Underground, Horses, Stone Roses, Definitely Maybe etc etc.) but RLJ’s first album never gets a mention. Whereas it should, dammit.
What do you think of her new one, revisiting the great American songbook standards? I am generally allergic to revisitations of same, thinking Rod Stewart, Mickey Bubbles and all that shite, finding the originals fine, especially when Francis Albert Sinatra is involved. I haven’t heard it yet, but will, ahead her show. Good reviews. Vibraphone heavy, which is good.
I haven’t heard it. I will give it a listen. I haven’t followed her career that much. I sort of stopped paying much attention after Pirates. I bought The Magazine and Flying Cowboys, but those first two albums were so extraordinarily brilliant that it was always unlikely that she’d be able to please my ears that much again (though I quite liked the Girl At Her Volcano EP.) and I found those next two albums decidedly bland in comparison to the first two. However, my interest was recently completely revitalised by her lockdown “from my living room” performance, which, as mentioned above, I thought was really, really good. Better than good – absolutely brilliant. That’s what made me think I’d like to see her live.
I too share retro’s allergy as regards albums that are entirely covers from the ‘American songbook’, but I also think that RLJ has rarely put a foot outside the path marked ‘iconoclastic trailblazers only’, so I’ve dithered about buying this one. Would like to hear what others, who have maybe been braver or less risk-averse than I, think of it.
I have it at home ready to load onto the player tomorrow evening. Agree with Gary re: RLJs first two albums, but for me The Magazine is her absolute masterpiece. Started to drop off for me around Traffic from Paradise and her 21st century albums have not reached the heights of her 80s albums. However, I’ll give this new one a go and I might try for a Dublin ticket tomorrow all going well.
@Max-the-Dog
They had loads left when I got mine (K31 stalls) yesterday. Not too expensive €45 for mine and €35 for the Gods
Let me know if you’re going and we can meet up for pre-gig bevvies if you’re free
Ticket bought this morning @Jaygee. See you there…
Just to derail the thread a little further, I just bought Rufus Wainwright’s new album of standard covers as well. I agree that this can be a sign of an artist bereft of inspiration, but I was on a bit of a Rufus binge earlier this year and had to take a punt on this one. Interesting list of collaborators he has drafted in including David Byrne and Brandi Carlile as well as his aunt and sisters…
Excellent! Let’s swap PMs and phone nos nearer the time.
@Gary @Vulpes-Vulpes et al
Rickie did a good interview on a Melbourne independent radio station discusssing her careeer and the new album with tracks played also.
The interview starts at 1 hour 11 minutes into the show. If you click on the player you can scroll forward.
https://www.rrr.org.au/explore/programs/off-the-record/episodes/24769-off-the-record-6-may-2023
Thanks, Junior!
Cheers Junes – good to be able to listen to this. Glad the station is happy to share this without having to resort to VPNs and such like.
Gilbert O’Sullivan is doing Cropredy this year too.
Like bloody Toyah and Robert, also at Glastonbury and Cropredy, with the Proclaimers not far behind for ubiquitous festival appearances this summer. (In fact, knowing my luck, bet the bloody Churnups are the feckin twins from Auchtermuchty.)
Gawd ‘help us………
I’ll swear they are following me around.
A couple of low on the bill suggestions.
I would check out Gabriels. That guy can sing like a motherfucker, and they’re a lot of fun, perfect for a festival.
Los Bitchos. Huge amounts of fun live, should go down a storm at Glastonbury with all those hippies.
I think Max Richter is opening the Park Stage on the Saturday. I’d be all over that. Ditto the Unthanks at like 11.30am, or whenever they’re playing. Oh, and Rick Astley, just to say you’ve done it and watch that song get a bigger reception than anything else played all weekend.
But seriously: Fred Again. Fred. Again. Just stand in the middle of the crowd and drink it in, you don’t even have to like the music.
Oh, and don’t forget perennial Afterword faves Royal Blood. You won’t be forgiven round here if you don’t turn out to support the lads. Just make sure you cheer loud or they might bottle you.
Thanks @gary. To be fair I have no intent of seeing if Elt is dill danding, which is why I have already underlined Rickie Lee who will be holding court in the acoustic tent at the same time. I will try to get to see Blondie, of course. Sniff I would want to catch for their greatest hit, Driver’s Seat, and I agree about Boat to Bolivia. In fact, the Acoustic tent holds most promise for this grizzled trouper.
Gilbert? How could I, you mean? No chance, I could hear more than enough of him, as I trudged back to my tent at Wickham, last year.
And @bingo-little, yes, I was planning the early morning Max and also to give the Unthanks another go. Love ’em on record, always finding them a bit aspic and sepia = twee live. (I had really hoped Paul Smith and Maximo Park might be a round for some Unthank Smith, but no joy in the programme. That would be grand.
Gabriels and Collier I will check out. I may also seek your Fred Again, but find it may be tough ask of me.
My other asterisks are around Comet Are Coming and Ezra Collective, The Damned and just a general explore. I have found gems tucked away on tiny stages of appeal to me like Sam Lee and Tom Moore/Archie Moss. Steve Knightley seems allover the place, with and without Track Dogs, a new collab he has set up with Show of Hands.
A very wise choice re. Elton vs Rickie, I’d say. No contest.
Sam Lee would be a must-see for me. Caught him a year or two back at St. Georges and would love to hear what he’s up to these days. RLJ would be another – I’ve never heard her sing live, and have always wanted to.
To be honest, I couldn’t be arsed to even try to get tickets this time around – the lineup holds little appeal beyond those gems we’ve already listed in this thread. Three or four days at a sunny Glasto can be like a little glimpse of a musical and artistic nirvana, for sure, so if it’s a good ‘un I’ll be glued to the iPlayer anyway. If I’m subjected to more than a few minutes of anyone who really ought to have decided their time is up, I can just slope out to the kitchen and put on the kettle.
Don’t forget that if you see a pretty girl in a pink tutu selling hash cookies from a silver tray, I can vouch for their quality.
Have fun!
I’m the total opposite with the Unthanks. I can’t be bothered listening to their records, but I loved them live.
Saw the Unthanks live once it so put me off them that I couldn’t be bothered trying to listen to the records.
I love both, but think their live shows even better than the albums.
Steve Hillage?
Tinariwen are always good live, as are Acid Jazzers Mother Earth.
Damien Lewis (the ginger actor fella) has a band, my pal’s son is his drummer. I think he’s drumming with some of his jazz bands, too.
Steve Hillage playing at Glastonbury? That would seem to be a shoe-in…
I have seen him as System 7 which was a tad too ambient. I note his buddy Steve Davis, yes, that one, is doing a set too, with Torus Whateverhisnameis, the equivalently bonkers glissando guitar man of Gong et Al.
You sound a tad dismissive, Retro old chap…
Not really: I will be investigating.
“Elt Dill Danding” -Afterword Glastonbury flag. Get yourself close to the front alongside some smiling underdressed ladies so we can all see you on the tv coverage, retro!
Make sure you get your timings right for Steve Davis … you don’t want to be snookered.
Any more jokes like that and you’ll find
yourself blackballed, D
Will Cleasby on the kit?
He’s very good. Plays with Mark Kavuma & Banger Factory and often with Kansas Smittys. No doubt there are others.
This current crop of young Brit jazzers usually have several things on the go.
That’s the fella. I’ve known him since he was 4 or 5, and he’s always been a talented little sod.
Going to Black Deer instead. No queues, a much better line up and the promise of a comfy bed and a Premier Inn breakfast on Saturday/Sunday. Plus significantly cheaper and good facilities on site.
Inclined to agree, but they didn’t get back to me when I sought accreditation. if I hadn’t got the Glasto gig I’d have paid and joined you.
Young Fathers are (IMHO) the best live act around. I think they are good on record, but live it all gets turned up to 11
Agree: saw them support Massive Attack a few years ago. Trying to catch new over repeats, hence the deliberate non mention of RT and Sharon Shannon.
Is there anything to be said for playing another Royal Blood set?
The big question is will RB be performing Stonehenge at Glasto?
It always baffles me how people are able to get tickets for Glastonbury. I’ve tried two or three times in the past and just never got anywhere. Mind you, that was a few years ago: is it easier now?
Anyway, I’ll be watching on iPlayer as usual. The quality is so good it makes me question why I would ever want to actually go! Mud, queues and overpriced snacks?
I feel the same. Not just about Glasto, but about every concert anywhere. If I can watch it from my sofa, why not watch it from my sofa? That’s what the modern world is for.
BTW, I see Roger Waters has got glowing reviews for his concerts in the British press. Bet he didn’t expect that!
Even in the Jewish Chronicle?
I doubt that! The Guardian review points out that he “tackles all this [the accusations of anti-semitism] head-on. A screened statement points out that a satirical “depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue” has been part of his shows since The Wall in 1980 and that his father was killed fighting the Nazis. Then he launches into a 10-minute tirade in which he decries his “brutal” treatment in Germany and says that the Daily Mail, the Times and the Daily Telegraph are trying to destroy him over his support for human rights in Palestine. “They’re trying to cancel me like they cancelled Jeremy Corbyn and Julian Assange,” he rages.
The Times and The Telegraph have both given the concert a 5-star rating (I haven’t read them – they’re paywall and I’m a cheapo).
The Guardian also adds: “Among images of people murdered by authoritarian forces such as Blair Peach and 22-year old Iranian Mahsa Amini, there’s one of Anne Frank, above the words “Her crime? Being Jewish,” though to many, this might seem belated, even insultingly so.”
They give the concert 4 stars.
It’s ok everyone. Ian McNabb is a big fan of der Roger.
On Twitter I see that Roger has announced that the Israeli government were responsible for removing Corbyn and installing Starmer as their puppet.
One of the things that Waters has said that sounded most bonkers to me was his blaming of George Floyd’s murder on Israel:
“The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week was done with a technique invented by the IDF, by the occupation forces. The Israelis invested [the technique of] ‘let’s kill people by kneeling on their necks and cutting off the blood supply of the carotid artery to the brain.’ that is an Israeli technique, taught to the militarized police forces of the U.S.A. by Israeli experts, who the Americans have been flying over to the United States, to teach them how to murder the blacks because they have seen how efficient the Israelis have been at murdering Palestinians in the occupied territories by using those techniques.”
I see Robert Kennedy Jr has been having a fine old time on Twitter, first expressing support for Waters then deleting his tweet and affirming his support for Israel. Apparently he agreed with Waters as regards Covid/vaccine conspiracies and America being to blame for the war in Ukraine, but wasn’t aware of his pro-Palestine stance when he first tweeted.
RFK Jr is apparently angling for a run at POTUS. Wasn’t great news for Jimmy Carter when uncle Ted did the same in 1980.
In a lifetime of following US presidential elections, I genuinely cannot remember a less inspiring field of
potential candidates
Politics in the more civilised democracies tends toward blandness, it seems to me.
Intense public and media scrutiny has them all running scared. Never put a foot wrong, never say or do anything that hasn’t been checked and vetted beforehand.
Well Pulp, obviously.
We were hopeful that the mysterious “Churnups” would be they, but we hear Nick Banks has confirmed that his band will not be TrojanHorsing their way into this slot. This slot.
Speculation is strong that the name hints at The Foo Fighters (M Grohl is becoming as much a serial Glastogoer as Billy Bragg). Whether this will rev up the crowd to Rockgasm for Royal Blood or render their own take on the genre a tad anticlimactic only time will tell..
Yes, so it seems. Pulp I would endure a crowd for: they were great at Guilfest in 2001, but I wouldn’t give a flying foo for Growl and his foo fest. “Entertaining”? Fuck off. But I will go check out the War On Drugs. Them I like.
Foo Fighters? Dear me. Another sludgy sub metal band I will never “get.”
It’s 100% the Foo Fighters fwiw.
No mention of Lana yet. She’d be a must-see for me if I was daft enough to be going.
She is on the list, as is her occasional associate, Weyes Blood. Thanks for the prompt/reminder
I wouldn’t ever dream of actually going- all those horrible crowds and tent accommodation and toilets. But it’s all on telly so I might dip in for a bit of Elton.
Seems like a load of acts that have been doing this for years. I guess that’s nice in a way. Heritage acts are taking over. Seems not to be such a healthy state of affairs.
Lana I would see in a starstruck, awestruck way. But what if she’s disappointing? Bit of anxiety about there.
War On Drugs are a great live band judging by youtube. The main man really can play as can the drummer. They can bring a crowd to life.
As can Slowdive. A real controlled power there.
Well, if you’ll excuse a not-very-humble brag, I’ve been every year since 2000 and wouldn’t miss it. When someone suggests a line-up is no good in any given year I laugh, as any given stage out of over 100 is a typical festival bill in itself. But it’s a particularly cracking year from my perspective.
On my ‘must see’ list (although I won’t see them all, not least as some (but not too many compared to usual) clash) are the Master Musicians of Joujouka, Texas, Arctic Monkeys, ADG7, Louis Cole, Gabriels, Young Fathers, Kelis, Steve Earle, Lizzo, Leftfield, Richard Thompson, Cable Street Collective and Candi Statton.
Plus my ‘would be a must see but I currently feel sated from having seen them live before’ list: Sister Bliss, Steve Knightley, Sam Lee, Billy Bragg, the Chemical Brothers, Four Tet, Manic Street Preachers, Kanda Bongo Man, Fatboy Slim.
Don’t even get me started on my ‘like to see’ list (blue on this Clashfinder: https://tinyurl.com/4fdetdsm)
Many of those will have us in the same field or tent, @murkey . Will I recognise you? Late middle youth? 0nce aspirant hair? A girth for survival? AW t shirt slogan?
Until relatively recently I thought I was the young, trendy outlier of the Afterword gang, but these days, yes to the above.
(This is me: https://www.facebook.com/christopherconderwriter)
Add Cat Stevens and Laura Cantrell to the deffo list!
Keep a look out for me in my festival-going gear and say hi @retropath2. You may have to shout it’s difficult to hear in the helmet.
A belated bump to drum up some custom. And not so far from how I feel at present, although I dare say a couple of quaffs of Rusty Sixpence at the cider bus should put me right.
Having seen tv coverage of the Isle Of Wight festival this weekend I’d make a point of checking out Sophie Ellis Bextor’s fantastic legsImeanttosayband..
Here’s a list of Aunty Beeb’s broadcast sets this year. Includes Fred Again.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007r6vx/broadcasts/upcoming
Fred Again – not a Right Said Fred tribute act
Really? Oh…there’s still a gap in the market, then…
Miffed at apparent lack of Lana on Saturday night’s tv coverage. Should be a great night for anyone who dreams of reliving 1996..
@Rigid-Digit
Given the parent band’s anti-vax stance and promotion of a white supremacist livestream, the tribute act is actually called
Far Right Said Fred
Way, way down the bill are The Cable Street Collective. Maybe it’s the female vocals but they seem to have a bit of a Belle Stars/Amazulu thing about them. The album is on Bandcamp, love the cover.
https://cablestreetcollective.bandcamp.com/album/battle-lines
I’ll look out for them, Mr Bigpicture. Thanks.