Ah! Here comes Springtime in England. And with it comes that familiar rhythm of returning BBC favourites: The Boat Race (“who’s in the final this year? Tee hee!), The World Snooker Championship (for those of you watching in black and white.. why?), The Grand National (your first ever time in the bookies was to make an each way bet for your Nan, who wouldn’t be able to tell a horse from a pantomime horse)…
And, just as much part of the season as daffodils and cream-egg-sticky fingers, that modern tradition of at last seeing the Glastonbury bill for this year and giving out about it. The less terrifying pages of our papers are already full of mutterered grumblings of underwhelmment. And why shouldn’t the Afterword have its own bunch of gripes?
I was always going to be doing TV Glasto one way or another, so I’m not too bothered by a lot of quite interesting over anything specifically fab. My first impression is that Friday, usually a settling in day, seems the strongest. Is it me or is the recidivism rate increasing (in frequency at least)?
Still, more acts to be confirmed (and it seems there are always a couple of mystery empty slots going into the final week to keep the rumour mill grinding).
Any thoughts at all, O Massive?
https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news/glastonbury-2025-line-up-so-far/
Perhaps a video to provide a bump?
I had a Japanese Breakfast this morning – we were in Fukui (about 150 KM north of Kyoto) and the hotel we stayed at had a free Japanese breakfast. Rather nice it was.
Saw Japanese Breakfast at Solid Sound Festival a few years ago, they were brilliant
Avoiding Glastonbury (now an annual tradition) is still long way off, but Cheltenham (H.E.L.L.O. C.O.V.I.D. – maybe on the 5th Anniversary they should have a celebration) and Record Vinlys Day certainly focus avoidance at this time of year.
You couldn’t pay me to go to it in person, as I have difficulties with big crowds, but even as a TV Glasto-goer I think this year looks a bit underwhelming.
Among the headliners, only Neil Young appeals, but I wish it could have been CSNY. The four of them together were always better than Y on his own. Sadly poor old Croz joining the heavenly harmony section has made that impossible now. If I can’t have CSNY, I’d like to see Harvest-era Neil – the recent albums that he seems to churn out at a rate of knots have left me behind.
Lower down the bill are a couple of acts that I’ll be looking out for, and in particular I’ll be hoping that the Beeb broadcasts Gary Numan’s Glasto debut. He’s one of my faves, and his band can make a furiously good noise.
I agree a CSNY would have been amazing, but weren’t Nash and Croz on non-speaking for the last few years? Irrevocable falling out.
My guess is that Numan will absolutely storm it, turn in a blinding set, and enjoy a massive revival.
Last proper CSNY tour was 2005, I saw them. I think they did a few Bridge benefit appearances after that before Crosby and Nash fell out
I’m sure it would never have come to pass, especially after Nash said some harsh things (IIRC) about Croz in his autobiography. But it’s a nice dream to have: the four of them doing, say, Helplessly Hoping or Find the Cost of Freedom a capella on the Pyramid Stage as the sun sets.
And yes, I’m hoping Numan whips the crowd into a frenzy and gets the plaudits he deserves. I know he will always be Mr Cars and Mr Are Friends Electric? to most, but his last two albums are among his best and his live shows are full-on industrial rock riffage. I hope Glasto draws a lot more fans to his newer material.
According to Nash (interviewed in April’s Mojo) they were communicating again, just before Croz died…so who knows?
There’s a few acts I’d watch but I doubt the BBC will give them air time. Am I the only person not interested in Neil Young?
No you aren’t.
No you’re not. Nor as part of a CSNY if that were even possible. 80 year olds harmonising would likely be excruciating.
What an ageist comment. Crosby was still an amazing singer at the end, and Nash is still pretty good too at 82.
As is Arthur Brown, still hitting those notes.
I reckon Rodney is a bit miffed.
Macca and Elt get Headline slots, he gets the Sunday Afternoon.
The Sunday afternoon slot is a very good one, weather permitting.
Back in the ’80s Fela Kuti played an afternoon slot, as did King Sunny Ade and Van Morrison.
If the ol’ Bifurcated Marrow goes down a storm on a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Sunday night headliner will have to be better.
As did Johnny Cash and, erm, R*lf H*rr*s.
Rod was the headliner the year after Bowie, IIRC. He was a bit rubbish.
YDRC
Rod Stewart’s name is Roderick, not Rodney!
By he may indeed be miffed, as you say.
If live snooker isn’t dull enough for you, my Beeb spy tells me repeats of Pot Black are coming down the pipe. The estate of Winifred Atwell is rubbing its hands with glee.
There’s an episode from 1983 on iPlayer right now.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b07ctdpw/pot-black
As a veteran of well over a dozen Glastonbury’s, I’d have to say that the main line up linked above probably only contains a dozen acts I’d walk through dust/mud and crowds to witness. Having said that, some of those are acts I’ve always wanted to see, and contemplating the possibility that Neil is on top rocking form that day would be something to look forward to, and if Burning Spear can summon the magic, I’d trudge across all of Somerset to see him at a great outdoor venue with brilliant sound and fine weather. Then there’s Charli (bathe in the currency of the day), Vieux Farka Toure (please be shining, sun), Cymande (never thought I’d get the chance!), John Fogerty (play some old!), Black Uhuru (saw them there once before, Puma on board, many moons ago) and St. Vincent (raw talent), all of which I’d walk to see. More than enough to make a great weekend, stage timing permitting. But as at all Glastonburys, it’s just as likely that something as yet unannounced, possibly on a small stage tucked away somewhere, is likely to deliver a transcendent and unexpectedly glorious experience. I think there’s plenty of promise here. I won’t be going, mind, my big festival days are over.
I’m sure if one had magical powers of divination and the ability to be in more than one spot at the same time, you could experience a constant flow of transcendent experiences, over the abundance of stages, tents and outdoor spaces on the site.
What’s happening on the Pyramid Stage is but one aspect of Glasto.
Sadly my camping days are long over, my available funds are insufficient and I’ve come to dislike large crowds, so I won’t be there. Again.
I may well dip into the BBC coverage on iPlayer, if they deign to cover the sort of stuff I favour. Not by any means a given.
“A” Black Uhuru played Bearded Theory in, I think, 2019, but were little like the glory days. And a different line-up, clearly.
I fear you are correct. Nothing could really top their majesty back in the early 80s.
Pop-a-top! Sly and Robbie at their peak. Fabulous vocals, huge presence.
Hugely underwhelmed. Was getting excited by rumours of Stevie Wonder but we’ve got Olivia Rodrigo instead – even my 25yr old daughter thinks it’s ridiculous that she’s headlining. I rather like the 1975 but weren’t they on just a year or so ago? No doubt will periodically tune in though – and Rod should be a blast.
The 1975 do seem to appear at Reading/Leeds a lot, but their last Glastonbury appearance was 2016. Which is, in AW terms, last week.
I can’t even be arsed to watch it on the telly any more. The oldsters were better when they were younger, and the youngsters being over-promoted are often dull. The good middles have been on before. I last went when there were maybe 40k there (1984), and it could be a pain getting in people-jams then, and whilst there, I decided I didn’t like the event’s smugness, and it was not for me any more. That feeling has only got stronger. With the right “enhancements” and weather, I’m sure it could be fun wandering serendipitously, but with the wrong enhancements and bad weather, nowhere to sit down, and rather too much 4:4 thumping, not so much. I really am a barrel of laughs these days.
Smugness! That’s the word!
Not sure what sort of reception Bruce Kent would get, right now.