Last weekend saw the music festival circus move onto Glastonbury, for undoubtedly, one of the biggest music festivals in the world. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2010, the organisers of the event were hoping to put on a spectacular show. They weren’t to be disappointed, though the headlining acts weren’t as strong as in recent years.
The festival-goers were treated to the unseasonably warm weather that has hit the UK in recent weeks. Traditionally, Glastonbury is associated with mud-baths and foul weather conditions. This time around, it wasn’t anoraks and wellington boots required. Instead, it was sunglasses, plenty of bottled water and suncream.
The headlining acts on the main Pyramid Stage in 2010 were Gorillaz, Muse and Stevie Wonder. Gorillaz kicked the entertainment off last Friday, having stepped in as late replacements for U2, after Bono was forced to withdraw, having undergone surgery on a back injury. It was brave of Gorillaz to step in at the last minute, but as the critics have reported, they failed to win over the expected crowd. Gorillaz are not the most well-known band and DARE aside, having had many star-studded hits. Consequently, the attention of the crowd dwindled when they were on stage. It was always going to be a tough act for them to step into U2’s shoes, and it showed.
Pop took over on Saturday afternoon, with sparkling performances from the likes of Shakira and the Scissor Sisters. The Pet Shop Boys rolled back the years, with a fantastic back catalogue of songs that made the crowd go mad. It was the turn of Muse to headline on the Pyramid Stage, and they got mixed reviews, both from the audience and reviewers. Muse is a personal favourite band of mine, but they do have the tendency to produce some absolute classics, then some songs that leave you thinking, ‘What on earth was that?’ Once again, the main feeling seemed to be a tinge of disappointment around the place, though it sounds like it was more livery than Friday’s disappointing start.
Last year, Glastonbury was overshadowed by the death of the ‘King of Pop,’ Michael Jackson. This time around, it was England in the World Cup that gripped the attention of the fans. A big screen last Sunday was set-up to watch our capitulation at the hands of the Germans in Bloemfontein, and that left everyone lacking the party mood to celebrate the finale. Stevie Wonder finished things off on the Pyramid Stage, and sadly, the atmosphere seemed to be lacking the edge that Blur had when they signed Glastonbury off in 2009. Whether that had to be down to the football result is questionable. Stevie Wonder was always a surprising choice to headline I felt, and the general consensus was it was a performance that improved gradually, after a slow and dreary opening.
On the outset, Saturday seemed to be the better day overall, with Shakira a pleasant surprise and the Scissor Sisters turning out to be the strongest out of all the performers. The headline performers slightly disappointed in all honesty, but the weather was exceptional and the spirit of Glastonbury remains as strong as ever. It sounds like it wasn’t the best festival ever in its established history, but it was a respectable showing for its 40th birthday. Let’s hope it will be slightly stronger and less dominated by other global events across the world in 2011.
