Music Stuff and All That

I realise there’s other stuff elsewhere on the bill and Sunday I has become a bit of an oldies day but it seems a bit sad to me that the three headline acts were Elton John, Guns and Roses and The Arctic Monkeys (who seem like newcomers to me but released their first album 17 years ago).

All seems very conservative.

I can't be arsed with most of it, but this is mint..

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0ftbctg/glastonbury-viagra-boys

Festivals are pretty good value to be honest. I'm paying the best part of £200 to see Blur and Pulp in the next month, but Glastonbury was what? £350? Probably see 10-15 bands over the festival. Plus festivals have never been just about the music. I'd elaborate, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

It’s a bit of an all-you-can eat multi-cuisine buffet in musical terms.

Watching bands is personal choice. I’m not a massive fan of outdoor and stadia for bands I really want to see. Firstly the sound is never great and secondly you end up watching the screens because you can’t really see the band unless you get there several hours early (and I’m not organised enough). I prefer it more intimate: big enough that you can get blown away but small enough that you are right in it. I was never a massive fan of Blur until I saw them at Paradise in Boston. Smaller venue (1000 people). I’ve seen Radiohead quite a few times, outdoors and stadia but the best was at the Roundhouse in Camden.

Re the elaboration. It’s goes without saying I’m also far too old to be wondering around a large space with lots of strange people whilst off my tits. There would be several grounds on which I would get arrested.

If you're paying that much to see Blur and Pulp then you thoroughly deserve the unlubed corporate bitty ramming you're going to get.

Elton John is an incredible talent. And not only because of what he made out of Bernie Taupin’s excruciable lyrics.

Festivals are fun. The big ones are mainly bad (Glasto excluded, unless you’re going to listen to the headliners in which case… yeah… sub-optimal) smaller ones are great to see a bunch of acts that you wouldn’t otherwise, and for a good price. It’s something I miss. Australia has a few, but because the European summer festival circuit is so rich, loads of great bands can be seen because either they are European based, or happy to travel from the US because they can play enough to make it worthwhile. The antipodes can’t sustain that kind of thing. Shame, really. We have the weather for it, but not the people. Back in the day I’d go to three or four a year (mainly UK, but a few trips to Primavera in Barcelona) and, tbh, though the summer there used to be at least half a dozen under consideration.. dunno if things are as good now as they were, mind. I think Green Man is still going in Wales, that was always brilliant.

First time I went to Glastonbury the headliners were New Order, Elvis Costello and Van Morrison (who had released his first album 19 years before).

If the headliner had released their first album fifty-three years ago, like Elton John, it would have been released in 1934. In 1934, George Formby was still two years away from releasing When I'm Cleaning Windows.

It's funny to see a bunch of middle aged men complaining about the Glastonbury lineup, when the vast majority of you wouldn't buy a ticket if you were given the opportunity to handpick the lineup.

If I was involved in picking the line-up, I would expect to get a free ticket.

What is a bitty ramming, and why am I going to get it at a gig?

I think I said as much.

love the Paradise Club, great venue.

Saw Dirty Den there in the late 80s.

Was meant to be Botty but Bitty works well.