Having gone straight from Glastonbury to a relatives 80th (160 odd people and a lot of booze) finally back at home office and in post festival comedown mode.

I spent less time than ever at the main stages this year – didn’t even walk through Silver Hayes or Other Stage.

Highlights from the rest –
Spent most of Friday at West Holts with Ata Kak the highlight. Brilliant mash up of African and modern beats and sounds. Great atmosphere in the audience

Barry Gibb was huge fun and sounded great (though I’ve heard people watching from home said he sounded weak). Then Chic put on the biggest party I can ever remember on the Pyramid on Sunday – a huge crowd singing and jumping as one. Could easily have headlined (they were great headlining West Holts a few years back) but even more fun in that afternoon slot.

Future Island

Biggest disappointment of the weekend was the Jacksons. Self indulgent set that rushed through their best hits in a medley then promoted Tito’s new solo material. Lifted a bit towards the end but still too much jamming. Sound was terrible for the first half of the set as well with their vocals way too far back in the mix and overwhelming bass.

Despite liking Radiohead’s music their set was boring me (and all but the most ardent fans I was with) senseless within half an hour. Not helped by abstract black and white visuals on the screens that gave no connection to what was happening on stage. A rapid replan for the evening saw us head to the Park where Flaming Lips showed just how to make a show visually exciting. (Then got to see the Lemon Twigs and a Joe Goddard DJ set in the Crows Nest before catching the last hour of Boys Noize at Arcadia – a killer night out)

New discovery of the weekend – Confidence Man. Echos of the Avalanches but with live vocals. They got the Crows Nest bouncing off the walls. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf2Kc7D6g-o Still don’t get the shoe thing.

highlights:

Chic – literally couldn’t haven’t been any better
Kano – now that’s how to do Grime on a big stage
Radiohead – I’m not even the biggest Radiohead fan but that was just very very impressive, and Creep was such a moment
Anderson Paak
Ride

Disappointments

Wiley. I REALLY wanted him to smash it. But it was a bit arse 🙁

If you don’t know the back story about Ata Kak it’s probably worth a read.

We met Ata Kak, the Ghanaian dance-rap enigma back after 25 years in the shadows

Highlights:
Dropkick Murphys
Hacienda Classical
Dead Kennedys
Major Lazer

Disappointments:
Standing in a queue outside a tube carriage for ages to watch Glen Matlock only to sober up, get bored and wander off just before h&s gave the stage clearance

Napalm Death – not as good as my 17 year old self remembered them

Wiley. I REALLY wanted him to smash it. But it was a bit arse

I read a review that said he was literally MC’ing over the top of his released tracks (which already had the vocals on). This was a festival stage, not miming in a shopping centre.

Hacienda Classical

Should have trekked across the site for that – a healthy morning in the green fields and a bit of yoga got in the way though.

I read a review that said he was literally MC’ing over the top of his released tracks (which already had the vocals on). This was a festival stage, not miming in a shopping centre.

yeah he was, for some if not all. But it was just symptomatic of a generally lacklustre vibe. His DJ was clueless, looked terrified, played one track twice (Wiley probably dragged him in at the last minute I’d guess), he did loads of the crappy chart hits (which, admittedly, went down better than I expected), his patter was rubbish, it didn’t feel like he’d made an effort and he looked a bit lost up there. If he’d done that set in a 300 capacity club it would’ve gone off but there was just no acknowledgement that he was actually in front of 20K people at the best festival in the world.

I would say similar about BBK too – they weren’t as bad, between them they did drum up a fair amount of stage presence – but it still felt a bit threadbare. Props for keeping it purist and all that, but it didn’t work brilliantly.

Compare that to Kano who showed up with a 12 piece band that was so tight, so well rehearsed and had even figured out a way to do live reloads (amazing) – plus he’s obviously worked on his stagecraft, he really owned the stage – it was such a massive contrast…

actually, another disappointment – I resolved this year to see some more random, headspinning weirdy artistic crap in the cabaret or circus or greenfields. And I completely flopped it and spent my time watching MUSIC and drinking with friends and chatting shite.

So, partial disappointment, perhaps 😉