Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza 2008

United Kingdom | | 11 August 2008

Both bashes are the brainchild of the world famous farmer, but the two-day Extravaganza is a somewhat smaller and far more sedate affair. Not that sedate is a bad thing, with the event unraveling in front of the backdrop of the stunning, historic Glastonbury Abbey.

The festival could be classed as a more upmarket opportunity for music lovers to enjoy an al-fresco performance. Without a tent peg in sight, it's a chance to dust off the picnic basket and revel in top class music in an intimate environment.

The one thing Eavis can never determine is the thing that's most synonymous with any Glastonbury festival: the weather. An event like the Extravaganza cries out for warm sunny evenings but, unfortunately, the great British summer lived up to its usual damp expectations.

British music icon Lulu opens the main stage on Friday with a belting rendition of 'Relight My Fire' – a track reignited by the recent Take That revival - to rapturous applause. The pint-sized singer, who turns sixty in November, shows the crowd why she has had such success and longevity as an artist. Delivering track after track of perfectly executed classics including a well-worked cover of the New Radical's 'You've Got the Music in You', Lulu brings the stage to life. A set of crowd-pleasers that spans five decades of the best of British pop music, the Glaswegian's performance is as polished and perfected as her retro black and white outfit. She leaves the masses, well, shouting for more after a show-stopping rendition of 'Shout'.

The latest reincarnation of 70s new wave 'cool cats' Squeeze take the baton from Lulu with founding members Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford joined onstage by Stephen Large, Simon Henson and John Bentley. The five men, with varying hair lengths and suit stripes, prove their worth as headliners for any festival – with audience members of all ages clearly enjoying the string of classics that includes 'Up The Junction' and the heavy guitar rift of 'Pulling Muscles'.

The Abbey Extravaganza traditionally has a classical act on the Saturday night, but just as Eavis gave guitar acts a rest at Glastonbury Festival, he's also giving "classical music a breather this year." Instead two of the most well-received performers from the Pyramid Stage - Kate Nash and The Feeling - line up to entertain the crowd, unfortunately the wet weather decides to line up with them. Though, Michael Eavis and his daughter Emily, who are spotted among the wellie-clad festival-goers, look as if the lack of late evening sunshine is not as much of a burden as it had been for the festival proper.

Kate Nash opened the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury back in June to a record early morning crowd, so it's not surprising she's been invited back to the county for another dose of her cockney indie-pop-rock. Mainly performing tracks from her debut album 'Made Of Bricks', Nash demonstrates the quirky charm and cuteness that’s made her so popular over the last year, which goes down well with the Saturday night Abbey crowd.

The Feeling are left for the finale, fresh from a dazzling display on the Pyramid stage. The five-piece guitar band from the South East use their slot to deliver their stunning executed harmonies to near perfection. A showcase of all the best in British soft-rock, the band play tracks from both albums including new offering 'Join With Us' underneath the shadow of the famous Glastonbury Tor.

The band litter their set with hit after hit from their debut 'Twelve Stops And Home' with classic 'Fill My Little World' demonstrating lead singer Dan Gillespie Sells' amazing ability to command a crowd. The feel-good factor of their addictive piano pieces and thundering guitar solos go a long way to cancel out the damp feeling of the sporadic downpours.

A dazzling firework display signals the end of the Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza for another year with smiles all round as Michael Eavis once again shows Glastonbury how to enjoy live music. He's alluded to a possible return for the classical element of the festival next year, but it seems choosing acts in reaction to their performance from his main event is the true winning formula for the 'posh' Glastonbury.

By Tim Alban