The magical moments that made Glastonbury 2010
From out-of-tune farmers to Hello Kitty burlesque

Photographer:Shirlaine Forrest
Michael Eavis sings ‘Happy Birthday’
In a hit-heavy, cider-soaked closing headline set
we knew there would be a few fans off-key in the sing-a-longs, little did we expect one of those singing to be given a microphone.
It was the closing song and after a superb weekend, Michael Eavis was the most deserving of a swan song and none was more
fitting for Glastonbury's 40th year than Stevie Wonder's version of 'Happy Birthday'. After Eavis's rendition,
Wonder remarked that, "man, he flat," but after a rain-free, five-day party there was nothing but heart-felt applause
and loud cheers left for the organiser. AF
The Edge joins Muse onstage
Bono might
have passed up the chance to recreate Kurt Cobain’s wheelchair moment from Reading 1992, but The Edge made sure that
at least one U2 member made it to Glastonbury this year. In his trademark beanie hat and goatee beard, the guitarist helped
Muse cover ‘The Streets Have No Name’ but there’s no word on whether his cheque’s in the post.
DF
Jerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA Orchestra march through West Holts
After wowing
the West Holts stage crowd with a triumphant set of modern jazz and avant-garde reggae, the whole of the Jerry Dammers’
Spatial AKA Orchestra continue with set closer ‘Space In The Place’ in the crowd. Among them is Arthur Brown,
Ricco Rodriquez and Johnny Clake chanting along and bashing tambourines with the grins of a five-year-old child. DF
Cassette Boy
Sunday morning hangover was pounding us particularly badly when
we accidentally stumbled through The Glade and encountered DJ Rubbish’s crap MCing. But we knew that could only mean
that cut-up merchants Cassette Boy weren’t far behind – occasionally with a painted phallus in their hands. Assaulting
and blatantly insulting Jamie Oliver, the new collation government and royalty, the twisted content is too rude to repeat
here. Our moment though came with a chopped up commentary of Rooney, Terry and Ferdinand indulging in some disgusting locker
room antics. This eased the pain before we were royally stuffed by the Germans twenty minutes later. DD
‘Karma Police’ at Thom Yorke
If we listened to Glastonbury rumours, the secret guests slot on
the Park stage could have been Pearl Jam, so the hundreds gathered in the Park stage must have been ecstatic to hear from
Michael Eavis that there were just the "two special guests," before Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood
took to the stage. The highlight was at the end of 'Karma Police', when Thom Yorke left the crowd to sing the coda,
"for a minute there, I lost myself," before joining them for the last lines. A spine-tingling moment. AF
Dog Faced Geisha burlesque show
It’s okay, we can talk about it now – it wasn’t
the drugs. You did see a naked man with breasts and his penis tucked between his legs sporting an oversized Hello Kitty mask
on Sunday night. His burlesque show in Block 9 was erotic, odd and very disturbing but we just couldn’t take our eyes
away! DF
Craig Charles plays Cubehenge
For those that weren’t hot enough already,
Craig Charles’ funk set at Cubehenge certainly helped to bubble the mercury. Mixes of ‘(I Can’t Get No)
Satisfaction’ and ‘Killing In The Name’ set off the Red Dwarf man like a wind up go-go dancer – highly
infectious. DF
Climb the tower
The Stone Circle is great but it’s busy and
a bit crazy. As the largest moon sank on Sunday morning we undertook a seemingly epic journey from a Mickey Finn old school
set in Arcadia, along the railway track toward the colourful tower at the top of the Park field. We lost some friends on the
way but some total randoms joined our quest. The pink sun rose over the misty fields and it was breathtaking. Next year we’d
like it to be a helter skelter please. DD
Snoop Dogg drops ‘Jump Around’
In your face Noel Gallagher! Snoop Dogg delivers great hip hop set No.241 at Glastonbury. ‘P.I.M.P’ and ‘Next
Episode’ are nonchalantly stylish but not even the Trampoline Society have seen this much bouncing for his version of
House Of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’. Cheesy yes, but Snoop delivers it with added cool. DF
Ray Davies chokes up on ‘See My Friend’ with choir
With some aging performers there is a sense
of why didn’t you give this up years ago? But not so for Ray Davies. The former Kinks man is sublime with the Crouch
End Festival Choir backing him up but the most poignant moment is when he chokes up during ‘See My Friend’ which
he dedicates to Peter Quaife, the original Kinks bassist who passed away just four days before. DF
Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band come to life
Followers of Craig Charles’ somewhat cult funk and soul
radio show would already be aware of the Fantasy Funk Band, a collective of the best funk musicians in the UK as voted for
by the show's listeners. But it was fans who had gathered to see Craze in the Wow! tent, early Sunday morning that were
won over as the tent stayed full, lively and sweaty for over an hour and a half with funk covers of 'Move On Up' and
'Tighten Up' to name a few of the sing-a-longs that pushed past the 3am curfew. AF
Florence
everyone onstage
So what Damon Albarn managed to play Glastonbury three times in three years, Florence Welch
managed to squeeze three performances in a matter of hours. Not only did she play ‘You Got The Love’ with her
machine, but Dizzee Rascal and The XX welcomed the auburn-haired starlet for their versions of the same tune as well. DF
Paper mache Wallace pushes to the front for Jack Johnson
We first spot Wallace of Wallace And
Gromit fame in the crowd at Ray Davies. Obviously he’s not the real one, but someone who’s taken Frank Sidebottom’s
approach on making paper mache heads. It makes us laugh most though when he pushes his way down to the front for Jack Johnson.
DF
In need of a decent rest-uarant
On the road to the Circus Field, just beyond
the main market stall area sat a catering bus surrounded on all sides by a tent. This was not just any food stall; this was
a sit down restaurant with not only waitress service, but real plates and cutlery. This is exactly what we needed as an escape
from the heat. Our treat was a three-course meal of the most beautiful French food. Music to our taste buds! The price for
such luxury wasn't as extravagant as you would think with starters around £5 and main courses around £8. More
than the average festival budget, but a small sum to pay for some much needed rejuvenation. AK
Bhangra
dancing in Croissant Neuf
As some headed for their tents to be cooked alive like a bag of boil in the pot rice,
others found solace in the Croissant Neuf tent learning how to dance to Bhangra. Flag down that plane… DF
Strange Boys cover ‘Say A Little Prayer’
They may have three albums worth of material
but these Texan boys are savvy enough to know how a festival crowd works. With their latest album marking their UK breakthrough,
they peppered their set with some great covers. A James Brown number gets the crowds dancing but it is a gritty version of
Aretha Franklin's 'Say A Little Prayer' which got the crowd singing. AF
Secret Garden
Party bar loses power
Chilling out to some old school hip hop in Secret Garden Party’s hidden Bad Pass
bar (we went through a phone box to get there, but we can’t tell you any more) on Sunday night, all was going well until
the power cut out. Who’s paying the bills? DF
Defoe’s goal on the Wednesday
You’d usually associate Glastonbury with tie-dye t-shirts but with some 100,000 people arriving onsite on Wednesday
for the England World Cup game against Slovenia it was more like a branch of Sports Direct by the Pyramid Stage. Jermain Defoe’s
goal sent ripples of excitement across Worthy Farm, but the less said about Sunday’s Germany match, the better. DF
CCTV dancers in the Lunar Sea Lounge
Whoever played in the Lunar Sea Lounge had a battle for
attention on their hands against the engineering genius of the CCTV robot pole-dancers at the back of the stage. DF
Mik Artistic’s Ego Trip
We’re not sure exactly how many times the Glasto legend
took to the stage this weekend but whatever stage Mik appeared at, it was magic. Looking a little like Goldie and sounding
like Les Dawson, Mik Artistic treated us to his sing-a-long autobiographical songs about dipsticks, sporks and his pocket
full of straws. Our magic moment came on Thursday at Croissant Neuf stage when a passing Spanish troubadour (in aviator shades
and a tracksuit) accompanied Mik on mariachi trumpet. The blunt northerner was noticeably overwhelmed, “There’s
a fiver for you at the end if you hang about.” But the tracksuited troubadour was already marching into the sunset…
possibly to surprise some balloon loons in the Stone Circle. DD
Flashmob
Proposal at the Park
No magic moment can better this – 500 strangers gathered through Facebook to present
a life-changing message on behalf of one Mark Robinson. At the sound of an air horn at 5pm on Thursday the entire crowd shouted
the message: “Sarah, will You Marry Me?” Sarah, beetroot red in the face and with an adorable smile, instantly
said “yes”. The happy couple walked to the top of the Park tower to celebrate, while the rest of us dispersed,
all giddy with happiness at playing a part in a beautiful moment. KJ
Shaun Ryder
Dedicates ‘Dare’ to Frank Sidebottom
Opinion might be split on Gorillaz’ last-minute replacement
for U2 but a riotous ‘Dare’ was at least an undeniable Friday night highlight. “This one’s for Frank
Sidebottom,” says Ryder of his fellow Mancunian legend who passed away earlier in the week, “he’s up there
somewhere.” Coming as part of Jamie Hewlett’s own genre-bending cartoon invention, it was a poignant tribute for
the Timperly superstar. KJ
Belinda Carlisle!
The Cocktail & Dreams bar was a
place of kitsch horror more suited to V Festival. The sort of cheesebag disco Patrick Bateman hangs out in - and in the location
where the lovely Guardian Lounge once sat – but stumbling in on a Friday night we were met with ex-Go Go’s pop
goddess Carlisle doing ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’. Five minutes of pop heaven followed by the next best thing
– leaving the place. KJ
Brothers Pear Cider and Pieminister at West Holts
According
to the chap at the Cider Bus, “there’s no such thing as pear cider” and the only people who ask for it are
“anti-cricketers”. Yet we still love the perfect marriage of 7.2% Festival Pear Cider and a Matador Pie (British
beef, chorizo, olives, tomatoes, sherry and butter beans!), while enjoying Malian blues at West Holts. KJ
Catching
Yourself Every Time You Said ‘The sun is doing my head in’ and Giving Yourself a Chinese-Burn as Punishment
After far too many years wading through the mud to watch bands ankle-deep in puddles a little bit of sunstroke and a Glastonbury
T-Shirt is a thing of absolute joy. Catching yourself complaining was actually the moment you truly acknowledged the incredible
weather. So if you gave yourself a dead arm or similar for saying this well done; if you didn’t, do it now you heathen!
KJ
Thesmokeeaters carving up Silent Disco at 6am
Manipulating vicious beats and
pop culture visuals via DVD turntablism, thesmokeeaters skinned the Silent Disco alive with an eye-burning mash-up of Adam
Freeland, Doobie Brothers, Sugar Hill Gang and some amazing stock footage. By rights they should have been on at the Glade
at midnight, but they still proved special as they sound-tracked the sun’s rise for the dedicated few reciting their
A’s, B’s and C’s at the Dance Arena. KJ
Pie in a Pudding
Carrots,
peas, broad beans, gravy and a whole pie in a gigantic Yorkshire Pudding. Proper festival food. Thanks to the Pear Cider we
still can’t remember who was doing this, so it could very possibly become the ‘mythical Glastonbury pie in a pudding’.
KJ
Tony Allen Playing ‘Afro Disco Beat’
Legend is a crass, overused term,
but this is a man who wears it with style. Allen practically invented Afrobeat, defined Afro Funk drumming in his time with
Fela Kuti’s band in the 1970s and recently brought his seminal style to the Good the Bad and the Queen. You’d
think that just this last success would have filled the Park field, but only a few hundred turned up to see him end a salacious
set with this classic piece. KJ
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