Well, I’ve spent the last two days de-mudding my clothes (thanks Persil) and re-charging my body (thanks bed) and I’m finally ready to say; ‘this was my Glastonbury.’ And what a festival it was. I’m privileged to be part of the Worthy FM crew, the official radio station for Glastonbury and as a consequence, we get to go early. We arrived Sunday; having gone via Tesco’s to stock up on the necessities (beer, cider and crisps). By Sunday evening my tent was pitched and I was ready to tour the site. A beautiful landscape, made even more stunning when there’s nobody there. Some of us even got to go on the Pyramid Stage, where Beyonce would be shaking her booty and Bono would be baffling a crowd, just days later.
I spent the next three days interviewing and gathering features for the radio station, which included everything from the rabbit hole in the Park to experiencing the naked sauna in the Tepee field. This was a personal highlight. I love getting naked but apparently it’s ‘socially unacceptable’ in Somerfields. Whatever happened to a liberal society? Anyway, it’s fine at Glastonbury, just so you know for next time. There are photos out there somewhere but I won’t say where. Stalkers will find them, if they really want them. And yes, it was cold on that particular day.
Wednesday turned fields of green in to a sea of tents, when the gates were finally opened to 170,000 people. It’s a shock at first, having spent three days in relative peace but you can’t help but get swept away with the anticipation and the energy a festival crowd brings with them.
From this point I was presenting my Worthy FM show, along with co-presenting the BBC 6 Music Breakfast Show with Andrew Collins. My afternoons were spent doing what I do best; stalking bands and celebs. This is the ‘glamorous area,’ between the Pyramid and the Other stage. It’s the only place they put straw down for very important people. People like Will Young. Highlights backstage were meeting a bedraggled Bono as he and his wife popped in for Breakfast, a quick snap with Wayne Rooney ‘getting down’ in the dance VIP area but my favourite interview was with my namesake; Guy Garvey from Elbow; a beautiful man. We fell in love with each other a little bit, as Guy’s do.
A couple of Guy's.
Best story (because everyone has one at Glastonbury); going to Strummerville to watch a secret Mumford and Sons gig around a campfire and chatting to Bez at the bar about how he’s ‘too old to dance now.’
And my favourite band performance? It would have to be Pulp’s not-very-secret gig at the Park. Pure class, like they’ve never been away. Beyonce was sensational on the Sunday night and Kaiser Chiefs proved that they can still please a festival crowd.
Overall though, it’s just the experience of being there. It’s so hard to put in to words but for three glorious days (eight in my case), it is the most beautiful place on earth. I can’t begin to contemplate a year off but for now, let’s revel in the glory of another classic Glastonbury.