Glastonbury Movie

This was from last friday.

Passed by The White Cube yesterday (Jesus is that a shit flash website or what?) where they were giving out free beer. I was hanging around in North London anyway for the later showing of the Glastonbury Movie at the Screen on the Green in Islington. I wasn't disappointed. Highlights included the mutoids filming themselves arguing with Michael Eavis over money, Faithless doing “We come one”,the late Joe Strummer ranting about surveillance and then trashing the BBC cameras with his microphone stand.

Lowpoints: The rabbit watching her rabbit boyfriend, Fatboy Slim, Coldplay and The Chemical Brothers "Superstar DJ" wank. I remember running through the crowd on this last one out of my head on acid looking for something or someone.

When I first went to Glastonbury in 1987 I paid for a ticket and watched the bands and did stupid things like say to people "OK. I'll meet you at x place to watch y!" Over the years Glastonbury taught me to shed all this, jump the fence with whatever money I had at the time and just wander. I know that site better than the back of my hand. I learnt so many things I can't put into words.

I remember arriving one year, pitching my tent and going off to get firewood. I dropped all the money I had in the firewood and only noticed when I got back to unload. I ran back to the wood pile, from which hundreds of people were taking wood- and found my money just as it got dark.

Since they put up the new fence and the fucking mobile phone mast I have totally lost interest but the indescribable memories remain.

Anyway the edit was great. Caught all the main historical points in a very relaxed and clever manner using recurring stories. Its nice to see someone else can edit a film without a stupid voice-over, maybe there is hope for me yet. It got across how important Glastonbury was for mainstream people in Britain to have the opportunity to open minds and shake them loose, attach themselves to the raw paganism of them thar hill for a few days, and for alternative people to make a living putting it on.

Did the film put me there? No, of course not, but for anyone for whom there was a time during Conservative rule where Glastonbury festival was the only sane place in the country it will almost put you there. Glastonbury has enabled thousands to maintain an alternative lifestyle over the years, from jugglers and stilt walkers to India heads who only ever popped back to sell 2 grands worth of hash truffles in 3 days and piss off back to India.

Thanks for the memories Glastonbury.