MY GLASTONBURY 2007

It was fab! I want everyone who sees this to DONATE to
WATER AID.
I gave while at Glasto and plan to give more when I have the money. They do great work around the world and had the best toilets at Glastonbury.
She-Pees were the BEST!!


Who I saw (in no particular order, except memory): Guillemots, The Who, Billy Bragg, Amy Winehouse (curiosity only as I'd never actually pay to go to a full concert), Midival Primal, The Horror, Fab Freddy Drop, Paul Weller, Magic Numbers, Dirty Pretty Things, Gogol Bordello, some of Lily Allen, Bjork, Toumani Diamate, some of The Killers (this was an accident because they drive me to distraction and it was on the way to what I really wanted to hear), The Waterboys, some of Paolo Nutini (surprise wow).

I think that's all I heard over the 3 day of music. I really wanted to go to Shirley Bassey and Manic Street Preachers, but the mud slowed me down (and I really didn't want to see the Kaiser Chiefs), so that I got to the main stage just in time for The Who to start. Details about camping and mud and the wonders of she-peeing to come later. And I missed Fat Boy Slim. But can't remember why or how? *embarassed grin*



PART 2: ALL THE DETAILS
There was more to it than the She-Pees, but they were great and you should give to WaterAid. Yes, shameless promotion of a good NGO. Bite me. But donate first.
http://www.wateraid.org/uk/

Day 1 -- I missed my bus (coach), but 'the bus' was actually 5 buses and I was just put on another one. The traffic was as promised. It took us 5 hours to get there from London. The normal trip is 3.


I was meeting up with neighborhood people there who has already staked out our camping area the day before. Brixton represented at Glastonbury! We are grand. Luckily, it started to rain as I got off the bus, but only a little and then it stopped. I was able to pitch my tent borrowed from wryx10 (<3) on a dry green patch, then I wandered around. I received a call from my brother during which I had to remind him that I was in a farm pasture somewhere in England and going to see The Who in 3 days, so no I couldn't print and get notarized signatures on the legal papers that didn't arrive before I left.
I then turned off my mobile phone and walked to The Park a new section this year. As you can see, the grass was dry and green. I wore flip flops.


Of course there were the expected sights:


The next morning, I got out of my tent and looked around. This was the view:


Then the music started and the rain started with it. Nonetheless, I stomped along with the crowd for Gogol Bordello. They were my favorite performance of the whole weekend.


The sun did come out while they were performing but it started to rain again. Then stopped. Repeat for three more days.

At the end of the first day of music, I have the legendary wellie chaffing and bleeding. Fortunately, I'd brought along neosporin, liquid Band Aid, and a pair of M&S tights. I wore a short-ish skirt the rest of the time there, minimal splash-age, quick drying. Plus matched my wellies and cute (natch:).
After one more day, this is sort of what my leg looked like after using liquid band aid (a festival must I think) and wearing muddy on tights. The really dark stuff is the liquid band aid after a day or 2 in the dirt. My skin, of course, is clean. Sexy, I know.


Of course there weren't only She-Pees, there were urinals for men too. This was our view while waiting in line one day. A particularly handsome and jovial group of models, I think.


Paul Weller is hot and still rocks.


The mud got thicker and deeper. This is an abandoned boot.


I sought higher, quieter ground at the Stone Circle and went in search of the Joe Strummer memorial stone. I found this instead.


And the controversial Stonehenge installation by Banksy. It's made of discarded port-a-johns.


There was other art to be found as well.



Of course, I bought some really nice, normal (for me) clothes and a hat from one stall. No, I did not buy a jester hat.
There were many more bands to see, more mud and then I came home. By train, muddy and smelly, but ended up sitting next to a nice guy who actually lives in -- Brixton! (with his wife and kids) He gave me his Guardian (what else?) and helped me with my pack when they made us change trains.
When I got home, this is what my pants looked and wellies looked like. I got undressed outside my apartment door and that is where these are still. Yes, I wore these on the train. Yes, the man from Brixton was adorable and didn't care.




Now, a few final observations about the whole experience.

Best food deal: Tubs of YeoValley yogurt for 1 pound and they gave out free canvas bags.

My what-the-hell-were-they-thinking moments: People with baby strollers (prams). In. The. Mud. At a festival where you have to camp. Lots and lots of people with strollers. In. The. Mud. This should be banned, they should be required to use baby slings or backpacks. I only saw two(!!!!!) of these.

That is all.