Let's overturn these tables, disconnect these cables...

  

Tony Bennett picture from TV coverage - Bob Dylan picture from Phil Turner

...this place don't make sense to me no more

Sunday: As is traditional Sunday got off to the strains of the Glastonbury Town Brass Band. Breakfast was taken within earshot of the Jazz stage where we heard Dr. Didg playing. As we headed back to the tent we caught the last song from Steve Earle, a favourite of mine who wasn't at his best today. Select magazine had confirmed the bad news - as suspected Bob Dylan and Dr. John were on at the same time. Although I had missed Dr. John in 1984 due to a similar experience to last nights and I had seen Bob Dylan 8 times already there was no contest - it had to be Zimmie!

After heading back to the tent and listening to a bit of Space we set off down to the main stage to catch Tony Bennett. To be honest I had never heard him sing before, but I realised he was a legend and you don't pass up the chance to see a legend. Val was keen to sit outside the tent and listen but after missing Robbie Williams yesterday I wanted to go down and see him. It was worth it, Tony held the crowd in the palm of his hand for nearly an hour. The crowd were chanting "Tony, Tony" and you could tell by the look on his face he was genuinely impressed. Funny how all of his songs were about rain and on the day it didn't rain. In fact this was fast becoming a problem! The lack of rain was allowing the mud to dry as it did last year and the whole site was becoming a massive sticky mess. progress anywhere on the site was very, very slow. We saw a bit of Sonic Youth but wandered off after a while.

We didn't find out until much later that my brother had already headed home. He had to be at work early on Monday morning and when they took their stuff to the car and saw the state of the car park they decided to go there and then.

Sometimes in life everything comes together like your favourite performer playing your favourite festival and that's what happened this afternoon. Bob Dylan was there on the stage at Glastonbury for us. Bob had made the TV people turn off the screens so as we were quite a way back we could just see a dot on the horizon - not quite as bad as Blackbushe Airport where I was at the wrong end of a 250,000 strong audience but bad enough. Bob had attracted a huge crowd - after all you don't miss a legend do you? We had to put up with cries of "Show us yer face Bob" during the set but he did turn in a fine performance including Senor and Cocaine my personal highlights. At one point Bob announced "Playing this festival is like a dream come true" but he didn't specify if this was for us or him! He played for 70 minutes which included 2 encores the last of which was "Blowin' in the wind" . Afterwards we thought about dashing over to see Dr. John but with the crowd and the mud we were never going to make it. Bob Dylan picture - source unknown

After Dylan we sort of lost interest a bit - after all once you've seen the best what is left? Well on this occasion there was Nick Cave - who was crap again and Pulp. We retired to our tent to rest our aching legs and listened to Nick Cave and we would have stayed there if we hadn't had the munchies. We wandered down to the market and bought some doughnuts and listened to Pulp as we went. When they played their hits they were very enjoyable but otherwise they were dull. By the time they had finished we were almost back to our tent and we were soon off in the land of nod after a very tiring weekend.

Last Mud of 1998

Monday: We were woken up by the sound of tents being taken down. I turned over and opened my eyes and was surprised to see the sky! During the night someone had ripped through the outer and inner tent with a knife; inches above my head. "Oh my God" I shouted and woke Val up. We quickly checked around the tent and discovered nothing had gone. We lay back down and a horrible thought went through my mind. I quickly opened the front of the tent but thankfully our boots were still there. Imagine having to walk back to the car in your socks - yuck!!

We took the tent down and headed to the car park. We looked around the debris and wondered if we'd ever come again. This had been our tenth and possibly last Glastonbury. We put our stuff in the car and put on clean clothes and boots for the first time in days. had to get someone to push us off the field on to the road. Once on the road we slipped and slithered our way down to the exit and off we went to Glastonbury Village for Breakfast.

Is this the way they say the future's meant to feel?

..... or just 20,000 people standing in a field

part 2 |         

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All Photographs © Kevin Shewan