The ex-Walkerites met at John and Carol’s for a late lunch, Chicken liver pate, cheese stuffed Pepperdews, followed by BBQed turkey and rounded off with Bread & Butter pudding . For the record there were, John & Carol, Steve & Rosemary, Peter & Janet, Chris & Ann, Nigel & Barbara, Robin & Tessa plus Stuart & Greta. Goodness, not even Christmas yet & already feeling full!
Category Archives: Entertainment
Pilton Party 2017
During the Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza I knew the Pilton Party tickets went on sale. While R and I were drinking at The Who’d A Thought It pub we saw the ticket office queue, snaking around the corner. After our drink, the queue was smaller. I joined and left with a ticket, cash only. Any tickets left over went on sale on Monday in the village of Pilton. The rest went on the Internet. None made it to the Internet, all tickets sold on the two days with no national advertising. It is supposed to be a local event.
On the Friday I drove down to Somerset, had lunch at the The Who’d A Thought It pub and then bought four special Torsy Moorsy fruit cakes from Burns the Bread. Headed over to Pilton and parked in the party car-park. Camping is not catered for, but there were a few vans, and overnight many cars were left in the car park. I parked next to another camper who had been at the Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza, and had been next door to us.
Walked up to the field where the event was held. It is near where the John Peel stage and The Wood is. (At least I think so.) It was all fenced off, bar food and stage. Somewhere like 4,000 people were expected, and the weather was lovely.
First on were two winners from the long-running Pilton Working Men’s Club ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition, UK:ID and Arcadia Roots. As you can see not many came to see UK:ID. A rap band with a woman singer who was very good. I saw a tweet which is asking for bands to audition for next year’s Pilton Party. Though Glastonbury is not running, the party is. Watch this space.
Next up on the line-up is the fabulous Declan McKenna, who won the Emerging Talent Competition in 2015. And finally topping the bill this year were the incredible Bastille, who were last in Pilton to play a triumphant set on the Other Stage at Glastonbury 2016. They also had played Leeds & Reading in 2017, where I saw them with Selina..
I have a few pictures of Michael Eavis, should have got a selfie with him. Was so close.
Back to the camper van where I slept, very noisy in the car park, the party seemed to go on there for a while. In the morning after a lie in, headed off to find some brunch at a cafe called Hartleys Kitchen. Its on a country industrial estate and seemed very popular with cyclists on a Saturday. Two groups, one with normal bikes, and another with the latest carbon bikes and SPDs.
Reading Festival 2017
First time I have participated in a music festival in a campervan. Rosemary had given me permission to take Van the Van to Reading festival. I am under no illusions though, permission was granted only because Selina was coming along with me (as the responsible adult)..
Friday
I picked Selina up after 9.30 and allowed Google Maps to navigate a route to the White Gate. Google took us down some very narrow and meandering roads. We arrived at the festival with hardly any traffic and checked into the campervan area. We were searched for glass and pineapples and then let through into the van area, where we parked next to a few other VWs. Once parked we walked for 20 plus minutes to the arena in time for the first band on the main stage.
I couldn’t find the real ale bar. Reading always has one, but all the usual locations were without craft beer. Late afternoon I spotted some people walking around with what looked like real ale. Accosted them and eventually found the bar. It was much larger than before and seemed well organised, but not at all busy. As the days passed more people found it and on the Saturday it was heaving with a queue.
Judas – Main Stage
A band recommended by a work colleague of Selina’s. Rock band in the old style. Gave a credible performance.
Mallory Knox – Main Stage
Josie Long – Reading Alternative
Rob Delaney – Reading Alternative
Circa Waves – Main Stage
Jimmy Eat World – Main Stage
Two Door Cinema Club – Main Stage
Bastille – Main Stage
Bastille played a stunning set, I will be seeing them again at the Pilton Party. The sun had set before Kasabian came on.
Kasabian – Main Stage
Kasabian are always good. The stadium filled with fans wearing the blue Leicester City footie shirts.
After the band had finished we made the mistake of leaving immediately and then getting lost and ending up where the silent disco was. Had to backtrack to find our way back to the campsite.
Saturday
A nice morning, and an examination of the other campers and motor homes around us. There was a huge double decker coach nearby with an electric cooker outside making breakfast. Some other campers thought the coach was a breakfast venue! We also had several people want to look at our van, they were part way through their conversions and were wondering if a popup roof would be useful. Here is Van the Van aka Morrison with his neighbours.
Wolf Alice – Festival Republic
Blaenavon – NME
The Pretty Reckless – Main Stage
Cabbage – NME
Migos – Main Stage
Bill Bailey – Reading Alternative
Korn – Main Stage
Turbowold – Pit
Group Love – Festival Republic
Major Lazer – Main Stage
Glass Animals – NME
Yes pineapples were in evidence despite the festival pineapple ban.
Eminem – Main Stage
Watched Eminem, not really my thing, as were Migos and Major Lazer.
When we left, we alas left with the crowd, went the correct way and ended up walking at a snail’s pace.
Sunday
Pins – Main Stage
Vant – Main Stage
Slotface – The Lock UP
Pond – NME
Flo and Joan – Reading Alternative
Katherine Ryan – Reading Alternative
Giggs – Main Stage
Blossoms – Main Stage
Liam Gallagher – Main Stage
Liam is rather a miserable person. The songs were good, and when the old Oasis songs were sung, the crowd responded.
Waiting for Liam Gallagher
Muse – Main Stage
A great show by Muse with fireworks coordinated with the music.
The third day we had learnt. We stayed on in the arena, had a late supper and then left when the crowds had gone. Back at the campsite we saw the double decker coach leave.
Sunday
Tea in beds (yes, we have two – one in the main body & one in the roof, where I was) at around 8.00am and then a quick pack up and away with very little traffic. The large double decker coach had left the night before. The camper campsite was beginning to look empty, but very tidy.
Pink Floyd and the Proms
Rosemary and I ventured into London on Chiltern Railways to go to the Proms. We travelled from Bicester with bargain prepaid tickets. Downside was that we arrived in London a little later than ideal and had to travel back home a little later than needed. The trials of cheap tickets. Rosemary also for the first time used her debit card to enter and exit the tube, while Steve used Android Pay on his mobile phone. Not sure what would have happened if the power had run out between entering and exiting the underground.
We did arrive in time to go to the V&A, bought tickets for the Pink Floyd exhibition, alas there was almost an hour wait before we could enter, leaving us with only 90 minutes to view the exhibition. We could have done with an extra 30 minutes to view comfortably, and I could imagine sitting on the floor in the exit hall for much longer listening to Pink Floyd. If you have not been, then I suggest you hurry up, it closes on the 1st October.
We then walked to the Royal Albert Hall and met with Valerie and Norman in the Vivaldi restaurant for supper before the Prom. Simon had booked the table and hoped to be along for desert, but he had been let out of rehearsals early and was able to order the main course with us. The service was smooth and quick, I suppose it has to be because most people eating there would not want to miss the start of the performance they had booked.
The Prom was very good (much to the surprise of my rock tastes) – Korngold’s “The Sea Hawk Overture” (you could hear Errol buckling his swash throughout), the specially commissioned “Sirens” from Hillborg and finishing with Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherade”. Simon sang in Sirens, which was highly innovative, the choir whispered, whistled, and clicked their fingers as well as sung. A brilliant treat and our thanks to Simon.
TRNSMT at Glasgow Green
There was no T in the Park this year (T is for Tennents the main sponsor). Something to do with Ospreys who nest near to the arena making it difficult to use the space. Restrictions including no fireworks. Instead there was a three-day festival in Glasgow on Glasgow Green, which is very near to the city centre. No camping of course, instead hotel accommodation, which of course doubled in price as soon as the festival was announced.
I travelled to Glasgow on the Thursday by Virgin Rail, first class with my Senior Railcard. Nice and quiet in first class, fed and amply watered with wine. I arrived in the evening, checked into my Lenny Henry hotel, and then went out for a rather nice meal at an Italian restaurant.
Friday
Friday was the first day of the music festival. Fifteen-minute walk to the west entry of the arena. Despite the warnings of large crowds, long queues and long waits, entry was in a couple of minutes. Armed police in evidence at the gate, we were all patted down. Drugs sniffer dogs were the next obstacle. Inside the arena there were lots of uniformed police and quite a few coppers in disguise.
There were four music venues, three very small and one large main stage. I spent most of my time at the main stage, except when refilling with food and drink. There I typically sat at the old peoples’ tables near to the Jacks Rocks stage, eating and chatting. Usual fare of cider, lager and wine and a very nice Thai food outlet with a reasonably warm green curry.
I watched Rag N Bone Man, London Grammar and Radiohead. Radiohead were the headliners and played all the favourites. They though did not interact with the crowd one bit, and for those not near to the stage there was no way to see them. The stage screens did not have close shots of the artists, but instead a psychedelic screen show. This had also been complained about by other critics after their Glastonbury show. The music was good though.
Leaving the event was fast, and I was soon back at the hotel.
I didn’t dress properly for the weather, it did not rain, was cloudy but cool. The hotel had confused me, I had been wearing my thick long-sleeved Fat Face top and was sweating profusely. The weather forecast said no rain, so I stripped down to a short-sleeved T shirt. It didn’t rain, but by the end of the day I was a trifle cold. It was good to get back into a warm bed. One issue with the venue is they hold you hostage for the day at their inflated drink and food prices. You cannot leave and come back in. No re-entry.
Saturday
Saturday, it was a lovely cloudless day, though not warm. Plenty of sunscreen was called for. This time I did wear my long-sleeved top. Today I saw Stormzy, a rap singer who had rapturous applause at Glastonbury. He worked so well with the crowd, putting Radiohead’s performance to shame. Was well worth watching. I saw some of Kooks, and George Ezra. I have been disappointed in some live shows with George, where the mixing is totally wrong. You go to hear his voice, not the band. TRNSMT got the mixing about right. I missed Catfish and the Bottlemen, but returned for the Kasabian show. Again, an excellent performance.
Saturday had been a sell-out, and the crowds were huge. The bars had huge queues even before getting into the normal bar queue. The toilets were similarly congested. The patriarchy rules OK and the men had no queuing, The urinals are large plastic tanks with four peeing positions around the tank. You stand facing each other, peeing into plastic urinals over the tank and talking to each other. These loos though are totally open to public view and are placed around the site. So it was odd seeing men in view from the waist up talking to each other and peeing into urinals. Odd on two counts, including the talking bit when at a urinal.
Saturday ended well. I was elated and tired when I was back at the hotel. Straight to bed
Sunday
Today rain had been predicted, and yes there was rain. Not hard. It had cleared up by the time I had left the hotel. I took my poncho which I did put on when the light drizzle returned. Not too bad, not enough to spoil the event. Later in the evening it dried up so I could remove the poncho for the final gig where I wanted to get to the mosh pit. (A newspaper described the rain as torrential, fake news.)
Crowds were far less today, at my first drink there were no queues and I spent some time chatting with the bar worker from Sierra Leone. She said how most of the drinkers were OK, but there were some abusive and racist people in the queues on Saturday.
Watched the Blossoms from Manchester who played and looked very much like a hippy 70s band. Very refreshing. Next up for me was a band called Two Door Cinema Club from Northern Ireland. Again, a good live session with plenty of interaction with the crowd.
Now we had The 1975 from Manchester, a band I have already seen at T in the Park. The lead singer Matty, (son of Denise Welch and Tim Healy). Matty plays smoking a cigarette (I was told he pays the venue to do so), also looking as if he is high on drugs. His disposition and eye-shadowed look reminded me very much of Richie from the Manic Street Preachers. Now I understand why, when I read WikiPedia and found the name ‘The 1975’ was inspired by scribblings found on the back page of a poetry book by Jack Kerouac that stated “1 June, The 1975”. The Manics were Kerouac fans. It was a superior performance, and they now they have a couple of albums out.
Finally, Biffy Clyro, who I had missed in Reading thinking they were some girly band. Oh how wrong I was, full-on Rock Music. I went down close to the front to watch them. Great rock and roll and great interaction with the crowd. Finished off with a short and explosive firework display.
Back at the hotel had a celebratory drink in the hotel bar, including a dram of Talisker.
Monday
Took the Virgin Train back to London. Was wondering why I went to London and did not go to Milton Keynes. When I got home and checked prices for discounted tickets, it became evident that it was cheaper to go from London and not from Milton Keynes. Why?
Glastonbury 2017
Glastonbury 2017 was greeted with great expectations. There had been a long period of dry weather during the build up to the festival. The few days before there had been a heat wave with temperatures in the 30s. The weather forecast predicted no more than a couple of millimetres of rain. I set off early on Wednesday, did some Tesco shopping for drinks and arrived at Love Fields with hardly a car on the way.
Collected my Glastonbury EPO wrist band (Easy Pass Out) from Love Fields and made my way into the festival. The EPO wrist band means you do not need to show a ticket and re-entry pass when you go in or out. It is fast as it also bypasses the queues. Most volunteers get these bands. The other neat thing I found with the EPO was that it enabled me to enter some of the back stage bars when I was accompanied by my friends who were working at the festival. I was also helped by my Love Fields band which matched the colour of their bands.
Wednesday
The Wednesday was hot, and you heard cheers from the crowds when a fleeting cloud covered the sun for a few moments. Wednesday was a getting-acclimatised-day. I met up with Ed, Bob and Mary for a pint on the Park area just after sunset. and we all watched the fireworks. We then made our way to Avalon, going through the closed barriers where the one way system had just been started (EPO band working) and had a few cocktails in the Avalon backstage bar (EPO band and Lovefields band). Really quiet oasis from the madding crowds around us. Cocktails were good as well.
Thursday
Thankfully it was cooler from now on, with the occasional very light drizzle. Today spent most of the day exploring in the circus /theatre/acoustic/Green Fields area. Also spent an hour trying to Salsa at Glasto Latino. Not a success, but fun. The evening was spent in the South East corner where I saw Napalm Death play, and Son Yambu.
Friday
The first full day of Glastonbury. I saw Confidence Man at Williams Green, then watched Lucy Kitt at the Acoustic Stage, apparently Ed Balls was in the crowd. The crowd was small so I am surprised I did not see him. Spent some time looking at and filming the people and acts in the Theatre and Circus area. Then on to The Other Stage. Late evening spent some time in Shangri-La, The Common, Block G, Unfairground and Glasto Latino, so missing out on Radiohead. Just before dawn, I walked over to The Park and had a beer at the bar. Watched the sun rising. Not a spectacular event, there was a very light drizzle and the night just got slowly lighter. Amazed at the number of people who asked when the sun was going to rise, it had already risen an hour before. Maybe that is the result of living in cities.
Saturday
Walked over to The Wood. Never been there before, an oasis of ponds, trees and paths. There were some Moorhens being aggressive to their chicks. Rushed back to the acoustic stage to meet Ed and Mary. Later Jeremy Corbyn was on at The Pyramid Stage, and then came over to The Left Field stage where he spoke for an hour. I listened to his longer speech at the Left Field. Then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching the headliners on The Pyramid Stage, finished with an excellent set from the Foo Fighters
Sunday
More band watching finishing with Ed Sheeran on the main stage. Ed and Mary had been let off their stewarding duties, so I met them at The Wood bar. Arrived just as it closed. They thought of trying the John Peel back stage bar as it had some good reports. We arrived and entered easily. There was music there, including the organiser of the John Peel tent area playing and singing. We then moved on to the Silver Hayes bar where we stayed until 6ish. I walked back to Love fields, getting there at 7.00. for some recovery time.
Monday
It was peculiar watching people leaving the Glastonbury site for home site at 5 am in the morning, they were in total silence. They all must have been feeling sad because they were leaving after a dry and superb Glastonbury .
Jeremy Corbyn at the Left Field
On the 24th June 2017 Jeremy Corbyn spoke first at the Pyramid Stage and then at the Left Field stage. This is his full speech at the Left Field stage. Sound only.
The South East Corner (aka the Naughty Corner)
Glastonbury 2017 #Glastonbury2017 #Glasto2017 The naughty corner, the south east corner, shangri-la, block 9, the common, the unfair ground. Napalm Death, STEVE IGNORANT’S SLICE OF LIFE
Circus, Theatre and Cabaret
Starting with a view of the circus field from Love Fields above pedestrian gate C. I quick amble through the theatre and circus field sees all sorts of entertainment.
Napalm Death at the Truth Stage
Napalm Death playing at Glastonbury 2017 on the Truth stage, Thursday afternoon.
Glasto Latino with Son Yambu
Son Yambu playing at Glasto Latino on Thursday evening
Confidence Man
Confidence Man played Williams Green on Friday
Lucy Kitt
Glastonbury 2017 Lucy Kitt at the Acoustic Stage. Apparently Ed Balls was here as well.
Halsey
Halsey playing the Other stage at Glastonbury 2017. Loved the inflatable balls at the end.
John Peel backstage and in the wood
Various cuts from the glade, the park, the wood and finally backstage at the John Peel stage. Jim Fox the organiser of the John Peel stage singing on the Sunday night.
The end
King Crimson at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Months ago I ordered a ticket to see King Crimson at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. This was the start of their tour where they are playing their music from the 70s The first two dates were at Aylesbury, put on by the Friars Club. (There was an earlier private event at the Waterside the day before.) The reason for the first UK tour dates being hosted by Friars was Kings Crimson’s long association with them.
Well the day came, and I remembered the gig, still sitting at home, almost an hour after it had started. I was gutted. Luckily there were still a few good tickets available the next day, and more importantly I was given permission to go and see King Crimson. Arrived at Aylesbury in plenty of time, time to have a pint at the Farmers Bar in the Kings Head where there were some drinkers waiting to see King Crimson, and others who had been the day before.
Back to the theatre, King Crimson merchandise purchased and then into the theatre. What a sight – three drum sets at the front of the stage.
What an evening. The set of three drums was phenomenal, the way they interacted. The encore, brought tears to my eyes. All the music was familiar King Crimson. The encore of The Court of the Crimson King and 21st Century Schizoid Man sealed a great evening.
The Play List
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part One
One More Red Nightmare
VROOOM
Suitable Grounds for the Blues
Radical Action (To Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind)
Meltdown
Hell Hounds of Krim
Easy Money
The ConstruKction of Light
(Part One only, no vocals)
Level Five
Epitaph
Interlude
The Talking Drum
Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Part Two
Starless
Encore
Devil Dogs Of Tessellation Row
The Court of the Crimson King
21st Century Schizoid Man
My T shirt
King Crimson Tee Shirt, The Back
King Crimson Tee Shirt, The Front
Julius Caesar at the Globe Theatre
The Julius Caesar puppet show.
Rosemary and I went to The Globe Theatre to watch the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar. Travelled down by coach with a group of thespian groupies from Dinton for an evening performance. We drank our G&Ts & Pims and ate our supper on the coach ride down, arriving in plenty of time. While waiting to take our seats, we were were entertained by a puppet show about Julius Caesar conquering the Gauls, very much spoken in Baldric style. (Don’t tell the organiser of the trip, but this to me was more fun and livelier than the actual play.)
The Julius Caesar puppet show outside The Globe Theatre
We had pretty good seats at the centre front of The Globe. I have to admit the cheap standing area at the bottom looked fun, where some of the acting took place amongst the audience., although standing for over 2 hours might have been a tad tedious. There was plenty of fake blood and Romans throwing themselves on the swords in pure Shakespearean theatre.
Selfie looking into The Globe Theatre. Note am dressed up (ie have shirt on).
The weather managed to stay clement for most of the performance, with the predicted rain appearing an hour late to drizzle in the last few minutes of the show. We were seated under cover. Afterwards quick walk back to the coach and home.
The Globe Theatre looks a little incongruous set near to the Tate Modern and dwarfed by the modern expensive flats that surround it on all sides other than the river.
Glastonbury Festival 2013
Well I made Glastonbury 2013, my sixth Glastonbury, the last four all in a row, This time I arrived on Wednesday evening, driving up from Bournemouth where I had been working. Arrived at 7 to a nice sunny evening, pitched my tent in a quiet spot and met up with Ed for a few pints.
Weather wise it rained on Thursday evening and most of the night, and cleared up for a lovely festival weekend.
Bands I saw all the head lines on the Pyramid stage, Arctic Monkeys, Rolling Stones and Mumford and Sons. Other bands to remember were Nick Cave, and Vampire Weekend. The rest of the weekend was a bit of a haze.
Alice Cooper
Selina and I drove to the Birmingham NIA to see Alice Cooper on his world wide tour. We arrived at the NIA in plenty of time despite dire warnings from Rosemary. We had standing tickets so were able to rock with the music. It was amazing to see the attire of some in the audience, lots of Halloween costumes and killer nurse outfits.
First on were the New York Dolls they started slow, but warmed up to a reasonable set by the end of their slot. Then it was the turn of Alice Cooper. Yes all the usual hits and the odd new song. He wore a jacket saying New Song when he performed one. The drummer came in for some shouts of praise during his solo which was some of the fastest drumming I have seen or heard. The show was themed on No More Mister Nice Guy. Set had Frankenstein, a Guillotine and several mock killings. Seems Alice Copper is well on his way to being a born again Christian.
Something I have not seen before was the ability to buy a recording of the gig on CD as you leave the show. Two CDs recorded, and a blank disk for you to download the Encore set.