The Longest Day
Happy Summer Solstice, y’all.
The Street Performance World Championship is currently on in Dublin, so that’s how I’ll be spending Midsummers Day this year. There’s some good weather forecast and the park in Merrion Square is a lovely place to spend a sunny day — even without the promise of a free festival. Eight stages and an extremely eclectic line-up. Like any festie, it’ll be hit and miss I’m sure, but I’m also sure that there’ll be some gems to be discovered and — as I say — it’s a nice location to spend a summer afternoon. If you’re in Dublin, why not get down there?
Speaking of festivals, it looks like the weather will be good for Glastonbury this year (if the long-range forecast is to be believed). The line-up is excellent and really makes me wish I’d gotten some tickets. I’m still planning on one last Glastonbury (perhaps next year?) It was one of the most important dates in my calendar for a decade and I always had a blast. Except for the last one. The last time I went to Glastonbury, it was a disaster… both in terms of the weather and from a personal point of view (things were starting to get a bit grim in my life at the time). So I want to return for one last hurrah. End my relationship with Glastonbury Festival on a high note.
My tip for this year, if you’re going to be there, and assuming they don’t clash with one of your favourites — is to check out Lamb on the Jazz/World Stage on Friday afternoon. Always good live.
And of course, if you’re there and don’t make your way to the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night, then you really don’t know what’s good for you…
My tip for this year is Spinal fucking Tap, matey. Spinal Tap!
Also, Specials followed by Neil Young.
Sunday afternoon, Madness on the pyramid stage. They seem to come second only to Bob Marley for the most universal music. I mean it in the sense of not just stuff that people don’t mind but music that everybody really loves.
Taking two-tone, the first British multicultural music, but giving it that music hall element that the English have to have (even a pioneering work like Sgt Peppers is full of that). And they’ve got one of the rare repertoires where they can do an hour and a half of solid classics everyone loves.
50,000 people in a field skanking like loons in the sunshine. i wouldn’t be anywhere else.
See you down the front next year Jimbo.
June 22nd, 2009 | 12:59am
by merrick