Glastonbury

The Park

New to Glastonbury this year is The Park area. It is the Festival's latest stage with vibrant bars and markets, and also promises a silent disco and a fully operational Ark. Photographers Stone and Alison Merriman took some pictures on the opening day of Glastonbury 2007 to give you your first chance to see this stunning addition to the Festival, including some unfamilar views of the old site's two main stages. Join them for a stroll through The Park...

Guillemots, Pyramid Stage

So, the Guillemots' magic carpet-ride descends on Glastonbury. And it’s pouring with rain. But it’s ok, because they’re joined by brightly-coloured carnival dancers - on stilts! And, after all, if any live band are capable of raising the spirits of hungover folk ankle-deep in mud, it’s this lot. Main man Fyfe Dangerfield suggests we "make love in the mud" – practicalities aside, a great idea, cheers – before launching into the gorgeous ‘Made-Up Lovesong’. Spirits duly begin to rise.

The Go! Team, Other Stage

When Coca Cola tried to teach the world to sing they failed. But, when The Go! Team go-go for it, the world sings with them – and dances despite the rain. From the moment of musical inception to the last tangoed mud-splash, these internationally assembled super-fun surfers gave a performance to experience near-death to - a kind of musical la petite mort of the soul.

Main Stages Gallery Part 3

The next sequel in the Main Stages Gallery saga is now available, including Shirley Bassey, The Go! Team, James Morrison, The Who and much, much more...

Click on the link above to view.

Stone's Permaculture Gardens Gallery

One of my 'best kept secrets' of Glasto - I can be so elitist for a hippy at times! - is the Permaculture Gardens. You can reach them by walking along the old railway near the Glade, closing your eyes tightly, splashing your wellies in the cleanest puddle you can find and repeating thrice: "Bloody-hell-I-could-do-with-a-sit-down-and-a-nice-cuppa-chai-somewhere-not-quite-so-muddy." As if by magic, you'll find yourself sliding down a little enchanted track into the horticultural haven of herbacious harmony that is the Permaculture Gardens.

Stone's Strummerville Gallery

Photographer, Stone - aka Royston Naylor - is a Glastonbury veteran who has been taking pictures of the Festival for nearly 20 years. The official Festival website invited Stone to submit a series of galleries, cataloguing his unique view of Glastonbury in his very own words and pictures... And here's what he gave us.

Elvis McGonagall's Further Verses

Not content with bending poetic ears onsite, the Festivals official website poet in residence, Elvis McGonagall has been reflecting on his visit to this year's Glastonbury and produced a further round of poems, inspired without the embrocation of cider - or so he says!

Come and Meet Your Jewish Mother

If you run out of money at Glastonbury and have worked up an appetite dragging your weary body and heavy boots through sticky, claggy mud there’s a new place to get fed for free. Seasoned Pilton regulars know where the Hari Krishna tent is at Glasto (if you don’t its just to the side of the Glade… there’s always an expectant, usually young and skinny, queue). So you could get fed twice and do a bit of speed-religion.

Bassline Circus, Theatre and Circus

Circus conjures up so many pre-conceptions but the Bassline Circus breaks most of these. I’ve seen them before a few times in East London but their daily show at 6.30 in the big red top was the tightest and best I’ve yet seen. The packed crowd was a little disconcerted at first because the action moves around the space and the standing audience are cleverly herded around it.

Willy Mason, Park Stage

Derren and Clair, a married couple from Northants, are having a bit of trouble describing the appeal of Willy Mason: ‘I don’t know,’ says Derren, ‘…um… he’s just Willy Mason isn’t he?’

Festival Website Artist Gallery

Festival website artist, Dani Cheung has been climbing through the mud and mayhem of this year's Glastonbury searching for those one off moments of the muse to bring back for you enjoyment.

Please click on the link above to view Dani's pictures...

Festival Website Artist Gallery

Festival website artist, Dani Cheung has been climbing through the mud and mayhem of this year's Glastonbury searching for those one off moments of the muse to bring back for you enjoyment.

Please click on the link above to view Dani's pictures...

Poetry & Words Review 2007

If Glastonbury Festival is renowned for the brilliance and diversity of its artistes, then the Poetry and Words tent lived up to the reputation. As one of the performers it was an honour to hear and see some of the finest wordsmiths around. The weekend began with a introduction from Dennis Gould and from there the audience were taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions, finding themselves mesmerised...

Iggy & The Stooges, Other Stage

The Stooges aren’t for the cerebral, or for the creative, they’re for the filthy animals who choose to be uncivilised because it’s more fun that way. Theirs is a tribal, primeval noise that twists the insides of your guts until you scream

The Who, Pyramid Stage

Is Pete Townsend a prophet and did he really write a song about the internet in 1971? Well, he seems convinced of his nightmarish vision, and I daresay there’s a lot of people intending to Google the lyrics tomorrow and dig out that old copy of ‘Other Songs’ so that they can establish whether 'Relay' really is a disturbingly accurate vision of the information superhighway...

Elvis McGonagall's Saturday Poems

Two poems from the Saturday of the Festival by glastONline Poet in Residence Elvis McGonagall, covering the trials of choosing what band to see and more...

Please click on the link above to read more...

Elvis McGonagall's First Glasto Poems

Glastonbury Festival's official website this year commissioned performance poet Elvis McGonagall to write poems celebrating Glastonbury Festival in all it's joy and mayhem. Below are the first few, covering everything from mud to the Arctic Monkeys. More poems will follow in the next couple of days, along with film of Elvis performing them on the Webteam bus.

Main Stages Gallery Part 2

In part 2 we have a further feast of live images from the Festival photographers at Glastonbury 2007.

Click on the link above to view.

Arctic Monkeys, Pyramid Stage

Billed as the biggest gig of the Artic Monkeys' steep climb to stardom, it would have been easy to fire all the usual question marks about whether this chance had come to soon. But for me this was never in question once they took the stage. Headlining the Pyramid stage you come to expect the thousands of onlookers to sing verse after verse back at their idols, but what I couldn’t believe was that this...

Chumbawamba, Avalon Stage

It’s a depleted and possibly a little downhearted Chumbawamba who carry out their sound check in front of a sparse crowd at the Avalon stage. By the time they step up to perform though, the tent is full and everybody’s happy. “Blimey! Where did you lot come from?” beams Jude. So there’s no Alice, Danbert (unless he’s lost some weight and gained some hair), Dunstan or Harry but the old Chumbawamba attitude is still there.

Adjagas, Pyramid Stage

It's 10.40, Saturday 22nd June. First band on the Pyramid stage today, Adjagas. The rain started moments before the performance. Six Norwegians stepped out to an expectant soggy crowd. What had they brought? Lead singer Lawra Somby took the initiative to open the set. While the other band members remained silent, Lawra began to hum. The hum rolled into a low rythmic groan, remniscent of some form of Native American folk music. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Mr. Somby had transformed into a human didjeridoo. Gradually the pitch spiked upwards, Lawra began pacing.

Amy Winehouse, Pyramid Stage

The sun and the crowds came out twice for Amy Winehouse at Glastonbury this year, on both the Pyramid and Jazz World stages. It’s not surprising that Amy Winehouse won the Best British Female Artist this year. She is a seriously talented artist. I have heard so many people incredulous that such a powerful voice can come from such a petite woman, and boy, she delivered the goods, not once but twice in one day. Crowds waded through swamps in the rain to watch the North London lady perform on the Pyramid Stage at 3’o clock on Saturday. The crowd at the Pyramid stage was bigger than I have ever seen it on a rainy afternoon, as her star has risen and her chart topping second album Back to Black, released in 2006, has become a classic, if that is possible in 9 months.

Kasabian, Pyramid Stage

"This means more than anything, it really does" declares Tom Meighan to a crowd that has been in the palm of his hand since he and the rest of the Kasabian collective sashayed onstage, cocksure and ready for conquest. "Glastonbury is the best in the world".  Despite the ten inch mud puddles, a brief glance across the sprawling crowd dotted with anything from national flags to inflatable birds, back to the Pyramid stage flashing incessantly against the backdrop of a glorious sunset, validates his claim. Meighan’s frontman shoes are a perfect fit and, although the vocal line is regularly taken up by statuesque bassist Serge, it is hard to draw your eyes away from the singer, who prances across the stage grinning deliriously.

Soweto Kinch, Jazz World Stage

Telling tales of your hometown can sometimes descend into the territory of being good at impressions of your teacher; no one but your closest friends will appreciate your stunning wit and repartee. Thus it’s a sign of just how good Birmingham-based saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch is that he can spin yarns packed with insightful social observations and raw punchy beats...

The New Pornographers, John Peel Stage

A lot of American bands get a lukewarm reception in the UK – usually because they lack the ability to excite the crowd with their banter. The New Pornographers are a fine example of this trend, which is probably why they haven’t yet made it past cult status. This is a shame for a band with so many catchy, heart-felt tunes – most of which were reeled off in characteristically understated fashion on the John Peel Stage on Friday afternoon.

Rufus Wainwright, Other Stage

I’m always surprised to see Rufus Wainwright on the bill at Glastonbury – he really doesn’t seem like the festival type. Nevertheless it’s two years in a row on the Other Stage for Rufus, who once again would take the award for best dressed performer, if there was one. After being played onto the stage by his equally well decked out band, he appeared wearing a red and white striped suit...

Blog from the Pyramid Backstage

Sometimes events unfold too quickly to take them all in. So, I’m making my way back to camp with my dinner under my arm and there’s Dizee Rascal talking to street illusionist Dynamo. “Pretty cool”, I think to myself. Then before you can say ‘photo opportunity’, I’m nearly run over by an errant Pete Doherty...

Other Venues Gallery

Beyond the larger main stages at Glastonbury exist an expanding myriad of other venues with equally excellent performers, artists and exponents of extraordinaire. Our official website photographers toured Worthy Farm throughout the Festival to bring you the very best images of all those places beyond the Pyramid.

Click on the link above to see more...

Mark Ronson, John Peel Stage

It was a battle to go and see Mark Ronson. Not because of the artist but because I was welcomed with the biggest turnout for an act on John Peel Stage I had seen all weekend. I’m familiar with Ronson from his cover of Radiohead’s ‘Just’. But of course with such a musical family and background he is awesome in so many areas of musical taste.

Mark Ronson, Dance East

Putting on Mark Ronson in Dance East sounded like a potentially risky manoeuvre: the man is one of the golden boys of the music industry, but nobody over here has really experienced his DJing, and considering that you’re most likely to find him spinning at P Diddy’s latest party, how would he go down in a massive dance tent full of ravers craving processed beats and electronic noises?

The Mud Game

It's long been said that humans and pigs share an awful lot of things in common, so once set free from the shackles of everyday life, a man and his mud pit can only resist temptemption for so long. Intrepid official website photographer, Holly Dickenson, got as close to the action as she dare for this stunning series of images portraying that great Glastonbury sport, The Mud Game.

The Kate Moss Crowd

Has anyone else noticed a larger than usual number of people wearing sunglasses at this year’s Festival? Last time I checked the sun was nowhere to be seen, yet strolling towards the Other Stage on Saturday afternoon I was faced by a sea of eyeless zombies. Everyone, it seems, just has to be seen wearing their enormous Ray Bans/Chanel/Gucci shades at Glastonbury.

Pete Doherty, The Park Stage

As the bedraggled crowd struggle through the festering mud of The Park curious at the prospect of seeing Glastonbury’s worst kept secret, ‘special guest’ Pete Doherty, the compere announces: “Pete will hopefully be on stage in 20 minutes.” Hopefully – he doesn’t sound convinced. But then there’s always an element of uncertainty...

Chemical Brothers, Other Stage

The Chemical Brothers are the Daddies, the Bosses, the Big Kahunas, the Top Bananas, the King Prawns, of electronic music. They’ve been bopping so long that, in dance music years, (like dog years but accelerated by a trillion due excessive exposure to strobe light and chemical stimulants) they’re actually about 753, should have shares in Tenna Lady, and by rights should be snuggled in bed strapped to their catheter...

Mutoid Waste, Theatre and Circus

Mutoid Waste has hosted the Circus Field, otherwise know as Trash City, for the past few years, which is partly why it is hosting so many talents that have emerged from the free party/ traveller scene (the NYC Downlow and Bassline Circus to name a couple). Famous for their illegal parties in the 1980’s , they were also renowned for their Mad Max style huge welded sculptures. They chopped up and utilized other people’s scrap...

Arcade Fire, Other Stage

When Arcade Fire emerged onto the Other Stage on Friday night, it was to a highly expectant Glastonbury audience. Almost everyone at the Festival had turned up for a look at one of the most unusual and original bands around. Those who know the Arcade Fire’s two hit albums – Funeral and Neon Bible will not have been disappointed. Those who didn’t might have wondered what the fuss was about as the opening songs...

Patrick Wolf, John Peel Stage

By the time Patrick Wolf tumbles onstage after a delayed start, the crowd at the John Peel Stage are restless and impatient. Yet fortunately for Wolf, most of his fans are devoted obsessives, so the moment he’s glimpsed in his red lederhosen all belated beginnings are forgotten and the audience cry out in excitement. Opening his Glasto performance with a couple of tracks from recent album The Magic Position, Wolf demonstrates his acute musicality supported by a band comprised of a wind, woodwind and percussion section as well as wailing female backing singer.

Babyshambles, Other Stage

Perhaps Pete Doherty is the last really great pointless rock star. He’s a paradox. He doesn’t make sense. He does everything wrong, and yet it all works out for him and Babyshambles. Fair enough, he has many folk looking after him, limiting the damage, tidying up the mess and sheltering him from the fall-out, so very little can be truly regarded as blind luck, but he ain’t dead yet, despite being a perfect example of what not to do...

Bloc Party, Pyramid Stage

So, how are these songs of urban claustrophobia going to translate to the vast green (well, brown) fields of Glastonbury? Well, judging by the size of Kele Okereke’s smile alone, just fine. Bloc Party are determined to make this special - not least because bassist Gordon’s the birthday boy; tens of thousands sing him a chorus of ‘happy birthday’ he’ll never forget. In return, the band give us an extra-spiky ‘Like Eating Glass’, a beautiful ‘This Modern Love’...

The Klaxons, Other Stage

"This is really emotional for us, we met at Glastonbury three years ago," reminisces James Klaxon as the troublesome, tripped-up threesome stare wide-eyed over the captivated crowd, grinning like mischievous schoolboys in a joke shop. Klaxons are clearly ecstatic to be here, and the rapidly swelling crowd is equally delighted. These being the self-proclaimed founders, rulers, and wreck-heads of nu-rave...

KT Tunstall, Acoustic Tent

With more than half an hour to go before KT Tunstall was due to start her Sunday night on the Acoustic Stage there was parent-pram warfare at the far end of the field, as far too many people tried to force their way past the Kid’s Field and up the hill towards the tiny tent. With four radio A-list hit singles under her belt there can’t be many people at Glastonbury who haven’t heard of Ms Tunstall. Perhaps that’s why I had trouble getting anywhere near...

Keith James, Acoustic Stage

Below the neon knotted navel of the Acoustic Stage Tent, Keith James lulled through a collection of songs by the late, great and missed by many, Nick Drake. While James is a devoted fan of Drake there was no real pretence in his homage, no carbon copy mimicry of Drake’s voice.  The material featured in the set came from James’s 2003 album The Songs of Nick Drake...

Beirut, Jazz World Stage

New York meets New Mexico ensemble, Beirut, spilled onto the Jazz World stage early on Sunday evening with a mass of marching brass. The fanfare eventually subsided, allowing 20-year-old lead singer Zach Condon’s indecipherable wail to emerge along with a couple of ukuleles and an accordion. Glastonbury was about to be treated to a shambolically splendid dose of Balkan gypsy folk...

Moments of Sunshine

Intrepid glastONline photographers Cyril Laffort, Clive Farndon and Alison Merriman braved serious amounts of mud at the 2007 Festival and found a few inspired moments of sun and sunny dispositions; proof, if any were really needed, that it takes a lot more than mud to put people off their stride at Glastonbury.

Cold War Kids, Other Stage

The Cold War Kids opened their Sunday afternoon set with relentless and unapologetically immense keyboard chords, thumping bass-heavy drums and mean guitars which did not let up on us at all during the following hour. Their sound is intense, meaty and energetic indie rock at its best – with a welcome bluesy edge to lead singer Nathan Willett’s vocals...

Shirley Bassey, Pyramid Stage

Today, as the glorious Dame Shirley Bassey ascended the stage to rapturous applause from a vast audience, the Pyramid Stage became the Hollywood Bowl, the tattered ponchos tuxedos, the cider champagne, and the mud marble. At the risk of sounding like a gushy glammed-up drag queen, the Dame is, quite simply, fabulous. Bedecked in a glimmering hot pink diamante (or more likely diamond studded) ball gown, and backed by a brilliantly brassy big band, Shirley Bassey owned the Pyramid Stage...

Hiromi’s Sonic Bloom, Jazz World

Japanese pianist Hiromi had flown in especially from New York to play on the Jazz World stage for her first major UK festival appearance. A virtuoso of the very highest order, her style combines her childhood classical and jazz studies with a modern rock, funk and dance influences to create a very 21^st century take on jazz fusion. There are few bands in quite the same league as her newly dubbed Sonic Bloom quartet featuring the extremely talented Tony Grey on bass, Dave "Fuze" Fiuczynski on guitar and Martin Valihora on drums.

The Hours, John Peel Stage

It’s a heaving John Peel tent for The Hours. The sun’s even breaking through outside and, as The Hours enter stage right, resplendent in red shirts, Ant screams an excited “Hallelujah!” as the clapping and chanting begins in earnest. “I love you more than my record collection… I love you more than my football team…” Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have the band that Thirteen Senses would love to be if they weren’t so utterly spineless and boring...

Soil & Pimp, Empirical and more, Jazz Lounge

Now in its third year at Glastonbury, the Jazz Lounge has come of age. Not only does it have the air of an established small stage with a devoted crowd of punters but the bands who were first given the chance to perform ‘proper’ jazz at a major rock festival have now honed themselves to an even higher level. A case in point is Jon Thorne’s Oedipus Complex, who performed on Thursday night.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Jazz World

It seemed cruelly ironic, for a band that consists of just two acoustic guitars, that they should suffer one of the longest technical hitches of the day. The Mexican guitar duo, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, have forged a formidable reputation as a live act and this was evident from a packed Jazz World field. Showing great patience through a 45 minute delay, the crowd were rewarded with one of the great sets of the weekend. For the uninitiated out there out there, Rodrigo Y Gabriela play what is best described as ‘acoustic metal’.

The Pipettes, Pyramid Stage

The Pipette trio bound on stage, polka-dotted up in kitsch co-ordinated outfits and spring into their brand of 40s pop, so sugar-sweet it gives you tooth ache. "We are The Pipettes, and we’ve come to have a sing and a bit of a dance," explains Rose Pipette.  Yet from the onset their choreography and vocals feel weak and unrehearsed. Though all three have mastered the backstroke dance move, they’re out of synch...

Piney Gir, The Park

“It’s my first time here, it’s nice,” purred Piney Gir at the start of her thrilling performance at The Park. There’s something refreshing about her understated pleasure at being here. I was quite surprised to hear that this was her first stint at Glastonbury though as, teamed with The Country Road Show, she was born to play at festivals. Looking good enough to eat in her puffball dress, feisty red-haired Gir led her band through traditional country style...

The Pigeon Detectives, John Peel Stage

The Pigeon Detectives were a big ball of fun. An indie guitar band, charged with the vitality of youth, in the summer time - how can you lose? People knew the words and chanted the roadtrip tunes that will no doubt conjure up memories next year. Ah, singing through the mud and pear cider. Hundreds were watching, flooding beyond the cover of the tent till they were in danger of colliding with the first rows of Festival goers' tents...

The Men They Couldn't Hang, Acoustic Stage

It’s Saturday evening and the rain is tired, so tired it can’t even be bothered to fall out of the sky via its free gravity shuttle and soak us. Ironically, I get to review my first tented event at the Acoustic Stage. Never mind, it’s The Men They Couldn’t Hang, back again for the first time in too many years despite the constant threats of hanging up their knapsacks, guitar straps and harmonies a hundred times before...

Maximo Park, Other Stage

With one of the best break-up themed rock albums of the past few years I expected great things of Maximo Park when they exploded onto the Other Stage on Saturday evening with the punchy ‘Girls with Guitars’. At the very least I anticipated a bit of sharp tongued ‘edge’ and dry wit. Alas no. Glastonbury was treated to an immaculately delivered run through of latest album Our Earthly Pleasures, with the ‘important’ tracks...

Damian Marley, JazzWorld Stage

There is tangible anticipation for Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley’s debut Glastonbury appearance. Not least by me, Marley junior having solved my Bjork vs Arctic Monkeys conundrum. The tension is increased by a late start. So will the performance be worth it? Any doubts evaporate within the first few furious seconds of set opener ‘Confrontation’. The energy on stage is unbelievable and instantly transmits itself to the JazzWorld crowd.

Marley Brothers present the 30th Anniversary of Exodus, Pyramid Stage

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Bob Marley’s legendary album Exodus. As well as producing amazing reggae, one of the other great things that Bob managed before the end of his short life was to produce talented offspring to carry on his legacy. Sunday’s afternoon’s performance was testament to that. Damien, Stephen and Julian brought optimism to Glastonbury preaching peace and unity.

Liz Green, Pyramid Stage

I thought I had arrived for a country hoe down as the local farmers were spreading straw by the bail load.  And as quickly as they could lay it, the straw thieves came down from the hills and gathered what they needed to reinforce their leaking nests. None of this distracted Liz Green, who opened today’s Pyramid line-up (a welcome alteration for the artist who were originally planned to play the Other Stage).

Lily Allen, Pyramid Stage

You learn some interesting things about a pop star when they pay a surprise visit to your work space late into the night. I now know, for example, that Lily Allen has a penchant for fancy dress (it was a mushroom costume in case you were wondering); how much she can charge for personal appearances and that she has a forthcoming audience with Gordon Brown – where presumably he’ll ask her if he can form a government.

The Kooks, Pyramid

You can always count on The Kooks to deliver a singalong selection of feel-good songs complete with dangerously catchy hooks. The curly headed Brighton bunch have a repertoire of indestructibly upbeat pop-rock tracks. They boast a straightforward, young, unpretentious sound - it’s the boys, their guitars, and their drums.

The Grim Northern Social, John Peel Stage

A solid crowd cheered on Glaswegian group The Grim Northern Social at the John Peel stage.  The announcer said that from among the up and coming acts on this stage, these boys had the unwavering approval of Mr. Eavis himself.  He can’t have been far wrong, since onlookers remained under the tent even as the rain ebbed.

Fat Freddy’s Drop, Roots Stage

It was probably my anticipation at the fact that I’d never witnessed Fat Freddy’s Drop live that their 25 minute intro was almost too much for me to comprehend. Both I and the rammed tight Roots Stage knew that these seven deliverers of dub-soul had stacks to offer for the tent to bounce. The drum section delivered the tempo and the brass followed then they really showed the ability to bounce from brass to vocals.

Ed Harcourt, The Park Stage

Ed Harcourt’s ‘Until Tomorrow Then’ has got to be one of the most enchanting songs I’ve heard this year. When he sang it at The Park on Saturday afternoon I could have died and gone to heaven as it sent shivers right through me. This is no dreary ballad-singing guy with a guitar. This is an artist who means business.

Dirty Pretty Things, Pyramid Stage

So who’s going to be better, Pete or Carl? Are they going to unite at some point and bring the Libertines back? Are they going to choose Glasto to do it? Does anyone care? As I type this in a hot converted bus backstage I still have no idea whether it’s happened or not, whether it’s going to happen, whether we’ll actually find out and we’re supposed to be the people kept informed of such occasions. The problem with Carl is that no matter how good Dirty Pretty Things get, or how many records he sells, he’ll always have that other bloke’s demons hanging over his shoulder.

CSS, Other Stage

Brazilian disco-punk’s all the rage these days you know. CSS – or, to give them the full title, Cansei de Ser Sexy (translated from Portugese as "got tired of being sexy") – have been very hyped, and very hip, over the last year or so. But do they live up to it all in the real world? Well yes, actually.

Calvin Harris, John Peel Stage

It’s a hard task for any dance act to get onstage at 5pm in the glaring daylight and get a crowd moving like its midnight and pitch black out.  Fortunately, Calvin Harris and his band of eager electroclash musicians are up to the challenge. Charging headlong through two tracks before he’s even introduced himself it’s evident that Harris simply wants people to get dancing.

Brakes, Other Stage

Eamon is on a mission: "There’s some sunshine over there. We’re gonna try our best to bring it to you". The lead singer with Brakes – along with fellow band members, including Tom and Alex from Electric Soft Parade – will spend the next half hour determined to make it happen. And he’s really going for it – there’s pineapples randomly littered about the stage, and he’s wearing a (ahem) delightful Hawaiian shirt.

Biffy Clyro, Other Stage

'When we all die, God’s gonna give us all a hand-job,' chuckles Simon Neil, applauding the sludge soaked crowd for their tenacious optimism in the face of another morning of drizzly divine intervention. The Scottish rock colossi Biffy Clyro are in an uncharacteristically buoyant mood. Striding onto the hallowed Glastonbury stage for the first time in their careers, this trio of sinewy, scraggy, shaggy haired Glaswegians look like goblins...

Super Furry Animals, Other Stage

The sun comes out and Super Furry Animals arrive onstage. That’d be right – such huge festival favourites, even the weather does as it’s told. Shouldn’t this band have their own stage by now? I mean, everything somehow manages to feel exactly right when they play at Glastonbury - it seems strange to call a band this inventive, playful and original an institution, but that’s what they’ve become.

Squarepusher, The Glade

The words Squarepusher and ‘Glade’ go hand in hand at Glastonbury. This legendary pairing produced many memorable Glasto moments in the past; this reviewer’s favourite was in 2004 when the Glade stage was minus its lovely new roof. Exposed to the elements and with minimal strobe lighting, the menacing lone, back-lit figure emerging amongst the trees...

Simian Mobile Disco

An hour or so before their gig at Dance East, Simian Mobile Disco’s Jas Shaw had been utterly unable to conceal his excitement at the prospect of playing what he said would be a live set, with “much of our studio” hooked up to a circular table, so that he and musical partner James Ford could feed off each other.

The Risks of Dancing in the Mud

Today, I had a proper dance in front of one of the stages. It was intimidating. There were risks. The mud could splash someone, I could knock someone’s sunglasses off, toes could be stepped on and without the protection of the sunglasses eyes could be gouged and could I face that wrath? As I gingerly moved my thumbs, I could sense the annoyance around me.

Guy Pratt, Cabaret Tent

The name may not be familiar but you will almost certainly have heard him play, at least on record. Over the last twenty years or so Guy Pratt has played bass guitar for some of the legends of popular music. Pink Floyd, Madonna, Michael Jackson and, err, McFly have all called on his expertise over the years and it is these experiences that he draws on for his raconteuring one-man show.

Look See Proof, John Peel Stage

You know when you’re on form when you receive enthusiastic whoops and watch the muddy floor become a head-bobbing, arm swinging pit when you’re still sound-checking, so by the time they get started for real, Hertfordshire’s Look See Proof melt away hangovers like an invigorating blast from the oxygen bar.

Gogol Bordello, Pyramid Stage

“This is bloody really ridiculous,” yelled a punter who was standing next to me half way through Gogol Bordello’s Friday afternoon set. We were both soaked through and there was no sign the pouring rain would submit. But to hell with it. We had the biggest grins on our faces because the insanity of Glastonbury had taken over.

AIM, JazzWorld Stage

The lively Manchester 10 piece, AIM, fuelled the JazzWorld Stage into a rhythmic burst of energy as they plugged into the Glastonbury main line from the very first note. The ever sensational and bubbly singer Kate Rogers led the way as the funk-filled jazz section played a range of melodic tunes around her dipping into the vocals with perfect timing. 

Will Young Interview

The rain does funny things to a person. Usually it makes them run for cover when they’re dressed inappropriately. A recurring event on this changeable Friday with sun, cloud and rain in heavy rotation is that at Lulu’s, the backstage hospitality bar fills to the brim every time the heavens open. It was here that Will Young graciously sat still for a few moments out of the rain to give glastONline his thoughts on the Festival so far.

Not Just a Bunch of Tree-huggers

Christopher Janney, architect and jazz musician, has created a futuristic, magical aural and visual treat between the Cabaret Field and the Theatre Field. These interactive ‘trees’ made of metal are magnetic - people can’t take their hands off them as they move, slide, tap their fingers on designated areas the sounds change and the lights on top perfect the transcendental atmosphere.

Modest Mouse, Other Stage

‘You’re brave… or stupid, I’m not sure’, Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brook ponders as he casts a characteristically quizzical yet knowing eye over the poncho clad Other Stage crowd. The truth is, they’re probably a bit of both. But, two days have past since Glastonbury opened its gates, and no amount of drizzle, dirt, curious culinary cocktails or the prospect of

Kate Nash, The Park Stage

It’s easy to be cynical about Kate Nash – if you weren’t feeling charitable, you could argue that she’s the latest mock-cockney Lily Allen-alike, all major-labelled up and encased in a cocoon of hype. An impression that could have been reinforced in the build-up to her gig on Emily Eavis’ new Park stage – in which an army of record company types busied themselves handing out flags publicising her new single (‘Foundations’, out on Monday if you must know).

Elvis McGonagall's Sunday Poems

A further collection of poems by glastONline's very own vagabond of verse, Elvis McGonagall.

Click the link above to read more about Glastonbury through the eyes of a pear cider addict.

The Gossip, John Peel Stage

When two thirds of The Gossip appeared on the John Peel stage for their Sunday night headline slot there was applause. When Beth Ditto strutted on half a minute later the tent erupted. And so it is with the band who are, at first glimpse, very much the 'one (wo) man' type.

Manic Street Preachers, Pyramid Stage

It is a brilliant, back-to-basics Manics who take us all the way back with ‘You Love Us’ and ‘Motorcycle Emptiness’. Yet, things don’t really get going until ‘You Stole the Sun from My Heart’ and the raucous ‘Faster’ which raise cheers and hands.

James Morrison, Pyramid Stage

My mother and Granny love James Morrison – he’s clean cut and sings melodic pop songs – but his live show on the Pyramid stage demonstrated that he has something to offer a much wider range of listeners. Sauntering onto stage in head to toe denim, Morrison is visibly touched by the sizable crowd that has shown up to see his set.

Tales of a Bridled Guillemot

Guillemots saxophonist and former Glastonbury website reviewer, Chris Cundy, had a busy Festival this year debuting on a stunning array of main stages, but it was foray into the Jazz Lounge on a wet Friday night that turned out to be the most memorable. In his very own words, here's the story of a bridled Guillemot in jazz land.

The Killers, Pyramid

The Killers famously turned down a headlining slot two years ago, stating that with just one album behind them they really weren’t ready. Now, with a second album under their belts, there is plenty of material.

But do The Killers justify their billing? Are they actually any good live?

Mr Hudson and the Library, Jazz World Stage

When Ben Hudson cheerfully emerged on stage and tossed his Panama hat over his shoulder to reveal peroxide blonde hair – it was like a second sun had just come out on the Jazz World stage late on Saturday afternoon. Mr Hudson and the Library, who hail from sunny Kentish Town in London, instantly made themselves at home in the third of - what must be a record for any band...

Mika, Other Stage

Since Mika has taken the pop world by storm I was curious to see if he would offer some consolation for Kylie’s absence at this year’s festival. When I saw the giant blow up dolls on stage in preparation for Mika’s set, I had a good feeling that the showmanship everyone raves about isn’t just hype. 

The Cribs, Other Stage

The three brothers Jarman roar into action with ‘Hey Scenesters’, a catchy indie anthem from second album The New Fellas. Despite the drizzle the crowd cry out in approval and lurch forward, arms flailing. Reeling off tracks from each of their albums, The Cribs’s characteristic "ooo ooo ooo woo ooo ooo...

Tony Benn, Leftfield

Democrat, socialist, peace campaigner (and recently voted in a BBC poll as the ‘most popular political figure of our time’), 82 year-old Tony Benn arrives onstage at the Leftfield to a hero’s welcome. He’s looking ridiculously well, and he’s here to suggest "Another World Is Possible".

The Waterboys, Acoustic Stage

If you are one of those that didn’t read the program, or brave the muddy track, or are simply too young to remember The Waterboys when they first appeared in the 1980s, then thank you, because you made it easier to get to the front.

Daemon or Doppelganger?

Punters wanting to capture a moment from their Festival experience forever (other than from taking a photo of course) can do so by making a clay model in the Circus Field. The Daemon or doppelganger project has been running for six years at Glastonbury and its presence this year is stronger than ever.

Shoot the Moon, John Peel Stage

Fledgling band Shoot the Moon tempted me to the John Peel Stage as I stumbled towards the dance field on Sunday morning. My ears pricked up as the unmistakable sound of ska tickled my senses.

Green Fields Blog

There is no denying the richness of the Glastonbury culture and the Green Fields are not short on supply – they’re the heart of it. Entering by the Green Gate garden - where lampshades are flowers, cherries are the size of heads and contributing to the planets survival seems utterly common-sensical -we head up further into the Green crafts area.

The Solstice Experience

Glastonbury Festival rarely falls on the actual solstice, maybe once every six years. This year my journey to Glastonbury took a while longer than it should have because they were celebrating at Stonehenge.

Jamie T, John Peel Stage

I’m ankle deep in what could well be slurry and I’ve as much shelter as an away fan in League 2, but one last Glastonbury downpour isn’t going to dampen my spirits. Jamie T is going to make sure of that.

Corinne Bailey Rae, JazzWorld Stage

Funny how music triggers a memory: when a song wriggles its way into your heart for the first time and everything around you seems to crystallise into one memory: the sound, the vision, the feelings. ‘Put Your Records On’ wormed its way into my memory bank as I drove around Chiswick roundabout, heading to the West Country, on a sunny day.

Main Stages Gallery Part 1

Throughout the Festival we had photographers jumping in and out of the pits to bring you those close-up and personal images of some of the world's greatest performers. Sit back, relax and enjoy some the highlights from the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.

Interview with Rob Hawkins of The Automatic (video)

Lead singer Rob talks about his Glastonbury experience.

Interview with Zane Lowe (video)

Video interview with Zane Lowe.

Interview with Jon McClure of Reverend and the Makers (video)

Jon McClure of Reverend and the Makers talks to glastONline about his first Festival.

Starfizz, Circus Big Top

Starfizz Circus Big Top Friday A graceful, synchronised performance from two nymphs in neon and black, they slid up lengths of red fabric hung from the roof, this soft pliant material requiring more physical strength to master than the rope climbing of school days. They swung, swayed and posed, gathering t

The Solar Powered Wishing Tree

The Solar Powered UV Wishing Tree stands proudly in the Green Fields and seems to be surviving the rain, just about.

The Rumble Strips, John Peel Stage

The Rumble Strips looked every inch a Glastonbury band as they appeared on the John Peel stage on Sunday afternoon. And so they should – hailing from Tavistock, they weren’t too far from home.

The Noisettes, John Peel Stage

Fresh from touring the US of A with the Maccabees and Bloc Party, The Noisettes look far from exhausted.  Singer Shingai Shoniwa leaps from the drum kit, barefooted and wearing gold wings which, combined with her mohawked hair, mean she resembles a peacock in heat.

The Earlies, Pyramid Stage

The Earlies were the happiest, most energetic family-like presence I’ve seen onstage at Glastonbury yet!  Their timely blend of high power rock and dance music should’ve turned the audience a dancing mass aflame, but they were prematurely doused, sadly, by the ankle high mud.

The Fratellis, Pyramid Stage

It’s so easy to be Friday’s nightmare. They’ve got so much to live up to, The Fratellis, because as soon as you hear them for the first time, you know that this is going to be a great festival band. I know I did.

Bright Eyes, Other Stage

“It’s nice to be here. We thought we might not come back”. At Glastonbury two years ago, Conor Oberst made a fool of himself. Drunk and obnoxious in the John Peel Tent – and damning of any target he saw fit (including John Peel) – he was roundly booed. So, here he is in 2007 – dressed in angelic all-white, surrounded by a whole load of equally angelic-looking musicians, and with the wonderful, (whisper it) mature new album Cassadaga under his belt.

Bjork, Other Stage

Bjork’s Friday night headline slot on the Other Stage provided the perfect Glastonbury ‘alternative’ to the mainstream madness surrounding the Arctic Monkey’s Pyramid Stage show.

Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve, The Park

You probably wouldn’t have heard of Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve, and to an extent, that’s deliberate. They started out as an anonymous, under-the-radar outfit for a reason – their propensity for taking astonishingly obscure sixties psychedelic rock and reassembling them using modern technology into twisted, mind-melting and usually irresistibly danceable psychedelic marathons...

Bat for Lashes, John Peel Stage

Bat for Lashes leads a stoic troupe of musicians, dressed in glad rags filched from somebody’s faerie godmother. Puffy sleeves, gold, sequins and glitter abounded among her comrades. Her outfit of jeans and stripy shirt was unremarkable but for the sequined kimono and feathery headdress on top.

Trentemoller, Dance West

Trentemoller Dance West Stage Friday I’d like to have seen the look on Danish dance master Trentemoller’s face when the Glastonbury line up was announced. If I found out that I was up against take a deep breath now Arctic

!!!, Dance East

Unlike a lot of the Festival’s American imports, !!! leader Nic Offer knows how to work a crowd. He brought more energy than the limited Glastonbury sun did to the Dance East stage on Friday afternoon, and with bags of Brooklyn charm it wasn’t long before he had the pulsating crowd in the palm of his hand.

Gaynor O'Flynn, Various Stages

It was an emotionally exhausted Gaynor O’Flynn who collapsed at the back of the Glastonbury Festivals web team bus after a record-breaking 22 appearances at this year’s festival.

Eat Static, Glade

Despite the Glade lacking some of its mysticism since losing the separated panels amongst the trees, it’s not lost any of the sound. The main bonuses are heightened acoustics and of course more consistent shelter from the elements.

Crazy P, Dance West

Crazy P, the musicians formerly known as Crazy Penis, have progressed from a DJ partnership to a full live instrumental group whilst maintaining their unique sound: grown-up house music for people who don’t want to be grown-up.

S**tdisco, John Peel Stage

Sh*tdisco, a quartet of Glaswegian New Ravers with an anarchic performance history, took to the stage with frightening vigour. 

The Glimmers, Dance East

The Glimmers were so unassuming in entering the stage that it was hard to tell at first whether the set had started or a sound engineer was improvising through an unscheduled delay. 

The Hours Interview

After a tasty set on a soggy Saturday, Stalker, our man on the ground, managed to muscle his way into the dressing room area backstage of the John Peel Stage to have a quick word with Ant Genn and Martin Slattery of The Hours.

Hard-Fi, Left Field Stage

There’s something a bit odd going on at Glastonbury regarding the Left Field tent this year – this classic, quintessential old Glastonbury stage seems to have been a bit marginalised. To see what I mean, just try to find a listing of the acts appearing there – there’s barely a mention of it in the Guardian Guide, and no listings

The Crowd Bayed for Mud

They are a ruthless lot the Glastonbury revellers, never more so than when there is mud involved. I arrived at the side of the Pyramid stage on my way to another act when I realised I had walked into a circle of onlookers, pints in hand (300 hundred strong).

Editors, Other Stage

The Editors are a sober bunch. Their lyrics are predominantly dark and Tom Smith’s voice is seriously deep. Add exaggerated vulnerable body language and a star drummer to the equation and you have your group.

Seize The Day, Crossiant Neuf

There are few bands more apt to play the solar-powered Croissant Neuf stage than protest folksters Seize The Day. They have been promoting environmental and wider political causes through song for some eleven years now.

Interview with Scroobius Pip

Scroobius Pip, he of the partnership with Dan Le Sac and co-creator of the rather marvellous ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’, was on hand at the Festival to talk to Stalker for glastONline and to lighten the mood and cast his own little ray of sunshine on a wet Friday. They talked about mud, more mud, the Festival and a juicy rumour involving… well, read on.

Nick Lowe, Acoustic Stage

Nick Lowe made his fifth – or maybe his eighth, he’s not too sure – return to Glastonbury with a stripped-down country-tinged set that kept the audience at the Acoustic Stage enthralled.

Nizlopi, Croissant Neuf

It looks like it’s been a heavy Friday night out for many, but chart toppers Nizlopi are about to provide the antidote to those lunchtime-after-the-night-before blues.

Interview with Liz Green

Fresh from her performance on the Pyramid Stage, Emerging Talent Contest winner Liz Green was spotted next to our rather prominently placed coach in the press area backstage.

Open Mic Session, Left Field 2

The Left Field, the biggest covered venue on site with a capacity of 5000, christened its brand new Stage 2 on Friday with an Open Mic session.

Interview with Chumbawamba

Chumbawamba first played in 2000 in the Greenpeace field, and again in 2005 in the Lost Vagueness Field. Their new live acoustic album Get on with it was released this year, and this is their 25^th Anniversary.

Jay & Matias, Circus Big Top

Two men, eight clubs and ten minutes of frenetic juggling. The concentration was visible as these performers whizzed clubs through the air...

The Long Blondes, Other Stage

The Long Blondes did their best to drag their ‘glamorous punk’ image onto the Other Stage on Saturday afternoon.

Cud, Leftfield

No doubt it’s the fault of some busybody know-nothing that the mighty Cud are on at such an ungodly hour, clashing as it does with Kasabian and Arcade Fire. At the scheduled time of 9.20, only a few stragglers from Kid Harpoon are left kicking around the slippery metal floor, but maybe everyone thinks that Joss Stone is still on and they’re making a

I Count

A few of the many music artists, personalities and charities that are fighting climate chaos.

Hot Chip, John Peel Stage

As I arrived at the John Peel Stage to see Hot Chip I was suddenly wary of being extremely sober. The revellers surrounding me clearly didn’t have the same clear heads.

On the Road

Funnily enough, when it says on the website, on the back of your ticket, on the back of your parking pass, in your tea leaves and your horoscope "approach from the A303 then A37 because there are less queues", it's because it's a good idea to drive to the festival along the A37. Intelligently, yours

Sandi Thom, Acoustic Stage

Sandi Thom’s debut Glastonbury performance at the Acoustic stage didn’t get off to a great start. “I can’t hear myself,” she said apologetically while sneering at the sound engineers. But the audience didn’t seem too.

Interview with Dick Tee

It’s easy to go along to a gig and take for granted the fact that a frighteningly complex level of organization and planning go into making it happen. When you consider a gig like Glastonbury which is far and away the largest event of this kind in Europe, if not beyond, it’s a wonder things run so smoothly.

Chas & Dave, The Park

You don’t go and see Chas & Dave if you want to behave soberly and with decorum, because London’s answer to The Wurzels bring out the lovable cockney yob in every Englishman from Hackney to Hull

Interview with James Shaw of Simian Mobile Disco

Simian Mobile Disco have long been tipped as an act who have the skills to revitalise dance music, and now that their debut album, Attack Decay Sustain Release has just hit the shops, we’ll see if they can cross over. A duo – James Shaw and James Ford – they were previously in a band called Simian, before deciding to go electronic; famously, French nutters Justice remixed an old Simian track into their smash hit 'We Are Your Friends'.

Discovering It All For the First Time... Again

They say that nothing ever compares to the first time – the exhilarating queasiness of your first kiss, the pride at owning your first bike, the extraordinary taste sensation of eating you first pork pie (well maybe that’s just me), and of course the unparalleled sense of happiness and freedom when you attend your first festival. Yet as in so many other ways Glastonbury is the exception to this rule.

NYC Downlow, Theatre and Circus

It’s wild, happening and full of illusions, wonderment, incredibly inventive sets and costumes in the Circus Field. Run by Arabella Churchill, Sir Winston Churchill’s granddaughter. In 1971 she played a major role in developing Glastonbury Festival and now runs the circus and theatre fields.

It’s a Family Affair in the Kidz Field

As always, whatever the weather, there’s so many little people in the Kidz Field having a ball, climbing things, watching performers, making and doing in a colourful and chilled out environment.

A Day at the Seaside

Anything, it seems, is possible at Glastonbury – including a trip to the seaside. Get yourself down to the Green Fields and you’ll discover ‘The Beach’, a proper sun-sea-and-sand experience. Well, there’s sand anyway. And wave noises (and a few palm trees). As for the sun - anything is possible after all…

Can you carve to the rhythm?

There is no denying the richness of the Glastonbury culture and the Green Fields are not short on supply – they’re the heart of it.

Gimme Shelter

It’s heartening to us lesser mortals to know that, no matter what one’s status in life, there are some things that affect us all. Reassuring to know for example that, say, Will Young or Zane Lowe (and probably a few others that I didn’t spot) need

Sun Pottery

What better place to throw clay than in a wet muddy field – surely I couldn’t get any dirtier?

Beach Ambition

Beach ambition Dragons, seagulls, skulls and sunbathers are just some of the sand creations that have been sculpted with passion and elbow grease at the entrance of The Park. The artists Zara Gaze and Andy Robertson say the models are

The Egg at Croissant Neuf

The main stages don’t get started for another twelve hours or so but the Festival is already in full swing. A packed Croissant Neuf was delighted to find an on form The Egg. There was no sign of these boys using this as a warm up for the other performances they’ll

Aye, There’s the Rub…

 So, you’ve done the decent thing and arrived by public transport, weighed down by baggage, booze and all those festival essentials that seemed such a good idea at the time until you realised exactly how far you’d have to walk with them. You’re screaming and squirming with the agony of “backpack back”,

Find Love in the Mud

Plenty of people go looking for love at Glastonbury. Some even find it, and if you want, there’s even a organisation to help you do it with a relative degree of sophistication. Musicdating.com is a new free social networking website with a stall at the Green Futures Field.

Easing Yourself Back to Glastonbury

Pitching up at 10.30pm on the Wednesday – and pitching a tent in the dark – didn’t constitute the ideal Glastonbury arrival. But it still proved possible to ease myself

Recycled Art You'll Never Forget

Recycled Art You’ll Never Forget Greenfutures Field  Recycling Art Project Of all the installations raising awareness of green issues in the Greenfields (and there are many) the piece attracting the most attention today is a white elephant made entirely of

Heavenly Wellies

With mounting excitement pre-Glastonbury there is the anticipatory build-up… what gems from the music world will be in the line-up? Will you get lucky and manage to buy a ticket, or get a job there?