CARHENGE, PILLARS OF THE UNDERGROUND
GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL’S OWN EPIC ‘STONEHENGE’ OPENS ON SUMMER SOLSTICE
Opening on 21 June for the 2023 festival, Carhenge, Glastonbury’s own ‘Stonehenge’ is a monumental new installation by founder of the Mutoid Waste Company and revolutionary underground artist, Joe Rush.
Carhenge revisits an idea that originated at the 1987 festival. When Joe Rush and the Mutoid Waste Company were stopped from visiting the free festival at Stonehenge, they came to Glastonbury and built their own from scrap cars, starting a three-day 24-hour party at their henge. Speaking of this years’ epic structure, Joe Rush says: “This is the version we always dreamed of building, the complete henge”
Made of 24 iconic vintage cars erected in the centre of the festival to emulate the ancient stone structure, Carhenge is tribute to the pillars of Counterculture and the free festival movement, the heroines and heroes from the margins of society, the non-conformists, punks, and visionaries whose courage and energy has shaped our culture from the underground out. From Quentin Crisp, pioneer of the trans community and author of The Naked Civil Servant, and legendary rock’n’roll guitarist, Chuck Berry, to fashion and environmental icon, Vivienne Westwood, and Hawkwind’s pioneering Sax player Nick Turner, who sadly passed away this year.
Carhenge will be set alive by a show of lights created by celebrated lighting designer Ed Warren and by the inventive Congolese beats of FULU MIZIKI or “music from the garbage” in Lingala. These “African Mutoids” from Kinshasa, dressed in scrap, fusing music, art, dance and fashion will perform and play their afrofuturist sound with percussion instruments made of trash, from flip flops to plastic tubing.
Fulu Miziki will be performing daily:
Acclaimed percussionist and composer Jo Bucket will be adding his own rhythm to proceedings, with performances each day.
The music doesn’t end there, a richly eclectic soundscape accompanies Carhenge from 10am each day. Delving deep into the record boxes of a spectrum of styles, from afro beats right through to rock’n’roll, including DJ sets from Youth, Dan Donovan (B.A.D./Dreadzone), Don Letts, Steve Bedlam, Greg Belson, Tim Rockins, Rev. Schnider and Bad Vita Von Tease, Kabz, Baby Soul, Gaz Mayall, Gonchan, Ruby Flashman, Para, Peach, Little Mickey, Wreckage International, Coco, Rozi, Marco, Fang, Mark Sinclair, Chris Holt, Everything for Ever, Kaz Selekta, Beth Whitts, Andy Pyett, Fly Fox, Will Kayll and more.
Also featuring specially made playlists from Pandit G (Asian Dub Foundation), Paul Hartnol (Orbital), Segs (Ruts DC), Danielle Moore (Crazy P Soundsystem), Kenny Diezel, DJ Aeon23, Pilani, Nicky General, Slinky Slug and more.
Carhenge is complemented by a series of sculptures, old and new, that offer an artistic retrospective of Joe Rush’s work at Glastonbury, celebrating the 38-year artistic collaboration between Joe Rush and founders of the ‘world’s best festival’, Michael & Emily Eavis. Highlights include an exhaust pipe tree in the centre of the henge, first created as a tribute to friend, Joe Strummer, symbolising the damage that fossil fuels are doing to our planet, The entrance to the field is guarded by a giant Egyptian cat, constructed from car parts, and looking over is the Earth sculpture that saw David Attenborough on the Pyramid stage in 2019.
Follow Carhenge on Instagram
Check out Fulu Miziki’s latest album below
