Glasto Goodness Part 15 – 2015

I went to Glastonbury for 20 years between 1997 and 2017, amazingly missing out on tickets just once (the rivers of mud festival in 2005!)

I’ve managed to piece together every programme, mini guide, ticket and mud-spattered wristband that’s been hidden away in boxes up in my attic for years (see them all here!) Sadly my addled old brain is incapable of piecing together enough memories to write a review for each year so here’s some great footage and photos I have found from Glastonbury 2015.

This was the year the Foo Fighters were forced to cancel their headline slot after front man Dave Grohl broke his leg at a show in Sweden. They were replaced on Friday night’s bill by Florence & The Machine which was a bit disappointing for us so we opted for the excellent Hot Chip on the West Holts stage instead.

However, my most cherished memory of Glasto 2015 is heading into the ‘mosh pit’ for Motorhead. By now in my late 40s and carrying a few extra pounds I came away battered, bruised and breathless and there were moments during their set when I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack! Despite my ‘near death’ experience it felt great to be up close and personal again with a band I’d loved since my early teens (Lemmy handed me his vodka from the stage when I first saw them in 1984). This gig took on a whole new meaning when it occurred to me mid-set that I could well be seeing Motorhead for the last time. Lemmy seemed to be a little off the pace and even forgot which song he was playing at one point (singing the lyrics to Ace of Spades while the rest of the band were playing Overkilll). I’m sure I wasn’t the only one in the crowd that day who was thinking that Lemmy’s long career on the road might be coming to and end. Having said that, Motorhead truly rocked the Pyramid Stage that day and after Glasto the band continued with their 40th Anniversary tour. They had to cut short or cancel a couple of shows due to Lemmy’s failing health but their final gig in Berlin wasn’t until 11th December – just 2 weeks before he sadly passed away at Christmas. Glastonbury would prove to be Motorhead’s penultimate gig in the UK as they played at the Eden Project in Cornwall the following day. Lemmy remains one of my all time musical heroes. RIP Mr Kilmister.

Weirdly another of my highlights from Glasto 2015 was R&B singer Mary J Blige who performed on the Pyramid Stage immediately before and in complete contrast to Motorhead! As if to demonstrate my eclectic taste in music I was as moved from watching Mary J signing ‘No More Drama’ as I was by Motorhead’s performance of Ace of Spades. It also sums up the magic and eclecticism of Glastonbury that both of these artists could comfortably play on the same stage within a few minutes of each other.

On the whole I felt that the 2015 lineup was a bit disappointing compared to previous years. Or maybe we just made some poor choices of who to go and see when I look back at the lineup now. For example, Jon Hopkins on the Park Stage or Suede on the John Peel stage would have been a better choice than Deadmau5 on the Other Stage (sorry my big eared friend but your set was incredibly dull!) Even Leftfield were a bit of a let-down when we gave up on Deadmau5 and headed to Sonic in the Dance Village to catch the end of their set. Thankfully the Chemical Brothers made up for our other dance disappointments when they headlined the Other Stage on Sunday night. They were as stunning as ever and worth missing some of The Who’s set this time around.

One thing I’m 100% certain of is that we didn’t bother with Kanye West… 😉

My artefacts

My programme, mini-guide, ticket stub and wristband from Glastonbury 2015

The Poster

Front man Samuel T Herring is absolutely bonkers and his voice insane but I love this song from Future Islands set on the Other Stage – Glastonbury 2015