The Knitter, Music …… and Glastonbury Moments.

Music features in so many ways in The Knitter, as it has done throughout my life. My dad playing his accordion or mouth organ was a constant memory growing up; singing at parties; singing in Church; gyrating to Tamla Motown songs at the dancing on a Saturday night; even the way memories of music plays a key part at my dad’s funeral.

A life – all 58 years so far – surrounded by music could only ever lead to one thing of course. It’s almost June – it’s Glastonbury time! Glastonbury is probably the only place on earth where I can get access to the range of music that’s filled all those years up to now, crammed into one long weekend

And it’s a roasting hot day, which can only fill me with hope – blind unfulfilled hope I’d guess – that this year will be rain free, and full of end to end “Glastonbury Moments”.  It’s probably the sheer scale and variety of the festival that has led to the endless discussions and arguments over the greatest “Glastonbury Moment” – that definitive time where something more than just a great concert, or a great performance happens. This has to be something that transcends just the music; transcends even having to have “been there”. I didn’t see Radiohead in 1997 – but I can believe that is up there with the best. Most people assume that all great Glastonbury moments must take place on the Pyramid stage, but as great an amphitheatre as that is, some of the great moments happen when you least expect them. And they are personal moments – one man’s Glastonbury Moment has the next man scratching his head wondering what’s the big deal? Just like some of the best “Archie Gemmill Moments“.

So that got me thinking – what would I say is my favourite “Glastonbury moment” – and would it deserve to be described as a real Archie Gemmill Moment? Just taking the last few years alone, there have been so many great moments – no doubt some of mine related to approaching pensionable age, and dragging some heroes from the 60s and 70s who look uncomfortably like the average Glasto goer’s dad (or even granddad!)  Here are just a few:

• Neil Young’s endless finale to “Rocking in the free world” followed by “A day in the life”.
• Being right at the front for Bruce, and seeing the sweat rise from him like a fog as he sang “The River”.
• Watching Brian Wilson in the only dry period at that years Glastonbury – and seeing the look on his face every time he started an old Beach Boys classic – and two girls jumped on surf boards for some real “crowd surfing”!
• A sequence of The Hold Steady,  Arcade Fire and Bjork that was as varied and inspiring as great rock can get, and made me feel sorry for people who look down on “pop” as something second class.
• Watching Leonard Cohen with a group of like minded people – worried beforehand the old man wouldn’t be able to sing any more, but blown away by the entire concert. And try NOT to cry like a baby as 75,000 people sing along to “Hallelujah”!
• Jay-Zs entrance – and a concert that proved that great performers are great performers, no matter what sort of music they play.

I could go on and on. One of my fondest memories, and in my top 10 Glastonbury Moments, was early one morning when Billy Bragg showed up and serenaded us over breakfast in “Henry’s Beard”. I’m not sure I could ever hand on heart say there was just one moment that deserves to be up there as my top Glastonbury Moment. But I forced myself – and the answer has surprised even me. It was in 2007 – a rain sodden, mud bath of a Glastonbury. I was watching Rodrigo Y Gabriella headlining on the Jazz World Stage. All through the concert there was a horrible, seeping drizzle that somehow seemed to complement the fact we were standing rock still, wellies cemented in two feet of mud and wondering if we’d have to just fall asleep in that position. Although I’d been admiring their playing, it wasn’t the right time, place or weather for that kind of music. Any kind of music. Then something happened. A very simple acoustic intro signalled the start of a tune we thought we might have recognised. And with a simple, silent hand gesture, Rodrigo invited the audience to join in. And 25,000 people started singing Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, accompanied only by a couple of acoustic guitars strumming in the background. It was unexpected. It was spontaneous. And it was as uplifting as music can get. And we got all the words right, I’ m sure! You can almost get a feeling for it from this youtube clip.

So are all Glastonbury moments worthy of “Archie Gemmill” status? Never. But a few of them are, and that drizzly, soaking rendition of an old Pink Floyd song is one of them. It came from out of nowhere, and took me to somewhere I couldn’t have imagined just a few minutes before.

So next month, it’s back down to Pilton Farm. Whatever the weather, it will be great. Walking through the gates sometime on the Wednesday is an annual Glastonbury Moment all by itself! I’m already looking forward to The Hold Steady.  The Flaming Lips will be as great live as ever. And the Leftfield is back! There are lower key gems like the Unthanks and Midlake, and closing with Stevie Wonder on Sunday should be a joy. But best of all is that I know there will be a clutch of totally unexpected, glorious moments that just happen. I don’t know on what day, or on which stage – but I know they will happen. And it’s those Glastonbury moments I’m looking forward to most of all.

So – once more with feeling:

“How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have you found? The same old fears.
Wish you were here.”

Tagged as: archie gemmell, glastonbury, knitter, music