Festival review by : Chris Pearson

Glastonbury Festival 1999

Friday 25th to Sunday 27th June 1999
Worthy Farm, Pilton, nr Glastonbury, Somerset, England
£83

GLASTONBURY 99

The Festival has started. The tents are sprouting up,
The sun is shining happily, The crowd is gearing up,
Feel that funky rhythm, the rhythm and the beat,
Happy people laughing, in the summer heat,
Let people join together. Hand in hand as one,
Together we will celebrate, the summer solstice sun...

Come and join the party. It really has begun,
See the dancers dancing, join in and have some fun,
Wake up in the morning. We're going to have a ball,
Floating round the market, we skip from stall to stall
Pancakes and crepe's for breakfast, followed by coffee,
Donuts sweet with cinnamon, some even have toffee

Oh dear!. Oh me!. What have I done ? I think I need the loo
It's got to be the long drops, 'cos I dare not wait to queue
Communal showers next, to see what we can see
But I am not allowed to look. My misses is next to me.
Walking from tranquillity, into the crowd we dive
Freshened up, washed and dried, it's time to come alive

It's time to take the kids out. There's two of them you see
First their is my daughter Fay, and then her friend Sophie
"Come on Sophie", "Come on Fay" it's time for us to go and play
I really mustn't lose you. Stay close to me, I pray.
First thing they decide to do, Is on a Jig-Saw Paint
Fay's picture's pretty smart, While Sophie's is quite quaint

Up into the Kidz field, this is where they go
Singing on the swing boats. Swinging to and fro
It starts to rain, when they are in, in the helter-skelter
They're OK, but I am wet, so I dive under shelter
We listen to the storyteller, really was a funny fella
Telling the story of Princess. In a pure white silken dress.

Theatre field we come to, as we leave Babylon.
Just the start. of a path., that goes on, and on,
On my left a scaffolding. That lit up in the night,
Down the bottom another stage, this is on my right.
White hairy legs and fury arms, in a shiny silver suit
It's seven foot high, four foot wide, a quadruped to boot
Ballroom dancers dancing, lets watch and have some fun,
He lifts her up and swings her round, then drops her on her bum

The Circus field, a field of clowns, clowning through the night,
What will those mutant aliens, do with the Doctor White
The naked blindfold juggler, Juggling fire, a scythe, a knife,
Balanced on his unicycle, death defying life.
Not forgetting tumblers, tumbling round the ring
With acrobats and trapeze acts, it makes you want to sing.

We're going to see Texas play, We're going at the front,
Fay takes her great big water pistol, Stage Crew take the brunt,
She picks it up, and takes her aim, and squirted Miss Spiteri
The band are good, the crowd picks up, it's getting rather hairy
Charlene blows a gentle kiss, Sophie, sighs and thinks its bliss.
We have to get the kids out, they do their first stage dive
Respect to you security !! The kids come out alive !

Now it's time to teach... the kids to make money,
It's no good with a water pistol, if you squirt for free,
A little squirt, to cool you down, will cost you just 10p
A bigger one to squirt your mate, will cost more like 50
'We shouldn't make these people pay", said my caring daughter Fay
They'd made more than five pounds by then, I think they did O.K

In Avalon, the field of dreams, Glasters comes to me,
The wise old crone, a perfect place. For a wicked cup of tea,
Three stages in this field. Are where the best bands play.
You'll never know who to find there, until the actual day,
For me it was a ska band, skanking through the noon,
If I get any higher, I'll be dancing on the moon.

Quietly through the Tipi Field, The Festival Elite
Mind that little girl asleep, beneath the silken sheet,
Through the Green field craft fields, hand made, dyed, batik.
I find a little draw seller, who's products are unique.
Giant mushroom carvings, around the Goddess well
I love this place, it is for me, and what's that gorgeous smell ?

Up into Green Futures next, to find ourselves a treat
An earthen baked loaf of bread, with natural grown whole-wheat
By cycling on the dynamo, we generate some power,
We even use the energy you find within a flower,
Alternative resources, renewable and for free,
Wind Power, Solar Power, and Cosmic Energy.

Sun goes down, Darkness falls, Parties starting in the stalls.
The vibe spreads outwards, through the site. Wake up, wake up, party tonight.
Climbing up the Greenpeace ship. Rigging up the night.
A thousand campfires twinkling. A really cosmic site.
Searching for that special party.., just where will it be.
I heard its in the travellers field, just outside gate three.

Dance Tent.. high energy vibrations gave me such a rush
Loads of people bouncing. Dancing raving in the crush
Intensity reaching fever pitch, I found it all profound
Vibing, jiving frontward striving, grooving to the sound
I went to see that Fat Boy Slim, I didn't know which one was him
A Chemical Brother I knew on sight, His skins' so pale it glows at night

We party on, and boogie down, until we see the light
A beautiful, blissed out party night, without a single fight
As the light begins to dawn, we start to make our way
To our sacred magic spot, to welcome in the day.
We walk, and talk, and talk and walk, and walk a little while
All around us, happy faces, greeted with a smile.

To the Kings, and stones we go, to watch the dawning sunrise glow
Follow my rhythm come with me. Don't trip up on the melody.
Didge talks to drum and the bongo to. Drums come back with how are you,
A bang on the bhodran and a big bass drum. Didge goes off with a whuming thrum.
Keep up the beat on the big bass drum, now to the left, the bongo's and the tom.
Didge picks up, and goes off high, People clap and whoop and cry
Rising up, with the rhythm of the beat, Tuning in, from my head to my feet.
The tribes of Avalon, gathered here, United again, until next year
Over the hill, a line of fire, the sun is rising, Higher, Higher.

Sunday farewell tribute. We say goodbye to Jean
For time and day the biggest crowd, I 'ave ever seen.
One minute of pure silence, I cannot help but cry
The emotion of the moment, brings tears to every eye.
Keep in your heart a memory true. The one you love will be with you.
Mike - like Jean. You'll never die, In a million hearts you'll always lie.

The Healing Field's for Sunday, I've saved it till I need
To chill right out and rest my feet so from my pain I'm freed
Massage of every flavour, From head, to chest, to knee.
Or take your pick of therapy, Shiatsu is for me.
A short time for reflection, then it's time to find
A spiritual incantation, to use to free your mind

One thing I didn't see, was the BBC, I didn't see all day, a Radio One DJ,
One I heard, I think t'was real, I'm sure I heard the Mighty Peel,
They think they're cool with their settee, sheltered from reality,
They broadcast coverage throughout the land. So much there was, they didn't see.
After it was time to go. I found their coverage. Oh so slow,
They really didn't do, "IT", for me, They missed the spirit of Glastonbury.

Come the end, who was the best ? Who's act did surpass the rest ?
There's only one that it can be, the one and only, Skunk Anansie
Prowling round a tiger caged, letting rip with pent up rage,
See her diving in the crowd, still her voice is just as loud,
Hitting notes, so crystal clear. Working crowd she has no fear
Bounce together in unity. She sings my favourite song,
My head is buzzing, body pumping, totally turned on
Now's the time for encore. Crowd just begging please some MORE !!
The band come on and do three more. Then all that's left, a massive roar.
Skin feed your ego, you're the best. Ten times better than the rest.

And so it ends this Glastonbury, best year yet for memory.
Monday comes they go away. None of the punters stop to play.
They do not stop to enjoy the view. Their minds intent on the traffic queue.
This is not the way for me, I will wait till it's time for tea.
A last look round the festival site, it looks a mess like a bomb site.
Then I'll sneak off to rest my head, a good nights sleep in my own bed.

After its over the sweetest yet, I met my own sweet fair princess
Radiant beauty and tender caress, a beautiful vision of gentleness
She is the Princess, all dressed in white, foretold by the teller late in the night.
She is the one, who has chosen me, No longer a frog, she set me free.
Snuggling up with my little dove. Feeling a Feeling that can only be love
A magical feeling, This feeling of Love. As it is ordained above.
I hope that it will prove to be, She really is the one for me...

As I settle down to sleep, a voice just says to me,

God Bless Micheal Eavis, and VIVA GLASTONBURY

Dedicated to the Memory of Jean Eavis, & to Micheal Eavis, & All The Glastonbury Crew

Thanks To Carolyn, my princess, for the motivation.