Semisonic

Glastonbury Festival 2000 reviews

By Pete Smith | Published: Fri 7th Jul 2000

Glastonbury Festival 2000

Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th June 2000
Worthy Farm, Pilton, nr Glastonbury, Somerset, England
£89 including booking fee and postage

Daily capacity: 80,000

Semisonic
Pyramid Stage
16:00 24th June 2000

Semisonic were pitched perfectly in the middle of a sunny Saturday afternoon. The eventual success of Feeling Strangely Fine was sure to draw a big crowd. Indeed, at times things were getting a little crushed for people at the front, especially the many younger fans.

No working up through the gears, the charismatic Dan Wilson launched straight into Singing In My Sleep, followed by much of the latest album. The singles Secret Smile and Closing Time (on which they appropriately closed the set) were big winners with the audience threatening to outdo the sound system with its singing. The crowd response to Dan's appeals for them to sing along to Delicious from the Great Divide album was deafening, largely because of his cheeky egging on. No doubt that it went down very well.

Whilst their style of breezy lightweight sing-along rock is not every festival goers cup of tea, Semisonic are clearly a very talented band producing a very full sound for a three piece. Dan Wilson's on stage persona is infective and is well supported by bassist John Munson. They only strayed from the recorded tracks on one occasion with a cracking guitar solo on California. They really should let their talents let rip a little more and experiment with their incredibly catchy tunes. Not a band that is ever likely to get a headline slot, but rest assured this crowd would be more than happy to have them back next year.

review by: Pete Smith