Glastonbury: The Good, The Bad and The Bloody Brilliant

Glastonbury. That one word, for so many people, triggers a firework display of thoughts and memories - the good, the bad and the bloody brilliant.

Before you even get there it’s a wild ride. The waking up on an early October morning and endlessly refreshing the page - punching your keypad like Elton John after too many wines. The razor sharp walkie-talkie-esque communication via Whatsapp with your mates all doing the same. The elation when you get the tickets, the devastation when you don’t.

For the lucky people that do get the tickets, these words are what spring to mind: mud, incredible music, endless dancing, best mates, losing your mates, making new mates, beers, tents, flags, no sleep, (eco friendly) glitter, great food and toilets. Every corner of that gigantic site whether it’s the Stone Circle or Block 9, has created pure magic for so many people. It’s a place that brings people together, whoever you are and wherever you’ve come from, you are now part of a new special community. These are your people and you’ll have the time of your life together.

As we all know this year’s festival has had to be cancelled for obvious reasons. So, rather than focus on that, let’s celebrate the Glastos of the past! A collection of Glastonbury-goers have been kind enough to share some of their most special memories, so let’s shove our wellies on and head on in.

Dan’s Memory

We have a tradition that on the Wednesday evening we walk up to the highest peak, above the teepees, and watch the sunset from there. The rule is you're not allowed to look back until you get to the top. The view from up there is immense. Whenever it's someone's first year we take them up and I just watch their reaction as they look out across the site.

Ama’s Memory

This picture represents the happiness and anticipation that I feel whenever I go to Glastonbury. I remember getting to Castle Cary train station on the Thursday morning of Glastonbury 2019. There was no queue for the busses to the festival and me and my friend got onto the top level of the double decker bus, as it started winding down the country roads. As we got closer to the festival, there is a point where you can see the whole of the site, the grand scale of it took my breath away. I felt my heart jump into my throat and I got teary. I felt like I was back home, to a place where I could just be myself. As I was thinking this, the woman sitting behind me on the bus said that she was close to tears as that sight invoked so many memories. The guy sitting on the seats to the left of me also said that he was experiencing the same emotions. We then proceeded to exchange stories about our first memories of Glastonbury and how it was such a special place and how it felt like home. Once we got to the entrance of the festival, we all got off the bus and were greeted by volunteers who were cheering us on. I said goodbye to the woman and the guy that I had bonded with on the bus. As I walked away, I was left with a warm feeling of heightened anticipation with the knowledge that even though I wouldn’t see them again, we would each be experiencing a very different journey...but it certainly would be something very special.

Jess’ Memory

"I've only gone to Glastonbury once before... I was working it with ALL of my closest friends from school. I would literally turn around at work and see my best mates all around me, serving coffee, dancing whilst flipping burgers, serving David Beckham no less. It was the absolute dream. Me and my best friend would work 7am to 2pm then drink, dance and drink some more until the early hours. On the very last night we all stayed up throughout the night. It got to 6am and we still hadn't been to bed. We had all thought we didn't have work the next day....wrong. 7am came and we had to take the marquee and tables down. I don't think I'll ever forget us all, half conscious and still drunk, rolling these massive tables down in the sun. One of my favourite summers ever."

Aspers’ Memory

So basically what I do every year is shave designs in my chest due to the fact that I'm bald, so I can't do any haircuts. I use the same person every year to do the designs (he hates it). Previously I've had a bra, a vest, ZZ (for when ZZ Top were there) and Pacman.

Victoria’s Memory

2007 was a wet one. I think it rained for most of the festival and the fields were a bit of a quagmire. We ended up in Lost Vagueness (now not there - probably now the South West Corner) at about 2pm on a Friday or Saturday and the rain just did not stop. So we went into the Dodgem Diner, where a DJ was playing. It had a small dancefloor and a few people were sat about in dodgem cars eating.

The diner was busy, as it was undercover so everyone was either eating or sheltering. The DJ suddenly dropped Paul Williams’ 'You give a little love' from Bugsy Malone, and the place went up! I've never seen so many people dancing and who actually knew the moves (I do love that film), and they all started dancing on the tiny dancefloor. By now the rain was coming down so hard the water was rushing in the bottom of the tent, and was all over the dancefloor but no one cared. Pretty much everyone was out of their dodgems and dancing around umbrellas. Best Glastonbury moment - as you would never see anything like that happen anywhere else, and plus who doesn't love Bugsy Malone? It completely lifted the spirits.

Tommy’s Memory

Photo One

This day was a bit special. We sat down and had a three course meal at a pop up restaurant in shangers. Champagne etc, it was a great meal. Michael Eavis turns up and interrupts the super coy folk band who are playing and says he’s going to sing a song. He sings for the room and gives everyone an experience to remember. At the end everyone wants to say hello but he was having a convo with a friend. Everyone was being super nice and waiting for the convo to end. As Radiohead were about to start in 30 mins and we still had to get to the other side of the site, I said ‘Fuck it just take the pic’ so that’s our picture with Michael Eavis as he’s still talking to his friend.”

Photo Two

This is from probably the greatest night of my life. We’d been smashed all day and it ended with us barging our way into the London Underground in Block 9 which, on its better nights, is probably one of the best clubs anywhere in the world. We have no idea who is playing but for about three hours they’re playing music which I can only describe as “my perfectly distilled essence”. A night of the best music I’ve ever heard with my four best mates. This photo captures that night. It was only the next day that we found out that probably one of my favourite DJs had been playing a special UK garage set. It was like the night was made for me, I’m still recovering from it!

Charlie’s Memory

2003, my first Glastonbury, aged 17.

My friend and I stood at the front of the Pyramid stage all day in the blazing heat, throughout all the acts, to ensure our prime position for the Saturday headliners, Radiohead. When they came on hours later, we were still clinging on to our front-of-stage spot, but soon realised we might not be cut out for this and my friend was becoming claustrophobic. We started pushing our way through the crowd to escape but didn't seem to be making any progress. A lovely, very tall guy saw my friend was in a bad way and told us he could help if we wanted to make a quick exit. A few seconds later, my friend and I are crowd surfing, floating above it all bathed in golden light and euphorically squealing - our lovely tall friend behind us shouting "TAKE THEM TO THE FRONT!".
We made it and as I looked back at the crowd, I could see something familiar surfing through the crowd too…my sarong! I was wearing it as a skirt and it had unravelled so that I was standing in front of a load of strangers and my favourite band - in my pants. We went on to be blown away by Radiohead’s performance further back in the crowd; elated and fully clothed, thanks to the good people of Glastonbury.

Daisy’s Memory

My most visceral memory is the opening few seconds of the Chemical Brothers set in 2019. The beat lashed the sky, as electronic waves scooped us up off our feet, charging us up with lasers, red, then green. They bewitched us in an all-sensory experience that seemed like a mere flash. Suddenly, it was gone.

Connor’s Memory

Simply just embracing the surrealism of that special Sunday night transitioning to the end-of-the-festival Monday morning. It’s our favourite time of the festival. All on our last legs and yearning for more days!

Written by Charlotte Livingstone

Charlotte is a music obsessed south Londoner who loves dancing, crosswords, The Chase (too much) and getting out and about. She writes for a living as a Digital Content Editor and is loving being able to write for fun with The Everyday.