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The Glorious and Magical 7-7-77 Glastonbury Fayre.
July 1977.
A
music press report .
Meanwhile
back on Planet earth "What is reality? what is
reality, I write this on Saturday , no sorry Sunday "anywhere
else at all Sunstroke would come across as decidedly
bizarre , a halfhearted punkoid psychedelic six piece featuring a slinky black
panther lady on congas (who changes diaphanous see through gowns onstage
before your very eyes - while still stylishly stroking dem skins ) and
deadpan pataphysical lyrics like the above .One song is cockilly described
as a cross between Elvis Presley and Kurt Vonnegurt and the singer keeps on
asking the audience if they want rock and roll or a bit of space . The sunstroke
standard of musical talent and invention is high, if at times deliberately
surreal The attitude is one of mock arrogance. Yes these guys come form da
city. Bristol Gardens , in treey , but decadent West London no less.
For the record Sunstroke are
playing the Glastonbury free festival , a celebration of 7/7/77 marked simply
, from the main road - FUN . Situated on a beautiful
ley line ridge near Street in Somerset , attended by upwards of 3,000 people
advertised solely by word of mouth . MC'ing was performed by a dope pipe selling
lunatic in Indian headdress, tinted shades and levi shorts , given to reciting
the rain chant from Woodstock and singing and dancing with all the bands .
In the context then, of this decidedly bizarre festival ( the weirdos
wore clothes and the straights stuck to hashish and acid ) Sunstroke
seemed oddly normal. The audience listened intently , idiot danced or did
the lysergic pogo and had a good laugh during the bands two well received
sets.
Among the better known names present
were Edgar and Steve Broughton with their respective
latest outfits, Here and Now ( of course) and
the members of Skywhale .
Edgar Broughton confidently restored a reputation eroded by years of rampant
untogetherness and a resulatant apathy- although one is temporarily at a loss
to divine why he has parted with his brother, for both bands sounded, to these
ears , similar- fresher and cleaner then the Broughtons of yore - plus the
brothers appeared to be sharing a tent . Edgar is a vastly underrated songwriter
, the proficiency and vigour of the band -Childermass,
should correct this lack of critical and popular recognition . To his credit
he denied repeated requests for Out Demons Out with
the words ., 'it still needs saying, but not by me'-
and not here either - the last thing this magical festival needed was a heavy
political exorcism .
Here and Now more
than made their presence felt , after a lacklustre performance on Thursday
afternoon, and an undignified if spontaneous participation in the Glastonbury
Zodiac Band - a mammoth jam starring NikTurner
( a sublime sax player, make no mistake,
he really should get a band together soon ) on Friday , Saturday
evening saw them tuning once more into the music of the spheres . It was an
especially exhilarating phenomenon for those who had taken note of the dropping
time - 7pm, on the daily BIT broad sheet .
It was disappointing the complete
Skywhale did not play , for in the Bristol musicians jam , featuring several
of their members, their numbers seemed somewhat nondescript .
T he music went on 24 hours a day, often from more then one source simultaneously
. Apart from the main stage ( the mixing tower from last years Knebworth
festival,) private vans broadcast recorded sounds (lots of Gong , Beatles,
Lamb Lies Down On Broadway , Spirit , Cheech and Chong )and impromptu percussion
jams frequently filled the air .
Everyone got superhumanly stoned.
Not that it was all squalid
degeneracy . The Tipi People ( nee Wallies )
have started a Save the Horse charity , collections for which brought some
down from London to roam the festival site. It has been the vision and dogged
persistence of the Tipi people ( in particular that of their guiding light
Sid Rawles, that has kept the free festival spirit
alive over the past few years.
A lso a grateful thanks must go to the organisational efforts of BIT
and Release most definitely without whom ....
Other bands worthy of mention
and worth watching out for the future . Corina and Friends,
Rotbang, Desperate Straights and Planets
- as different in detail from one another as chalk and cheese ( respectively
- folkie, punkoid, progressive and space )but each with a similar
ly exciting , optimistic Aquarian quality distinguishing them from the rest
of the music scene with its bright shining newness.
I just wish that I could remember
the name of the solo guitarist whose FX axemanship converted a box of wood
into a heavenly chorus . Never mind , we got plenty more goes on the free
festival front this summer alone ; next week Windscale , then the North country
Fair, Meigan ,,, the world !!!!!