Categories: uncategorized
Date: 30 August 2003 15:46:37
...Fantastic lineup for Greenbelt on the Monday, but we had to spend the morning just waking up (coffee) and trying to charge our mobile phones, and then headed off to the Rising, which was fantastic, Nick Harper, Aqualung and Duke Special, all were good in their way (even Nick Harpur, who I am not a fan off) - Matt Hales from Aqualung really stole the show with an acoustic version of Strange and Beautiful. The man is a genius!
After Lunch we went to hear anita Roddick speak about Trade Justice (she was so boring), then watched the celebrity football match (hilarious), caught Cathy Burton in the performance Cafe (very good) and wandered some more.
The main stage acts started for us with the Willard Grant Conspiricy (not bad), and then the supurb Aqualung (in awe!). People started filling the place up for the Polyphonic Spree, and we just squeezed out to get some food, and then I settled to watch Edens Bridge in the cafe while Amanda checked out mainstage - she came back to report the Spree still had not started, and that it was so packed we would never get anywhere near to see Billy Bragg, which was a worry!
Edens Bridge were fine (Amanda thought they were boring though) and we went to try and squeeze back into the main venue. We found a slot way back where we could see the Polyphonic Spree (I will withhold comments on what I think of this band, as it tends to raise emotions). When they ended the whole crowd swapped over, with the Spree fans moving out and the Billy Bragg fans (us!) finding a great slot about a third way back! Billy Bragg was really good, witty, political, sensitive. He spoke a lot of sense and it was great to sing along to all the words (revolution is just an ethical t-shirt away...)
We headed off to the late Steve Stockman event rather late, but were in time for Brian Houston to make us laugh until we cried, and then Duke Special to do the same a bit later.
A wonderful weekend, We are still trying to recover almost a week later!