Source: Facebook
So the first big line-up release for “probably the biggest festival in the world” is finally upon us. To say it’s an envious line-up would be an understatement. So for those lucky to go, and for those like myself viewing it live on the BBC with a case of beer and a tear in the eye, here’s my top picks for this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
1. Patti Smith
Where better to hear the woman behind the line “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine” than at the bastion of ancient religion that is the town of Glastonbury?
Patti Smith, likely performing her classic Horses album (she’s doing the album in full in London this summer) is the kind of performer who make ten times more sense live. Raw femininity wrapped around a punk vile that’d make Iggy Pop himself proud. Not to be missed!
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2. Belle & Sebastian
Fresh off the back of Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance, the band are currently mining a more indie disco friendly sound, expect dance floor fillers like ‘The Party Line’ and more twee classics like ‘Sleep The Clock Around’, ‘Me And The Major’ and ‘Expectations’. Perfect for that point in the weekend where the party life has caught up with you and you need to sit down on the hill with a cider and soak up a rare splash of sun.
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3. The Waterboys
Okay, maybe a left of field choice, considering the noticeable lack of hits compared with some of the other folk on the bill. However this one is worth it for one reason only. Trust me on this one! There will be no better feeling than standing drunk in a field belting out the chorus to “The Whole Of The Moon”. You can thank me later!
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4. Suede
No HTF Indie list is complete without a cheeky mention of these guys, for that I apologize. I will not however apologize for the sheer brilliance of a band that deserves recognition on level with the likes of Pulp and perhaps even Blur.
Fresh off winning NME’s godlike genius award and top 10 comeback Bloodsports, the band will be brimming with confidence and energy. Expect sleazy glam classics like ‘Trash’ and ‘Animal Nitrate’ alongside some previews of their upcoming 7th album.
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5. The Mothership Returns: George Clinton, Parliment, Funkadelic and The Family Stone
Who’s up for a party mother funkers!? For those who like their grooves dirty and their fields dirtier, George Clinton playing his unstoppable breed of funk favorites to a party crowd will be like the mothership has really landed, with Xbox consoles and supermodels for every attendee.
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6. Spiritualized
For those who like their blissed out trips with a slab of gospel and psychedelia, I present Spiritualized. A band totally about the sound. They may not be taking drugs to make music to take drugs to anymore, but this will still be on a higher level!
Expect choice picks from the classic Ladies And Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space, winner of NME’s album of the year in 1997, alongside previews of tracks from their upcoming new album.
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7. Peace
The real question about Peace is how long it will be before we see the band headlining one of Glastonbury’s fabled stages? Fresh off the success of Happy People the band will be looking to continue the upward fashion in their usual fashion, gloriously wasted and high on success.
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8. Courtney Barnett
One of last Glasto’s huge breakthrough performers. She’ll be back with a new album and the same ol’ whimsical lyrical wit and grunge guitars to tear up yet another Glastonbury performance, just expect the crowd to be much larger this time around!
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9. FFS (Franz Ferdinand and Sparks)
Don’t tell me this collaboration doesn’t peak your interest just a tad! While no-one knows what to expect entirely as yet, we can pretty much guarantee it will be one of the most quirky and fun performances you’ll see all weekend!
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10. The Fall
No-one can ever be totally sure what to expect of Mark E Smith, or what line-up will be up on stage with him. But when he is on form, there is nothing better. You won’t want to be the person who misses them on a good night. If they have a bad night, you might as well have gone to watch Kanye ranting on about Beck once again… Truly a festival goers Russian roulette.
