Rock and Roll will never die, Glastonbury 2009

Rain beat down like Tyson enraged. Mud slipped and slided away. Lightning struck, covering the surrounding country side in a warm white glow.

Warriors surged forward, laden and weary they trudged through. The Glastonbury hordes drew the battle lines.  The serene West Country, now pocked marked with regiments, fires burned all around as the weary warriors spoke with full mouths and the juice of the gods flowed relentlessly.

Dawn was grumpy, dark clouds circled, menacing and taunting the sleepy eyed warriors. Slowly, slowly the advance began, regiment after regiment, marched forward, the battle paint still fresh.

Suddenly an almighty roar rang out, the voices of thousands of people in unison screamed and shouted, the sound resounding off the surrounding hills.

Glastonbury was officially opened!

 Music flowed powerfully from the mountain of speakers, the sun came through the stormy clouds and the mud turned to clay. Like a mass orgy, an air of hysteria filled the rolling green Vale of Avalon.  Thousands of sweaty bodies writhed and squirmed under the masses of flags and glorious sunshine.

Since 1970, following the death of the immortal Jimi Hendrix, this Vale has heard the voices of hundreds of thousands of Glastonbury warriors.  The small towns surrounding the farms have been flooded with ragged long haired warriors.

Love, sex, drugs and rock and roll have filled this otherwise serene and quiet country side for 39 years. The legendary Michael Eavis could not have imagined that the festival would become so massive. Glasto has come a long way since the days that he stood at the gate collecting the £1 entrance fee which included half a litre of milk. Since those days a plethora of musical talent has entertained millions of people, acts like David Bowie, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Status Quo, Crosby Stills and Nash amongst many more, still continue to please all the love warriors hungry for music.

Glastonbury is truly overwhelming, an all out assault of all the senses. Love, charity and awareness flows amongst the 180 000 people who despite the muddy and cramped conditions, are permanently on a high, natural or otherwise. The music is incredible and 2009 saw Neil Young performing for the first time and what a performance, the crowds roared in appreciation, bringing smile to his time worn face. The organisation is simply mind blowing and the variety of performances is out of this world. The muddy lanes all around the farm, full of weird and wonderful people, pump 24 hours a day.

Glastonbury is truly an unforgettable experience, a time of letting your hair down and indulging in four days of pure decadence, dance and pure Rock and Roll.  The mystical Vale of Avalon continues the entrance the masses.

In the words of Mr Neil Young, “Hey, hey, my, my, Rock and Roll will Never Die. It’s better to burn out then it is to rust.... hey, hey, my, my....”

Facts:

Location: South West England, Worthy Farm, Villages of Pilton and Pylle.

When: Last weekend of June (3 days). Every year but every 5^th year they take a break to give the farm land time to recuperate.

Price: £180 for 3 days.

Next one 2010 the 40^th anniversary, so you had better be quick as the tickets sell out in a matter of hours.