Proudly Printed in the Theatre and Circus Fields of Glastonbury Festival Heavy Metal Rules

Sunday 25th June 2017 PROUDLY PRINTED IN THE THEATRE AND CIRCUS FIELDS OF GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL FREE • LIBERA • GRATIS IT’S THE FINAL DAY OF “THE BEST GLASTONBURY YET”, SO FILL UP ON MEMORIES AND WE’LL... HEAVY METAL RULES JOHN LEWIS investigates the great grindcore and anarcho-thrash invasion of Glastonbury Festival 2017 It might have invited the likes the indie kids who are the complacent Sex Pistol Glenn Matlock and San of Metallica and Motörhead to apolitical ones, while metal bands Francisco anarcho punks the Dead perform, but Glastonbury has like Rage Against The Machine, Kennedys (sans Jello Biafra). The traditionally had a bit of a blindspot Sepultura and System Of A Down Truth Stage has become the unlikely SEE YOU IN when it comes to metal. It’s have been nailing their colours to centrepiece of Shangri-La, the South something that Nottingham-based the mast, with militant, defiantly East Corner’s hidden-away late- hardcore label Earache Records internationalist anthems that night club culture gem. The stage is attempting to redress this year explicitly support the fight against is surrounded by anti-globalisation as it brings some of its favourite globalisation, war and corporate banners (“Build The World That You acts to Shangri-La’s Truth Stage corruption. Want To Belong To”, “They Starve, and their own Earache Express And it’s this insurrectionary We Carry On Shopping”, “Don’t Be – Glastonbury’s first ever metal metal spirit that Shangri-La A Dick”, “If You Don’t Like The 731 DAYS venue, set in a battered old London is harnessing, with slots Music, F-Off” , and its audience is CHRIS SALMON catches up with Emily and Michael Eavis ) Underground tube carriage. It from icons like Crass a mix of crusty ravers and hardcore kicked off on Thursday night with poet Steve Ignorant, metal fans. “It has to be the best one yet,” says example, the Festival returned with “Half a century. It’s an incredible a frankly terrifying sonic assault The metal is leavened by other Emily Eavis, getting straight in there two brand new areas: Block9 and feat, actually. We’ve been through so from the godfathers of grindcore fare – Tourette’s Heroes were with the traditional Eavis family The Park. A decade on, it’s hard to many struggles to get here.” Napalm Death and continues a shambolic folk band whose claim about each year’s Festival imagine Glastonbury without either. And now Michael is ready for the rest of the Festival with ramblings were interrupted by outdoing its predecessors. And the The Park was also the first area for another challenge: a new event a politicised brand of thrash metal the politicised shouting thing is, it’s hard to argue with her. to officially be overseen by Emily, away from Worthy Farm, with the and more. of a young woman in By the time we speak on Saturday alongside husband Nick. working title of Variety Bazaar. “Ah Back in the day, the punky a wheelchair, while other afternoon, it’s clear Glastonbury “Do you remember when you yes,” he smiles. “The last big gamble indie kids were supposed to be acts this weekend have 2017 has been a very special one. drove us up to the top of the hill one in my life. We have no plans to stop the earnest political ones, and the ranged from funk to gypsy “The weather’s definitely helped,” Christmas?” Emily asks her father. doing the Festival here, but we want heavy metal kids were the apolitical punk. But the emphasis, especially says Emily, “but there have been so “You went, ‘This is the field The to try something in another location hedonists. Heavy metal was often aboard the hot and sweaty Earache many wonderful things.” She rattles Park could be’. And we were like, away from the farm, possibly in dismissed as a reactionary art Express, is on metal – from Extreme off highlights including Thursday’s ‘But it’s miles away from the Festival 2021. It’s still very much in the form – one that was populated by Noise Terror to Japanese grindcore human peace sign; Friday’s powerful site!” We stood there, in the middle planning stages, but we’ve got to be dunderheaded Republicans like Ted band Wormrot. This is Glastonbury minute’s silence at the Pyramid; of winter, and you just said, ‘Give it brave enough to have a go.” Nugent – while indie kids were the Festival emphasising its position as David Beckham opening Pilton a go’. It was brilliant.” That’s very much one for the ones behind everything from Rock the home of the underground with village’s new social housing on his “And it’s been a phenomenal future, then. But for now, we’ve all Against Racism to Red Wedge. the help of rock music’s perpetually way to the Festival; and Radiohead’s success,” says Michael, proudly. got one day left to enjoy the magical But, for the last few decades, it’s underground genre. awe-inspiring headline set. “Beyond my wildest dreams.” fruits of the Eavises’ labours, before “But as much as anything,” she What then, of the future for the Festival takes its sabbatical. How adds, “it’s the atmosphere around the Glastonbury beyond 2018? are people going to cope without it? site. It’s been incredible. We work “We’ll be back here at the farm “I think everyone’s enjoyed a wealth HOLD YOUR COOL so hard on this festival, but you can in 2019,” says Emily. “And we’re of pleasures they’ll never forget,” almost forget how good it is. It’s the definitely here in 2020 for our 50th says Michael. “We’ve all got enough Artist-in-residence STANLEY DONWOOD explains the inspiration behind best thing in the whole world. I’ve had birthday.” “We’re already booking memories and treasures to live off this year’s artwork below left such a great time. Everyone has.” acts for that one,” says Michael. for at least two years.” ( ) Sitting alongside his daughter and co-organiser, Michael Eavis clearly I spend a lot of time on trains metal-clad warehouses along some rubbish. The feeling of inadequacy concurs. “It’s been wonderful hasn’t because I can’t drive. And often railway sidings were the words that’s the result of watching the it?” he beams. I pass through Swindon, usually HOLD YOUR COOL sprayed news. The feeling of guilt. The horror. All of which rather begs the without stopping or getting off. This in letters about ten feet high. Every The terror. HOLD YOUR COOL. question: does the Festival *really* is not to denigrate Swindon. I know time I passed them I felt better. They Some halfwit thought that this have to take its scheduled year off nothing about the place aside from were even spaced really well, like public service announcement was in 2018? the fact that it has a bus station, H O L D Y O U R C O O L. “graffiti” so they covered it up. It’s my “Oh, I’m afraid so,” laughs situated underneath a multi-storey It was like an instruction; duty to the anonymous “perpetrator” Michael. “We’ve got lots of reasons car park, that smells strongly of whatever happens, whatever anyone of the aforementioned “graffiti” to why we need a fallow year. The human urine and is frequented by says to you, however badly your take these heartfelt and beautiful farm needs a rest. So does the village characters unlikely to pass muster work goes, however awfully your words and spread them as widely and the wildlife.” in a swanky restaurant. The rest of partner responds to your attempts to as I can. And so this artwork is “And it gives us a chance to Swindon is probably great. heal a rift, however frightening the dedicated to the anonymous artist reflect,” says Emily. “Everybody Anyway, the reason why newspaper headlines are, whatever who painted it and to all unknown has time to recover and come back I think Swindon is probably great your boss says to you, that idiot on artists everywhere. with fresh ideas.” is that, until quite recently, on the tube, anyone who takes you for Hold Your Cool art posters are After the 2006 fallow year, for HOLD YOUR COOL BY STANLEY DONWOOD the side of some huge and boring a fool, all the people that treat you like available from the Free Press tent. 2 THE GLASTONBURY FREE PRESS SUNDAY 25TH JUNE 2017 Q&A: BILLY BRAGG The organiser of Glastonbury’s Left Field stage talks to JOHN LEWIS about Brexit, Corbyn and mobilising the youth vote Is there an appetite for politics the Brexit result? One young woman of the Left Field has always been on dated from the last century. Which is Isn’t it ironic that Tony Benn, the is something that is inherently among the young? was in tears, telling me how she’d just domestic, British politics. That’s what fine when you want to invite Jeremy Left Field’s figurehead, was an politicised, and it has kept its edge. I think that Brexit has crept up on come out to her parents, which took the Left Field, in association with the Corbyn or whatever – I’ve shared ardent Brexiteer? Young people – they’re *woke*. the under 30s in the same way that her a lot of courage, and was then trade unions, wanted to address. It’s a stage with Jeremy countless times He was always very anti-EU, but Thatcher crept up on my generation.

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