Dan Prince checks with one of clubland’s finest after another weekend down at Worthy Farm with Kanye, Lionel, Jarvis, The Chems, The Who, Mark Ronson, Grandmaster Flash, George Clinton and Mary J Blige. He even joined in singing Happy Birthday to the Dalai Lama!!!!!!
Dave welcome back to DMCWORLD…you’ve just got back from another memorable Glastonbury…how are you smelling?
“Ha! Not too bad thanks. We bought a cheap second hand caravan specifically for festivals last year which did have a working shower, but alas, it failed us this year so we had to make do with a couple of “Glastonbury Showers”, otherwise known as a quick once over with the baby wipes…”
Well what a weekend. Let’s kick off with the whole Kanye West discussion. Forgetting the words to Bohemian Rhapsody, Lee Nelson invading the stage, “the greatest rock star on the planet” quote, his clobber…and THAT flag!! What was your take on the whole show – was he worthy of headlining the event?
“We only saw about 20 minutes of his set which was all a bit shoddy in my opinion, but if you judge your rock stars on who’s making the most noise/getting the most attention in the media then he’s definitely up there. He seemed to make the whole Festival about him which is no mean feat. And there’s no denying he is a talented producer who’s made a succession of good albums over the last decade. But when people start comparing him to Prince and Stevie Wonder at the height of their powers, they need to have a word with themselves and get a grip. To really be the biggest rock star on the planet, you need more than 4 or 5 tracks that have crossed over into the consciousness of the mainstream and really be able to put on a show, holding an audience in the palm of your hand. He has a lot to learn in that respect.”
One of the highlights for many was Lionel Richie on Sunday afternoon, right on cue the sun peeked it’s head through the clouds as he started to sing ‘Easy’…where were you watching, what was your highlight from Lionel and was everybody really having that much fun when he was on stage?
“I was there yes and it was one of the highlights of the weekend. He certainly drew the biggest crowd. That Sunday afternoon spot is becoming quite prestigious after Dolly Parton, Tom Jones, etc. It’s at a point in the weekend where everybody’s ready to let loose and have a bit of cheesy fun. It’s really a mass karaoke session. And Lionel definitely had all the hits to pull it off. You could see he was blown away by the sheer numbers of people and wonderfully warm reaction he was getting,, which is quite something for an artist who’s seen it all. It made him all the more endearing.”
A few mixed reports about Mark Ronson’s performance. Many walked off saying it was boring, what a cast joining him though?
“I disagree. I thought he did a good job and from where I was standing people were lapping it up. The Amy Winehouse accapella was a special moment. And as you say, the all star cast of Grandmaster Flash, George Clinton and Mary J Blige joining him for ‘Uptown Funk’ was pretty memorable too. Boy George even made an appearance to sing ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?’ Say what you like about Ronson, he’s got one hell of a contacts list on his iPhone.”
Whenever I interview you lately we end up talking birthdays! Tell us about a certain rendition of Happy Birthday that you joined in with…
“Yeah, another amazing moment that was pure Glastonbury. You’re not going to find the Dalai Lama at the V Festival are you?! It was a lovely moment during Patti Smith’s set on the main stage. He’d been giving a speech earlier on in the day in the Green Fields, but they brought him on to say a few words and present him with a birthday cake which turned into a mass rendition of Happy Birthday. And I must admit singing “Happy Birthday dear Dalai Lama” was one of the strangest sing-alongs I’ve ever been in involved with.”
So a second hand caravan huh? I’d have thought the Seaman family would have been up with Luke Neville at Babington House or holed up in a luxury winnibago back stage?!?
“Babington House kind of defeats the whole Glastonbury experience. I’d happily stay there but on another weekend entirely separate from the Festival. And a luxury winnibago is all a bit OTT for Glasto. Again, something to rent on another occasion and go touring around the South Of France in. As I said before, we were in a second hand caravan bought on eBay for £350. The price of a decent tent! The Yorkshireman in me refuses to spend anymore!! Not worth it for 5 or 6 nights a year, right Dan? But the luxury of having your own toilet and a solid roof over your head is something I’d highly recommend.”
Another highlight for many was Jarvis Cocker’s Desperate Soundsystem on Saturday night, what were some of the gems that were pulled out of disco wonderland at that little sesh?
“Yeah, that’s the beauty of festivals and Glastonbury in particular where you can randomly stumble upon wonderful little things going on around the fringe of the main stages. We were just wandering around when we heard Tina Turner’s Nutbush City Limits followed by David Bowie’s Jean Genie coming out of a little bar near the Park Stage and someone compering that sounded an awful lot like Jarvis Cocker. And lo and behold, it was! To be honest it was all a bit haphazard. There were loads of problems with the records jumping as they were playing from vinyl but no one seemed to care. In fact it kinda added to the impromtu vibes and Jarvis’s dry sense of humour held it all together well. From Fat White Family ’Touch The Leather’ to Cerrone ’Supernature’ to Nightwriters ‘Let The Music Use You’. It was a lot of fun.”
The world awoke this morning waiting with baited breath who was gonna be the star of Sunday night at Glasto…looking like The Who 1 The Chems 2. Agree?
“The Chemical Brothers hands down for me. I love The Who. I was obsessed with Quadrophenia during my mod stage as an eleven year old and they’re a great headline band, but The Chems were something else. Hit after hit after hit with amazing visuals and lightshow that had about 40,000 at a packed Other Stage bouncing in unison. For me, they’re the best headline act to come out of the Electronic Music Scene. It was a perfect way to end the weekend.”
Tell us about your set over in the Glade Lounge…
“I played after hours on the Friday night. Like I said before, I love those little fringe shows that are a bit off the beaten track…and so The Glade Lounge has become a bit of a regular thing for me. I played the main dance stage a few years ago which was fantastic, but the vibe you get after all the main stages have closed is something I especially love. You can get away with doing whatever you like really. I love that freedom.”
You have played at every festival in the world – is Glastonbury still the best? If it doesn’t rain…?
“It’s the biggest and the best, yes. Nothing comes close for me. Rain or no rain.”
And finally – will you be back in 2016?
“Try and stop me!”
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Some of our favourite tweets from Glastonbury 2015…
