So it’s all over for an additional year. The 2010 Glastonbury Festival came to a close last night, with organizer Michael Eavis inevitably declaring it “the best ever”. There have been several highlights, starting from the fact that, for as soon as, there was no rain and punters has been treated to wall-to-wall sunshine.
Beyond the weather, a stellar list of bands and singers graced the dozens of stages, providing exceptional musical entertainment for the 177,000 people onsite at Worthy Farm’s 40th anniversary bash. But which ten performances really stood out and are set to enter festival folklore?
10. Radiohead
There are often surprises at Glastonbury and 2010 was no exception, with an unexpected and rapturously received turn around the relatively intimate Park Stage from Thom Yorke, dressed for some reason like Mark Knopfler, and Jonny Greenwood.
09. Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal’s progression from grime bad boy into the Lenny Henry of 18-30 Ibizan hip hop was completed this weekend as he set on a crowd-pleasing principal stage set. It’s unlikely he’ll be playing that England World Cup song again, nevertheless.
08. Snoop Dogg
A massive crowd greeted Snoop on Friday afternoon and he truly got the party began, hooking up with emerging UK rap star Tinie Tempah to as soon as once again utterly disprove Noel Gallagher’s claim that hip hop has no location at Glastonbury.
07. Orbital
There were several collaborations this weekend, some of them very strange, but none could top ‘Doctor Who”s Matt Smith teaming up with Orbital for their epic version from the show’s theme tune. It is unclear where he parked the Tardis.
06. Shakira
So peculiar, infectious and charming was Shakira’s hip-shaking display that no-one batted an eyelid when the Colombian star revealed she was going to watch yesterday’s England vs Germany World Cup game in “a pub in east London”.
05. Pet Shop Boys
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s serene glide towards pop royalty continued about the Other Stage on Friday night as they place on the futuristic, art-pop rave-up that had people leaving Muse in their droves to catch an eye-popping glimpse.
04. Scissor Sisters & Kylie
It had to happen. Five years after she was forced to pull out because of her breast cancer diagnosis, Kylie Minogue finally played the festival, looking hotter than ever alongside New York’s campest band. It proved a marriage made in heaven.
03. Florence & The Machine
‘You Got The Love’ is being called the song with the 2010 festival, after Florence reportedly played it with Dizzee Rascal, The xx and her own band. It is this chilling version, featuring every instrument under a really hot sun, including a harp, which will live long in the memory.
02. Stevie Wonder
He brought proceedings to a hit-packed climax on Sunday, dedicating the set to Michael Jackson and covering ‘Human Nature’ before inviting Glasto head honcho Michael Eavis on for a comical take on ‘Happy Birthday’. But, of course, it is Stevie’s own songs that everybody wanted to hear.
01. Muse
Muse brought the all-guns blazing kitchen sink with them for their supermassive Pyramid Stage show but nothing could match the guest turn from the Edge from U2, who have been cruelly forced to pull out because of Bono’s injury. Let’s hope we get to see him, playing this, in 2011.