Back in the real world, a world where people actually give a shit about something called music, the massive Glastonbury Festival took place in Old Blighty again this past weekend. And to show you how times have changed from when I was just a lil tyke, BBC TV broadcast a highlights show each night with gobs of live performance footage. And thanks to the internet and various illicit technologies associated therewith, said highlights shows can be downloaded via the usual sources. (As if it would show up on TVB? As if!)

For some reason, the math part of my brain ain’t working tonight, but what I got came in 7 separate files totalling somewhere around 8 or 9 hours of music – well perhaps two hours after one subtracts all the between song chatter from the various BBC hosts. Nah it’s not quite that bad.

What’s there to watch and listen to?

  • Over an hour and a quarter of Springsteen’s set (so you know I’m happy just from that)
  • Probably close to an hour of Blur’s reunion set.
  • A healthy chunk of Neil Young including him covering A Day in the Life and shredding his guitar!

And on top of that, how’s about ….

  • Spinal Tap with special guest Jarvis Cocker!
  • The Specials – who sounded freaking marvelous
  • The Doves
  • Kasabian
  • Crosby Stills Nash but no Young
  • Franz Ferdinand
  • The Prodigy
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Madness
  • Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
  • Bon Iver

I believe they passed a law in England stating that Tom Jones and Status Quo need to appear at every festival, so they’re also here.

And, oh, Ting Tings, Lady Gaga, Paolo Nutini, Bloc Party, Fleet Foxes, Dizzee Rascal, Maximo Park, Black Eyed Peas, Bat for Lashes, Roots Manuva, Amadou & Mariam, Glasvegas and more.

Put very simply, if this is the kind of thing you like, you’ll like this!

Oh, almost forgot, the next day or the day before or something, Bruce played at something called Hard Rock Calling in London’s Hyde Park. He opened with London Calling. And here’s an amateur shot vid of it from the back of the crowd:

If you wanna see/hear Bruce do London Calling, much much better video and audio, here ya go, April 29, 2009 in Philadelphia:

Hongkie Town
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