Having gone through the line-up with meticulous attention to detail, here are the list of must-sees for me this year. They're listed in a very rough chronological order (which means some will almost certainly clash) with the stage they're appearing at in brackets. Click on their names to go to their myspace sites if you fancy a listen:
Frank Turner (The Queens Head)
Seth Lakeman (Croissant Neuf)
Willie Nelson (Pyramid Stage)
Steve Knightley (Croissant Neuf)
Mumford & Sons (John Peel Stage)
The Bees (The Queen's Head)
U2 (Pyramid Stage)
Here is a bit about why I want to see these acts.
Frank Turner:
I can't say I know too much about him really, except I missed out on seeing him back in 2008, as he clashed with someone else. The first album I had of him was
Sleep Is For The Week - a cracking album with thought provoking lyrics and simple, straightforward guitar and vocals.
His latest album
Poetry For The Deed features a full backing band, and whilst I prefer the raw sound of Sleep Is For The Week, there are still a few top tracks to be found, especially the excellent 'Sons of Liberty'.
Seth Lakeman:
I've seen Seth several times, the last of which was in the summer of 2008 at the Moseley Folk Festival, where this photo was taken. With forthcoming album 'Hearts And Minds' due to be released in May, it'll give me a chance to see one of my favourite folk artists live in another intimate setting, 2 years after the release of his last album,
Poor Man's Heaven.
My favourite work of Seth's is without doubt
Freedom Fields - the first album of his I heard. Tracks such as 'Lady of the Sea', 'White Hare' and 'King And Country' are often used in his live shows, showing his versatility as a guitar and fiddler player.
But the song I'm most looking forward to seeing is 'Kitty Jay', a song about the legend of a teenage girl and her untimely demise
often mentioned in folklore in Seth's home county of Devon.
Willie Nelson:
I saw Willie Nelson back at my first Glastonbury in 2000. The festival has changed so much since then, but classics such as 'Always On My Mind' and 'Crazy' are as timeless as ever.
I can't think of anything more relaxing than listening to Willie Nelson's distinctive, calming vocals soothing us with American classics spanning over 50 years. The guy is a legend - he's worked with greats such as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones and even Snoop Dogg.
And if that wasn't enough, the guy is 76 years old, smokes like a chimney, has been married four times and calls his guitar 'Trigger'. Awesome. And I know all the words to 'On The Road Again'.
Steve Knightley:
Steve is one half of highly-acclaimed folk duo
Show of Hands. It's a shame the other half -
Phil Beer - isn't joining him but I'm just glad one of them is making an appearance. Whereas Phil is the more musically gifted of the two (he's a superb guitarist), Steve is the more accomplished songwriter and has penned many classic tracks such as 'Cousin Jack', 'Roots', 'Country Life' and 'Santiago'. Steve's set should be a great singalong for fellow folk fans.
Steve has also released several excellent solo albums, notably
Cruel River and last year's
Track of Words - Retraced.
I'm hoping to hear his version of Dire Straits's 'Romeo & Juliet' - a track he covered on the Cruel River album.
Mumford & Sons:
I hadn't heard of these guys until a few months ago, but I'm really looking forward to a top singalong at the John Peel Tent. Their debut album
Sigh No More has been a big success - my particular choices being 'Little Lion Man' and 'Awake My Soul'.
There isn't enough banjo in contemporary music for my liking. Mumford & Sons delivery here with aplomb, with some excellent banjo work in tracks such as 'Sigh No More' and 'The Cave'.
Hopefully, Mumford & Sons won't succumb to '2nd album syndrome' and we can enjoy their folk-rock melodies for several years yet.
The Bees:
An act I never thought would appear this year - but lucky me - they're playing not once, but TWICE! The first time in the intimate setting of the Queen's Head. They've not played since late 2008 - and I last saw them at Moseley that September - as you can see from the photo - so I'm looking forward to hearing some new material as well as some old classics. Their last album -
Octopus was released 3 years ago now, when they last appeared at Glastonbury.
With a new album on the horizon, the opportunity to see them twice after a 2 year gap is one I can't miss. Let's just hope that 'Wash In The Rain' isn't too ironic, and that
Sunshine Hit Me is more apt.
U2
Wow. I was absolutely stunned when Michael Eavis announced that these guys were to headline this year, and their inclusion is one of the reasons why from this year's line up is so stunning (from a personal point of view). They're one of those acts I've always wanted to see, but have never managed to, via a mixture of them never touring near me, and ludicrous ticket prices. But where better to hear such a huge act than at the Pyramid Stage? It's going to be absolutely epic - I hope they play plenty of tracks from classic albums such as
The Joshua Tree,
Achtung Baby and my own personal favourite,
The Unforgettable Fire.
Such is my excitement about seeing U2, I've compiled a playlist for my iPod of what they may play, going by recent setlists. Thanks to Wooderson from efests for recommending some tracks I was unfamiliar with beforehand. Anyway, here is the playlist:
Breathe
No Line On The Horizon
Angel of Harlem
Get On Your Boots
Kite
Magnificent
Beautiful Day
Elevation
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Stay (Faraway, So Close)
Unknown Caller
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
The Unforgettable Fire
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Pride (In The Name of Love)
MLK
Walk On
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
Bad
Until The End of the World
In A Little While
Mysterious Ways
Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
With Or Without You
Moment Of Surrender
'40'
It promises to be quite a night. 80,000 people singing 'How loooooong.... to sing this song......' into the Somerset sky as they make their way to every far reaching corner of the site could prove to be a 'Hey Jude' moment.
