“This is one of life’s happy moments…” Five epic dance performances from Glastonbury over the years
For those of us unlucky not to get a ticket to this year’s Glastonbury Festival, the next couple of days will likely bring plenty of wine-fuelled cursing at BBC’s coverage of some inane pop act, when [insert musical legend] is performing on a different stage.
Plus, we’ve been watching it for more than 20 years at this stage, and we’re yet to see any coverage of Arcadia, Silver Hayes, Block 9 or one of the more ‘diverse’ arenas.
But I digress. While waiting for the real action to kick off, check out five of the best dance performances from a quarter century’s worth of Glastonbury Festivals.
Now where did I put my wellies?
Underworld – Dark Train (Glastonbury 1998)
Karl and the boys were riding high as Glastonbury 1998 approached – the group had hit untold levels of popularity following 1996’s Trainspotting, and were a few months away from the release of arguably their finest long player, Beaucoup Fish.
Among hits such as Rez/Cowgirl and King of Snake, they warmed up the crowd with this belter. “This is one of life’s happy moments,” as Hyde so eloquently puts it.
The Chemical Brothers – The Private Psychedelic Reel (Glastonbury 2000)
The ‘brothers’ are Glastonbury faves at this stage, and back in 2000, they treated the feverish crowd to a raw-as-f**k, ten-plus minute version of the epic closer from 1997’s Dig Your Own Hole. Tom Rowlands’ hair, alone, warrants multiple views.
The Orb featuring Kakatsitsi – Little Fluffy Clouds (Glastonbury 2013)
Dr Alex Paterson and co are no strangers to Glastonbury (check out their epic 1993 set here) but in. 2013, with the sun beaming down on Worthy Farm, they brought African drum troupe Kakatsitsi on stage with them to bring some ‘Fontomfrom’ traditional drumming and rhythmic chanting. As you do. Bonus points to Alex for the hat.
The Prodigy – Break And Enter (Glastonbury 1995)
The second track off (the then newly-released) Music For The Jilted Generation never sounded so raw. If you thought Liam Howlett’s grunge-heavy introduction is good, in rolls Keith (RIP) like a deranged hamster (seriously), and then things REALLY get interesting.
Orbital – Impact (The Earth is Burning) (Glastonbury 1994)
Glastonbury only got a Dance Stage for the first time in 1995, and we reckon the Hartnoll brothers’ devastating performance from the year before may have played a part in that. In fact, such is the close connection between Orbital and the festival, that they released a DVD commemorating ten years’ worth of performances at Worthy Farm.
This ten-minute, epic version of Impact (The Earth is Burning), from the NME stage in 1994, will have you reaching for the torch glasses (and Vicks Vapo Rub).
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