On paper the final day line up didn’t quite sparkle in the same way as Friday and Saturday. I think the main issue was that the headliner we’d picked wasn’t one that we knew inside out. In fact, I probably knew less Metronomy tracks than any other that we watched on the Sunday (except October drift). Ed Sheehan was not an option in case you are wondering. Galway Girl is one of the worst songs ever recorded.
On the way to the John Peel Stage we had to drift past The Other Stage. This brought to us the truly awful sounds of Slaves. This is clearly a band I will never enjoy, but it is clear that they have an audience. We had two endure two songs on the way and could still hear them from near the JPS.
October Drift
While we watched October Drift the rain absolutely hammered down on the John Peel tent. Fortunately it didn’t last long and what we caught of OD was pleasant enough without ever tempting a future purchase.
Sundara Karma
Sundara Karma are an interesting live prospect. Their debut album is really good and they have everything going for them. This live show didn’t seem to quite match their potential, but it was enjoyable all the same.
Real Estate
Real Estate were relatively new to me prior to Glastonbury. Their music has a definite feel of Teenage Fanclub and as such I was looking forward to them. Craig Potter, off of Elbow fame is clearly a fan as he was watching back stage on the John Peel Stage. The set was good, but I found myself tiring. It seemed long and the numerous instrumental wig outs seemed to go on forever. It will be a while before I can bring myself to listen to them again. Shame, because I was thinking this could be a band for me.
Laura Marling
Laura was the only act that we watched on the Pyramid Stage in the Sunday. For the first time ever, Ste and I were in the from section (sometimes referred to as the mosh pit, but that would not have been accurate for Miss Marling). We were therefore up close and personal for one of the most serene and delicate performances I’ve ever seen on this huge stage. The crowd were respectful throughout and at times you could have heard a pin drop. I’ve honestly never experienced an audience around me being so quiet, soaking in every nuance of this special performance. The set drew heavily from new album, Semper Femina, and I’m not too familiar with it. That didn’t matter. This was an amazing display of acoustic bliss.
Haim
The last time we saw Haim was at Glastonbury in 2013. Just about to launch album no. 2 at the time of this performance and they were full of confidence. The three of them seemed genuinely thrilled to be on stage and their enjoyment was infectious. They barely put a foot wrong in a fantastic sunlit set on the other stage. This was probably my favourite set of the day with Haim’s Sun-soaked Californian anthems perfect for this slot in the festival.
The Sherlocks
A short sharp and thrilling set from The Sherlocks on the BBC Introducing Stage. We really had to race from Haim to catch this set, but we were determined to do so. This time next year this lot will be on a bigger stage…possibly quite high up. The set was great, filled with future anthems. We missed the first song and half of the second, but that didn’t spoil the enjoyment of the rest.
The Courteeners
The Courteeners is a band that have never struck a massive chord with me. We caught these next on The Other Stage and were struck by how many of the crowd knew every track and every word. Not Nineteen Forever got one of the best receptions I’ve ever seen on this stage. I might need to invest a bit more time in this band in the future.
London Grammar
The John Peel Stage was the venue for the rest of the night. When we got there, it was packed. The tent was packed, outside the tent was packed and the bar was packed. The Killers may have had something to do with this, but it made for an uncomfortable half an hour or so. We managed to get ourselves a spot in the tent (not far in mind you) for what turned out to be the surprise set of the day. It was another stunning performance that I found mesmerising despite a lack of familiarity with the tunes. I’ll definitely be buying album 2 at some point as this was bordering on spine tingling. Fortunately for Ste & I, the Ed Sheehan effect took hold halfway through the set, and the crowd thinned out. It made for a more comfortable time, but my photos remained terrible!
Metronomy
Glastonbury 2017 closed for us with Metronomy. Not how I’d have hoped in advance, but it was the best choice we could make. I know some Metronomy songs really well, but my enjoyment of the set suffered from a lack of familiarity. Still, the tracks I knew were superb (The Bay, Love Letters, The Look) and we left reflecting on another superb Glastonbury.
Highlights of the final day of Glastonbury 2017 were all female; Laura Marling, Haim & London Grammar. It may have not looked the best day on paper, but it had at least three outstanding performances and some significant promise for the future (The Sherlocks & Sundara Karma). We walked 19.6km on this final day.
Epilogue
Beer: We took 90 cans of Stella 4 with us and 8 cans of Dead Pony Club. All were consumed. We also had a few Pyramid Ales, which were nice enough. We had to settle for a lager on the last day from the bar (sold out of ale), which wasn’t so good.
Food: The food at Glastonbury is usually good. Yes, there is rubbish available, but if you pick carefully you can eat very well indeed. We took some bread products and fruit for breakfast, but ate at the stalls for lunch and evening. The Thai green curry platter from near the pyramid stage is always a highlight.
Glastonbury 2017 in numbers:
38 bands seen 🎸
10 stages 🎪
90 cans of beer 🍻
£238 face value ticket price 🎫
95.45km walked 🚶🏼
1010km travelled by car 🚗
I’m not sure where this Glasto ranks in respect to the other 6 we’ve been to. It probably wasn’t as good as 2015 which may well have been my favourite, but perhaps this is because it didn’t quite go to plan. The Monday involved another huge trek across the site with all of our gear in the blazing sun. We got to the car and set off at about 10-10.30. It seems that we lucky. Reports on Twitter on the way home suggested that our car park was gridlocked about 30 minutes later. I always feel ridiculously tired after Glastonbury and always wish I’d taken the Tuesday off. I still want to go back for more. Roll on 2019.