Having already spent two days camping in temperatures hotter than Brazil, you could have been forgiven for forgetting you were at a festival at all, let alone at Glastonbury - usually better known for flooding and mud wrestling than bikini clad festival goers and their typically British t-shirt tan lines. So kicking off the first day of music with a surreal early morning set from none other than Rolf Harris, seemed like the perfect reminder that sunshine or showers, Glastonbury holds the crown for the most eclectic line up of all festivals. After re-starting tracks because of crowd clapping that was out of sync, the 80 year old (yes, really) treated the audience to renditions of 'Two Little Boys', a cover of Led Zepplin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and of course, 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport' before inciting a chant about himself. Completely surreal but spot on. Miike Snow later appeared on the John Peel Stage, showing how perfectly his own brand of electro pop translates into a live show and leaving few disappointed as his vocal prowess prevailed in the rammed tent. Snoop Dogg took to the Pyramid stage early evening to greet hordes of fans, curious bystanders and some rather sceptical glares. Donned in a tight white wife-beater vest and some serious, ahem, bling, whether it was the setting sun or the aroma of marijuana filling the air, Snoop Dogg seemed to not only exceed the expectations of his fans but put a smile on even the most serious of music fans, who had doubted his credentials and ability as a main stage act. Yelling out more explitives in between tracks than a character on Shameless, the American rapper included 'Gin and Juice', 'Signs' and crowd pleaser 'Jump Around' in his set list. After bringing out Tinie Tempah for a remix of 'Frisky', Snoop had some wise words to leave with the crowd, 'Every morning when you wake up, you must clean your teeth, thank God you are a live....and smoke some m**** f****** weed ya'll' Cue crowd hysteria.
Mumford and Sons later played to a packed out John Peel Stage, with the band looking and sounding noticeably humbled by the difference that a year has made to their loyal fan base. The crowd exuded more folk-driven giddiness and hoe-down happiness than Dr Stomp (a YouTube must) as the band leaped barefoot through tracks from their debut and showcasing four new tracks.
The headliners of the night were of course Gorillaz, replacing U2 due to Bono's back surgery. Promising something of an audio visual spectacle and with such big boots to fill, Gorillaz failed to make a lasting impression as despite bringing out Snoop Dogg and other guests from the album, the crowd talked amongst themselves and petered off. Many of whom found themselves at The XX's late night headlining of the secluded Park Stage, the perfect backing for their spine-tingling live renditions of their debut album, and indeed the perfect end to the first night of the festival.
By Laura Routledge
