Glastonbury Blog - FROM: The Other Stage

The Other Stage is sent into orbit

2010-06-27T22:29:00Z

What an out-of-this-world way to close the Other Stage! Orbital lit up Glastonbury with one of their trademark sound and light shows and, just as you were thinking it all looked like some kind of alien attack, who should come on to the stage but Doctor Who himself Matt Smith. As he played synth on a dance version of the Doctor Who theme, all you could think was: “Only at Glastonbury.”

Clearing up after the night before

2010-06-27T07:36:00Z

It’s the job that nobody really notices. After a heavy night, once festival-goers wake-up, miraculously the fields are clean of litter.

These are the people who work that magic. They’re up at five and work through until midday. 90 pickers cover the area of the Other Stage, and hundreds more work hard across the site, to get the main areas tidy before the first bands start playing.

Most of them are volunteers, who work in return for their festival ticket.

Glastonbury donates the money the volunteers would have been paid to various charities who organise the teams of litter pickers.

Erica set up the charity Kiota to support vulnerable young women in Tanzania. She now has a group of 60 volunteers working at the festival this year, and last year was able to raise £6,000.

A massive comeback for the Pet Shop Boys

2010-06-26T21:30:00Z

It’s 10 years since the Pet Shop Boys last played Glastonbury and what a comeback. Amazing. They had the crowd jumping, waving and singing along from the first track. A brilliant mix of all of their tracks, including some favourites like “It’s a sin” which sent the crowd crazy.

Neil Tennant said he knew “people here like a bit of a show” and that’s what we got – the set, the lights, the four dancers with boxes on their heads, the whole thing was an amazing show. Neil is still the complete showman. And, in his own understated way, so was Chris. The final number – West End Girls. I can guarantee there wasn’t one person not singing “from East End boys to West End girls”.

Brilliant way to close the Other Stage tonight.