Daintees Diaries (Pt.7): Glastonbury for the Day
Ready to Roll! Pre gig behind the kit at Glastonbury 2023 (Photo: Adrian Dunn)
Before I get into this, first an apology! Its taken 6 weeks to get this blog out - thats the life of a working musician sometimes, i’ve kept putting it off and meaning to find time to write a bit. Someone summed it up perfectly, “Life gets so busy, there just isn’t time to write it all down!“ Anyway here's the Glastonbury blog - I hope it’s worth the wait!
It must be a dream for many musicians to play the legendary Glastonbury Festival, for me, it became a reality, and what a day it was!
I’d known about the gig for a few months but kept such news quiet until it was officially announced, but needless to say it was an exciting gig to be offered, never mind be able to go and do. I’ve never been a festival goer or anything, but I think its safe to say Glastonbury is the biggest of them all in the UK, and after seeing so many legendary sets on the TV over the years (particularly Paul McCartney’s headline spot last year) so its really been a bit of a bucket list gig. Here’s a bit of a behind the scenes look of the Daintees’ visit to the Acoustic Stage on the Friday afternoon, followed by a lovely evening exploring the festival before we departed for the night!
Warming up pre-gig (Photo: Adrian Dunn)
We set off from our overnight halt near London early on the morning, 3 of us and the gear somehow crammed into one car (surprisingly comfortably I might say!) and got through all the security and into the festival at about 12:30 - 90 mins or so before we were on stage. The best way to describe what followed is a 2 hour rush of everything, happening so fast I hardly had chance to process it all. After getting to our loading area and being adorned with our laminates (Acoustic stage backstage passes) we took the gear up the ramps to the waiting risers sat behind the back cloth of the stage (hiding out of view!). It was a pretty swift job getting set up and comfortable, while the crew started mic’ing up, wiring the kit and getting it ready to be rolled out on stage. The turnarounds between acts are tight so there was really no time for messing about, it all had to be as right as possible beforehand.
Having set the kit as I wanted it, and left it in the capable hands of the stage crew to finish their prep work, I nipped into our little dressing room for a cool off (it was roasting hot - much water needed!) and a change into my stage clothes (and the obligatory hat!). I had just enough time for a few quick photos with the lads in the band, and some nice ones of me and the kit (courtesy of Adrian), before a couple of minutes to warm up the hands on the practice pad. Knowing the common opening numbers on a Daintees gig aren’t usually slow or too quiet, a warm up is always essential if I can. Thanks to Bill Sanders for the great knee practice pad which has been a game changer for pre gig pad routines! All that done, it was that time…
All of the change over to do in 20 mins, The crew rolled the kit on stage, we quickly line checked the mics for the front of house, and to get a quick monitor mix and we’re off. I’ll stick the setlist below, but as per Daintees tradition, we didn’t have any set planned, and Martin just called it as we went! 40 minutes later and the gig was done! I wish I could say more about the actual playing but it flew by in a flash. Luckily for you readers though, I filmed the gig from the drum riser so you can at least get a feel for what it was like where I was sitting, which i’m sure most would agree was the best seat in the house!
Setlist: Neon Skies, Little Red Bottle, Left Us To Burn, Coleen, Crocodile Cryer, Me & Matthew, Boat To Bolivia, Wholly Humble Heart.
Photos: Patrick Cleasby, Anna Lavigne, Gary Dunn
After we played, it was pretty much a reversal of getting on stage! As soon as I was off the riser, the crew swung into action rolling it off and back round into the shadows. There was time for a quick 30 seconds breather, and to thank the sound and stage crew for their great work making it flow like clockwork and making it sound great onstage. But equally, they want to get their gear stripped fast, so the risers are clear and ready for whoever is needing them next, so a pretty swift pack down ensues! I think between rolling off the stage and the kit being back in the cases and in the car was less than 20 minutes, which anyone will agree is damn fast! For me it was only really then I could step out into the fresh air in the backstage area and take in what had just happened over the course of the last hour, a 40 minute set to a great crowd, at possibly the most well known festival in the world, sharing the stage with great friends. What could be a better way to spend a blisteringly hot June day. We retreated into an Artists catering marquee for a post gig lunch, a nice spread to choose from and time to chat and enjoy the pressure being off.
Martin & Anna had a flight to catch so we saw them away shortly after, but for Adrian, Gary and myself, we thought we’d go out into the festival proper, and take in the atmosphere for a few hours before heading back to our lodgings for the evening. We parted ways for a couple of hours, but were going to meet back up at 6pm (for reasons to come!), they went and took in some of Louis Cole (who sounded great) while I went to catch the last bit of Iora’s set at Croissant Neuf, and to catch up with a drummer pal who was playing with her (Hi Jenny!). We reconvened at the Pyramid stage to see ‘The Chrunups‘ at 6pm, who we had (correctly) guessed would be the Foo Fighters. They played for an hour or so, a full on, no holes barred ‘secret’ set (the worst kept in all of Glastonbury!), and were nothing short of phenomenal. Josh Freese filling the big boots of the late, great, Taylor Hawkins, was really great to see, and the band sounded as great as ever, especially considering their recent hiatus after the tragedy. After the Foo’s, we had a bite to eat (who’d have thought Ravioli would make such great festival fare, but i’m a fan!), watched Steve Earle’s set on the stage we’d played mere hours before. To finish the day we caught the first 20 minutes or so of the Arctic Monkeys set on the Pyramid, that nights headline act. Personally the Foo’s were more to my taste but each to their own! At least we beat the crowds and got away from the site pretty much traffic free, and got back to London(ish) at about 1:30am, more than ready for a good rest!
That pretty much wraps up the Glastonbury blog (or should I call it the Glastonblog?!), it was a real honour to play, and hopefully won’t be the last time we get to do it! Those of a nerdy drum disposition will enjoy the gear chat to follow, but for those who won’t venture that far, thanks for taking the time to read more of my ramblings, i’ll try and make them a little more frequent going forward!
Gear Talk
As is usual in these blog posts i’ll do a quick rundown of the kit used, there wasn’t really any surprises with this setup, it’s as tried and tested as you can get! Natal Originals Maple kit, 20x12”, 12x7”, 14x12” and a 1963 Ludwig Acrolite snare. Sabian 13” AA Regular hi hats, Zildjian 60’s 18” Heavy ride, 16” K Session crash & 17” A Thin crash. All Tama hardware all round, (except) Yamaha single braced throne base, Evans heads, Snareweight dampeners, Drummer’s Brush Holder (Drummer’s Brainchild), Vic Firth Steve Gadd sticks and brushes, Protection Racket cases.
Thank you Glastonbury!