I thoroughly enjoyed it, with four reservations.
(1) I don't like the bad language - SWMBO laughs if I swear, because I do it so rarely. She says swear words just don't sound right coming from me - and I really struggle to allow myself to say certain words. So to see such an influential and successful young lady being so carefree about colourful language in front of millions was a trifle disconcerting. But apparently it's part of her charm.
(2) The set seemed very stop-start to me and never actually got up a head of steam. I think this is party down to (3) below, but also all the talking, the song restart, and the unfortunate incident with the person they had to evacuate (hope he/she was okay). Again, I'm told that the talking is all part of Adele's charm - and I get that. It does build great audience connection and her fans adore her (SWMBO went to see Adele twice on the current tour). In a way it's nice to see someone prepared to buck the big event stage show norm and just behave like she was down the pub.
(3) Adele's a brilliant song-writer, and I know she admits that her songs are mostly slow and introspective and downbeat. But for someone who loves Etta James so much I'd love to hear her do something like Tell Mama. I think Glastonbury would have exploded.
(4) Her guitar player, Ben something, is brilliant. The soul licks he was playing were awesome. I was dying to hear him let fly with a solo but it never happened.
So, those things aside, I think it was great. She's a brilliant voice and lovely person and has trodden a very modern path to super-stardom. It's an interesting journey (Brit School - My Space - Record Deal - Gigs ) and so far removed from the way it used to be done that there's something to learn there for today's youngsters.
I've watched various other bits of Glastonbury on the TV over the weekend and haven't found one other thing I liked, the bands I'd never heard before and watched did nothing for me. It was a bit worrying to be honest, but then I only saw what the BBC showed, I'm sure there's many wonderful artists there that I would love.
Should the Glastonbury Saturday Night slot be reserved for the Stones and Led Zep and the like? No, I don't think so. I mean, the Stones did a great job and I'd love to hear the Who live again. And those guys certainly know, after thirty or forty years, how to put on a show, entertain, work an audience. But those days are fast receding. The great era of rock, when music was everything, is over, in my opinion. There are too many distractions in the modern world. Time to move on. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years the Saturday Night slot is very different, very interactive, very digital, very creative, very computerised...
