June 30, 2002

Glasto 2002 - Sunday, Pyramid Stage : Rod Stewart, Roger Waters, Badly Drawn Boy...

On paper, one of the strangest festival line-ups ever... in reality, one of the strangest festival line-ups ever...

The war and football on the screens show that Rod Stewart is a man’s man. But it’s the costume changes and yellow hair that sum up the kind of camp performance he closes Glasto with. From the pointed opener 'Handbags and Gladrags' through a rabble rousing 'Maggie May' (sadly not featuring John Peel on mandolin, as rumoured) and an admittedly hairs-on-neck 'I Don’t Wanna Talk About It', Rod provides a celebration of himself that is both grotesque and irresistible. And that's good.

That Roger Waters’ set is preposterous nonsense goes without saying. But if we are willing to accept prog moments from the likes of Radiohead and Doves then we have to accept the dark side.

After the initial shock of thinking the trees behind you are falling down, you realise you’re witnessing an epic rock experience in full audio surround sound. After three days and no sleep in a field, it almost feels normal. But as the initial comedy makes way for a second plodding hour, the prospect of getting the tent packed up early is almost irresistible.

Taking us into the home straight, it's Mr Isaac Hayes. As cool a man as you’ll find on any dairy farm, he gives smooth baritone lovin’ to ‘Walk On By’ and a dangerously funky ‘Shaft’. Respect must surely be given to any Godfather of Soul who will lower himself to singing about Chocolate Salty Balls.

Badly Drawn Boy is without his band this afternoon, so we’re treated to highlights and new tracks through Damon Gough's original medium of one man band. He plays it straight, intimate and sublime with newies ‘You Were Right’ and ‘What Is It Now’ taking after ‘Magic In The Air’. Oddball as ever, occasionally premiering songs karaoke style through CD, he pulls it off. Why? Because you just can’t help but be charmed by this hairy urchin and his exquisite songs.

In between the cabaret Latino grooves of Manu Chao and Rolf Harris, Brazil win the World Cup. And that's not a sentence you get to write every day. The final is beamed to the giant screens by the Pyramid Stage and watched by thousands. So when Manu come on stage seconds later dressed in football kit and continue the Latin party, it’s the perfect tonic. The sun shines, people dance in very few clothes, and the good times roll.

Michael Eavis’ annual attempt to get people moving starts in earnest. After the traditional outing for Glastonbury Town Band, Rolf Harris takes to top stage. The biggest daytime crowd of the weekend laughs and jokes along with him as he tells silly jokes, puts on silly costumes, and sings silly songs. ‘Tie Me Kangeroo Down, Sport’, ‘Two Little Boys’ and a thousand chuckles later, Mr Harris doesn’t seem like such a daft booking after all.