Fatboy Slim played a surprise secret set to hundreds of ‘in-the-know’ revellers at the GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL last night, drawing yesterday’s events to a riotous climax.
Fatboy, aka Norman Cook, took to the decks for two hours backstage at the Dance Tent after techno meister Dave Clarke had finished his publicised appearance.
Just before Norm took over the wheels of steel, The Chemical Brothers finished proceedings on the Pyramid Stage last night – and knocked on the window of the nme.com offices afterwards to ask if their review was going to be a good one!
Fatboy Slim meanwhile plays a scheduled public performance at 11pm tonight (Sat) at the Dance Tent.
Elsewhere, there was minor panic last night during Moby’s set on The Other Stage when a member of the audience threw an ‘air bomb’ heavy-duty firework into the photographers’ pit which blew up, injuring a security guard and part-time Glastonbury Festival press officer Sarah Neve.
She was taken to the medical tent immediately afterwards and was treated for a wound to her leg. It’s not yet known whether the security guard was badly hurt or not, though it’s thought his injuries are minor. He stamped on the firework to put it out. Sarah told nme.com afterwards: “It was truly frightening, I thought it was a gun going off and I’d been shot. I’m really shaken.”
In other festival news, more than 649 crimes have now been reported on the 600-acre site.
Of these, 527 were concerned with tent theft, with some campers reporting the loss of entire tents. The top five things stolen from campers were cash, bags and anoraks, wallets and purses, clothing and bank cards. However, Avon And Somerset Police said that some property had been recovered, and they were hoping to reunite some of it with their owners.
Chief Inspector Tim Lee said: “We urge people to use the free security lock-ups on site. There are still some available, but with two days to go, they’re going like hotcakes.”.
Some 21 people had been charged with a variety of offences by police at end of play yesterday, mostly for criminal damage, possession of drugs, possession of drugs with intent to supply and possession of an offensive weapon. Thirteen people have received formal cautions for drugs offences and have been ejected from the site. Police have seized a large amount of cannabis, several hundred Ecstasy tablets and 30 rocks of crack cocaine.
On-site medical staff have treated a variety of ailments so far, including broken wrists, broken ankles from jumping the perimetre fence and other minor injuries. Midwives are on alert as a number of babies are due to be born over the weekend.
In other happier news, a couple got married on the main stage this morning – and a man is due to propose to his girlfriend on the stage at 3pm tomorrow during Willie Nelson’s set.
Check back here later today for more Glastonbury Festi