It may be scorching hot in PILTON, but as ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION left the PYRAMID stage this Saturday afternoon what really had the thousands upon thousands of fans sizzling was the rumour that PRIMAL SCREAM may make a surprise appearance tomorrow.
As Chandrasonic introduced ‘Buzzin’ halfway through their set, he dedicated the song to his Scottish mates and dropped a rather large hint that they may appear.
He said: ‘Tomorrow I’m sure you’re going to appreciate Primal Scream. This is for them. Why? Because they, like you, are definitely ‘Buzzin’.’
Primal Scream have just returned to the UK after completing their US tour, and have played a few festival dates around Europe. They will be taking time off before starting work again in August.
In a performance that was generally laid-back, in keeping with the mood of the very chilled-out multitudes strewn across, Asian Dub Foundation took the opportunity to boost the profile of some of their causes. They invited a young guest rapper on stage to perform ‘Getting Into The Collective Mode’, about their Community Music project. ‘Tadim’, which followed a taut rendition of ‘Power’, was dedicated to ‘the late, great Nusret Fateh Ali Khan‘ and described by a buoyant and smiling Chandrasonic as ‘our tribute to the great Pakistani singer’.
He also took the opportunity to mention the Jubilee 2000 world email campaign to drop the World Debt, and as ever the bounciest reaction was saved for ‘Free Satpal Ram’, after which he proclaimed: ‘Respect to the people who have written to Satpal and have helped keep him alive, physically and mentally.’
The set was well-paced for an audience who had already begun to bliss out – despite some early grey clouds threatening rain – to the intriguing looped-up and sampled-over solo artist Joseph Arthur, who opened the stage this morning. He was followed by the ever impressive Ladysmith Black Mambazo, whose smooth and heartfelt traditional African a capella songs drew a sleepy audience, possibly still recovering from last night’s big beat barrage of the Chemical Brothers, to the stage.
The laid-back vibe at the Pyramid continues this afternoon, with Brand New Heavies currently grooving the