> Reviews > Reviews 2006 > Glastonbudget 2006

Review by Rob.

Chili peppers - "Oi watch where you're sticking that bass"

No one knew but for a while on the friday it looked as if there would be no festival at all. The weather made it difficult for the stages to be put into place and all the while punters were arriving in the area. Fortunately the teams battled on and succeeded in getting the structures in place. Was it worth it? As the tribute Liam Gallagher would have definately said, "Too fookin' right it was."

 

 

After the usual pre festival evening involving much drinking, a bit of eating, warning Adele to get immunised for the trip to Denmark as Bacon Rash can be a nasty thing to get, and a little flailing (but no fire staring as they were sadly banned), we woke to find steady drizzle and grey skies over North Leicestershire. We had taken the precaution of bringing the scouse tent, (the best thing to come out of Liverpool since the M.62?) so we had a focal point to while away the morning, waiting for the festival to start which for the tribute acts was at the rather late time of 14.30. Right on cue the rain faded away and the weather was then, well ok for the rest of the weekend, dry but a little bloody cold. But its not a weather report its a music review so let us discuss tribute bands.

There are several schools of thought where tribute bands are concerned. First off they offer the punter the chance to see something closely resembling their favourite acts for a fraction of the ticket price. More poigniantly they can perform, when it would be impossible for the original band to do so. Yes we are talking about deceased members here. Thus we got Mercury running through the Queen back catalogue on the Saturday night, only oldies like me will recall seeing the real thing. They perform a set based on the famous 1986 'Kind of Magic' tour highlights being the clap alongs to 'Radio Ga Ga' and 'We will rock you'. They even finished with 'God save the Queen' (the national anthem that is, not the Sex Pistols song). Another point about tribute acts is that they don't suffer from the same personality clashes as the real acts so The Stone Roses, The Jam and Pink Floyd can all be resurrected here. Of these, the Clone Roses did a workmanlike job, the set highlights being the superb guitar playing, though he might have smiled a bit during the performance rather than having a face like a smacked arse all show. The Jamm did their usual polished greatest hits with a couple of Jam curios thrown in. The Pink Floyd tribute took an age to set up, played an astonishing take on 'Dark side of the Moon' and then ran out of time to come back on and play 'Wish you were Here' et al. Fools.

Liam Robbie and GnR - A post gig quiet night in not expected

Then there is the issue of the set list. Whilst some acts will never play certain songs again ever, tribute acts are fans and they have no qualms about doing so. So the Austrian Stones perform the Stones sixties stuff including 'Midnight Rambler' '19th Nervous Breakdown' and 'Ruby Tuesday'. The Dead Hot Chili Peppers play 'Under the Bridge', albeit with a northern English accent. The performance itself is another key area. Here the bands have two choices go for the sound alike option or for the full blooded look and sound alike. Here most acts opted for the latter, Green Days winning my dead ringer award despite fact the drummer looked like a darts player. The Queen Tribute Mercury looked pretty good too though Freddie was balding somewhat. The aforementioned Stones and Floyd bands opted strictly for the sound alike option, and special mention as always to US4's The Edge, who looks like a brickie.

Alongside the appearance is the role playing. Some acts make a real effort to get into the original bands shoes. Last year we had the memorable sight of Dean Martin's tribute slugging glasses of JD from a set side coffee table. Role playing contenders this year included the Ian Brown singer being well out of tune, the Jamm's bassist trademark high kicks, and the Dead Hot Chilis tattoos. The clear winner in this category was predictably Oasish's Liam Gallagher, all aggression and manc swagger, how we flicked the Vs at him. (these of course were Vs of respect). He even takes time out to call the tribute Bono a C**t. Then we come to the fantasy guest appearance. Come on be honest, do you ever imagine what it would be like if Liam Gallagher and Robbie Williams joined Guns n Roses for a version of 'Knocking on Heaven's Door'? Well we didn't need to imagine because it happened for us on Sunday night, you couldn't make it up. Liam also surfaced earlier to play with Green Days on a cover of 'God save the Queen' (this time it was the Sex Pistols version, not the National Anthem).

To be serious for a bit, all the bands were fab, they clearly spend ages perfecting the sounds and moves of their heroes. The audience (which this year had swelled hugely from last year's as word spread on what a top weekend it is) really got into it and gave their all. The best way to enjoy the event I find is to just let yourself imagine that it is the real act upon stage and enjoy the music. Just two more things to say, firstly we got a non tribute act on the Sunday. Chas n Dave played hits including 'Margate', 'Snooker Loopy' and of course 'Rabbit', prompting Warro to let fly with his Arsenal of toy bunnies. Let's hope they don't cross our paths again in the near future as he has run out of toy ones, and Adele must be fearing for her real pair of bunnies. Don't let him lure them away with chocolate drops whatever you do. Finally we come to the band of the festival. Fittingly they come on last, having seen all the other acts perform brilliantly, but Guns 2 Roses are simply something else. Modelling themselves on the classic Appetite line up the look the business right from the off. Axl is superb, all the familiar moves are executed though he wisely shys away from the white cycle shorts. The set list is impressive obviously doing most of the debut album but finding time for a few from the 'Use your Illusion' sets, 'Civil War' being a stand out. Duff performs 'Attitude' but the audience goes mad for the big hits and they get completely into the role by running over time and ending with a ferocious 'Get in the Ring' thus ensuring that the word 'Motherfucker' gets its first outing of the summer. As Warro memorably put it, "I'm not seeing the real Guns n Roses at Roskilde, because no way will they top this." Shame then that they were so useless at the after show acoustic session back at the camp site.

So thats it, a great start to the festival season, but one small point, aside from the backing singers for the Floyd and a couple of Daily Star models who came on and flashed their boobs, there were no females on stage. Next year I want Blondie, I want Madonna, I want Pink, I want the Spice Girls, I want Bananarama (and who doesn't?), I want the Supremes, I want Elaine Page and Barbara Dickson.......................

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