Somerset’s favourite band The Wurzels have confirmed that they will be playing Glastonbury next year.
In an interview with What’s On Somerset, Tommy Banner discusses the Glastonbury Festival with Giles Adams
And so nearly 40 years later came the
overdue chance to play at the Glastonbury
Festival. “I missed the visitor ticket
deadline two years running, so after thesecond time I thought I would drive up to
Worthy Farm and see if I could get some
there. I was on my way back out when
Michael Eavis was coming in with his
daughter. I introduced myself and said
`What do we have to do to appear at our
own festival?`. Michael did not know that
we had not appeared there, despite playing
festivals at Reading, Guildford and Isle of
Wight. Here we were with the best festival
in Europe on our doorstep and we had not
played there, it was ridiculous.”“Later on I got home and there was a
message on the answerphone from
Michael, offering us a slot on the
bandstand. We did it, it was manic but it
literally was a bandstand. The speakers
were below the low stage as it was
designed for the audience to be seated
around. So we had feedback problems, it
did not work well.”“So the next year, we were offered another
slot and promised another stage. No
information was coming through and then
the week before we were told it was the
bandstand again. So we pulled out. Our
manager was getting calls from other
managers saying `What on earth have you
done!`. The decision got huge publicity.”“In 2008 we were on the Avalon stage. It
was the best gig we have ever done. It was
our festival, our home, the best reception
we have ever had, the best we have ever played. Before we were on, we were sat
in a portakabin. We went up the ramp and
all of us were choked at the crowd and
the reception. After all these years in the
business, it was amazing to have such
an adrenalin rush. At other gigs, people
have come specifically to see you. At
Glastonbury there is so much going on,
so much competition that to draw such a
crowd was amazing.”
They are booked to appear again next year
but there is much to do before then. Last
year was the busiest that they have ever
been.
