Coachella vs. Glastonbury: The great festival face-off

Festivals are my favourite thing in the world. The anticipation, the music, the atmosphere, the fun – all these things smash together for a few days to provide memories and stories that last forever.

I experienced my first Glastonbury in 2016, before watching the following year on television in a state of bitter regret at not being there again. I decided I wasn’t going to repeat that mistake.

Unfortunately, I’d chosen a bad time for my new stance – every four years the ground at Worthy Farm needs a festival-free summer to recover, and 2018 was to be that year.

With no Glasto, I decided it was the perfect time to try another festival I had long eyed with interest, and made plans to cross the Atlantic (and most of America) to the Californian desert and Coachella.

Having now returned with slightly darker skin and a considerably lighter wallet, it only feels right to compare the premier festivals of the UK and the US of A.

Setting

Whenever I’m asked about Glastonbury by people yet to experience it, my first response is that it feels like its own country. The unique atmosphere and sheer size of it makes it feel like no other place on earth. It’s like a nation within a nation. England’s Vatican City.

Stretching over 900 acres, it can take hours to get from one side to the other. This has its pros and cons. Even without any music, you can wander across the site discovering fascinating new spots around every corner. There’s always something new to try.

Of course, this has its drawbacks once the music starts. In 2016 the adverse weather (more on that later) meant it could take an hour to get between stages that weren’t even that far apart. Not ideal when you’re hopping between Foals and Disclosure.

Nonetheless, there are few finer experiences than sitting atop the hill, in front of the iconic Glastonbury sign, as the sun rises and you’re yet to sleep.

Coachella is every bit as glorious as it appears in the photos. Sitting in a vast valley, the horizon is punctured through 360 degrees by a stunning ring of mountains. Perfectly groomed palm trees decorate the site, and the lush green grass puts a genuine spring in your step.

Compared to Glastonbury the site is considerably smaller, making getting between stages much easier. We spent much of our weekend jumping between the Coachella Stage and the Outdoor Theatre (the backless stage of which provides stunning views of the mountains behind the performing artists), a stroll which can easily be done in five minutes.

Winner: Tie

Music

While I was actually quietly disappointed upon seeing the line-ups for both festivals, it really doesn’t matter that much. There will always be enough good music to go around, and you’re unlikely to see more than five acts in a day wherever you are.

Glastonbury 2016 and Coachella 2018 provided me with two headline acts that were both very comparable and very different.

Going into their respective shows, I wasn’t at all interested in the music of Adele or Beyonce. But for two memorable hours two years apart, that didn’t mean anything.

When Adele said Hello and 100,000 people of all ages and genders burst into tears, it felt like the world was revolving around the Pyramid Stage.

That feeling was replicated at Coachella when Beyonce took to the stage and produced the most incredible show I have ever witnessed. A college band that must have included over a hundred members supported her throughout, while Jay-Z and the rest of Destiny’s Child joined ‘Queen B’ as she delivered a performance which dominated the talk of the Western world.

The moods may have differed, but both events created the feeling that I was at the centre of the world for a few brief hours.

Otherwise, Glastonbury offers a far greater variety in terms of acts. Coachella caters towards its largely 18-25 demographic, with rap and hip-hop artists dominating the bill.

Winner: Glastonbury

Weather

You won’t be surprised to hear that Coachella comes out on top for this one. “It was nice to go to a festival and not worry about rain and mud,” has been my go to response when asked about my weekend, and that pretty much sums it up. There’s no denying the obvious – festivals are much more fun when the sun is shining and it’s 30C every day.

It probably didn’t help that I experienced the muddiest Glastonbury of all time (“In all 46 years, it hasn’t been as bad as this,” Michael Eavis, 2016). But that’s part of the Glasto experience…

Winner: Coachella

Crowd and atmosphere

If you’re currently occupying your mid-20s and harbour dreams of getting out to Coachella, I’d advise you do it sooner rather than later. The festival is dominated by youngsters from well-to-do backgrounds, working outfits that have clearly been months in the making.

In terms of age this means Coachella compares readier with Reading/Leeds, though that’s probably where the comparisons end. On the plus side, the 21 drinking age makes getting a drink a fair bit easier.

Glastonbury, on the other hand, draws in people from all ages and backgrounds, with an undeniable bias towards those of a left-wing political nature. The 2016 edition coincided with the Brexit referendum (*shivers*), the result to which produced a collective state of mourning across the site the following day.

2017 appeared to be no different, as song of the summer “Oh Jeremy Corbyn” dominated the vocals of those in attendance.

Winner: Glastonbury

Overall

Both festivals fully live up to the hype that prompts hundreds of thousands of people to compete for tickets each year, and anyone lucky enough to have the opportunity should jump at the chance to do both.

But while the weather does make a big difference, the unique atmosphere and variety one experiences at Glastonbury means there can only be one winner. And it is sunny in England sometimes…

Overall winner: Glastonbury

Drinkwater steps up but midfield role is primed for Loftus-Cheek return

Chelsea continued their solid run of results in the Premier League on Saturday with an eventually comfortable 3-1 win over Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues started slowly and went behind to a deserved Dwight Gayle goal, but an Eden Hazard inspired comeback saw them wrap up the three points long before the final whistle.

The Belgian’s ever-improving form continued with another two goals here, but another noteworthy performance also caught the eye.

Danny Drinkwater’s Chelsea career has taken a while to get going following his summer move from Leicester City, a muscle injury delaying his debut until October 25, but he has since put together a string of impressive performances in the middle of the pitch.

Against Liverpool last week, the former Manchester United youth player occupied a surprisingly forward position, coming close to a goal with a number of late runs into the box.

That trend continued against the Magpies on Saturday, as Drinkwater pushed further forward than Cesc Fabregas and N’Golo Kante to link up regularly with Hazard and Alvaro Morata up top.

And while he did another solid job linking the midfield and attack, the position screams for a player with a little more threat to his game—a player like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, currently impressing on loan with Crystal Palace.

The 21-year-old made his senior England debut against Germany last month as a reward for his strong start in south London.

And while he left the Blues in the summer as a result of a lack of opportunities at the Bridge, much of that was down to successive managers being unsure of his best position on the field.

A powerful figure with good feet for someone of his size, Loftus-Cheek had failed to exhibit the positional discipline to play as an outright defensive midfielder or the creative nous to play as a playmaker. With Chelsea playing just two centre-midfielders for most of the past three seasons, that left little room for an unproven youngster whose exact role was yet to be established.

This season, however, that has changed, as Antonio Conte’s switch to a preferred 3-5-2 formation has resulted in an extra spot for a midfielder who offers something a little different.

Drinkwater has occupied that position effectively since coming into the side, but the former Leicester man lacks the goal threat that Chelsea’s midfield is crying out for.

That’s where Loftus-Cheek could come in. He scored regularly while dominating the pitch throughout the Chelsea youth groups, regularly receiving the ball in his own half before striding forward with a combination of power and control that opposition teams simply couldn’t handle. He scored his first goals for the first team in the second half of the 2015/16 season, and netted his first for Palace against Stoke City last weekend.

There is almost no chance of cutting short his season-long loan at Selhurst Park, and it is vitally important he gets a full season of regular Premier League football under his belt, but come next season, there may finally be a place in the Chelsea side for a player who has been at the club since the age of eight.

Until then, Drinkwater will hope he can put together enough performances like today’s to earn a place in England’s World Cup squad—where he might just be joined by Loftus-Cheek.

 

London Grammar provide a study of intimacy

O2 Academy Brixton
★★★★☆

There are musicians who want to be rock stars, and there are musicians who want anything but.

London Grammar firmly belong in the latter category, and they demonstrated that with an intimate set at Brixton’s O2 Academy on Monday that felt like it could have been delivered in any student bar across the country.

But that’s no bad thing, and with London Grammar it’s very much a part of the charm. The capital trio possess a personable and down to earth aura, something that plays to the strengths of their raw and emotionally intense music.

Those vibes were ever-present on Monday, as they serenaded an adoring and often hypnotised audience. Their music presents an unusual meeting of acoustic and bass – it shouldn’t work but it just does.

Led by the stunning vocals of Hannah Reid, the band worked their way through a growing collection of favourites including Wasting My Young Years, Oh Woman, Oh Man, and the song that first brought them to the public’s attention, the mesmerising Hey Now.

They took turns to thank their fans throughout the gig, something which often comes across as an obligation from other acts but feels genuine and authentic here.

In the past, the band have spoken of fatigue and touring troubles, while Reid has a habit of playing down expectation before attempting songs which push her to hit the high notes. But such down-playing is consistently unnecessary, as was the case here, where she demonstrated the incredible range which immediately captures the attention of anyone new to the band.

They finished with a lively rendition of Metal and Dust, allowing the multi-instrumental Dominic ‘Dot’ Major to show off his prowess on the drums once more.

Natural entertainers London Grammar may not be, but that only contributes to the warm feeling their shows provide for all present.

Instant Karma for Indie’s newest hit-makers

For any up-and-coming rock act from London or nearby, headlining Brixton’s o2 Academy is a watershed moment.

That honour befell to Sundara Karma on Thursday night, as the Reading rockers headlined south London’s premier arena with a confident performance that gave full voice to one of the catchiest indie debut albums in recent years.

After a slow start, in which opener Another Word for Beautiful struggled to stir a crowd that had begun to grow impatient with the band’s late entry, the four piece soon found their stride with teenage anthems A Young Understanding and Loveblood.

Kitted out in matching shirts and trousers, the band made full (perhaps too much use) of the regularly released dry ice, while frontman Oscar “Lulu” Pollock took every opportunity to get close to a young and energetic crowd.

Despite only releasing their debut album in January this year, Sundara Karma already possess an impressive collection of singalong-ready tracks, ensuring the 75-minute set never went too long without giving the crowd the chance to throw their palms to the roof and open their lungs.

Album highlights Flame and She Said were neatly spread out across the duration of the show, before an encore predictably occupied with passionate crowd chants of ‘Oh, Jeremy Corbyn’ – something heard almost without fail across the summer’s festivals.

The band returned to finish with Explore, a song of Killers-esque infectiousness, leaving a satisfied crowd confident of seeing their new favourites on big stages aplenty in the coming years.

Kind Words in abundance as The Maccabees say goodbye with triumphant farewell show

There was sweat and tears aplenty at Alexandra Palace on Saturday night as The Maccabees bowed out with an emotional final show in front of a packed and adoring crowd in the venue’s old hall.

Opening with ‘Wall of Arms’, Orlando Weeks and co. regularly took the time to thank their fans and to savour the adoring and nostalgic atmosphere that resonated throughout the last of five farewell shows.

Microphones were shared and guitars squared up as the Londoners revelled through a setlist that brought together the best of their 13 years as a band, including angry bouncers ‘Spit It Out’ and ‘No Kind Words’ alongside heartstring-tuggers such as ‘Love You Better’ and ‘Grew Up At Midnight’.

The main support was provided by long-term accomplices Mystery Jets, who later returned to the stage for a fittingly stirring rendition of ‘Something Like Happiness’. The well-received Jamie T also made an appearance, joining the hosts for ‘Marks To Prove It’ on what was now a rather busy front-line.

That kicked off a four-song encore for a crowd that included Marcus Mumford and was now evenly split between the shirtless and dripping wet and the teary-eyed and also dripping wet, the balmy July weather further contributing to a feverish atmosphere.

Finally it was left to radio favourite ‘Pelican’ to conclude The Maccabees tenure, with shoulders aplenty mounted by girlfriends and boyfriends and boys that are friends and girls that are friends and all that’s in between as one of the 2000’s most-loved indie bands bowed out in style.

Erratic Chelsea Find a Way Past Impressive Watford

It’s been quite a week at Stamford Bridge. Just three days after Wednesday’s 3-3 draw with Roma, Chelsea got back to winning ways in the Premier League with a rollercoaster 4-2 win over Watford.

The visitors went into the game in fantastic form off the back of a fine win over Arsenal last time out, and their tenacious start hinted at more of the same.

But it was the home side who struck first. Eden Hazard’s pullback following a corner found Pedro lurking just outside the box, and the Spaniard’s sublime first time effort found the far corner via the very top of the post. It was a goal worthy of Chelsea’s 8,000th since their inception.

The breakthrough sparked life into a Blues side that had been showing signs of lethargy from their midweek battle, and Cesc Fabregas soon had a clear chance to double the early lead. Good link up play between Hazard and Morata found the midfielder one-on-one with Huerelho Gomes, but the keeper stood his ground and raised a hand to block the attempted chip.

Watford refused to crumble, and they snatched an equaliser just before half-time when Chelsea failed to clear Jose Holebas’ long throw, allowing Abdoulaye Doucouré to lash past Thibaut Courtois.

Marco Silva’s side were buoyant, and they wasted no time going ahead following the resumption. Seconds after Richarlison had somehow missed with the net at his mercy, Roberto Pereyra made it 1-2 at the end of a neat passing move.

It came after Alvaro Morata and Tiemoue Bakayoko had both failed to hold onto the ball, a regular sight on a difficult afternoon for Chelsea’s costliest summer signings.

Richarlison missed another golden chance minutes later, and the visitors were soon made to pay for their profligacy. A quickly taken Chelsea free-kick found Pedro in space on the right wing, and the Spaniard’s whipped cross found the head of Michy Batshuayi, on for Morata, to bring the home side level.

A frantic finale followed in which both sides strived for a winner, with the eventual claimant an unlikely one.

Another forage down the right saw Willian direct a superb cross into the box, gleefully nodded home by Cesar Azpilicueta at the back post.

Batshuayi added another deep into added time, capping off a vital and much-needed cameo from the Belgian. That’s about where the positives end for Chelsea, who once again looked a pale imitation of the side that romped to the title last season.

Defeat will have been deeply felt by Silva and his Watford side, but the Hornets can take heart from a 90 minutes in which they more than matched the champions.