Glastonbury 2009 - Saturday evening live blogging (Spinal Tap, Crosby Stills & Nash, Dizzee Rascal, Pendulum, Maximo Park and Kasabian)

On the BBC red button The Virgins are sounding great on the John Peel stage. The don't look like a 'proper' band - more a group of misfits and musicians made up from other up-and-coming indie bands. Bare-footed, long coat wearing front man Donald Cumming is bit of Bob Geldof and a bit of Julian Cope - not a great voice but an interesting presence on stage...

Ok this is getting silly now. Jarvis is playing with Shlomo on the Park stage. Go Jarvis!

The 6 Music pick is Pete 'troubleman' Doherty - nice duet with Jack Penate. All sounds great to me...He turned up, he stayed upright and he performed. Good job.

Lots of Jacko tribute news coming in including Badly Drawn Boy and Little Boots doing Earth Song!!!

Just checking some of the internet footage and the Spinal Tap set is up...excellent turn from Jamie Cullum on keyboards. He was really into it. Saucy Jack is a bit too much early Pink Floyd meets Genesis in the Peter Gabriel days. "It's all about today. It's all about the majesty of rock". "That means it's all about you!". "If it hadn't been for Micheal Jackson, there would never have been a Spinal Tap" from Harry 'Simpsons' Shearer. Priceless.


Back on the Pyramid stage Crosby Stills and Nash rock out Marrakesh Express. The trio look a shadow of their former selves and struggle vocally. Michael Eavis looks on with concern. Long Time Gone is much more like it. A shame that Neil Young couldn't stick around for a few numbers. Would have made the festival. Great guitars.

Then the delicate and oddly trippy Guinevere. The way that these guys switch between vocals is majestic. True masters of their art... I'm not sure it exactly captures the crowds full attention. They look like they wanna rock!!! Ok the vocals may not be the best any more but they can certainly show Fleet Foxes how it's done.






Ruby Tuesday is up next in the CSN covers set. A brave attempt at a classic- and they just about get away with it.

Quick break to BBC Three and Dizzee Rascal's tribute to Jacko, starting with Billie Jean, and a great vibrant interview with Edith and Reggie. Like him or loathe him, he is charming and genuine and confident. He wants to headline next year. Good luck to him.

Meanwhile CSN continue to churn out the hits. Superb guitar work from Stills and the long drawn out solos we would expect. Again it's like Woodstock again (a bit before my time but I get it).

Great vocals from Dave Crosby on Almost Cut My Hair and more solid support from the band. They have a great keyboard player and drummer with them.

And now For What It's Worth - a real classic. Stills is on vocals. A good effort considering. Then it's Wooden Ships. Then Teach Your Children.



Back on BBC Three Kasabian kick off their set with Underdog, predictably from the new album. It sounds good. Shoot The Runner is up next. Maybe this will work with a mix of singles. Serge is on good vocal form - guitars great too... Kasabian get into full swing with Cutt Off from the debut album. Excellent. This has all the makings of a brilliant set - if they keep the new songs to a minimum...

Club Foot, also from the debut is an anthem and a half. Why the band can't write songs like this any more is a mystery. One great thing about the set is how Meighan gets the crowd involved - he definitely feeds off human interaction. A lot more than he realises.







So it's Processed Beats up next. Very cool. Glad to see BBC Three staying with the set! Empire now - they are using their brains and sticking to the greatest hits. That is what festival sets are all about.

Not sure where Fire fitted into the set but the heavier arrangement worked much better live - a much better vocal mix and lots and lots of energy. It all works. Meighan is sounding excellent, a perfect mix of laid-back calm and cheeky arrogance. This is exactly how they should be.



Edith and Reggie interview Franz Ferdinand - ok so they might be good but I really don't like the new stuff. Alex talks about the set and says it's going to be 'the stuff that got you into the band in the first place', so that's Take You Out then :) and probably some new stuff.

The Boss made his first appearance of the weekend, guesting with Gaslight Anthem! If this is anything to go by the headline slot last tonight should be massive.

BBC Three coverage turns to Maximo Park, a band I know but know very little about not being a fan. They seem to playing a Bloc Party track. Or what I thought was Bloc Party. Oh well...

After an interview with Edith, the band are shown performing new single Questing, Not Coasting. Sounds a bit like Idlewild with all the song writing ability removed. A bit unfair. It's not all that bad. Still not a huge fan after this but the set should attract some new blood.

A quick blast of Pendulum madness. Wow. Showdown then Fasten Your Seatbelt. I need a lie down... Fantastic use of Prodigy sample for a blistering set from Pendulum. They may have stole the show. Rob Swire gets the crowd under control before Propane Nightmares. And they seem to loving every minute of this frantic and excellent set.

Meanwhile on 6 music Adam & Joe are talking about 'bottling' and taking things a little too far. Very funny though.

Bring on the BOSSSSS. BRRRRRUUUUCCCEEEEE!!!!