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You are in: Manchester > Entertainment > Music > News and Interviews > Concreting over Glastonbury

Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury

Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury

Concreting over Glastonbury

The green expanse, open spaces and massive PAs of Glastonbury couldn’t be further away from the gig-to-gig grind of most small bands in Manchester, but thanks to the efforts of one local label, for some of our breakthrough acts, it’s a reality.

For the second year running, a corner of the biggest temporary city in the country will be distinctly Mancunian as Concrete Recordings host the Late’N’Live stage, somewhere the stage organiser Sarah describes as having "a mellow vibe by day, getting pretty heavy as the night goes on."

Orphan Boy

Concrete's own Orphan Boy will be playing

So how did a bunch of Mancs manage to gatecrash the Somerset party and develop one of the essential meeting points at the festival? For the answer to that, you have to go back a couple of years, as Sarah explains:

"Back in 2004, we produced a compilation of the finalists from the Glastonbury Festival's Unsigned Bands competition. A couple of thousand entrants had got so far that we felt it would be nice to represent that achievement and, in true Glasto style, raise a little cash for charity.

"It was hailed 'the most ethically sound album ever' by the NME. So it seemed logical to sell it at the festival and we traded there from a sort of leaking shack. So many bands were involved that it became a meeting place for everyone and it seemed a natural progression to have a venue in 2005."

The more (musicians), the merrier

The stage takes up the ethos of the original compilation, not just in who it puts on, says Sarah, but also how it deals with them and the inevitable Glasto issue of people trying to blag their way in on the back of it.

Liz Green

Look out for Emerging Talent winner Liz Green

"It’s an 'emerging talent' venue and unlike the other stages, we're 'across genre' so you get a real mixture like in a bag of Revels.

"There's no red carpet treatment either. We'd rather use our ticket allocation to get as many new bands on than have an entourage of supposed guitar technicians and the like. That way everyone is directly involved and at the risk of sounding too cheesy, it creates a real family-like atmosphere."

If music be the food...

That atmosphere will be complimented this time around by the catering of another set of Mancs, the catering and bar wonders Kro, something that Sarah is really looking forward to.

"I think it'll be fantastic. They just seem to get behind whatever they do so much and get it right. The menu is great and you don't even have to pay by cash, which is a big plus at the festival.

The Deadbeats

The Deadbeats will be popping in

"They've really got into the spirit of it. They have some sort of collapsible kitchen that they are bringing and the staff are wearing T-shirts bearing the slogan 'Try my Hash' - Danish beef variety, of course!"

Manchesterbury?

But for all the food treats, the Live’N’Late stage will be mostly about the music. Concrete have been careful not to favour Manchester artists, but as Sarah puts it, "Manchester is such a hub for talent from so many regions.

"About a half of the line-up are runners up or winners of this year's Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition. The rest we chose. The fact that this year's overall Emerging Talent winner is Manchester's Liz Green and that The Deadbeats won in 2005 just says it all!"

Of course, at any stage, it’s not just about the live music but also the people spinning the sounds in-between sets. For Concrete, there were some names that simply had to come with them to entertain the hordes, though there is one name that stands out to Sarah.

Cherry Ghost

There'll be a set from Cherry Ghost

"I think the sight of Jay Ellis curling up to sleep with his decks in Glasto 2005 more than earns him the title of ‘Resident DJ.'Ìý As for the rest, the High Voltage guys are just so important in the city for breaking music, as are Friends of Mine and Blowout, and how could we go to Glastonbury without 60's throwback Steve Ballinger of Club Revolver fame?"

Where reality ends...

And while the label are entertaining the masses, what of Sarah’s Glastonbury? True to her own stages ethos, she’s there more for the experience than the Pyramid Stage.

"Personally, I'm not really that bothered about the bigger names as I can see them back in Manchester but I am looking forward to living in a temporary city in a field, and to those unpredictable Glastonbury moments when the line betwixt reality and fantasy is truly shaken!"

The Live’N’Late stage is at Glastonbury from Thurs 21 to Sun 24 June, located just to the back of the Other Stage, next to the Orange Phone Charge Tent.

last updated: 22/06/07

You are in: Manchester > Entertainment > Music > News and Interviews > Concreting over Glastonbury

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