After you've now read all the so professional reviews on nme.com, dotmusic.com etc. that cover all the big acts, you'll here have the unique chance to get the story of how Glastonbury 2000 was for a complete 'Glastonbury virgin' (ie. me). Doesn't cover ALL the bands, but instead just the cool ones (AND the Pet Shop Boys as well).

It's pissing down at Castle Cary station. My train has just arrived on late Thursday afternoon. Everyone has heard those Glastonbury mudstories so I expect the worst. I am really not a camp freak anyway, in fact, I hate staying in tents, I am really just doing this for the bands. Also my mate I was supposed to camp with has missed the train and i got no clue how to find her. Ah well, I got my tent and my sleeping bag, i just go to camp somewhere on my own for tonight then. Shuttle buses bring us to the festival site. It takes about 30 minutes. One hour later there is such a big traffic jam that it takes them 6 hours! In there as Glasto virgin I'm first of all just really impressed about the size of this all. The negative side of this is that you have absolutely no clue where to walk and you just keep getting lost!

No bands are playing yet on the Thursday but at 10pm 'The Beach' is supposed to be shown on the outside cinema. Loads of people have gathered waiting for that movie to come on. 10.15 still nothing, 10.30 some weird noises, but no movie, 10.45 still nothing, 11pm, ah fuck it, can't be bothered to wait any longer.

Friday, 23rd June

Everyone who went to sleep in a tent wakes up in a boiling heat on Friday morning. Wahey! It is actually SUNNY! Woohoo! As I wander around I feel sorry for the people still arriving with their tents, desparately looking for a space to stay.

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At 2pm then the first highlight of the festival: Manchild are playing in the dance tent and once more prove that they're quite likely to be the 'next big thing'.

As they start their set with Rockin' the Place you can see more and more people coming into the dance tent and everything is getting quite mad!

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They got time for another track and come back and play New London, that Drum n'Bass track from the B-side of Let me tell you something. Its a beautiful chill-out song, but I'd never thought it would work live, but it actually does!

Fantastic! What a great set from the first until the last minute! Manchild have done very very well; serious competition for Ed and Tom who are headlining tonight!

(more about Manchild --> www.manchild.co.uk)

Now a look at the timetable tells me that there's a little decision to make now: Junkie XL, Cypress Hill and the Bloodhound Gang are on at about the same time...on different stages. ummm, hmmm...it HAS to be the Bloodhound Gang! No one comes close to them when it comes to show off your own stupidity to entertain an audience. The closer to the front you are, the better. They're playing on the 'Other stage' which is the 2nd stage and about 1,5hours before their set starts I start to queue up at the front.

First on are Methods Of Mayhem though, Tommy Lee's band. They play this Metal-Rap cross-over and if there wasn't this a bit too typical American rock star attitude ("Yo Motherfuckers!"), then this would actually rock. The highlight of their gig is when they're joined on stage by B-Real of Cypress Hill for a song!

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Around the front it gets now fuller and fuller of teeniegirls. Hmmm, Bloodhound Gang (already teenie stars in Germany) now also becoming heroes of the 12 year old over here? I'm far too old to like this band, but I just can't help. Go to see them live and you'll know why! After a few songs they as usually make the 'Pepsi challenge'. They usually ask someone of the audience on stage, and the person has to drink 24 cans of Pepsi and if he does gets 100$ cash ("Thats about 22", Jimmy Pop in the London Astoria on Wednesday). Today its Dr Pepper's and its Big Breakfast moderator Joe Absolom who has to try to drink them all. He gives up after like 3 cans and another guy can try now. "I give you 20$ and a Bloodhound Gang shirt if you can throw up over my shirt now", offers Bloodhound Gang singer Jimmy Pop. The guy can't.

2 days before in the London Astoria some guy DID throw up on stage over Jimmy's shirt, and what did Jimmy do? Offered him another 20$ if he kissed him (which he did, with a mouth full of puke.... yumm) and played the rest of the gig in a shirt full of puke ...  Either there is something wrong with this guy (Jimmy Pop) or he is just very dedicated to his job as entertainer. Probably both is the case.

Not to forget, music also gets played here. And although their recent chart success Bloodhound Gang is still a hard band, mixing about every style from Hip-Hop to Heavy Metal, from Disco to Rap with each other; not to forget the addition of their so amazing lyrics ("I hope you die", "Kiss me where it smells funny").

Some of their not-so-famous live cover versions tonight (unfortunately the Prodigy ones have been dropped completely) include Destiny's Child 'Say my name', Eminem's 'The Real Slim Shady' and a long-time regular at their show is the bit of Rammstein's 'Du Hast' where Evil Jared Hasselhoff sets his bass guitar on fire. Brilliant! As always they want people to come on stage. Eager fans happy to be 'so close' to their "idols" just to get humiliated (note: NEVER under any circumstances go on stage with the Bloodhound Gang!). Just like those 2 guys jumping around topless. "I give you 20$ and a Bloodhound Gang shirt if you get completely naked on stage here", says Jimmy spontanous.

The 2 guys are in an awkward situation now. What to do? About 30'000 people are watching and the BBC's cameras are also on. They just stand there clueless.

In the next moment someone goes "Tommy?" and one second later you can see Tommy Lee, who was watching the show from the side of the stage, running to the front getting completely naked in front of us all while the 2 poor guys get thrown from the stage in shame. ouch! click on each pic to see it full-size

They also don't forget to let us know that the Other stage is far 'cooler' than the big Pyramid stage. ("I mean, who wants to see Counting Crows anyway?"). The last track of the set is their recent hit The Bad Touch which includes an attack at all the boybands  with all members of Bloodhound Gang dressing up in the same clothes doing their little dance. Brilliant! If you got a good sense of humour and love people who don't take themselves too serious then you gotta love those guys. If you don't understand it, then leave it.

(Check out their bio on their official site ---> www.bloodhoundgang.com , even if you aren't interested, it's funny to read.  "Fred Durst is not in the Bloodhound Gang but we thought if we mentioned him, you would keep reading our biography.")

Bloodhound Gang are finished, what next? I rush over to the Pyramid stage and catch the last 2 tracks by Cypress Hill: Mr Greenthumb and the famous Rap Superstar. As much as I enjoyed the Bloodhound Gang, I can't deny I am a bit gutted I missed Cypress Hill! Also the so secret 'Special Guest' for tonight has been announced now, after rumours included Massive Attack and Paul McCartney it turns out to be Macy Gray. Ah well, she's on at the same time as Moby anyway. Still, it would have rocked if it had been Massive Attack!

It's still sooo unbelievable sunny over Glastonbury, amazing! I catch a bit of the Utah Saints set (apprently their first gig in 6 years!) and then decide to wander around a bit. There's tonnes of things to see, weird people, hundreds of market stalls. I bump into Lupus from the Bloodhound Gang, he starts talking to me cause he recognizes me from all the gigs of them I've seen, even remembers that I was at their show @ Rockwave festival in Greece July one year ago! Scary! Talking to him a bit, he's chuffed about Tommy Lee getting naked for THEM on stage.

At 9.30pm Moby is on on the Other Stage. Again I'm a bit gutted about the timetable, Groove Armada would be on at the same time on the Jazzworld Stage and their live show is great. But it has to be Moby. He plays almost every track from his current album Play, but also older ones like the James Bond theme and some of the ravey ones like Feel so reel. Yes, unlike some other certain bands he still plays that old stuff and it rocks. I love it. His live band are just there to provide some music, but Moby himself is the centre of the show, jumping on his keyboards and talking to the audience. Great!

As Moby is over it's already time to head over to the big Pyramid Stage to catch the Chemical Brothers headline set tonight. The Pyramid stage is huge. I'm not sure if I would want to see my favourite band headlining THAT stage, cause its just massive. I think it was reported that about 100'000 people were watching the set of the Chemical Brothers. As the lights turn off the anticipation is huge. Ed and Tom finally enter their massive boot of equipment and start the gig with Hey Boy, Hey Girl. Whoa! Gotta say it's really impressing. The sound is great, and so are the visuals. The next few songs include more highlights like Block Rockin' Beats, Music Response and Got Glint. At a point they drop in the 'Rock da house in' sample from their remix of Prodigy's Voodoo People. Cool!

I now already know that this is one of the best festivals I have ever attended, if not THE BEST. Not because of the bands, just this whole atmosphere and that whoever you are you just get into this 'Glastonbury Vibe'.

Saturday, 24th June

It is still sunny...hmm, what is wrong, Glastonbury? Where is all the mud??? haha, j/k of course we were all more than happy about the nice weather!!

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Crashland open the Other Stage at 11am. hmmm, they're not bad at all! There isn't really anyone I need to see this afternoon, so spend most of the time wandering around. At 4pm I approach the Dance tent, an act called Shut Up and Dance are on. And as I get there, what do I hear??? woohoo, they play Prodigy's Charly! They're a duo with DJ and an MC and this just sounds great. As Charly comes on you can literally see everyone near the dance tent getting up and running to the tent, this song still gets the people moving!

The next band worth seeing are Feeder on the Other Stage. Before them on are the Wannadies. They're, umm, ok. Kinda boring. Loads of people are waiting for Feeder. I've only ever seen them once, and that was in Germany where no one at all knows them. Over here they are big. As they come on they start their set with hit single Insomnia. The audience loves them, loads of people crowd surf. Great gig!

At 9pm then Pet Shop Boys are on at the Pyramid stage and on the Other Stage Death in Vegas. I head for Death in Vegas, I've only ever seen them a few times play in dark venues around midnight. Now they play in complete daylight and as they enter the stage the sun comes out and is just blinding.

This and Death in Vegas' dark sound is a weird combination but it works and the gig looks fantastic. They play mostly tracks from recent album The Contino Sessions including an instrumental version of Aisha.

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After 30 minutes I have to leave though, just NEED to see a bit of the Pet Shop Boys, can't help. The original plan was 30 minutes Death In Vegas, then 10 minutes Pet Shop Boys and then over to the dance tent to see Benthley Rhythm Ace. But, I get stuck. It is a bit hard to admit this here, but I absolutely enjoy the Pet Shop Boys gig. Enjoy it so much that I watch the whole remaining 50 minutes of their gig. (I know you all hate me now: "neko watched Pet Shop Boys! eeek") But if you're there at this gig and you just know every tune they play then that is cool, I've never even realized I knew so many Pet Shop Boys tunes.

Of course it's all completely cheesy, and the cheesiness peaks in Cerys Mathews joining them on stage for What have I done to deserve this?. One new track gets also played, Positive Rolemodel. Crap. We want cheesy Greatest Hits, not this new shit! The gig then ends with the anthemn Go West and I wonder why Travis are headlining today and not those guys?

I'm finally heading over to he dance tent now, Benthleys are still on, but the tent is so full, you can't even get close. Why? Next on, at 11pm, will be Fatboys Slim's DJ set. I decide to go for some photopit pictures (have to make use of my pass after all) and queue up at the dance backstage. Also lurking around there are the guys from Hedrock Valley Beats and Foxy, their bassplayer, explains me now that the real reason behind the good weather at this festival is ONLY his presence. Aye, right ;P

Norman now starts his set and probably has the most enthusiastic crowd of the whole festival. The dance tent is FULL and even the area around the dance tent is FULL. Is anyone watching Travis at all??

He starts his set with that Black Legend track and I watch like one hour of his set from the photopit. Amazing! However, I need to have a little look at the 2 other bands playing right now as well. First on the main stage, Travis.

As I approach it singer Fran Healy talks: "Is anyone here 19? This next song here, I have written it when I was just 20. The song is called 'Twenty'" and some slow tune starts. Boooring. Nothing against Travis, but after 1 hour buzzing to Fatboy Slim, this doesn't exactly feel right now. So heading over to the Other Stage where Leftfield are on. People are just screaming for the encore and as I get closer they start this very familiar bass, Phat Planet! Woohoo, their best track ending another great day at Glastonbury!

Sunday, 25th June

Today the day starts early. Hedrock Valley Beats from Northern Ireland open the dance tent at 10.30am in the morning! Not exactly the perfect time to go to see a dance band, but at least I'll finally get to see them live!

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They're a three piece consisting of Decky on keyboards, Frankie as DJ and Foxy on the bassguitar. 'Hedrock' in their name might sound familiar to some of you and it indeed is taken from the name of a remix of Prodigy's Mindfields cause The Prodigy have been one of the main inspirations for this band (sadly their name got misspelt to 'Bedrock Valley Beats' on the official GlastonburyT-Shirts!). Still, they don't try to sound like The Prodigy or anyone else and have an actually very unique sound. Many well chosen samples, cool beats and Hip Hop influences are typical for their sound, and now I'll finally get to see with my own eyes if this actually works live. And it does!

As they start their set there obviously aren't so many people in the tent yet, but as they now play Radio Beatbox more and more people come in and do start dancing. Ok, it IS a bit weird at this time in the morning, but the band don't care and just play, play, play. They've got a whole choice of cool tunes, for example King Of Rock, which is a really great live track (hehe! ;P).

Personal favourite of mine Funk It gets played, as well as Copshow or Rhode Island Swing with the Give the DJ a break sample. Those guys are definitely worth seing live, go to see them if you get the chance to! (check out their website for more info ---> www.hedrockvalleybeats.com)

Next band I get to see are the Dilated Peoples in the dance tent. Hip Hop and not bad at all. Initially wanted to go home Sunday afternoon but end up wandering around the festival with the Hedrocks for the rest of the day.

See parts of gigs of a few bands but the only band really worth seing this evening are Basement Jaxx, headlining The Other Stage. They play their usual live set with guest singers and guest MC but the audience is a bit sparse already, many people have left home already and I can see why. As great as this weekend was, after 4 nights in a tent I now really can't wait to get home, back to civilization!

Glastonbury, I'll be back next year!

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