Best gig: OMD (Laura may have ended up on the Jumbotron here)
Best gig in rain: They Might Be Giants
Best headwear: Paloma Faith
Best suprise: John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin, as unbilled bassist to Seasick Steve
Best improvised instruments: Seasick Steve
Best discovery: Thea Gilmore
Best comeback: Adam Ant
Best Karen Carpenter: Rumer
Least comprehensible: Paolo Nutini
Most danceable: Waterboys
Most incongrous festivalgoer: punk-looking guy in camo jacket pushing an immaculate Silver Cross pram
Best comedy: Shappi Khorsandi
Most awkward balloon: Sky Arts, which never quite got off the ground
Best comedy who's not already famous: Pappy's (anarchic late night slapstick sketch show trio)
Best thing in Literature tent: a video tribute to the Space Shuttle, as part of David Ince's show
Best political commentry: Stuart Maconie (yes, really; widely applauded by audience)
Most awkward questioner: (to Marcus Brigstocke): "Did you know this festival is sponsored by Sky, the Times, and Vodaphone?"
Most useful vendor: Oxfam, who provided me with a sweater, waterproof, and sleeping bags, all of which I'd forgotten
Best cheese: Halloumination
Had a bit of trouble due to messing up my ankle on the first day, spending the rest of the festival with various degrees of limp; also ended up with swollen feet after standing all day. The only thing I'd complain about (apart from the weather, which was mostly wet but we got one glorious sunny day, and in any case isn't in the organisers control) was the volume: events in the literature and poetry tents were often hard to hear over the main and secondary stages! I'm not sure it's a good idea to have it quite that loud at a festival with lots of kids, either. Not everything needs to be played at 11.
-
- Pete (
pjc50) wrote,