The Ned Wood Archive

Joe

Joe’s suddenly aware of the time.  Or aware that he’s not aware of the exact time.  He’s got no power on his phone, so he can’t check that.  People don’t wear watches anymore, not at Glastonbury, so he can’t peek at anyone else’s wrist like he can when he’s in town.  Then he realises, he can just ask someone.  He asks Ellie and finds out that it’s after 11.  Time goes quickly when you’re failing to juggle.

“Do you want to head over to the Pyramid.  If you like rock and roll, you’ll love the band that’s on first,” he asks her.

“Sure, why not?” says Ellie.

Seems like he’s always suggesting the right thing.  And they’re in time.  They get to the Pyramid Field before the band comes on.  There’s a reasonable crowd for 11:30 in the morning, but not nearly as big as Joe thinks the Struts deserve.  They can get quite close.  Well inside the first barrier.

They kick off with Roll Up.  Well, you would, wouldn’t you. “Roll up, roll up, roll up for satisfaction.”  They play Primadonna, Body Talks, Raising Hell, Dirty Sexy Money, Kiss This.  Joe thinks they’re the ideal festival band.  He doesn’t know why they haven’t played Glastonbury before.  Hey you, don’t you know who I think I am?!  

They slow it down and the singer does his Freddie Mercury tribute at the piano.  Then they kick off again with more bangers, including a version of Ballroom Blitz.  They’ve got all the hooks.  They’ve got all the tricks.  The singer gets the audience to crouch down on the ground and then jump up in the air like a thousand frogs.  He has them singing along.  He has them waving their arms like a wheat field in a gentle wind.  He has them in the palm of his hand like a magician.  Then he’s gone.  Too soon, as it should be.  The audience is left craving more.  Everyone of them tasted love and pain.  Everyone of them felt pride and shame.  Everyone of them will look back and say that was one of the better days.