Glastonbury 50: The Official Story of Glastonbury Festival (Hardback)
Emily Eavis (author), Michael Eavis (author)Published: 31/10/2019
The venerable Glasto may have had its 50th anniversary stymied this year, but Michael and Emily Eavis, the iconic father and daughter team behind the festival, have produced a sumptuous visual history encompassing recollections from legendary artists, and seminal images from rock’s greatest photographers. The definitive companion to a British summertime institution.
Glastonbury 50 is the authorised, behind-the-scenes, inside story of the music festival that has become a true global phenomenon.
The story begins in 1970. The day after Jimi Hendrix's death... dairy farmer Michael Eavis invites revellers to his field in Somerset to attend a 'Pop, Folk & Blues' festival. Tickets are GBP1 each, enticing more than a thousand customers with the promise of music, dance, poetry, theatre, lights and spontaneous entertainment - as well as free milk from his own Worthy Farm cows.
Fast forward through five tumultuous decades and the Eavis's vision now encompasses a gigantic 'city in the fields', with a total annual population nearing a quarter of a million. Tickets sell out within minutes, the show is beamed live to more than 40 countries around the globe, and over 3 million people are registered to attend. Meanwhile, the bill has expanded to include big name performers, artists and designers from every branch of the creative arts. Glastonbury Festival is now the largest outdoor green fields event in the world.
In their own words, Michael and Emily Eavis reveal the stories behind the headlines, and celebrate 50 years of history in the Vale of Avalon. They're joined by a host of big-name contributors from the world of music - among them Adele, JAY-Z, Dolly Parton, Chris Martin, Noel Gallagher, Lars Ulrich and Guy Garvey. They're joined by artists - Stanley Donwood, Kurt Jackson and many more. Writers - Caitlin Moran, Lauren Laverne, Billy Bragg - and by a host of photographers, from Seventies icon Brian Walker to rock and roll legends Jill Furmanovsky and Greg Williams.
Together they bring you the magic that makes Glastonbury, Glastonbury.
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
ISBN: 9781409183938
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 1740 g
Dimensions: 248 x 292 x 28 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
With exclusive interviews, never-before-seen photos and lots of insight from big names, including Adele, Dolly Parton and Noel Gallagher, this is a must for any music fan. * Woman *
In this beautifully compiled history, Eavis and his daughter Emily trace Glastonbury's remarkable 50-year evolution, alongside testimony from performers and a fabulous trove of photographs. Blessedly mud-free, it's the perfect festival experience. * The Sunday Times (Culture) *
... Emily Eavis's childhood recollections, and photographs documenting how it went from a mellow hippy love-in with free milk in 2971 to a crusty nightmare in the early Nineties to a fully functioning pop-up city it is today, are captivating. * The Times (Saturday Review) *
Michael Eavis and his daughter Emily prove typically welcoming guides as Glastonbury 50 unravels the history, the book's scrapbook approach mixing personal stories and classic photography with colourful reminiscences from the likes of Chris Martin, Ed Chemical, Noel Gallagher and Banksy. * Q Magazine *
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“Electric”
I’ve only been twice but this book brings back every part of that electric warm feeling that you can only get at Glastonbury. It is truly the happiest place I have ever been in my life. If I could explain what I think... More
“Stunning book”
Stunning book with beautiful photos capturing all the moments from 1970 to 2019.
Tells the history of the festival and how it grew and year on year photos bring back beautiful and amazing memories
“"If you remember it, you weren't really there" but this book helps”
Having been to almost all of the Worthy Farm/Glastonbury festivals since it started and worked at most of them. This book is an absolute must for anyone who has been or just interested in what goes on, has gone on and... More
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