Liz has been going to Glastonbury almost every year since 2011 (Picture: Liz Hannon)
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as the opening bars of Queen’s Under Pressure rang out from the Pyramid Stage.
Around me in the crowd, thousands of people waved flags and clapped along as the late Taylor Hawkins started singing ‘mmm numb a de, dum bum bae be’ and Dave Grohl took up the beat on the drums.
It was Glastonbury 2017 and the Foo Fighters were headlining after pulling out two years previously when their lead singer broke his leg.
Watching Dave swap places with Taylor for that tribute, carried by a wave of feeling from the audience, was a spine-tingling moment that I’ll always remember.
I’ve been going to Glastonbury almost every year since 2011 – this June will be my eighth festival, marking my 75th birthday year.
There have been some incredible moments – watching Beyoncé smashing her dance moves while secretly pregnant back in 2011; Dolly Parton on the Pyramid stage in 2014, and Metallica kicking huge grey balls into the crowd that same year.
Liz’s love of music took a backseat as while she concentrated on her family and career (Picture: Liz Hannon)
For me, the atmosphere of the festival is like nothing else. The huge crowds, magical moments and the opportunity to discover new music.
I’ve always loved live music. Growing up in the sixties, my dad took me to see Wilson Pickett and The Swinging Blue Jeans. I saw the Small Faces under the disco balls at Boston Gliderdrome, and when I moved to London in 1967, I went to gigs with musicians Peter Green and Georgie Fame at the nearby Central London Polytechnic students’ union.
But in my 30s and 40s, my love of music took a backseat as I concentrated on my family and career.
I raised my daughter Dora, now 42, and her brother Will, now 38, alongside juggling a job in social housing and later working for the health ombudsman – all with the support of my husband Trevor, now 71.
It wasn’t until my mid-50s that I got an opportunity to go to gigs again. Will, then a teenager, introduced me to rock and indie music, including bands like Radiohead and Bloc Party.
The atmosphere of a festival is like nothing else (Picture: Liz Hannon)
Liz was introduced to rock and indie music by her son (Picture: Liz Hannon)
I was working in central London, so I started looking at the ‘What’s On’ section of the Evening Standard and taking myself to gigs after work.
Often I went alone because at the time Trevor was working abroad. I saw Patti Smith and Willie Nelson, and took the kids to watch Ray Davies.
I actually enjoyed going to see live music on my own. It was something to do when Trevor was away and I could please myself – going and standing at the front, or sitting at the back.
Other times I went with friends, who began inviting me to things because they knew I liked music. My taste was …read more
Source:: Metro
