Stonebridge, Glastonbury

The Stonebridge Bar 2011

Heavenly Jukebox Stonebridge Bar, Glastonbury Festival Selections Vol 1 – R$N Exclusive by Theransomnote on Mixcloud

Like what you hear? Want it in your itunes? Then look no further than this link. How good are we to you?!

In anticipation of the impending end of month carnage down Pilton way, the rather wonderful Heavenly Jukebox have put together for us a selectors selection of what to expect when they play the inaugural set up in the Stonebridge tent this year (& their monthly HVN JBX night) . . . forget the mixing, this is pure selector vibes. Go seek and check the Jukebox when you’re down there, good times!
Below, there’s a catch up with chief-bearded-booker-in-chief of Stonebridge Carlos on what to expect from the very wonderful weekend of aural delights… there’s a Heatwave a comin!

In the five years since the Stonebridge Bar pulled its first pint, it’s become something of a landmark for both the discerning nightowl and the daytime hedonist. In its half decade lifetime, the Stonebridge has hosted day and night sets by everyone from Benga and Skream to Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve via Hot Chip, Four Tet, Jamie xx, Baggy Mondays and the legendary Hip Hop Karaoke. This year’s line up is the best yet. Arrive early and don’t expect to see your tent before sunrise.

Carlos, tell us a bit about the Stonebridge Bar and how it came about?

In 2007 the festival created The Park as a new performance area on site organised by Emily Eavis and her husband Nick. They kindly asked myself and Robin Turner from The Social / Heavenly to help programme the late night bar. They wanted a place where people would go to drink booze and dance to music but without it being too much like other ‘dance’ tents on site.

The line-up this year is as diverse this year as it was last year. What factors come into play when booking the acts for the tent?

I think the whole idea behind the bar has always been to keep it very mixed up, I don’t want to have too much of one thing for hours on end. The Sunday night line up for me is classic Stonebridge, bridging that gap between more psychedelic stuff, soul, reggae, acid house and new forms of dance music. I hope the line up appeals to people with an open mind about music and what you can dance to.

How do you manage so many acts at such a notoriously fun and frivolous bar?

They are all very well behaved and generally managed themselves, we don’t have a huge team of people helping us with the tent and artists, we tell them what time to come and play and they play!

Do you get to see any of the rest of the festival ever? How do you feel about that?

Never! It kind of upsets me that i miss so much good stuff every single year, but at the same time we’re really really lucky to have our own thing going on at the best festival in the world. No regrets.

Why have you got Optimo playing so early this year as opposed to finishing up the tent on Thursday last year?

haha, wondered whether anyone would notice that slightly odd piece of programming. We really wanted to get Jonnie and Keith back again this year (in fact Jonnie didn’t make it in the end last year coz of a travel nightmare) and i really wanted them to play Friday night but it wasn’t possible because of other commitments. Had to be Thursday. It just felt a bit odd putting them on after Yacht Rock, Ultimate Power, Pump Up The Volume and Baggy Mondays!! Also it was about time Chris Salmon (Baggy) headlined the tent, he’s been there from the start and it’s madness every time.

Is there a world for you outside of the Stonebridge bar at glastonbury?

I’m very honoured this year to have been asked to host The Park stage, introducing the bands and that. Quite scary.

For the un-itiated, what is Hip Hop Karaoke and Musical Bingo – what can we expect from these and is this the future?

Hip Hop Karaoke is amazing, it’s been one the best things in bar every year since we started.

Check out this classic Tiny Travis performance from 2008. He’ll be back again this year.

Musical Bingo is new but is going to be great i reckon, it does exactly what is says though, instead of calling numbers they play songs which you match to you card.

Strangest occurrence/situation/naked person whilst running the stage?

When word got round that Michael Jackson died, that was a really strange atmosphere in the tent . .

Is the Park stage only sustainable for 5 days out of the year, or could there be life for it outside of Glastonbury?

I don’t think there are any plans for it to exist anywhere other than Glastonbury!

You also run all the programming for the Rizla Stage as well as the Social how does it differ from that?

The Social is our bar in London and we love it, 12 years and still going strong in the West End. A lot of the acts that play the festival also do nights at the bar with us, there’s a strong link between the two. The Rizla stuff is very professional, hundreds of people in the team managing every aspect of the event, i just get to book the acts and sit back.

What are the more challenging aspects of running the stage… and indeed vice versa.

Clearly stamina, the tent runs from lunch time until 5am so there isn’t much time for any sleep.

Naming no names (Danny, what sorry?), has anyone been ‘past their peak’ to play in recent years?

Yeah I think mine and Danny’s HVN JBX set last year on the Sunday night might have been a low point! I was exhausted and Danny was ‘detached’. I had unwisely billed ‘special guests’ on the programme because when we went to print I was still working out who was going to play the last set of the festival. In true Glastonbury fashion a rumour had gone round that it was either going to be The Chemical Brothers or Robert Plant (!??!) playing. The tent was absolutely mobbed with serious looking fans who were not in the mood for us two jokers at all. Despite us getting word round that The Chems were 100% NOT going to be playing they stood arms folded and waited, and waited.

Outside of Stonebridge who should we be checking out this year at Glastonbury?

Wu Tang, Gruff, Sea of Bees, Caribou, Janelle Monae, Primal Scream, The Chemical Brothers, The Bees, Caitlin Rose, Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou, The Crow’s Nest tent at the very top of hill in The Park for the best view on site. . .

The Park stage is renowned for it’s special surprise secret guests – read Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood last year – any surprises in store for Stonebridge this year?

Jackmaster may well play back to back with someone on the Sunday night, but it isn’t The Chems or Robert Plant!

Strangest place you’ve woken up on Worthy Farm?

In the farm house.

Have you touched Michael Eavis’ beard? How does it compare to yours?

I haven’t, i think it’s fair to say that my beard doesn’t come close. That said mine is coming back this year, no trimming between now and the festival.

Who are you most looking forward to at Stonebridge this year?

Really looking fwd to do doing the live stuff during the day on the Friday, never done it before. If i have to pick one though im going to say Toddla T on Saturday night. He’s a brilliant bloke and amazing DJ, very good vibes. That whole night is going to be a lot of fun.

In 3 words, what does Glastonbury mean to you?

Hip Hop Karaoke

THURSDAY

1-3am – Baggy Mondays
11-1am – Pump Up The Volume
9.30-11pm – Ultimate Power
8-9.30pm – Yacht Rock
6-8pm – Optimo
4-6pm – Sounds Familiar The Music Quiz
2-4pm – Heavenly Jukebox

FRIDAY

12 – 5am – R+S presents James Blake (DJ set), Space Dimension Controller, The Chain and Wild Geese
8 – 12pm – Stonebridge residents
6.15 – 8pm – Mister Sushi and Roxanne Roll
5.45 – 6.15pm – DELS (live)
4.45 – 5.45pm – Kwes
4.15 – 4.45pm – Sampha (live)
3.30 – 4.15pm – HVN JBX
3-3.30pm – Conquering Animal Sound (live)
1-3pm – HVN JBX

SATURDAY

12-5am – Ross Allen presents The Meltdown with Toddla T, Players Ball, The Heatwave + Brian Morrison
8-12pm – Stonebridge residents
6- 8pm – Riddim and Soul
4-6pm – Hip Hop Karaoke
2-4pm – Musical Bingo
1-2pm – The Barrett Family

SUNDAY

2.30-4am – Jackmaster
1-2.30am – Time and Space Machine
12-1am – Pete Fowler (Seahawks / Monsterism)
10.30 – 12pm – The Schizodelic Sound
8-10.30pm – Stonebridge residents
6- 8pm – Smooth Sailing
4-6pm – Hip Hop Karaoke
2-4pm – Musical Bingo
1-2pm – The Endeacott Family

Baggy Mondays from 2009