Here we go again…

Get the wellies sun cream out and dust off the tent: it’s Glastonbury week. As ever, this year’s line-up at the greatest music festival on the planet presents us with an endless stream of the very best in every strand and strain or music imaginable, from out-and-out legends to the most promising newcomers. Scrolling through the full set-times is both an exciting and headache-inducing task…

The more observant attendees will notice that drum & bass is very well represented at this year’s bash with the likes of Noisia, Goldie, Roni Size, Hype & Hazard and many, many more. But of course, at a festival of Glastonbury’s stature, there’s plenty to appease everyone of all musical inclinations.

Shangri-La has changed this year and fans of the Heaven and Hell stages will be sad to hear that they’ve been removed, but have no fear: using waste left behind by last year’s punters, new stages have been created which all feature line-ups to sufficiently whet the appetite…

It would be very easy to choose 50 acts to try and cram in over the weekend, but, if you’re heading out there this week, here are just 10 essentials to add to your to-see list.

Radiohead

When: 9.30pm, Friday night
Where: Pyramid

Love them or hate them, it’s hard to deny that Radiohead always put on a mind-blowing show. Rumours are flying around that the legendary outfit, headed up by the morose Thom Yorke, will honour 20 years since the release of the highly revered OK Computer with a set heavily featuring the album. Plus, the Friday night headline set will mark 20 years since the band’s 1997 headline set, which is widely regarded as one of the finest the festival has ever witnessed. Whatever they decide to do, it’s going to be special.

Sasha & John Digweed

When: 9.25pm, Saturday night
Where: Glade

Two absolute titans of house and techno go back-to-back in one of the festival’s most sophisticated dance tents to put on an absolute masterclass. Expect to hear the finest underground beats mixed to perfection by two DJs who pioneered the progressive sound over 20 years ago. As individuals they’ve been at the top of their game for an astounding amount of time but it’s when they play as a duo the real magic happens.

 

Ulterior Motive Present Guidance: Icicle X Skeptical X Ulterior Motive & SP:MC

When: 3am, Saturday night
Where: Clash

Four acts for the price of one. Tucked away on the Clash stage on Saturday night is this enticing three-hour b2b special featuring three of the scene’s finest selectors propped up by one of the best MCs. Here’s the full details on Ulterior Motive’s latest project, exclusively announced right here last week.

Gutterfunk Closing Party

When: 9pm, Sunday night
Where: Stonebridge Bar

Once again it’s another b2b2b2b scenario and a Sunday night tradition Glasto wouldn’t be complete without. The Gutterfunk family’s closing party has become somewhat infamous in recent years, each time bringing a cross-section of the best DJs from drum & bass and beyond. Last year they closed the festival in style and this year they’re back with an even bigger line-up to make sure the festival finishes with a bang, in the small but lively Stonebridge Bar. When it comes to delivering a drum & bass history set, there aren’t many better positioned to do it than the masterful Doc Scott.

 

Noisia

When: 1.45am, Saturday night
Where: Arcadia

All hail the mighty Noisia. You’ve got several options to see these guys play over the weekend. They’re playing The Temple on Thursday night, their incredible Outer Edges live show can be experienced at the Sonic Stage earlier on the Saturday night before they peg it over to Arcadia for the ultimate spider smash-up session. You’re going to have a very nice time whenever you catch them… But the Arcadia show is our pick because of its peaktime status.

 

Justice

When: 10pm, Sunday night
Where: West Holts

The French electro giants have a back catalogue jam-packed with bangers designed to go off at a festival, from the infectious We Are Your Friends to the vocal-driven On’n’On and a whole host of others. It’s going to be an absolute party at one of the festival’s best stages.

 

Goldie X My Nu Leng & Dread MC

When: 2-3am, Friday night
Where: The Gas Tower

Goldie pops up several times over the weekend, as do most of the big hitters, but his most intriguing set looks to be the back-to-back with the My Nu Leng boys, who have been dabbling with jungle lately. The Gas Tower is a brand new stage at this year’s festival, created from rubbish left behind at last year’s event. We’re excited to see what the b2b set, and the stage, conjures up…

 

Kings Of The Rollers

When: 3am, Sunday night
Where: The Cave

Sunday night in The Cave is every drum & bass fan’s dream. DLR kicks things off at 11 before Break, Total Science, Heist and, finally, Kings of The Rollers step up, who play a two-hour set from 3-5am. Ever since Bladerunner, Voltage and Serum clashed heads to form the trio they’ve been tearing up every venue they play at, and they’re the perfect act to finish off the night. Expect gully rollers and trigger fingers aplenty.

 

Fabio & Grooverider Ft GQ – 25 Years Of Drum & Bass

When: 12.30am, Sunday night
Where: Arcadia

Arcadia plays host to a mouth-watering line-up on every night of the festival and Sunday’s billing is particularly enticing with the likes of Groove Armada, My Nu Leng and Roni Size stepping up to take centre stage in the fire-breathing spider. But it’s Fabio & Grooverider’s history lesson that could well steal the show, taking us through the genre’s most-loved classics from day one to now.

 

Gentleman’s Dub Club

When: 12am, Sunday night
Where: Truth

There aren’t many bands out there that manage to get a crowd moving like Gentleman’s Dub Club. It doesn’t matter if they’re playing at midday or midnight, they’ll have you jumping up and down like a twat by the end of their set without fail. The bassy brass ensemble’s midnight set on the brand new Truth stage in the heart of Shangri-La will be a proper knees-up.

Photo Source: Wiki Commons