Glastonbury Festival 2014 – Who should you go see? (Part 2)

So, there you have it! Glastonbury Festival has announced what looks like the full line-up for the 2014 edition of the festival, which includes the long-awaited announcement of Metallica as the final headliner. The American hard rock giants will be joining Arcade Fire and Kasabian as the bands topping the Pyramid Stage bill at Worthy Farm this year. Alongside the announcement of Metallica as third headliner came the announcements of all the music at the festival, as well as which stages the acts are on, and the extra attractions. Just like we did last time, we’re going to give you a lowdown on the best stuff worth seeing this year!

First of all, there are plenty of new breakthrough names that have been added to the various stages who are all worth checking out (so long as it doesn’t clash with what else you want to see, which it probably will!). Some of the best new acts to check out include the wonderful Haim, groove lords Jungle, new rock sensations Imagine Dragons and the likes of George Ezra, Clean Bandit, Wolf Alice and Polica. The smaller acts, who tend to appear on the John Peel Stage, are what makes Glastonbury so great. The festival is a perfect springboard for these bands, with many appearing right before they get big. The headliners on the John Peel Stage this year are Kaiser Chiefs, MGMT and London Grammar, supported by other strong names such as Lykke Li, CHVRCHES, Wild Beasts and the self-proclaimed “funklordz” themselves, Chromeo.

If you manage to stay away from the John Peel Stage at all, it’s worth taking a look at the other smaller stages around the festival site, such as The Park and the West Holts Stage. The former, headlined this year by Metronomy, Mogwai and James Blake, features those bands that are just right for the John Peel Stage, but better suited to an outdoor environment. Many of them have a special niche, with hip hop showing up from the likes of Young Fathers and Danny Brown. Also worth seeing in The Park are Anna Calvi, Parquet Courts, Australian pairing of Jagwar Ma and Courtney Barnett, as well as a musical tribute to television show Thunderbirds, under the name Thunderbirds Are Go! The latter, West Holts, showcases more of the alternative acts with headliner M.I.A. being a good example of that this year. Joining M.I.A. are fellow headliners Bryan Ferry and Disclosure, as well as hip hop from Jurassic 5 & The Internet, soul from The Wailers, The Daptone Super Soul Revue and African world music from Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. Acts like Bonobo, Tune-Yards and Goldfrapp are also worth standing in a (hopefully not) rainy field for!

If you want to spend more of your weekend in the area of the bigger stages such as the Pyramid Stage and the Other Stage, you’re never going to be short of things to see. If you’re up for an early morning round of soul, Dutch vocalist Caro Emerald will be on the Pyramid Stage for your pleasure, with other worthy Pyramid acts including The War on Drugs, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The 1975, De La Soul, Rudimental, Lana Del Rey, The Black Keys, Elbow, Jack White and even Dolly Parton. It’s an eclectic mix of acts, which is what Glastonbury is all about! Over on the Other Stage, you’ve got headliners Skrillex, Pixies and Massive Attack being joined by legends Blondie, as well as breakthrough acts Sam Smith, John Newman and the “almost massive” likes of White Lies, Jake Bugg, Kodaline, Warpaint, The Horrors, Foster the People and Bombay Bicycle Club.

For fans of the quieter stuff, there are even 2 stages dedicated to all things acoustic. The aptly titled Acoustic Stage features the legendary Dexys (formerly known as Dexy’s Midnight Runners), Suzanne Vega, Tinariwen and Nick Lowe, whereas the Avalon Stage features Gabrielle Aplin, Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit, Skinny Lister and Sophie Ellis Bextor!

However, after all the music has finished, you can’t just go to sleep. There’s so much to see and do that it’d be an absolute shame not to check out nightlife areas such as Arcadia, Block9, The Common, Shangri-La and The Unfairground. To some it may be a bit too much, yet the majority of festivalgoers come here to let themselves go and forget all about it in the morning! If you like the dance music and nightlife elements, but don’t want to party till dawn, the Silver Hayes stage is always a good alternative for you. This year, Silver Hayes is headlined by Fatboy Slim, Richie Hawtin and Annie Mac, with appearances from many more electronic acts throughout the weekend such as Ella Eyre and Stromae.

Of course, Glastonbury isn’t complete without its Left Field stage (featuring Billy Bragg, Scroobius Pip vs Dan Le Sac and Anti-Flag), nor the famous Theatre and Circus area! This year, there are set to be spectacular performances like no other. If you’ve got spare time, go and check it out!

Glastonbury this year is better than ever before, which has made anyone with a ticket even luckier than before. Bring on June!