How Glastonbury Festival is keeping spirit of The Clash frontman alive

Emma HallettBBC Information, Glastonbury FestivalBBCLucinda mentioned Strummer would have liked the realm arrange in his honourTucked away on the high of Glastonbury Competition is the one stage really devoted to a rock legend. Strummerville overlooks a sea of tipis and is known as in reminiscence of Joe Strummer, The Conflict’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, who died in 2002.It’s run by his widow, Lucinda Tait, who says it “means all the pieces” to her to maintain his reminiscence alive within the place he “completely liked”.Strummerville is without doubt one of the competition’s smaller and extra intimate phases, which Lucinda says is all about “assembly individuals, sharing opinions, sharing musical genres and concepts”.There’s a circle of sofas safely positioned round a camp hearth, a nod again to the times when Strummer would come to the competition along with his household within the 90s.Lucinda mentioned: “The realm between the 2 massive phases was simply purely for vehicles, lorries, people who labored on the competition.”That is the place all people parked and camped up, and Joe began a campfire there, and it was actually for artists or the safety or the stewards, it had that sort of vibe.”He was a giant champion of giving individuals time, area and a possibility to air their music or their views, or no matter, and that is what the campfire was about.”It was actually a couple of assembly of minds as a result of the hearth does one thing, it simply makes you loosen up, it makes you speak and suppose, it opens you up.”Lucinda Tait runs Strummerville, which is devoted to her late husband Joe StrummerOver the years, a friendship shaped between the singer and Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, with Strummer attending the competition “by means of thick and skinny”.”We had been there proper for these actually, actually moist ones, when the competition was deserted and the phases had been shut down.”I feel Michael had a delicate spot for Joe as a result of Joe all the time championed the competition when everybody was saying, ‘oh, it is only a mud bathtub’,” Lucinda mentioned.”I feel there was a mutual respect for one another and Joe simply felt a connection to this place, holding his spirit alive means all the pieces,” she added.Outdated images from the 90s are hung across the stage areaDespite attending the competition 12 months after 12 months, Strummer solely formally performed the occasion as soon as, in 1999 along with his band The Mescaleros.”It was attention-grabbing to see him actually overvalued earlier than he went on stage.”And he simply so wished to do it nicely, and he did. It was superb.”However it was attention-grabbing to see him nervous, as a result of it meant a lot to him,” Lucinda mentioned.The stage’s arrange means it’s typically the right place for Glastonbury’s legendary secret units, in addition to much less well-known bands to play.”The bands that we’ve are primarily not on the large, massive radar, however we’ve great individuals like Olivia Dean, who we have championed for about 5 – 6 years,” Lucinda mentioned.Regardless of its cosy vibe, the entire hill round Strummerville will get filled with individuals.On Thursday evening the band Fats Canine performed, leaving the “entire hill heaving”.”I assumed I used to be going to come back down right here this morning and it was going to be a stage enjoying area, as I assumed the individuals would have simply bounced the bottom flat. It was mega,” Lucinda mentioned.And naturally, it additionally attracts followers of The Conflict.Strummerville sits proper on the high of the Glastonbury Competition website”We had been apprehensive once they moved us up right here that nobody would come up the hill, nobody would discover us, however we simply made it actually particular.”Lots of people simply need to discuss Joe, learn how to let go and 1979 and ‘I used to be at that gig in Bristol when…’ and it is simply pretty.”Strummerville has launched younger individuals to Joe’s music, but in addition his ethos.”Individuals come and hang around, and it is pretty to see so many younger individuals, it is simply nice.”And what would Strummer consider all of it?”Oh, he’d like it. I do not suppose he’d depart the campfire,” Lucinda mentioned.Extra Glastonbury Competition tales