Glastonbury Festival - Other Stage

Badly Drawn Boy Interview

Slightly Withdrawn Boy

We caught up with Badly Drawn Boy backstage at the Pyramid bar shortly after his set on Friday afternoon. He’s still wearing that hat and jacket even though the heat of the late afternoon sun is making every sweat gland work overtime to purge those early Glastonbury toxins.

So how do you feel?

“I think it were a great set, I dunno…” he ponders. “I feels kinda strange, like I did last time in 2002, I felt a bit deflated, like I hadn’t done as good a set as I could have done and I felt the same today. Everyone reassures me that it was good, but the thing is, Glastonbury means a lot to me. Ten years ago was the first time I came as a fan and I’ve always got this notion in my head that it’s the best thing ever. When you’re offstage in reality you can’t live up to it in your own head, so I’ve enjoyed it and I’m not bothered really now. I just feel like I could have done a better set, or grasped the moment a bit better, but nonetheless, every time I’m asked to play I’ll definitely come to Glastonbury because I love it.”

Macca or Oasis?

“I’ll go with Oasis I think!” he grins, revealing a set of pegs that must surely be designer dentistry for the insane. “I don’t know why.”

Are you camping or poshing it in a Winnebago?

“I’m camping. I’m camping in Joe Strummer’s old territory. With loads of friends.”

There’s a real Joe Strummer vibe to the whole event this year isn’t there?

“Yeah, I got to know Joe. Last time I was here, I was with Joe for most of the weekend after I’d played. He was like, a friend, really…”

Paul Mills