Billy Bragg brings Leftfield back to Glastonbury

Great news for those of us who like a little politics with our music – the Leftfield is back at Glasto!

We looked for it last year, only to find the big Leftfield metal scuplture (made by boilermaker apprentices) presiding over an anonymous dance tent, with no Tony Benn or Mark Thomas to be seen. So, it’s fantastic that festival organisers have announced that the Leftfield is back for 2010, and will be hosting and generally MC-ed by the one and only Billy Bragg!

Billy is interviewed on the Glastonbury website about the Leftfield, and says “Glastonbury is the original activist festival. It has always had that political edge since its rebirth in the 1980s as a gathering for dissidents and dancers. Leftfield’s mixture of red and green politics aims to reflect the way activism plays an important part in the festival as a whole.”

He adds: “I really don’t think that you could have something like Leftfield at any of the other major UK rock festivals. The audience at V just wouldn’t be interested in attending a debate about the threat to 6 Music and other front line public services. Glastonbury audiences are more willing to engage.”

You can read the full interview with Billy Bragg on the Glastonbury website here.

From a family point of view, the Leftfield offers an alternative to the relentless music pumping out from the nearby big stages at Glasto. Also, if your kids are being looked after in the Kids’ Field, it’s not far away if you need to escape for some grown-up time. Another great thing about the Leftfield is the freebies – unions and campaigns give out a whole lot of branded stuff at the Leftfield – from sunhats to yoyos – so it can keep the little ones quiet for a bit and they can have a treat without you breaking the bank.