Glastonbury and Janet Jackson

Glastonbury and Janet Jackson.

In the normal scheme of things the name of Janet Jackson would have left most of the Glastonbury aficionados scratching their heads in complete bewilderment. Besides, Glastonbury has always been a predominantly open air rock festival where a vast majority of the hundreds and thousands of fans can still remember the likes of  UB40, The Boomtown Rats, Joe Cocker and  Hawkwind leaving most of their followers in a drunken stupor but deliriously happy.

Last night in a quaint corner of Somerset the once very private piece of farmland known as Glastonbury opened its gates to one of the most famous British outdoor rockfests. Returning after a one year break for major refurbishment, it was business as usual. The old traditions had been maintained, the camp sites were spread far and wide while in the distance a vast majority of the British rock population were doing what you would normally expect them to do at Glastonbury; chilling out, drinking copiously and smoking to their hearts content.

For as far as the eye could see there was a vast expanse of everything that has somehow become synonymous with Glastonbury. There were conical shaped tents, something that looked like the Taj Mahal in miniature, huge platforms, spiritual gardens, hundreds of stages both small and large, smoking barbecues, the astonishing sight of the wandering multitudes, people of all ages simply savouring the unique atmosphere of another Glastonbury.

Wherever you looked there were flags from all over the world, girlfriends bobbing precariously on boyfriends shoulders, every conceivable T- shirt ever worn by any human being, men and women shaking themselves into the happiest frenzy, mouthing the words to their favourite band or singer in silent homage or just digging the beat as they used to say during the 1970s. Whatever may be happening in the rest of the world, Glastonbury just likes to distance itself, not get involved, become totally oblivious to and, above all, ignore.

Glastonbury is one of those great cultural events where the great, good, the eccentric and the richly appreciative gather together for that one occasion where they know for sure that they can express their individuality in such a way that nobody will mind what they do as long as they do it in moderation. They can drink to their hearts content, eat as much as they want and just relax in one massive show of communal harmony and kinship. They love their music at Glastonbury and this is the binding force that keeps them all together, their common love and passion.

Suddenly though  from the most unlikely of directions there was Janet Jackson. It was rather like placing Stevie Wonder or Earth, Wind and Fire at a heavy metal gig. But Janet Jackson, the celebrated sister of  the late and sadly missed Michael, strutted her stuff flamboyantly  It was Glastonbury's preferred choice for a Saturday night and by the end of the evening most of us were still thinking back to Michael's moonwalk, his brilliantly choreographed dance routines and those fabulous videos that remain works of art.

And yet on this Saturday the highly energetic Janet Jackson gave Glastonbury complete value for money. She looked for all the world as if she'd dropped into the wrong kind of musical environment but then realised that there was a big crowd to work and that she did superbly. Dressed all in black and moving with all the effortless grace of a natural dancer, Jackson went through her familiar party pieces. There were the sharp, jerky hip movements as hips, arms and legs were given the whole treatment. There was a distinct air of the disco queen diva about Jackson, as she robotically wiggled and gyrated across the stage, oozing stamina and flexibility all the while.

To rapturous applause from the spellbound multitudes, Janet Jackson had the Glastonbury great and good, grooving, getting on down, reminiscing perhaps on the legacy that her extraordinary brother had left behind. Jackson, sister Janet, was sexy, largely naughty, suggestive, provocative and formidably entertaining. Her backing dancers wore the ragged and torn clothes that reminded you of a Robin Hood convention. There was something of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats about their expressive arms and legs followed by quick fire squats, pure theatre.

Jackson then proceeded to fly through her 1980s classic repertoire. There was the excessively funky 'What Have You Done Lately', a disco dance floor favourite, full of verve and vitality. Who could have possibly forgotten 'Nasty' a teasing, spicily flirtatious record that had all the boys in a spin? Then she gave us the electrifying 'Control' classically funky and smooth as butter. 'Escapade' is somehow quintessentially Janet Jackson, irresistible and right on the button, one of the classiest soul numbers in the Jackson back catalogue.

But it was still the improbable nature of Janet Jackson appearing at Glastonbury that caught us unawares. Glastonbury still has that old rockers, hippie vibe about it that almost adds to its perennial charm. The youngsters in the crowd seemed to drift into a world of their own, jumping up and down, clapping their hands in a kind of mystical trance and lapping up the mind blowing events around them. Some could be seen almost overawed by what they were witnessing, barely comprehending that they were all in the same place, the same time and genuinely enjoying every single moment.

It was now that you began to sympathise with them when Glastonbury is all over for another year. You felt for them because once night falls and Kylie Minogue flounces off the stage tonight, mountains of lager cans, empty bottles of wine in some cases and masses of food packets are reluctantly collected and dumped gratefully into bins.

When the hundreds and thousands have loaded up their blankets, camp stoves and all the accoutrements you would normally find at Glastonbury, camper vans, vans, cars and mini buses will slowly crawl away out of one of the biggest and most loved of rock music festivals. An air of religious reverence will hang over this gigantic piece of English countryside. Next year Glastonbury celebrates its 50th birthday. The cake and candles are now being prepared and the celebrations could go on for ever.