'Glastonbury' Britain's biggest music fest

(MENAFN- Arab Times) Lton england june 28 (agencies): kaiser chiefs kicked off three days of music at the glastonbury festival on friday with lead singer ricky wilson singing 'i predict a riot' to a good natured crowd made even more amenable by a halt in the rain. the british band were the surprise opener at the event at worthy farm in rural southwest england which is as famous for its mud as for its line up. 'glastonbury we are honoured to kick off your weekend of fun' wilson told revellers. the festival started in 1970 when hippies paid one pound to see acts including marc bolan with free milk from the farm thrown in. this year more than 120000 tickets priced at 215 pounds ($370) sold out in hours to people keen to hear live music from hundreds of bands and experience the other entertainment including comedy theatre and circus acts. more than 125000 people were on the site by friday lunchtime festival organisers said.

hit

blondie the us. band that has been going for 40 years almost as long as the festival attracted a huge crowd on the other stage on friday afternoon to hear hits like 'atomic' and 'hanging on the telephone'

'glastonbury nothing like it in the world' lead singer debbie harry told fans adding the almost obligatory reference to the weather: 'it's my wet dream.' the appearance of the sun from behind storm clouds was greeted as enthusiastically as blondie's most popular songs by the rubber boot-shod audience. heavy rain fell earlier on friday and further showers were forecast for the remainder of the day and saturday

 

other acts appearing at britain's biggest music festival on friday included singers lily allen and paolo nutini us electronic musician skrillex and manchester band elbow which is sure to lead a mass singalong to 'one day like this' an anthem used by british television as the backing track for sporting montages. topping the bill is canada's arcade fire while saturday's headliner metallica has generated controversy among some fans who say heavy metal has no place at glastonbury. the festival's 78-year-old founder michael eavis has defended the choice telling the bbc that he is really looking forward to seeing them. the british rockers played a surprise morning gig friday the first full day of the event. dolly parton arcade fire blondie and metallica are among the other headliners playing a festival famed for music ? and mud. police said a 26-year-old man died on friday after having a bad reaction to ketamine and a 67-year-old woman died at the site of natural causes.

also

los angeles: earlier this month demi lovato took to the streets of west hollywood to film her new music video for 'really don't care' among the revelers of l.a. pride for which she also acted as the grand marshal. it's probably not a coincidence it has been released on the first anniversary of the supreme court striking down anti-gay marriage laws doma and california's own proposition 8

there's tons of dancing makeouts rainbows and cameo appearances from the pop star's famous friends including 'the vampire diaries' star kat graham perez hilton and dovato's real-life beau wilmer valderrama



moscow: a concert by us shock rocker marilyn manson has been cancelled in a major russian city over fears his performance would insult orthodox believers. 'there will be no marilyn manson concert in novosibirsk' concert organisers said referring to russia's third largest city and the administrative centre of siberia. 'authorities of all levels have denied us permission to hold the concert on june 29' the firm sibirskie gastroli said in a statement posted on russia's social network vkontakte on thursday afternoon. 'we've fought until the end but the situation has proved stronger than us unfortunately.' the organisers promised a full refund to all ticket holders. manson 45 has frequently been the subject of protests from religious groups including in his native us.  hundreds of religious activists had protested against manson's plans to perform in the city accusing the us enfant terrible of insulting russian orthodox believers. one such activist hailed the cancellation of the concert on friday stressing the importance of president vladimir putin's efforts to protect morals.

'manson's live performances look like an amusement park with a sadomasochistic slant' said the activist yury zadoya. 'sadomasochism is a mental disorder. what does novosibirsk need this show for' he said on popular radio echo of moscow. the organisers said authorities in novosibirsk home to more than 1.5 million people did not want manson's concert to coincide with an annual local holiday in the city on friday and suggested that manson perform on saturday instead. but the organisers said the alternative date did not suit the rocker. since returning to the kremlin for a third term in 2012 despite huge protests putin has sought to play up traditional values and bill russia as an antidote to the west.