Photopgraph: Bob Rose
Dave Simpson has got the best view of the festival: from his sofa.
The BBC weatherman's instructions to "take your wellies" to Glastonbury provokes wry smiles on the sofa. Ever since personal disaster at the Glasters Tsunami of 1997, it seems obvious that the only way to truly enjoy the festival is in front of a television.
Shortcomings in atmosphere are made up by imported mud from the back garden, although this year I haven't asked the other half to parade around on stilts and attempt to sell me something called "White Lightning."
And yet, the TV coverage lacks something in 2005, although John Peel dominates the schedule even more than when he was alive.
There's the John Peel stage, clips of Peel classics from Glasters TV past ("Do I have a relationship with Yes? Yes, one of deep, unremitting hatred!"). Phill Jupitus even blames the great man's mischievous spirit for the downpours, and old sidekick Jo Whiley spends the whole night close to tears. It's all spectacularly emotional; there's even a tear in Mark Radcliffe's eye as he summons Peel's trademark wry disdain by introducing Royksopp as "from Worksop."
On The Sofa, we find ourselves wondering what dry quip Peel would have administered to the bands on view. A caustic backhanded compliment for the anthemic but robot-slick Killers? Deadpan encouragement for the rainswept, defiant Doves? Few bands ever received the DJ's undiluted praise, but surely it would have been forthcoming for the exhilarating, festival-defining headline from the White Stripes. On TV, you can see that everything on their set (microphones, floor, even drummer Meg's knickers) is either black, red or white. The second they begin, The Sofa is joined by The Dog (black coat, white chest, red collar) who is clearly undergoing a Glastonbury Moment. If we'd been at the Glastonbury spirit, we'd suspect the hand of Peel in that as well.
