23291 on music and musicians

Music
Prepare to read
Talk about the answers to these questions with a partner.
1. What kind of music do you like? Who are your favourite singers and musicians?
2. Have you ever been to a rock concert? Would you like to?
3. Have you ever been to, or seen pictures of, a music festival?
Reading
Read the passage, the e-mail and the festival guide.
The Glastonbury Festival is an unforgettable sight. For three I days, 280
hectares of peaceful farm country in the beautiful Somerset Valley become a
vast, colourful tent city. The Glastonbury Festival is Britain's largest outdoor
rock concert, I and it attracts crowds of more than 100,000 people. It has six
separate stages for musicians to play on. It has eighteen markets where fans can
buy things. It has its own daily newspaper and is even broadcast live on
television. It also I raises large amounts of money for several chanties,
including Greenpeace and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Glastonbury is just one of many events on the international I music festival c
alendar each year. For dance music fans, I there's Creamfields, the Essential
Festival and Homelands - all in the UK. Rock fans have Roskilde Festival in
Denmark, Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic in Japan, and the Livid Festival and I the Big Day Out in Australia. And
the crowds just keep I getting bigger. In fact, the size of some of these festivals is I causing problems. Since the
deaths of nine people at Roskiide in 2000 and the death of a young woman at the 2001 Big Day Out, festival
organisers and local police have I been working together to make sure festival-goers stay safe.
Despite these tragic events, festivals are more popular than I ever. And it's not just about the music. It's about
making new I I friends and partying non-stop for days at a time. It's about dancing till you can't stand up anymore
and then crashing in I someone else's tent. Veteran music journalist Koichi Hanafusa I I was at the first Fuji Rock
Festival in 1997. He remembers the I festival being hit by a typhoon. 'My greatest memory was all I those people
dancing to Rage Against the Machine. They I didn't care about the rain and the wind,' he says. 'I mean, I that's
what it's all about.'
Hi Melissa
Glastonbury was awesome! Jason and I arrived in the afternoon on Day 1. We went straight to the Acoustic Tent to

see the Waterboys. I couldn't wait to see them. They sang all my favourites, including 'Bang the Drum'.
The highlight of Day 2 was definitely Rolf Harris. We sang along to 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport', and I saw
several 'Rolf is God' T-shirts in the crowd! In the evening we went back to the Acoustic Tent to see the Hothouse
Flowers. They were excellent!
Day 3 was the best, though. David Bowie came on stage at 10 p.m. He sang all his hits — 'China Girl', 'Major Tan',
'Let's Dance', 'I'm Afraid of Americans' - and he stayed on stage for two hours!
I'm completely exhausted, but I had the best time! And I got you a Hothouse Flowers T-shirt so you wouldn't feel
left out. :-)
See you soon. Love Jenna
WHAT TO TAKE
You will have a long walk from your car or the bus stop, so travel light. Most festivals have markets where you can
buy most of the things you'll need. But here's a list of things that everyone should take with them.
• Tent - The bigger the better (especially if it rains).
• Sleeping bag - Make sure it's comfortable.
• Sunblock - Three days outside in the sun will give you painful sunburn.
• Rainproof jacket - In case the sun doesn't shine!
• Hat - Good if it rains, good if the sun shines.
• Comfortable shoes - You'll be standing up a lot of the time.
• Money - There are sometimes cash machines at music festivals, but usually with long lines. Remember to keep
enough money to get home after the festival.
Reading Understanding key points
Read the sentences below. Tick the sentences that are true. Rewrite the sentences that are not true to make
them true.
Glastonbury Festival is an amazing thing to see. Most of the year, the Somerset Valley is a busy city.
Most of the year, the Somerset Valley is peaceful farm country.
1. Music is performed on one stage at Glastonbury.
2. Music festivals are becoming more popular.
3. Being in a big crowd at a music festival can sometimes be dangerous.
4. Jenna had never heard the Waterboys' music before she went to the Glastonbury Festival.
5. Jenna enjoyed the second day of the festival the most.

6. Fans can spend only one day at the Glastonbury Festival.
Reading Understanding details


Circle the best answer, a, b, с or d, to each of the following questions.
1. The Glastonbury Festival takes place
a. the Acoustic Tent.
a. inside a large stadium.
b. the Waterboys,
b. in a television studio.
с Bang the Drum.
с in the city of Glastonbury.
d. the Hothouse Flowers.
d. outdoors in the Somerset Valley.
5. On Day 3, David Bowie finished singing
2. If you like dance music, you'd
a. at ten o'clock in the morning.
probably enjoy
b. at ten o'clock at night, с at around midnight.
a. Creamfields.
d. at around two o'clock in the morning.
b. Roskilde.
6. The festival guide recommends taking money to a
с Summer Sonic.
music festival
d. the Big Day Out.
a. to avoid having to wait in line at the cash
3. When a typhoon hit the Fuji Rock Festival in 1997,
machines.
a. people couldn't stand up.

b. because there are never any cash machines.
b. people kept dancing and enjoying themselves.
с because you have to pay money if you want to
с nine people died,
leave the festival early.
d. the festival was cancelled.
d. to pay the musicians.
4. The first group Jenna and Jason saw were called
Reading Developing skills
Read the passage, the e-mail and the festival guide again. Below is a list of possible problems with music
festivals. Choose the correct solution for each problem.
Problems
Solutions
1. Large crowds can be dangerous.
a. You can go shopping at the markets.
2. Friends who stay at home might feel left out.
b. You should wear comfortable shoes and take a
3. You are outside the whole time and might get
tent and sleeping bag.
sunburned.
с You should take sunblock.
4. You might get tired from standing up all the time.
d. Police and festival organisers should work
5. You might forget to bring something you need.
together to make sure people stay safe.
e. You can buy them a T-shirt.
Developing
vocabulary
A. Match the numbers on the left with the letters on the right to form sentences.
1. It was an unforgettable day. We had

west coast.
2. Australia is a vast country. It takes
b. our seats were at the back of the theatre, с Ben's
3. I like outdoor sports because I like
favourite day. He waits all year for it.
4. We could hardly see the stage because
d. died when she was so young.
5. The Red Cross is my favourite charity
e. sure everything goes smoothly.
6. On the school calendar, Sports Day is
f. so much fun, we will always remember it.
7. The organisers of the parade make
g. fresh air and sunshine.
8. It was tragic that Princess Diana
h. because it helps people all over the world.
a. about five hours to fly from the east coast to the
Complete the following sentences with the correct word or phrase.
typhoon highlight travel light feel left out rainproof
1. You should___________on a camping trip. Don't pack too much stuff.
2. The___________of my year was my trip to Hawaii. What a great holiday!
3. If you don't invite Ben to your party, he will___________.
4. Our tent wasn't___________, so we got wet in the middle of the night!
5. The strong winds during the___________destroyed many houses.
Writing
Look at this sentence about the deaths of music fans at festivals:
Despite these tragic events, festivals are more popular than ever. After the tragic deaths of the fans, you might
expect festivals to lose popularity. But in fact, the opposite is true: they are more popular than ever.
Despite is used to introduce a contrast, and is followed by a noun or an -ing verb.
Complete the sentences below. Add 'despite' at the beginning, and then choose the best words from the box.
The first one is done for you.

being poor the rain being a rather lazy student the heavy traffic having a bad cold
1. Despite being a rather lazy student , Sandra usually gets good marks.
2. _________________________________, Mr and Mrs Lee are always happy.
3. _________________________________, we had a great time at the music festival.
4. _________________________________, Gavin sang brilliantly at the school concert.
5. _________________________________, Gemma got to the airport on time.