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Exciting - or not - the Glastonbury crowd

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Will Gompertz | 11:44 UK time, Monday, 28 June 2010

I can't remember a Glastonbury Festival that sustained the feel-good atmosphere quite like this one - but musically it failed to reach the sublime heights of previous years.

Willie Nelson, Gorillaz and Shakira all failed to connect with an eager Pyramid Stage crowd, whereas Rolf Harris and Snoop Dogg succeeded by shooting 10,000 volts of their very different forms of kitsch into the happy campers.

There was plenty of talk about the newer British acts being unable to excite a festival crowd. It's not about scale and pyrotechnics: 's ability to put the audience into the present with his presence is shaman-like. His set with Jonny Greenwood was a highlight.

Festival organiser Michael Eavis says he already knows the three acts that are going to headline Glastonbury next year. He told me that Madonna was past the point in her career where he would ask her to headline. Really? If Shirley Bassey is OK, then why not one of the most influential female artists in the history of pop?

But if that's the decision, so be it. Instead, how about this line up: Beyonce, the Rolling Stones and Prince?

Until then, here are some images from this year.

Somewhere in the crowd, the 91Èȱ¬'s Mark Radcliffe is singing along to every word of Willie Nelson's set:

Somewhere in the crowd, the 91Èȱ¬'s Mark Radcliffe is singing along to every word of Willie Nelson's set

The security team constantly hands water to the crowd at the front of the mosh pit:

The security team constantly hands water to the crowd at the front of the mosh pit

The crowd for Snoop Dogg:

The crowd for Snoop Dogg

Some shade at last:

Some shade at last

The 6 Music planning chart with booked guests taped to the side of the radio truck:

The 6 Music planning chart with booked guests taped to the side of the radio truck

Meet you at the ice-cream van?

Meet you at the ice-cream van

Hot dogs:

Hot dogs

Take me to Shangri-La:

Take me to Shangri-La

Someone wasn't paying attention in the lesson about Isaac Newton:

Someone wasn't paying attention in the lesson about Isaac Newton

The morning after:

The morning after

A single chair:

glastonbury_chair.jpg

Clearing out until next time:

Clearing out until next time

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