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Eavis praises Glastonbury spirit Glastonbury ready for Who finale
(about 3 hours later)
Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis has praised festival-goers' spirit after heavy rain blighted the three-day event. Veteran rock band The Who are preparing to close the Glastonbury Festival, which has seen 177,500 people endure rain and mud to see hundreds of acts.
Founder Michael Eavis praised festival-goers' spirit in spite of the difficulties getting around the site.
Mr Eavis, who began the festival on his Somerset farm in 1970, said the weekend had "gone very, very well, in spite of the rain and mud".Mr Eavis, who began the festival on his Somerset farm in 1970, said the weekend had "gone very, very well, in spite of the rain and mud".
The sun shone for Dame Shirley Bassey's early evening set on the main Pyramid Stage, but more rain arrived later. The Manic Street Preachers and Dame Shirley Bassey also played on Sunday.
The Who and Kaiser Chiefs are also on the bill for the festival's final day.
"It's a pity about the rain, but it seems to be a regular feature of the English summer, so the festival compensates for it," Mr Eavis told reporters."It's a pity about the rain, but it seems to be a regular feature of the English summer, so the festival compensates for it," Mr Eavis told reporters.
"Someone phoned me from Spain and said they would swap all the sun for the Glastonbury culture," he said."Someone phoned me from Spain and said they would swap all the sun for the Glastonbury culture," he said.
Further showers
Some enjoyed the mud more than others (pic: Brian Walker)The 177,500 festival-goers camped out around Worthy Farm, near Pilton, woke on Sunday morning to further showers, although they were treated to sunshine in the afternoon.
Mr Eavis said he had considered moving the date of the event but found after looking at statistics that "one weekend is no better than any other".Mr Eavis said he had considered moving the date of the event but found after looking at statistics that "one weekend is no better than any other".
Festival-goers had complained of poor sound from the Pyramid Stage, with The Killers' set on Saturday being punctuated by cries of "turn it up" from some. Sound problems
Mr Eavis said the speaker system had been changed for this year's festival. Festival-goers had complained about poor sound from the Pyramid Stage, with The Killers' set on Saturday being punctuated by cries of "turn it up" from some.
"I'm sorry about the PA, it's not quite strong enough for us here, so I'm slightly disappointed by that. I think we're going to have to look at that again." Mr Eavis said he had next year's headline acts confirmedMr Eavis had earlier told reporters that a new sound system was "not quite strong enough" for the site.
A spokesman for the festival said the sound had to be turned down because it was breaking council noise limits outside the site. But he later said engineers had been told to turn the sound down by local council officials.
Mr Eavis also conceded that there were problems with the photo ID system used for festival tickets this year. "Having investigated further into the sound level problems, I've been informed that very unusual meteorological conditions caused abnormally high sound levels outside the site," he said in a statement.
"The printing wasn't really good enough so we have to improve that," he said. "This led to our engineers being directed by the authorities to reduce the output from the PA system. The weather conditions over the site have been changing daily and the PA system and technical team were in no way responsible or at fault for the reported sound problem."
He revealed that 2008's headliners were already confirmed, but refused to reveal who they were. Pyramid Stage sound engineer Diarmid MacLennan told the BBC News website that wind and temperature could affect sound levels outside the site, which were measured from the house nearest the festival site at Worthy Farm, near Pilton.
Mr Eavis revealed that 2008's headliners were already confirmed, but refused to reveal who they were.
"It's not Muse or U2," he added."It's not Muse or U2," he added.
Crime downCrime down
Avon and Somerset Constabulary said that crime was down compared with 2005's festival, which had a smaller number of people on the site.Avon and Somerset Constabulary said that crime was down compared with 2005's festival, which had a smaller number of people on the site.
Many fans complained of not being able to hear The KillersBy Sunday morning, 236 crimes had been reported, compared with 267 in 2005. Dame Shirley Bassey wowed crowds on Sunday afternoonBy Sunday morning, 236 crimes had been reported, compared with 267 in 2005.
But one man, a 26-year-old from the West Midlands, died after being found unconscious in the early hours of Saturday morning.But one man, a 26-year-old from the West Midlands, died after being found unconscious in the early hours of Saturday morning.
"It proves that Glastonbury is a safer event," Sgt Hardy Husain said."It proves that Glastonbury is a safer event," Sgt Hardy Husain said.
"The organisers, the police and the local authority have worked very well together. Security has been improved everywhere across the site.""The organisers, the police and the local authority have worked very well together. Security has been improved everywhere across the site."
But the local council said that an over-run of Bjork's set on Friday night, breaking a 0030 curfew by 20 minutes, breached the festival's licence. But the local council said that an over-run of Bjork's Other Stage set on Friday night, breaking a 0030 curfew by 20 minutes, breached the festival's licence.
Mendip District Council's planning and environment manager Charles Uzzell said: "There could be a review of the licence, and the ultimate sanction is the removal of the licence but I don't see that as a possibility."Mendip District Council's planning and environment manager Charles Uzzell said: "There could be a review of the licence, and the ultimate sanction is the removal of the licence but I don't see that as a possibility."
He added that the rest of the festival had been a "success".He added that the rest of the festival had been a "success".
'Absolutely brilliant''Absolutely brilliant'
Fans found different ways to keep dry on Sunday afternoonAustralian festival-goer Travis Banko, 26, from Melbourne said it was his first time at Glastonbury. Some enjoyed the mud more than others (pic: Brian Walker)Australian festival-goer Travis Banko, 26, from Melbourne said it was his first time at Glastonbury.
"It's been absolutely brilliant, it lived up to the hype. Every day has just got progressively better," he said."It's been absolutely brilliant, it lived up to the hype. Every day has just got progressively better," he said.
"I've managed to catch a lot of bands, and I don't think any one of them has really disappointed.""I've managed to catch a lot of bands, and I don't think any one of them has really disappointed."
Mary Laken, 50, who attended the festival with her 13-year-old daughter Lucy, said: "We are staying in the tipi field, and I'm glad we are there because the mud has been worse this year than it has ever been.Mary Laken, 50, who attended the festival with her 13-year-old daughter Lucy, said: "We are staying in the tipi field, and I'm glad we are there because the mud has been worse this year than it has ever been.
"But the tipis are pretty well sorted and people are bringing their own instruments in the evening and staying up all night.""But the tipis are pretty well sorted and people are bringing their own instruments in the evening and staying up all night."
Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Iggy and the Stooges, The Kooks, Paul Weller and Bjork are among the acts who have already played the festival, which closes with The Who's Pyramid Stage set on Sunday night. Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Iggy and the Stooges, The Kooks, Paul Weller and Bjork are among the acts who have already played the festival.