WHO would have thought a comedy band from Barnsley would be able to greet a crowd of thousands with the phrase ‘hello Glastonbury’?
Scott Heald, frontman of the Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican, is still getting over enjoying the experience twice - firstly on the iconic festival’s Avalon Stage and then again at the Avalon Cafe tent, where the band played into the small hours of Monday morning.
And the Bar-Steward Sons have now announced a surprise live album, Avalon Calling, set to be released on a limited run of 100 physical copies and digital download.
It was recorded during their set on Sunday afternoon at the Avalon Stage.
Scott said he ‘never expected a comedy band from Barnsley to do it’.
“The audience was cracking and were laughing in all the right places, it was just a really fun time,” said the singer.
“Every band dreams of walking out onto the stage and saying ‘hello Glastonbury’.
“Bands who play Glastonbury tend to play all their hits - we haven’t really got any, so we just played all our best songs and a couple from our new album.
“It was nice to be invited. I always said we would never apply to play, and would wait until we made enough of a wave to get asked.”
The band also used the occasion to release their ninth album, Place of Spades.
Scott said they even garnered some local support during their show, with one man contacting him afterwards to say he had never heard of the band but had seen they were from Barnsley and made a beeline for the Avalon Stage.
After some digging, Scott found he and the man went to the same primary school.
