It’s been a bad year for live music. Festivals have been postponed. Gigs cancelled. Arenas lay empty. But one calendar staple – Glastonbury – refuses to be dormant. This weekend will see Clara Amfo – beloved TV presenter and radio host – help keep Glasto alive as part of the hosting team for the Glastonbury Experience, a pop-up ode to Worthy Farm held across BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds streaming classic sets and documentaries, all centred around the world’s most iconic music festival. To mark the occasion, Clara talks Grazia through her life in music and her favourite Glasto moments...
I think for me my favourite music moments were always in long car journeys. When I was a little kid, if my dad would take us for a drive on the Sunday, whatever station was on, I’d go into ‘main character mode.’ Those are my formative moments, reacting to the music, like a romantic protagonist. And if it was raining, that drama of my nine-year-old life.
I’ve always loved girl groups. They’ve always been my faves, I think because I can’t sing and I always wanted to be in one. I love Destiny’s Child, but controversially Kelly Rowland was always my favourite in the band. As a solo artist, I prefer Beyonce. But I was always a Kelly girl. I just love the female voice, whether it’s going all the way back to The Shirelles, or The Supremes, through to Destiny’s Child or Little Mix. I just love female voices in harmony.
Singing is not one of the gifts that I’ve been blessed with and that’s ok. I’m at peace with that. But I’m obsessed with conversation, and culture. There’s an amazing series called Unsung that I used to watch on YouTube, about underrated artists. I love these documentaries and was always fascinated with what goes on behind the music – excuse the pun. I think that’s how I felt I could be useful. I love playing music, and I love having conversations with people.
Getting to Glastonbury is such a joy. The first time I went was in 2015, and I remember being on the bus and feeling the excitement. It is magical. There's a weird mysticism around: you can feel the energy of all the people that have performed. For me that’s where I come alive. I love radio, I love TV, and Glastonbury is the perfect mix of both of those things.
I've got four brothers. And two of them have been going to Glastonbury for years. I have so many memories as a kid of my eldest brother, Sam, packing up his stuff, disappearing for six days and coming back sodden in mud, getting it all over our reception. I would watch it on TV and It seemed untouchable, like it belonged on another planet.
Without naming any names, there are certain other presenters who I know and love will go ‘Clara, come on, just for an hour’ after my TV shift. And there have been a couple of years where I've definitely operated on limited sleep, but it's been so worth it. I have a lovely memory of going to see Annie [Mac’s] set, with the House Gospel Choir [on the John Peel Stage in 2017]. Everyone was together: Grimmy, Benji B. And we just had a really nice time: that’s what it’s all about.
It's so tricky to pick a standout Glastonbury moment. Stormzy was fantastic. Christine and the Queens headlining The Other Stage. Janelle Monae, which I watched on TV. I watched Lauryn Hill, on a hill, with Lauren Laverne, which entertained us no doubt. We were like “I’m on a hill! With Lauren! Watching Lauryn Hill!” like that entertains us, no doubt.
I love new music. I love the excitement of new artists. But we can never give anybody enough credit for sustaining relevance and a career for twenty to thirty to forty years and have people still really care. It’s all very well being the flavour of the month, but can you hold that down? And David Bowie did that. His Glastonbury set was incredible.
I have been extremely fortunate in the sense that I have been able to carry on work. Not as normal: I call it the remix. We’ve all had to adapt to this new way. But being social is part of who I am and going to gigs is one of my favourite things to do. So to not have that has been gutting. But I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be an artist, and it’s been really cool watching the innovative ways that artists have been able to still perform. Dua Lipa put on a great show. Laura Mvula did a great one. All credit to those artists who’ve pulled it out the bag. The one positive going forward is that it’s made people even more ravenous for a good time.
Clara Amfo will present as part of the BBC’s Glastonbury Experience, which will be on TV, radio, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds from Friday 25th - Sunday 27th June.
READ MORE: Clara Amfo: 'Being A Joyous Black Person Is Radical'