Audio Pro’s guide to Glastonbury 2011

This time of the year is always exciting at Audio Pro. While most people look forward to the scattered announcements revealing the Pyramid Stage headliners, we are most concerned with the boxes and metal boards that will be put to use throughout the vast fields at Worthy Farm.

Most companies are very tight lipped about what will be used where until the festival starts, but we were able to dig up a few stories:

Quested makes Glastonbury debut

APR chooses iLive for John Peel and West Holts stages

Audient mixes in Glasto Cowshed

Have you heard Michael Eavis’ claim that U2 are bringing their own stage:

U2 to bring own stage to Galstonbury

Based on last year’s festival, we can only assume that Martin Audio, D&B Audiotechnik and EV will hang on the main stages, Funktion-One will dominate the dance areas and consoles from Midas, Soundcraft, Digico, Yamaha and Allen & Heath will be scattered about the many FOH positions. Click here to read a full report of last year’s event

With thousand of bands spread across hundreds of stages, there is sure to be some great music on. The following is API’s guide to the not so obvious choices at this year’s festival.

(Band/Stage/Day/Time/Comment)

B.B. King/Pyramid Stage/Friday/16.30/ Ok, so not such an obscure choice but this will definitely be a worh seeing

Wu Tang Clan/Pyramid Stage/15.00/Friday/Wu Tang Killa Bees will, most certainly, be on the swarm

Metronomy/Pyramid Stage/Friday/12.05/Devon’s electronic rockers

Tame Impala/Pyramid/Satrday/12/Australia’s best new psychedelic rockers

Stornoway/Pyramid/Satruday/11.00/ Oxford, UK’s most educated folk crooners

Primal Scream/Other/Friday/22.30/Playing all of Screamadelica, no way!

Fleet Foxes/Other/Friday/19.10/Soothing quadruple harmonies from these new folk geniuses

Queens of The Stone Age/Other/Sunday/22.00/Heavy drone rock from Josh Home and Co.

Hercules and Love Affair/West Holts/Sunday/20.00/NYC’s favourite disco/house DJs

DJ Shadow/John Peel/Friday/22.30/The king of samples is back for a legendary DJ set

Battles/John Peel/Saturday/21.00/Saturday/Math rock that will make your head spin

The Horrors/John Peel/Saturday/18.10/Dalston mod rockers gone shoegaze

Warpaint/John Peel/Saturday/16.50/L.A.’s answer to Mazzy Star

Yuck/John Peel/Saturday/13.05/London’s 90s throwback indie rockers who have released one of the best albums of the year. Adam and Joe will definitely be at this set

Crystal Castles/The Park/Friday/23.15/Canadian beat tweekers with an insane girl singer

James Blake/The Park/Satruday/21.30/Experimental pianist with dubstep tendencies

Graham Coxon/The Park/Saturday/15.30/A solo set from Blur’s lead guitarist

The Bees/The Park/Sunday/17.00/The Isle of White’s best folk rockers – supported Paul Weller’s recent stadium tour

Sea of Bees/The Park/Sunday 13.30/Joanna Newsom inspired alt. rock

John Cooper Clark/Acoustic/Sunday/20.00/Manchester’s veteran comedian/poet

Flogging Molly/Avalon/Saturday/23.10/Rasie your pint of Guinness for these punk rockers

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry/G/Saturday/23.10/Jamacian dub/reggae/rocksteady legend

Jaime XX/Oxlers in the West/Friday/19.00/The Mercury Prize-winning beat maker from The XX

Jim Jones Revue/Oxlers in the West/Friday/17.00/Super charged garage rock

Funktion-One Experimental Soundfield/Friday/Spriit of 71/00.00/Tony Andrews and the crew ring out the purple boxes to their full effect

Stanton Warriors/Arcadia/Friday/00.45/Veteran house DJs

Toddla T/Bassline Circus/Friday/3.00/Sheffield’s best house/dancehall/hip-hop composer/DJ

Orbital DJ set/Arcadia/Saturday/01.45/Ambient house that will expand your cranium

Upside Down – The Creation Records Story/Pilton Palais Cinema Tent/Saturday/2.00/A movie documenting the story of Alan McGee’s insane days as a record label boss of one of the most influential labels of modern times