After a look through the archives, we’ve decided to share a few stories from the history books, starting with this shot of the Pyramid Stage from Glastonbury 1991. Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews led the crew that built the Pyramid Stage 10 years earlier.

“We were using Flashlight after debuting it the previous year. You’ll see from the photo that we used only 12 flown speakers per side with ground stacked subs. It did a very good job and became a firm favourite with Eavis.

“Around the mid-80s, the powers that be decided to cut the top off the pyramid to accommodate pyrotechnics and lasers. As you might imagine, I wasn’t too happy with that decision because I knew it had been built with a unique energy and vibe – all for love, over seven weeks leading up to the festival. I found the pieces that had been ‘uninstalled’ and reinstated them when the festival was over, only for them to be removed again. In the end, I took them home with me – I’ve still got them in my shed.

“Building the Pyramid Stage stands out as a very special moment in my life. I’ve never experienced such a small bunch of people achieving so much with so little. Everyone using everything they had to full capacity.”

This was the first permanent Pyramid Stage, designed by Bill Harkin and built using telegraph poles, a few trees from the Forest of Dean, and ex-MOD box section steel sheeting. The build team was John McHugh, Roger Chopping and Jodi, Roy Hanney, Jo and Tony Szymkow, Big Al, Ian, Roger Heighton, a very good carpenter (whose name escapes us), and Tony, using only an old tractor, a couple of chainsaws, a pulley block and some rope.

Sadly, it burned to the ground shortly before Glastonbury 1994 and was replaced with the current Pyramid Stage in 2000.

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