A WELLINGTON band that played at the first Glastonbury Festival are hoping to take to the stage for its 40th anniversary.

Marsupilami played at the now world famous festival at its launch in 1970 and was made up of musicians from across Wellington and Taunton.

The band lived and rehearsed in a barn in Langford Budville and are hoping to reform to celebrate 40 years of the festival.

Fred Hasson, who formed the band with brother Leary, said: “Marsupilami was a thoroughly Somerset band, and we visited Michael Eavis in the early days at Worthy Farm to talk about the idea of the festival.

“It was a lovely experience - it was in the heyday of all the love and peace stuff.

“There weren’t that many people – maybe two or three thousand so nothing compared to today’s crowds.

“And I remember it being really muddy – not much has changed there though.”

Now Fred and Leary are hoping to rally enough support to gain a slot at next year’s Glastonbury Festival as an homage to the early days.

Fred added: “If it were to happen it would be so amazing to take to the stage again and play our old stuff together.

“We are all still playing music of a high standard, so that this would not be an embarrassing gathering of old gits.”

A spokesman for the festival said they are looking at bands which have played at the festival since 1970 as one of the ways to celebrate the 40th anniversary.

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