LONDON--How 150,000 people can tolerate each other’s company for three days straight in a 600-acre field with no flush toilets is no less than a wonder. And although an unconfirmed 1,000 tents were stolen and 220 arrests were made--mainly for drugs--Glastonbury Festival 2000, held on the Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, seemed blessed--the weather was dry from Friday to Sunday (6/23-6/25) for the first time in three years.

Despite spring music festivals popping up over the last two years, Glastonbury is truly the first real British music festival of the season. With litter strewn everywhere and the air filled with smoke every night from paper cup bonfires, what makes it so special? Mainly the feeling of community.

Dairy Farmer Michael Eavis came up with the idea in 1970 and got T-Rex to headline. Over the next three decades, the festival expanded into the mega-event that it has become today without having to go corporate. The general friendliness of the crowd is enhanced by Glastonbury's unusual attractions such as the "magical" stone circle (think Stonehenge) and the Healing Fields, which play home to alternative medicine practitioners. This is not to mention the festival’s theatre, comedy and circus tents, plus open-air movie screenings.

Friday

It was against this mudless backdrop that the Wailers kicked off Friday’s proceedings on the main Pyramid Stage at 11 a.m. Still comprising members from the days when Bob was in charge, the Wailers played some classic Marley reggae, including "Buffalo Soldier" and "Get Up, Stand Up."

The Wailers were then followed by Britpop rebels the Bluetones, who have always relied on their own talents, not the muscle of their record label, to generate their loyal fanbase. Playing the Mexican-flavored "Solomon Bites the Worm" and the jangly "Fountainhead," they pulled the largest audience of the afternoon.

Meanwhile, chaos and cacophony ensued over on the Other Stage, the festival's second largest venue, as the Bloodhound Gang and Tommy Lee’s new band Methods Of Mayhem proved that their only selling points are their stupidity. The highlight of the Gang's set was not "Bad Touch," but their pulling 20 pre-pubescent female fans up on stage as they complained about how nothing rhymes with "vagina." Tommy Lee also literally indulged in some cock rock as he whipped out his penis during the Bloodhounds’ show.

Moby [ tickets ] continued the theme later in the night, in a PG-rated vein, as he played a 30-second metal guitar solo, and then apologized for his "uncontrollable urge." Although he filled the Other Stage's second-to-last slot, he was the star of the day, playing "Natural Blues" and "Porcelain" as he danced around madly.

This year’s "special guest" Macy Gray got horny over on the Pyramid Stage. She belted out "Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak" and had her blue-wigged backing singers simulate copulation on the floor and drape their purple underwear over their microphones. Although Gray was in good voice, her show was utterly tacky instead of humorous, with the crescendo coming at the end as a naked couple climbed up onto the speaker stack.

Nine Inch Nails [ tickets ]’ Friday headlining set on the Other Stage completed the American acts’ theme of sex and death as frontman Trent was as miserable as ever. The angst oozed out of every white-powdered pore as he pummeled through "Head Like a Hole," "Closer" and "The Wretched." But, for all the Yankee ostentation, NIN, Moby and even Grey outshone Friday’s Pyramid Stage headliner the Chemical Brothers, whose set hadn’t changed one bit since their performance at V99 last August. The same flashing light show and the same tunes--including "Block Rockin’ Beats," "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" and "Music: Response"--were repeated and seemed to some like a drug-induced déjà vu.

Saturday

The Brits waxed and the Americans waned on Saturday. On the Pyramid Stage, Asian Dub Foundation had the masses bouncing up and down with its reggae-Indian fusion hits, including "Getting Into the Collective Mode" and "Power." Reef then picked up the gauntlet, following a watery set from Minneapolis’ Semisonic (who thought they were being funny by playing an uninspired cover of Prince’s "Take Me With U."--with too many guitars and no Sheena Easton, the joke fell flat). Reef frontman Gary Stringer psyched up the crowd with "Yer Old," "Place Your Hands" and new single "Set The Record Straight."

Reef's set warmed up the crowd perfectly for Travis, who headlined the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night. Fran Healey and company were charmingly modest as the fields reverberated with haunting versions of "Driftwood," "Writing to Reach You" and "Good Feeling."

But the night was ultimately overcome by dancemania as Leftfield dominated the Other Stage and Glastonbury veteran Fatboy Slim got hot and sweaty in the dance tent. Both venues were packed with smiling zombies in big sneakers and even bigger T-shirts, who stood in one place and jiggled instead of danced, due to their chemically-induced state. (Thankfully, a brain-eating episode did not follow as it would have had the shindig been held in South Park.)

Sunday

On Sunday, all paths led to David Bowie [ tickets ]’s massive performance. The yellow brick road was ornamented, though, with foot-stomping sets by Manchester, England’s the Happy Mondays and anarcho-punks Chumbawamba. Unfortunately, both were given paltry slots on the bill for various reasons: insider politics in the case of the Chumbas and no new material since ’92 in the case of the Mondays. Country music great Willie Nelson proved that he was still going strong as he performed "Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" and "Always on My Mind."

After the sun set, the festival belonged to Bowie. Wearing trademark high heels and a long-jacketed gray suit, the king entered the enchanted court of Glastonbury for the second time in 29 years. He performed with perfection virtually every song that ever made him famous. The 90-minute set included "Rebel, Rebel," "Life on Mars," "Pressure," "Heroes," "Changes" and "Fame." The price to be paid for playing all his oldies was that his album from last year, "Hours..." was forgotten. Yet, his unquenchable confidence and melodramatic flare captivated all, including Michael Eavis, who was at the front of the crowd.

As 30th anniversaries go, Glasto’s non-stop was as flawless as they come. Attendees, bands and even the police left with the "love, peace and harmony" vibe that Glastonbury is known for and the reassurance that the bigger festival becomes the more fulfilling it gets.