Key events
The latest of our rather dashing Glastonbury picture essays is all about Saturday at the festival, featuring streakers, rappers, rockers, Maggie Rogers and Roses (of the Guns N’ variety):
Sophie Ellis-Bextor reviewed
Elle Hunt
Pyramid stage, 12.15pm
It’s a breezy start to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s set, shimmying on to the Pyramid stage in an elaborately fringed golden leotard to sing Take Me Home. She understands her position on the bill as effectively the warm-up for Glastonbury day three, easing the crowd into the final day of music: “Let’s just have the best day ever, shall we?”
Before her third song, Ellis-Bextor reveals it’s an auspicious day for herself: her wedding anniversary. Her husband Richard is in fact playing bass on stage today: “I have been married for 18 years today, and he’s pretty amazing.” She got him a nice card, he got her a ring, and so she dedicates the song Young Blood to him. It’s clearly a bit slow for the audience, but they permit her the sentimental moment in exchange for Get Over You with its memorable refrain of “eye-eye-eye”.
Ellis-Bextor goes from nearly two decades happily married to coquettish, coaxing more energy out of the faded audience: “I’ve been very seduced by you this morning … Let’s have a romantic time away?” And with that she launches into a stripped-back version of Lady and then the classic Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) by Spiller. Having properly warmed up, we’re into dance-medley mode, leading into a brief cover of Moloko’s Sing It Back and “straight to the flippin’ discotheque” with another cover, of Crying at the Discotheque by Alcazar. These songs are familiar and midtempo, but kindly not asking too much of us in the audience as we slide and maybe shimmy gingerly, into the rest of the day.
SEB then reveals it’s even more of a family affair for her on stage today: her brother is also playing in her band and one of her five kids is pictured on the screen behind her. (“FIVE kids?” I hear at least three people behind exclaim.) Ellis-Bextor’s musical family was a key part in her success through lockdown with her weekly virtual Kitchen Discos, which she references both on her bass drum (where ordinarily her name might be) and a “love letter” to the audience: a laidback but welcome Like a Prayer. Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer) is the most-electrified, high-energy part of Ellis-Bextor’s set, by which point she’s woken the crowd up, even getting them to jump for the finale.
“Glastonbury: have I done my job?” she says winningly. “Are you ready for the last day of the best festival on earth? My boobs haven’t popped up, so that’s a bonus!” (This prompts some boos.) Of course the final song is the gorgeously shimmery, aloof Murder on the Dancefloor: we might just be ready to burn this goddamn house right down.
Juicy secret set revealed: Beth Orton is playing the glorious Crow’s Nest at 4pm. Don’t all head there at once: our sub-editor John-Paul wants to get a good spot.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Pyramid stage set sounds like it is going down a storm, mainly because she’s wisely peppered it with other people’s songs. We’ve just had Moloko’s Sing it Back and Madonna’s Like a Prayer, along with an obligatory Groovejet. Annoyingly the BBC have decided against livestreaming it on the iPlayer, so you’ll just have to trust us on this one. Amazing oufit too!
Elton mania!
Josh Halliday
Armed with sun cream, glitter and sequins, Elton John superfans have camped out in front of the Pyramid stage for a prime position – 11 hours before the star is due to perform.
Thomas Lewis, 22, had bought a replica of Elton’s famous 1970s baseball jumpsuit from Amazon for the occasion. “I’m a massive fan. I’ve grown up with his music because my parents always had him on and I’ve never seen him before,” he said.
Lewis, from Basingstoke, Hampshire, had secured a prime spot at the front barriers of the famous Pyramid stage by 10am – a position he was determined to keep for the rest of the day.
“I was very committed once I found out he was playing. I’m going to drink just enough to stay hydrated but not so much that I keep having to go to the toilet. It’s gonna be tough but I’m sure it will be worth it.”
Temperatures at Worthy Farm were already a balmy 25C by midday after one of the hottest Glastonbury festivals of recent years.
Kerry Robinson, 53, and her husband, Dean Robinson, 60, had planted their camping chairs and coolbag in front of the Pyramid stage by 11am and had a carefully devised strategy for keeping their spot.
“We’ve both taken an Imodium so we don’t need to go to the toilet,” said Kerry. “But if we do need the toilet we’ll go in a relay.”
The pair said they had a plentiful supply of drinks to keep them going, but only limited food to avoid a trip to the putrid-smelling long drops.
“I’m a bit apprehensive because of the weather but we’ve got suncream, hats, drinks, cool bag,” said Kerry, from Sheffield. “I’d rather hydrate and starve.”
A capacity crowd of more than 100,000 people will see what is billed as Elton’s last UK live show on Sunday night. He had promised four special guests, with rumours of appearances by Britney Spears, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Dua Lipa.
Jenessa Williams
You can’t accuse Glasto of being slow on the hot cinema releases; a showing of Wes Anderson’s new one Asteroid City has just begun at Pilton Palais, while there’s a cheeky preview of the Wham film before it comes to Netflix on 5 July.
In Broken Bloody Britain news, Tobi Thomas reports that Glastogoers have been seeking out dental appointments at the festival because they’re unable to get them at home.
Last night’s most dramatic moment came when Lana Del Rey’s Other stage headline set was abruptly cut off after the pop eccentric turned up half an hour late. It prompted boos from the audience and Lana to attempt an a capella performance to the front row of the crowd. You can read all about that wild moment here, and a five-star review of her performance from Shaad D’Souza here.
Angeline Morrison reviewed
Jenessa Williams
Acoustic stage, 11.30am
It’s a little late in the weekend to be discovering hidden gems, but the Acoustic tent (tucked up right behind the kids field) is an absolute revelation, the perfect space to zen out. Angeline Morrison is an equally delightful discovery; folk songs that strike a balance between gentle encouragement and thoughtful catharsis. In her own words: “If you’re feeling tired or worn out or fragile or in need of a good cry, I can help you with that.”
She begins with an a capella lullaby, which she explains was sung by enslaved African women, soothing their white masters’ children. It sets the tone for her set, decolonising the white-washed literature of the genre by taking us back through the annals of musical history and illuminating untold stories.
Clouds Never Move – written after George Floyd’s murder, and in defiance against the stubborn ignorances of the world – is played on a gorgeous kalimba, while Cruel Mother Country tells a story of Queen Charlotte (a la Bridgerton), fabled to have once been the Queen of England. It’s a haunting country ballad of the families that might have been, the black bodies lost to war over centuries of unrest. It would be a mistake to call this easy listening, but in her academic approach, Morrison proves that racial education and musical activism can come in many elegant forms.
Our Simon Hattenstone has been spending the last few days chinwagging with Glasto’s great and good, to hear about their most surprising festival moments. Read these juicy insights from Debbie Harry, Billy Bragg and the always-quotable Alison Goldfrapp:
Fatboy Slim reviewed
Gwilym Mumford
Before we get to today’s performers, here’s a late review from last night: Norman Cook tearing up The Park …
The Park, Saturday 11pm
Norman Cook has long since become an institution at Worthy Farm, always popping up on some far-flung stage at the festival every year (he was over on the Levels stage on Friday night). It’s less common for him to play one of the traditional Big Five stages, so this Park headline slot feels like an event. That’s evidenced by the gigantic crowd that has formed around the undulating hills of the Park area, craning to get a look at their returning hero. In truth it’s a little too busy, and you wonder whether in future organisers might consider putting him somewhere bigger.
Still, that discomfort aside, Cook’s set proves a crowd-pleaser. This was his chance to celebrate his own storied career, not to mention the history of dance music at the festival. So along with clever twists on Right Here, Right Now and Cook’s remix of Brimful of Asha, there are nods to old school classics like Wildchild’s Renegade Master and a lovely tribute to Faithless’s late singer Maxi Jazz. Playfulness is the name of the game here, with cheeky splicings together of The Rockafeller Skank and Eminem’s My Name Is, and Cook at one point donning an inflatable fat suit in the manner of his You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby cover.
The undoubted showstopper though is a reworked Praise You, slowed down and made somehow more soulful, with a special guest turn from Rita Ora. It underlines Cook’s ability once again to make something fresh from vintage parts. It’s what makes him No 1 – because he tries harder.
The last dance
Gwilym Mumford
Good afternoon from Worthy Farm, where we’re readying ourselves for the final day of Glastonbury 2023. It’s a scorcher once again, but our reviewers have slapped on some factor 30 and are out in the field ready to bring you reviews of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Beth Orton, Japanese Breakfast and much more besides. Let’s gooooo!
