GlaSTORMZbury: The pick of this year's festival

GlaSTORMZbury: The pick of this year's festival

The first Glastonbury in two years went in a flash, but has left memories to last forever.

Capturing much of the attention, rightly, was Stormzy after his historic Pyramid Stage headline set. But he wasn't the only artist to step up to the plate on the biggest stage.

Here, Music Week runs down a few of its favourite performances...

Stormzy, Pyramid Stage, Friday, June 28

Well, obviously. Stormzy's blistering performance provided not just a Glastonbury moment, but a cultural one too. As the first black UK solo artist to headline the festival, his name is already enshrined in history. But in elevating grime to a new level of mainstream awareness, the most exciting part of all is what is still to come.

Billie Eilish, Other Stage, Sunday, June 30

Eilish, like Stormzy, was a zeitgeist-capturing moment. A captivating performer with natural charisma, the 17-year-old (that's S-E-V-E-N-T-E-E-N) more than justified her lofty billing at her first ever UK festival. "Scream as loud as you possibly can," she commanded the packed house on the Other Stage, who duly obliged. Eilish's first ever headline show was in London. So well done us.

Lewis Capaldi, Other Stage, Saturday, June 30

Attracting an audience even bigger than Eilish's (from where Music Week was standing, at least), the Lewis Capaldi phenomenon reached Glastonbury's Other Stage. The gig came a day after the man of the moment guested with touring buddies Bastille on Joy. He gets everywhere, that lad.

The Killers, Pyramid Stage, Saturday, June 29

Twelve years since their muted (OK it wasn't quite that quiet) headline set, the Las Vegas greats returned to right that wrong. "Thanks for betting on us Glastonbury," said frontman Brandon Flowers. "I have a feeling we're going to pay off." Not that anyone should have seen them as a gamble, The Killers are the safest bet in town. Off cycle, the Anglophiles' excellent, crowd-pleasing set, is largely drawn from their first three LPs, but it's the encore that turns it into something special. After a brief, curious Jimmy Carr appearance (the comic is big mates with drummer Ronnie, we hear), they raid their contacts book to bring out the Pet Shop Boys and Johnny Marr. This time, their message was heard loud and clear.

Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, West Holts, Sunday June 30

In the second greatest moment of the Hollywood legend's music career (the first being starring on the cover of Music Week, of course), Goldblum played piano at Glastonbury with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra for a set of jazz standards. Sharon Van Etten joined the band on stage for a take on Let's Face The Music And Dance and the actor charmed the crowd with a game of "Name the movie quote". Goldblum's record label Decca announced his second album shortly after the gig. Four out of five Goldblums, and that's unheard of...

 

Kylie Minogue, Pyramid Stage, Sunday, June 30

Did you see the size of that crowd? Yikes.

The Cure, Pyramid Stage, Sunday, June 30

The Cure last headlined Glastonbury in 1995, yet Robert Smith's voice still sounds exactly the same. What kind of sorcery is THAT?

Liam Gallagher, Pyramid Stage, Saturday, June 29

Can lightning strike twice? The build up for Liam Gallagher's upcoming new album has arguably lacked the sizzle of his perfectly executed debut thus far, but this was a step in the right direction. The legendary rocker was in good spirits and good voice, blending solo material with Oasis classics, sometimes successfully (Wall Of Glass/For What It's Worth), sometimes less so (the plodding Universal Gleam). The closing salvo of Cigarettes & Alcohol/Wonderwall/Supersonic and a truncated Champagne Supernova, dedicated to Keith Flint, ending proceedings on a high. He even vowed to return to complete his "Glasto residency". "Next year will be the hattrick," he said (Gallagher also performed in 2017). Why him? Why not. Like Vincent Kompany for his beloved Man City, Gallagher delivered when it mattered most.

PHOTO: BBC



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