Glastonbury 2023 – latest: Elton John says thank-you to festival audience after farewell UK performance
Rocket Man bids farewell as he played what could be his final live show in the UK, with a jaw-dropping, career-spanning set of his greatest songs
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Your support makes all the difference.Elton John performed what will go down as one of the greatest headline shows in Glastonbury history last night (Sunday 25 June), to one of the biggest crowds the festival has seen in years.
Lil Nas X was the final artist to take to the main stage before the 76-year-old at Worthy Farm, Somerset, after a joyful Yusuf/Cat Stevens entertained fans with songs including “Wild World” and “Father and Son”.
The revered folk singer-songwriter performed with his band in the coveted Legends Slot, a gig previously handed to artists including Lionel Richie, Kylie Minogue and Dolly Parton. He also gave superfan/comedian Ricky Gervais a shout-out on his birthday, before playing his song “Tea for the Tillerman”.
At 9pm, John launched his performance with some of his best-known songs, including his 1975 cover of “Pinball Wizard” and “Benny and the Jets”. From the moment he sat down at the piano, the show was a pure blast of euphoria from one of the world’s greatest living entertainers, with surprise guests including The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers, and Gabriels singer Jacob Lusk.
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Always a fan of Ben Thatcher’s ridiculous drum solo
... the musical equivalent of a “ludicrously capacious bag”.
Royal Blood take to the Pyramid Stage, with drummer Ben Thatcher sporting an Arctic Monkeys T-shirt
Here they are, the UK’s sulkiest rock band! Kidding, Royal Blood are sounding very good this evening, and no surprise. When they’re not throwing tantrums, I reckon they’re probably one of the best live bands around, and they’re proving that right now. I’m enjoying drummer Ben Thatcher’s Arctic Monkey’s shirt, more so than the cheesy schtick where he pretends to be intimidating. He’s actually very chill in person.
Those chugging riffs frontman Mike Kerr grinds out are going down a storm. I would have loved a few more women on the main stage (headlining, preferably), but I’d never say Royal Blood were a poor choice for this slot. So far they’re absolutely smashing it.
Dave Grohl: ‘We’re not good at secrets’
“You guys f***ing knew it was us this whole time!” Dave Grohl jokes with the audience. “We’re not good at secrets.”
Telling the audience they look “beautiful”, he remarks: “We got one hour so we’ve gotta pack it in.”
My well-placed source tells me after “My Hero” we’re gonna get “Show Me How”, “Best of You” and “Everlong”.
Is that a Beatle we spy....?
A well-placed source tells me Paul McCartney is watching the Foos from the wings on the Pyramid Stage...
And the award for worst-kept secret goes to...
The sheer obviousness that Glastonbury’s mystery Pyramid Stage band The Churnups were, in fact, Foo Fighters, was such that I almost convinced myself it was all a big red herring. Was Rick Astley about to Rick-Roll us all? Were The Churnups another band entirely?
But no, it was the Foos, led by a beaming Dave Grohl as they rushed out onto the main stage at Worthy Farm, Somerset, and blasted through an adrenaline-pumping set of their biggest hits, including “Learn to Fly” and “The Pretender”.
Whatever you might think of the Foos, you can’t deny they put on one hell of a show. And kudos to their new drummer, Josh Freese, who is going hell-for-leather in his UK festival debut with the band. I imagine everyone will be thinking of the late Taylor Hawkins tonight. I reckon he’d approve of this.
Is everyone ready to find out who The Churnups are?
I reckon we’re going to be REALLY surprised... naaaat. We all know who it is. RIGHT?
A No 1 album for Tom Grennan ahead of his Glastonbury Festival debut!
Tom Grennan has gone and bagged his second No 1 album with What Ifs and Maybes, right before he performs his first ever set at Glastonbury Festival tomorrow (Saturday 24 June).
“Number 1! Honestly, this means the world,” Tom told OfficialCharts. “This is an album that looks forward to the future, forward to life. I want this to be your album that you listen to, an album that gives you the determination and power to be who you want to be and do what you want to do. Thank you so much to everybody who’s bought and listened to the album, it means the world to me. I could cry, I’m so happy. Thank you so much, here’s to many more!”
Hopefully you caught my newsletter this morning, which included a brief natter with Tom about what to expect from his set tomorrow. If you missed it, shame on you, sign up to Now Hear This https://www.independent.co.uk/independent-premium#newsletters
‘Kendall in the wind’: Our favourite flags at Glastonbury Festival 2023
I love a good pun, me, and there are few better places to spot them than on the flags waving at Glastonbury Festival.
My fab colleague Annabel has done a roundup of the best ones so far:
‘Kendall in the wind’: Our favourite flags so far at Glastonbury 2023
From pop culture references and political nods, festival-goers never fail to impress us with their handiwork
Sharleen Spiteri supports Emily Eavis over all-male Glastonbury 2023 headliners
Sharleen Spiteri, frontwoman of the Scottish rock band Texas, appeared to address the controversy surrounding the all-male headliners at this year’s Glastonbury. When she revealed Guns N’ Roses and Arctic Monkeys as the headliners joining Elton John on the Pyramid Stage this weekend, Eavis told The Guardian that there was a “pipeline problem” preventing women from making it to headline status.
“We’re trying our best so the pipeline needs to be developed,” she said. “This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like but we need to get everyone on board.”
She said the 2024 festival should see two women headline, including one already confirmed and one “close” to being confirmed.
Performing on the Pyramid Stage, Spiteri said Eavis was a “huge supporter” of women and suggesting anything otherwise was “not cool”.