Glastonbury on Saturday, as it happened: The Killers bring out Pet Shop Boys and Johnny Marr for guest appearances
Las Vegas rock band brought out a number of special guests as they returned to Worthy Farm
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Your support makes all the difference.The Killers turned their headline set at Glastonbury 2019 into something of a karaoke session on the Saturday night (29 June), with guest appearances from the Pet Shop Boys and Johnny Marr.
The Las Vegas rock band raced through a string of hits including “The Man”, “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr Brightside”.
This was the second time The Killers have headlined Glastonbury, following a disastrous appearance in 2007.
This attempt seemed to be met with a much better reception, and frontman Brandon Flowers looked ecstatic as he bounded off the stage following a rousing rendition of “Mr Brightside” for their final song.
Across the fourth day of the music festival, fans also experienced sets from Janet Jackson, Johnny Marr, Maggie Rogers, Lewis Capaldi, Liam Gallagher, Sean Paul, Lizzo, Hozier, Slowthai and Hot Chip.
This was on another day where the sun blazed down on Worthy Farm amid reports of a water shortage, which Glastonbury organisers denied – although our team on the ground confirmed there were queues of up to an hour for water refills.
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"I was, in many respects, a Glastonbury baby. Born and raised in nearby Bristol, I first visited in 1994, aged two with potty in hand, and attended for the five years that followed. I have not been back since. But even if Glastonbury has changed hugely in the decades in between, it still exists as a joyous, creative paradise of jugglers, acrobats and enormous fire-breathing spiders for those lucky enough to experience it as a child. Enough to grant it an almost mythical hold over many of the children who have passed through over the years, like a soothing imprint on the soul."
We've got about 40 minutes to go until The Killers headline the Pyramid Stage!
Liam Gallagher, Glastonbury review: Rock'n'roll star's solo material lacks weight compared to Oasis classics
Brandon Flowers looks in very high spirits, and why wouldn't you be? This is the second time The Killers have headlined Glastonbury, more than a decade since their disastrous 2007 set. They blamed production on the Pyramid Stage, but now say it feels like "the right time" to come back.
They're certainly making a big effort to make amends this year, with "Somebody Told Me" coming out as the second song of their set. I'm almost certain "Mr Brightside" has to be the finale.
Personally, I still have very mixed feelings about The Killers getting to headline again – especially when they don't actually have anything going on in terms of new material (their last album, Wonderful Wonderful, came out in September 2017). Given the nightmare that was their 2007 set, you feel a bit resentful that they get to come back and have another go when there are plenty of other artists who'd give their right arm for this slot, and who feel a hell of a lot more relevant in 2019.
Enjoying the many descriptions of Brandon Flowers on Twitter right now. One viewer says he looks like the guy from Lazy Town, there's a comparison to "those scary dolls in Toy Story 4", "a happy Jimmy Carr", and Ben Stiller in Zoolander.
My boss, head of culture Patrick Smith, is surprised I don't like The Killers that much. Not sure whether to be offended or not.
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