Glastonbury Festival 2017 Sunday: Ed Sheeran dominates the Pyramid stage
Headline act Ed Sheeran performed on the Pyramid Stage stage tonight, while Boy Better Know took to the Other Stage
Fans were delighted when Sheeran waved a rainbow Pride Flag during his closing song
Headlining the Other Stage, Boy Better Know pave the way for exciting future line ups - review
In his review of Sunday's Pyramid Stage headliner Ed Sheeran, Neil McCormick writes:
To hear a packed hillside singing his gorgeous, sentimental, beautifully corny ballad Thinking Out Loud with all their hearts is to be reminded again of how music almost effortlessly touches parts most art forms struggle to reach. Sheeran is a young star deeply connected to the oldest and most profound musical impulses. The future of Glastonbury is safe in his generation’s hands.
Sunday as it happened:
Boy Better Know are paving the way for exciting future line ups - but it's a shame so few people came to see them
Alice Vincent writes:
Rascal headlined West Holts on Friday night and called for greater representation of rap, grime and urban music at British festivals. This year Glastonbury went a good way towards achieving that, with Craig David, New York rappers Run The Jewels, Brit Award-nominee Stormzy, and rising stars Ray BLK and Nadia Rose all wooing crowds of thousands over the weekend.
So it was fitting for Boy Better Know, grime's foremost collective, to go up against Ed Sheeran, who has also made the prodigious rise from the festival's smallest stage to its largest in six years, on Sunday night. The fact that such a small crowd turned up to see them, however, was a disappointment.
BBK is comprised of six main members (with dozens of others making up their crew): JME, Skepta, Jammer, Frisch, Shorty and Maximum, who took to the stage in various formations to perform on a stage sparsely dressed but for a set of decks (manned by Maximum) and the occasional pyrotechnic.
They have always strived to do things differently, and, as Adele - a female soloist with minimalist production and an affable patter - reinvented the concept of how a top-bill set could be done last year, the grime collective presented a kind of Sunday closer the Other Stage hasn't seen before.
Fans delighted by the fact that Ed Sheeran brought a Pride Flag on to stage
The rainbow flag, briefly caught by the BBC cameras, made an appearance during Sheeran's closing performance of You Need Me, I Don't Need You.
@edsheeran getting out that pride flag made me cry im so happy to be a fan of him #Glastonbury2017
— LaurenConnorWebster (@LickMyWankSack) June 25, 2017
celebrities such as ed sheeran dancing with a pride flag during pride month makes me so happy����️�� #LoveIsLovepic.twitter.com/VHh7fohWkB
— GIRLSWITHGIRLSS (@GIRLSWITHGlRLSS) June 25, 2017
ed sheeran bringing a pride flag on stage has made me love him even more #Glastonbury17pic.twitter.com/tHlcN5M6ZV
— steve rogers �� (@gh0stofeddie) June 25, 2017
Ed Sheeran sings Shape Of You for penultimate song, then closes with You Need Me, I Don't Need You
“I wasn’t going to end with this song,” he told his audience, before launching into an extended rendition of the irresistible 2011 hit. “I wrote it when I was 15 and I probably should have stopped playing it a long time ago. But I kind of want to give it a chance tonight.”
Ed Sheeran mania takes over
Quite a lot of people who don't like Ed Sheeran are taking to Twitter now to express the fact that they don't like Ed Sheeran.
Ed Sheeran's fans, meanwhile - including the huge crowd in front of the Pyramid stage right now, ecstatically singing along with hit Sing - clearly couldn't care less.
JME's snow boots are tonight's real winner
The grime star's striking footwear is going down a storm with viewers at home - and is especially impressive when you take into his consideration his lyric "I wear snowboarding boots to festivals, you can't tell me about style", from his 2015 track Work.
Clearly, JME is a man of his word.
Only jme can wear snow boots and shorts to the biggest festival in the world and shut the place down
— Ryan Dowbakin (@DowbakinRyan) June 25, 2017
I WEAR SNOWBOARDING BOOTS TO FESTIVALS - JME #Glastonbury2017
— Ewan (@EwanMuirhead) June 25, 2017
A post shared by Gemma Cairney (@gemagain) on Jun 25, 2017 at 2:33pm PDT
JME is actually wearing snowboarding boots to a festival. Fair Play.
— Anton Fisher (@An21Fisher) June 25, 2017
So, who isn't watching Ed Sheeran tonight at Glastonbury?
Our writer Alice Vincent reported that the Other Stage was "seriously empty" earlier tonight ahead of headliners Boy Better Know taking to the stage.
"Bit disappointing," she writes. "Is Ed Sheeran really such a lure?"
#BoyBetterKnow look great at #Glastonbury2017 great light show. Shame more didn't venture over. pic.twitter.com/iwSUrwS8mS
— Thomas Cock (@thomasrcock) June 25, 2017
West Holts stage, in contrast, has drawn in quite a crowd,
"West Holts Stage is packed out to see Justice. Glass Animals' frontman Dave Bayley is next to me and is loving it," writes Patrick Smith.
Kano's headline set on The Park Stage, review - ★★★★☆
James Hallwrites:
Grime artist Kano headlined The Park stage on Sunday with the intensity of a heavy metal band. He was loud, brash and ear-bleedingly good. As Ed Sheeran did his thing down the hill, Kano proved beyond any doubt whatsoever that Glastonbury 2017 was the year of grime.
As a headliner, Kano - real name Kane Robinson - was right where he belonged. And about time. "Got anyone here who's been following me for five years plus? Ten years plus?" the Londoner asked. The reaction was vociferous both times.
Robinson's rhyming was clear and fast. On a number of tracks including New Banger his band was accompanied by a brass section and, on others, strings and an upright piano too. The full sound - which shook you to the core, it was all parps, throbs and texture - belied the lazy assumption that the grime genre will only ever be DIY music made in bedrooms.
T-shirt Weather in the Manor was brilliantly summery, played as the evening sky bruised a deep red.
When Kano said grime was "real original f----- music" and that this was its moment, he wasn't joking. After Stormzy's exceptional set last night, no-one could be left in any doubt.
There was a celebratory feel to the moshing skank that accompanied closer GarageSkankFREESTYLE. The crowd went bananas. This was special.
'I’m going to play a song now that you might not like': Ed Sheeran introduces Galway Girl
“I’m going to play a song now that you might not like but I’m pretty sure that you know the words to it,” the singer told the crowd, before launching into Galway Girl, the irritatingly catchy (and impossibly Irish) single from his latest album, Divide.
Me when Ed Sheeran sings Galway Girl �� pic.twitter.com/hTzRBWJ7lH
— Elizabeth (@sleuthstress) June 25, 2017
Ed Sheeran and his guitar dominate the Pyramid Stage
The vast Glastonbury crowd just joined the singer, who is performing alone - accompanied only by his guitar - f or a singalong, phone lights-on performance of his 2011 ballad The A Team.
In the late-evening dusk, it was a charged, atmospheric rendition: one that would make a fitting close to anyone else's set - and yet Sheeran is just 15 minutes into tonight's performance.
“The aim of tonight is to lose our voices," he just told the crowd. "Not just through singing but screaming. Some of you might know the words to these songs - but if you don’t make them up.”
Emeli Sandé criticised for lack-lustre performance
Emeli Sandé’s Other Stage performance has drawn a mixed reaction form viewers tonight, with many feeling that the singer did not perform at her usual standard.
Some viewers at home even deemed it too excruciating to watch, and chose to switch over.
Emile Sande having a bad night at #Glastonbury here, can't watch anymore let me know when Ed Sheeran is on
— Alex Whittle (@Alex_Whittle_) June 25, 2017
Not sure #emilesande can hear how she's coming across at #glastonbury �� She has a fantastic voice but seems to be struggling here. Shame.
— Sharon Conway (@wee_lady) June 25, 2017
Emile Sande very very poor
— Simon Hall (@badRobot1011) June 25, 2017
#Glastonbury2017 fan of Emile sande but that performance was shocking ������
— Claire O'Mahony (@ClaireOMahony5) June 25, 2017
London Grammar were haunting (but a bit of a downer)
From the John Peel Stage, our critic Patrick Smith reports:
As the festival moved into its final hours, thousands trekked to the John Peel Stage to see London Grammar, the cinematic indie trio who fuse plaintive pop with translucent electronica to captivating effect. Having recently scored a number one with their second album, Truth is a Beautiful Thing, they're living up to the hype that surrounded them when they first emerged in 2013. Their secret weapon is frontwoman Hannah Reid, whose ethereal vocals are remarkable, floating over skeletal bass-guitar lines and synths – as in set opener Wake Up, and later in the spine-tingling Wasting My Young Years, both taken from their debut record, If You Wait. As a performance, it was melodious, haunting and languorous – perhaps not the qualities needed to keep the party going, though.
Truth is a Beautiful Thing ❤️❤️
And so are @londongrammar ��
GORGEOUS �� https://t.co/j0DLOY4F3lpic.twitter.com/NLPVl3qqAg— bbcglasto (@bbcglasto) June 25, 2017
Haim review: 'sassy and soulful' ★★★★☆
These LA sisters deserve a place on the Pyramid next year, says James Hall:
"They occupy a sweet spot somewhere between the sunny, harmonised rock of Fleetwood Mac and the R&B of Beyoncé that would have gone down a storm on the bigger stage. And based on this performance, they deserve to have as much exposure as possible."
London Grammar enchant their John Peel Stage audience - and a marriage proposal takes place mid set
After Biffy Clyro's energetic set, the dreamy, delicately yearning vocals of London Grammar's Hannah Reid are just what we needed.
But for one pair of lovers, the chilled romantic atmosphere seems to have been exceptionally inspiring: according to Twitter, a man at Glastonbury just proposed to his girlfriend while watching the band.
Just watched a guy propose to his girlfriend during the London Grammar set... so many emotions!!! #tearseverywhere
— Sarah Evans (@sarahevans2501) June 25, 2017
Want to know what it looks like from the stage?
Celtic punks Dropkick Murphys took a rock-star's-eye-view of the Other Stage during their set this afternoon. If you want to know what the bands are looking at when they gaze out at the crowds, it's this:
A post shared by Ken Casey (@kendkm) on Jun 25, 2017 at 11:33am PDT
Kano's on soon, and we Kan't wait
This has been the year of grime for glastonbury. After strong sets from Dizzee Rascal, Wiley and Kano, we're about to see the last big grime star of the festival: 32-year-old Kano.
When the rap sub-genre's reigning champ Skepta won his Mercury Prize last year, he gave a shout-out to Kano onstage at the ceremony: "Yo, Kane! We did it!". Of the two, Kano is (whisper it) perhaps a better live act: he can spit bars with the best of them, but pairs his sharp lyrics with more crowd-pleasing funky brass. We're very excited.
Biffy Clyro verdict: Scottish power trio hit as sweet and hard
Here's Neil McCormick on that briliant Biffy Clyro performance just now:
Biffy Clyro delivered a typically storming set on the Pyramid stage, in front of a large, enthusiastic audience for whom they are a band who really matter. The Scottish power trio mesh metal, melody and emotion into something uniquely their own. They hit as sweet and hard with the primal elements of rock and roll as any band ever has. Biffy are a band who just keep going from strength to strength, helping keep rock alive and relevant for new generations.
Emeli Sandé: the best member of the Spice Girls?
The acclaimed Scottish singer-songwriter is currently dazzling the Other Stage (in a rather snazzy pair of mirrored shades). She may have an MBE and a clutch of Brit Awards, but back in February she told The Telegraph that there's one childhood ambition she never realised...
Emeli Sandé wanted to be a Spice Girl when she grew up. “They took over my childhood,” she laughs. “We had Spice Girl games in the playground. I was always Mel B, cos that was Scotland, I was the only black kid. I had leopard skin leggings ready to roll any time we were doing a talent show."
Sampha delivered a gem of a set on the Park Stage earlier tonight - review
James Hallwrites:
As the sun set behind the Park Stage, producer-turned-solo artist Sampha delivered a set of textured electronic soul, drawing from this year's excellent Process album. "Feel free to move around a bit. Dance a bit," he said a few songs in. It didn't take long. At times woozy and at others intense and pulsating, it was a fantastic set. Live, his sound was fuller than on the album, with two keyboard players-cum-percussionists fleshing out the drummer's sound. Blood on Me, the first single from Process, was throbbing, it's simple piano riff pounding over foreboding beats. He ended with ballad (No One Know Me) Like the Piano. Playing solo at his keyboard, he showcased his rich voice to great effect. A gem of a set.
Remember to be extra nice to Ed Sheeran tonight, guys: he doesn't really like festivals
Asked a few days ago, by BBC radio host Chris Evans, whether he would be heading to Glastonbury in the days head of his headline performance tonight, Sheeran said it wasn't exactly his cup of tea.
"No, I haven't been home since… just after a few years. So I'm taking Friday and Saturday to sort of not really do anything," he said. "Plus, oddly enough, I'm not really a big festival fan. I like seeing one or two bands. But it's all a bit intense I think."
Goldfrapp gave the crowd slowly-building ecstasy
Here's our verdict on Goldfrapp, who performed on the Jon Peel Stage earlier tonight:
"I can't wait, I can't wait anymore..." not just the words to Goldfrapp's opening number (a single from new album Silver Eye), but the main gripe from the crowd at 7.25, when the band were almost half an hour late.
The electro-pop duo's concerts are usually ambitious visual extravaganzas, so it's perhaps unsurprising that their John Peel stage set was held up for 20 minutes due to technical problems. "Please be patient," pleaded a roadie. "Perhaps someone would like to start the Jeremy Corbyn chant?"
When Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory finally arrived on stage, they were accompanied by a pair of shaven-headed ballet dancers - and by the heavily distorted, thumping bassline of Anymore. Goldfrapp have a reputation for uncompromising invention that has always kept them just outside the pop mainstream.
The first half of their set lived up to their rep; dominated by new material, it was coldly impressive but hardly crowd-pleasing. It was only with their upbeat, glossy synth of 2005 hit Number 1, and the sultry purr of Ooh La La that things began to heat up. From there on, though, the atmosphere built into something genuinely ecstatic. By the end, the crowd were lapping up every syllable.
Biffy Clyro are delivering a suitably heavy, barnstorming Pyramid Stage performance right now
The crowd are loving the Scottish rockers, who are playing the festival for the fifth time. Drummer Ben Johnston just told the crowd that they're looking "beautiful" , prompting tattooed singer Simon Neil to quip "You let a drummer compliment you, he's gonna want to shag you later."
There's also a lot of Twitter-love for the flower crown that Neil was wearing when he first stepped out on stage:
Simon Neil in a flower crown is possibly my favourite thing to happen ever
— Zoë (@zo_ts) June 25, 2017
Simon Neil in a flower crown is all I needed to see. Now I can die happy.
— antonia �� (@blazydaze) June 25, 2017
Simon Neil can rock a floral headband, that's for sure. #Glastonbury2017#BiffyClyro
— Lyndsay King (@justlyndsay) June 25, 2017
You can watch along on the BBC livestream here.
No, Rag'n'Bone Man is not going to pose for a toilet selfie
Neil McCormick reports from the field:
People kept asking giant, hairy hip hop soul star Rag'n'Bone Man for selfies in the queue for the backstage loos. "Can you wait til I've taken a piss?" he good heatedly protested. "Not cool to be photographed in a toilet."
The Killers were formidably good - review
Here's our on-site reviewer Patrick Smith on this afternoon's surprise set from The Killers.
I must admit that I've never been a massive admirer of this flamboyant quartet, their kaleidoscopic mix of Springsteen-like stadium rock, glam and synth-pop occasionally veering on vapid. Here, though, they reeled off a majestic, greatest-hits set, full of vim and bombast.
"It's good to be here," announced frontman Brandon Flowers, dressed in black with glam lamé lapels. "They say you play the John Peel Stage twice in your career – once on the way up, and once on the way down." He then paused, flashing a wry smile. "It's great to be back."
The Killers first shot to prominence in 2004 with Hot Fuss, their Grammy Award-nominated debut, which was packed with indie-disco anthems. Since then they've released three more records, of varying quality, with another one due out in September. On the evidence this afternoon, The Killers have plenty more oil in the tank.
Was Chic's show the very best of the fest?
Fresh from the Pyramid Stage, Neil McCormick writes:
Chic won the Glastonbury danceathon, no contest. The sun was out and a jam-packed hillside pulled all their best disco moves to a slick, sleek, funky set from Nile Rodgers and his phenomenal groove merchants. Le Freak really got the freak flags flying. It was the set of the festival for this old disco fool.
Shaggy's non-stop pelvic thrusts wowed a heaving West Holts
Still reeling from the dancehall star's set, pop critic and Glasto veteran Alive Vincent writes:
I have never seen West Holts as crammed as for Shaggy. Headliners have nothing on the Jamaican reggae star who has inspired such pleasantly bemused adoration that Shaggy masks have been a popular addition among Glastonbury-goers this summer. While the stage struggled with the same quiet sound it always does with a big crowd, Shaggy had the good fortune to collide with the best stretch of sunshine of the weekend and, with the help of a hypeman, stirred up the crowd into a arm-waving frenzy for hits such as Mr Bombastic, Angel and, of course, It Wasn't Me. I don't think there was a single song that didn't involve a pelvic thrust.
Ed Sheeran should probably just give up and head home now, according to Twitter
The Killers, Barry Gibb and Shaggy would all have made better headliners, according to The Killers, Barry Gibb and Shaggy fans.
Ed Might as well not bother, just watched your headliners there #thekillers
— Everton Phil (@PhilipPitcher) June 25, 2017
Not sure Ed Sheeran will top this set by Shaggy
— Ashley Stuart Harper (@MeepMeep17) June 25, 2017
Should of been Barry Gibb headlining not Ed bloody Sheeran #Glastonbury2017
— Katrina (@katrina1_) June 25, 2017
What do you think – which of these acts are real headline material?
How to pack your bags, Goldfrapp-style
Alison Goldfrapp is on the John Peel Stage from 7.00pm, so it's the perfect time to look back at the travel tips she gave us in 2006.
The singer never travels without "tea bags and Marmite," apparently: "if it's hot, I always pack a bikini and insect repellent." Sound advice to remember when you're packing for your next music festival.
In 2008, she described her musical style as "weeeoooahhhggh", and told us that she spends "a lot of time asking restaurant managers to turn off the bloody music".
To hear some of that "weeeoooahhhggh" live from your sofa, tune in to the John Peel Stage live-stream.
Why on earth is Jimmy Carr on stage with The Killers?
Yes, that really is Jimmy Carr on stage with The Killers.
We just can’t look. It’s killing us.
Twitter apparently feels the same:
Yo @jimmycarr get off the stage ������ #glasto#thekillers#glastonbury
— Hels Bels (@helsbelsphoto) June 25, 2017
Jimmy Carr ON STAGE filming the Killers on his phone. What a knob. #Glastonbury2017
— Adam Allinson (@adamallinson) June 25, 2017
Joking aside, however, the comedian in fact has a longstanding and rather odd relationship with the band. He appeared on stage with them at V Festival back in 2014 (we know, because we were there) and even inspired Deadlines And Commitments, a song on their 2012 album Battle Born.
Sadly, the song isn’t about Carr himself, but about the economic downturn.
"I was having dinner with Jimmy Carr, like you do, and he thought the next big breakthrough record that people were going to notice was going to be about the problems of the economy," Killers frontman Brandon Flowers explained at the time.
Chic's Nile Rodgers helped out after the Grenfell Fire
On the Pyramid Stage, Nile Rodgers of Chic spoke very movingly about the spirit of Britain's response to tragedy. Apparently he arrived in London the day after the Grenfell fire and went down and volunteered, packing clothes in a community centre: “When I arrived, a woman said ‘Nile Rodgers? I'm very glad you're here. Now put some gloves on and get to work.’"
He's playing on the Pyramid Stage until 6.45.
Barry Gibb review: 'joyous' ★★★★☆
Still humming Stayin' Alive, our music critic Neil McCormick writes:
Barry Gibb brought a touch of Saturday Night Fever to a sunny Sunday afternoon in Somerset. The 70 year old seemed quite overwhelmed at times by the warm response of the audience, staring out with a toothy grin of incredulous delight at banners shaped in his image, men and women in fake beards and comedy teeth, and revellers wearing gaudy recreations of the Bee Gees dodgiest disco fashions. He went so far as to request a gold lame bomber jacket be passed up to him. It was at least two sizes too small, but he gamely donned it for a joyous blast through Tragedy, with tens of thousands lustily roaring the chorus.
Kiefer Sutherland: the new Dolly Parton?
Reporting from the Avalon Stage, James Hall was impressed by the Emmy-winning actor's reinvention as a country-and-western singer:
You need to be Jack Bauer to get a ticket for Glastonbury these days, which perhaps explains why 24 star Kiefer Sutherland's here, playing songs from his debut country and western album, Down in a Hole. And I thought security was meant to be tight.
Over at the Avalon Stage – not full, but this afternoon is riddled with difficult clashes – Sutherland and his four bandmates knocked out drinking songs, metaphorically drenched in bourbon, good times and regret. This was heavy-duty country, without a hoedown in sight.
Kiefer Sutherland is actually pretty good #Glastonbury2017pic.twitter.com/GbwLLOSdnQ
— Dom Tristram (@DominicTristram) June 25, 2017
All wearing black, in stetsons and neckerchiefs, the band were solid and meaty. The Hollywood actor's voice was grizzled and passionate; a low rumble, as gravelly as it was authentic.
Going Home, a drinking song about being out of your tree at 4am, was a gnarly trip. He covered Tom Petty, a hero of his.
This felt like more than a vanity project. Jack Bauer, it seems, has a new career.
And some pics too. Totally blown away and loved every minute #KieferSutherlandpic.twitter.com/wGkl3xpvXP
— Lisa (@Buttonmoon1982) June 25, 2017
It’s official: Shaggy needs to headline the Pyramid Stage next year
Okay, not really. But he’s certainly acting like a headline act – swaggering on 15 minutes late (he’s pleaded technical difficulties) to a giant, ecstatic crowd, who are loving his zany performance.
Never seen the West Holts Stage so busy #Shaggy#Glastonbury2017pic.twitter.com/Xq7dGjuHru
— Josh Fordham (@josh_fordham) June 25, 2017
Don't know why people are trying to get to The Killers when freakin Shaggy is playing at West Holt stage �� #Glastonbury2017
— Shiburrito (@ChibiShibby) June 25, 2017
Others, alas, just can’t deal with the fact that Shaggy is nearly 50 (well, 48).
I wanted Shaggy on, not his dad #Glastonbury2017
— Server Angels (@ServerAngels) June 25, 2017
You can watch "Shaggy's dad" on the BBC live-stream.
The Killers are killing it!
The John Peel stage can barely contain the crowd for The Killers' not-so-secret set. Brandon Flowers looked thrilled to be there as he took the stage in a sparkly tuxedo jacket, before launching into When You Were Young and Somebody Told Me and from the band's debut album Hot Fuss. It's back-to-back hits, and you can watch it live on the BBC website.
Jarvis Cocker's wiki-guide to Glastonbury
Over on BBC Radio 6 Music, Jarvis Cocker is giving his listeners a soft-spoken guide to Glastonbury Tor... pulled directly from the Wikipedia page.
"The origin of the name 'Glastonbury' is unclear, but when the settlement was first recorded in the late sevent and early eighth centuries it was called Glestingaburg," the Pulp frontman murmured, quoting the webpage verbatim.
Set to the tasteful tinkling piano music that is a staple of his Sunday Service radio show, this is the oddest and most charmingly ripped-off seminar from a pop star since... well, since Bob Dylan's "Spark Notes" Nobel Prize lecture.
You can listen to Jarvis's radio show here.
Shaggy's a little bit late
An impressively large crowd has gathered to watch Shaggy perform on the West Holts stage – but there's currently no sign of the man himself, who was due on stage at 17:15.
posting up for shaggy at west holts stage right now with appproximately all of glastonbury #ohcarolina
— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) June 25, 2017
A spine-tingling set from Lisa Hannigan
Irish singer Lisa Hannigan, who was known for performing with Damien Rice before she embarked on her solo career, is delivering some husky, delicate folk on the Park Stage right now, currently armed with nothing but a mandolin and her distinctive voice. The small but enthusiastic crowd are loving it, while fans watching a long via the live BBC coverage have described her performance as "spine-tingling". Definitely a set to catch later on iPlayer, if you can.
What a gorgeous voice @LisaHannigan has!!! ��#Glastonbury2017
— glenn gardner (@glenman01) June 25, 2017
@LisaHannigan sending chills at #Glastonbury with We The Drowned
— William Pearce (@billy_pearce) June 25, 2017
In the meantime, check out our chief rock critic Neil McCormick's review of her new album At Swim. She clearly knows her Irish literature: the title is a nod to Flann O'Brien's postmodern classic At Swim-Two-Birds.
Matt Maltese is going over rather well
Matt Maltese has just started on the BBC Introducing stage, and the singer-songwriter (a protegee of Maccabees' Hugo White) looks like a name to watch in future. He's only playing a short set, so you have until 5.30pm to catch him live on BBC iPlayer.
Shaggy Fact #3: He has a military record
He's served in the Gulf War, and spent four years with the US Marines, including six months in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.
With just seven minutes to go until his West Holts set, that's probably enough Shaggrandisement for now.
The golden-est of golden oldies?
Alice Vincent has noticed a "legend slot" trend:
Is the Bee Gees' single Islands in the Stream the most-played song in the Golden Oldies slot? Kenny Rodgers gave it its debut in 2013, then Dolly did it justice in 2014 and now Barry's singing the song he wrote with his brothers. It's proved a welcome hit every time.
Things you may have missed: 'Oh Jeremy Corbyn' in sign language
The chant 'Oh Jeremy Corbyn' has been the unexpected singalong hit of the weekend. It's set to the the tune of The White Stripes' single Seven Nation Army, but Glastonbury's sign language interpreters have created an alternative version for the deaf and hearing impaired. Watch along, and learn the moves.
Want to learn Ohhh Jeremy Corbyn in sign language? See below:#OhJeremyCorbyn#Glastonbury#corbynatglastonburypic.twitter.com/XjPa76IcvC
— #JC4PM �� (@Jezza4_PM) June 24, 2017
If you're interested, we've also covered the full history behind the chant.
Shaggy Fact #2: There’s now a legal defence named after him
A Shaggy Defence, as it is known colloquially, refers to situations in which a defendant opts to repeatedly insist, in the face of documentary evidence, that he or she did not commit the crime the question - and maintains that any so-called “proof” must be a case of mistaken identity. The term was coined by journalist Josh Levin in 2008, “in honour of the man behind the 2000 hit It Wasn't Me” – but has since been adopted by law professionals.
Just 20 minutes until Mr Boombastic takes the stage.
Barry Gibb feels lonely onstage without his brothers
Barry Gibb, who is wowing the crowd right now with his solo set on the Pyramid Stage, revealed recently that he still struggles with appearing alone on stage, following the loss of his two brothers and former bandmates: Maurice, who died in 2003, and Robin, who died in 2012.
“I don’t like being on stage on my own. I miss my brothers. I get nerves being on stage on my own because it is so new to me,” he told the Sunday Mirror.
“We would all lean on each other. I‘d lean on Maurice and Robin and they would lean on me and somehow we’d get through every show.
“We knew how each other felt. I knew what their opinions were. We were three brothers and it was not a democracy.
“We were three brothers who had to agree. If one of them did not like something we did not do it.”
The Killers are doing a secret set at 5.30!
The 5.30pm slot on the John Peel stage is currently listed as TBA. Word on the grapevine is that The Killers will be playing a secret gig. Frank Carter seemed to confirm it onstage a few minutes ago, joking that half his audience were just Killers fans who had turned up early.
Meanwhile, subtle Killers hints are popping up everywhere on Twitter...
The Killers are strongly rumoured to be playing a secret set today at Glastonbury (TBA’ slot on the John Peel Stage at 5.30pm). #TheKillerspic.twitter.com/mqR3jYl3Ax
— Lemonbeats (@LemonbeatsCHNL) June 25, 2017
UPDATE: The @secretglasto Twitter feed has confirmed The Killers as the secret band.
To all you clever clogs who got the first reference, we can now confirm the Killers at 17:30 in John Peel! Get there soon, will be rammed!
— Secretglasto (@secretglasto) June 25, 2017
Shaggy Fact #1: He could defeat ISIS (well, he think so)
The It Wasn't Me singer thinks his music could de-radicalise ISIS jihadists (with a little herbal help).
"If you’re able to cut a man’s head off, you’re sick,” Shaggy said in 2015. "But right, music evokes emotion. So if they’re listening to Shaggy music or reggae music, they’re not going to want to cut somebody’s head off.”
“There’s two things you want to do when you listen to reggae: You get somebody pregnant, or you’re f------ high,” he explained. “High people don’t want to kill nothing; they want to love. They need to bag some Jamaican weed and distribute it among Isis."
Canny wait to see Shaggy today #glastonburypic.twitter.com/sKlNT9rur1
— Nick Gartland (@nick_gartland98) June 25, 2017
Shaggy Facts! (Mr Boombastic, really fact-astic)
Dancehall legend Shaggy is appearing on the West Holts stage from 5.15-6.15. Between now and then, we'll be posting a range of informative nuggets about the man his mum calls Orville Richard Burell.
The security guards are jivin'
In honour of the legendary Barry Gibb, the blue uniformed stage and security crew all launched into an apparently synchronized disco dance for Stayin Alive.
"Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'" #Glastonbury2017 is Stayin' Alive with Barry Gibb! Watch live: https://t.co/bgnWmYDQT5pic.twitter.com/LaVyUWKvS9
— BBC Radio 2 (@BBCRadio2) June 25, 2017
Just watched Barry Gibb 'stayin alive' @GlastoFest great to see the audience reaction. Loving the security choreography!
— John Eccles (@John_Eccles) June 25, 2017
Haha...all the security staff at front of crowd doing synchronised Travolta to Barry Gibb singing "Stayin Alive" ������ Brilliant!#Glasto
— Paul TheRock Romain (@Paul_Romain) June 25, 2017
Bored of Barry? Rock harder with Frank Carter
If 70-year-old Barry Gibb's set has left you less Stayin' Alive than Strugglin' to Stay Awake, why not visit BBC iPlayer to watch pink-haired former Gallows Frontman scream his lungs out with new band The Rattlesnakes?
Frank has some first-rate stage chat. He's just revealed that he's a Killers fan, prompting boos from the punk-loving Rattlesnakes fans. Carter wasn't having any of that, and loudly defended the pop-rock band's ouvre. "Of shut the f--- up! Mr Brightside has been in the charts since the day it was released. Come at me when you've written a song that good." Well, quite.
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes are playing the John Peel Stage until 5pm.
Barry Gibb's set is off to a cracking start
The beginning of the B-Gibbing has so far been quiet, even tentative, but the former Bee Gee's vocals are still sounding great.
Julia Jacklin soothes the souls of the Park Stage
Swaying happily in a Somerset field, our critic Patrick Smith writes:
There's been a fair bit of hype surrounding Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin. Quite right, too. Distilling aspects of alt-country rock into sardonic, indie-folk vignettes, the 26-year-old has shades of Cat Power and Angel Olsen.
At the Park Stage, where Olsen herself performed on Friday, Jacklin was on enchanting form, her dusty vocals soothing the soul. As Rag'n'Bone Man pulled in revellers in their droves at the Other Stage, this classically trained musician was faced with a modest crowd, most of whom were sat, swaying languidly in the cool breeze. It was a lovely set.
Barry Gibb interview: ‘We were too uncool even to be seen with’
With only 10 minutes to go until the last Bee Gee climbs the Pyramid Stage, why not take a moment to read Neil McCormick's recent interview with the 70-year-old singer?
At the age of 70, Barry Gibb is finally striking out on his own. “The truth is that my brothers really didn’t ever want me to make a solo album,” admits Gibb, the last Bee Gee standing. “And I probably felt the same about them. We wanted to be close and we wanted to be individually recognised and we all felt threatened by each other’s success. That’s how it was, deep down inside – a mixture of feelings all the time.”
Laura Marling review: 'subtly impressive'
Reporting from the Pyramid Stage, James Hall was rather charmed by Laura Marling:
Folk singer Laura Marling was just the ticket as people's legs wearied and their energy flagged at the start of Glastonbury's final afternoon. Her voice from the Pyramid Stage was a welcome balm as she played a set heavy on songs from her sublime sixth album, this year's Semper Femina.
As Glastonbury-goers relaxed prior to dusting themselves down for one final night of revelry, it was apt that the 27-year-old opened with her woozy song called Soothing. With the sun occasionally poking through the clouds, and the ground dry enough to lie on after this morning's drizzle, it was a perfectly-judged set.
Marling is a lady of few spoken words. "How's it going Glastonbury?" was about all we got during the opening half of the set. Like so many artists this weekend, she later mentioned Grenfell Tower, but due to a film-maker friend who has been involved in the aftermath.
But her relative lack of words didn't matter at all. Her songs were full enough of absorbing themes, witty lyrics and smart wordplay. Musically, we were treated to endless gentle flourishes from her band. And her voice was honeyed and light, shades of Joni Mitchell one moment and Dory Previn the next.
She finished with a meaty Rambling Man. It was a gently warming, subtly impressive, hour.
T-minus six and a quarter hours until Ed Sheeran's big night
He's only 26, you know, that Ed Sheeran. Thom Yorke and Dave Grohl, the other frontmen headlining this weekend, are both a fatherly 48. He's even three years younger than last year's "young headliner", Adele, and the similarly young Florence Welch in 2015. Marcus Mumford was 26 when Mumford and Sons headlined back in 2013 but to find a solo headliner as young as our Ed, you have to go a long way back. As far back as 1990, when a 24-year-old Sinead O'Connor headlined on the Sunday.
So let's take a moment to congratulate Ed Sheeran on his meteoric rise. Here's a look back at how he reached the heady heights of the Pyramid Stage.
Mind-expanding vibes from Aussie psych royalty
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are 15 minutes into their scuzzy, freewheeling set on the John Peel stage, and the prolific Australian psych rockers are making a seriously impressive racket.
They're planning to release five whole albums in 2017 alone, and the second, Murder of the Universe, has just landed. Catch their set live on BBC iPlayer until 3.30pm.
Cassetteboy vs DJ Rubbish takes aim at Theresa May, but is blighted by technical issues
Alice Vincent has just sent in this report from the Glade stage
Cassetteboy have made a name for themselves by creating satirical video supercuts that spin current affairs into a contemporary – and crude – fairytale of good and evil. Villains, according to duo Michael Bollen and Steve Warlin, include David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Theresa May, who was the subject of attack in a new video mash-up premiered at Glastonbury that described the Grenfell Tower fire victims as "murdered by austerity".
Just finishing our Glastonbury set. Sunday, 13.30 on the Glade stage. @theresa_may , please don't resign before then (feel free afterwards)
— Cassetteboy (@Cassetteboy) June 22, 2017
This set was, of course, always going to be political. Cassetteboy, who dressed as Jeremy Corbyn and wore masks throughout, played here a year ago, when the festival bore the weight of the then-recent Brexit result. Their videos, which feature the most banal of British pop culture (The Apprentice, Embarrassing Bodies and Jeremy Kyle) have made them an online sensation. To play these viral hits on a stage in front of 1,000 people was quite another matter – especially when technical problems caused the screen to break. As hypeman DJ Rubbish explained: "The whole point of this thing is that we play you some funny videos, it doesn't work without the video."
The set, which took place just a stone's throw from the Left Field stage where Corbyn spoke to thousands yesterday, was full of the activist spirit which is permeating the festival this year.
But for all the wit of the compere and the undeniable humour of these videos, this was an uneven set which struggled to maintain energy throughout its 50 minutes.
Rag N Bone Man is about to begin on the Other Stage
Now this is a booking that already seems out of date. Had the festival organisers planned their line-up only last month, Rag N Bone Man would be playing at least four hours later. But that just sums up what a year the British singer has had since his hit single Human was released last July.
He was named the best British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards in February, as well as winning the Critics' Choice Award. And his debut album became the fastest selling debut by a male artist in the 2010s.
Unsurprisingly, it's a packed crowd for this one. He begins at 2.55pm on the Other Stage.
Laura Marling will soothe your Sunday hangover
A wave of calm is flooding out from the Pyramid Stage. It must be Laura Marling. The singer's ethereal, soothing rendition of The Valley (a beautiful track from her new album Semper Femina) seems to be just what the muddy and tired revellers at Worthy Farm needed.
If you'd like to share in the moment, it's being broadcast live right now on BBC iPlayer.
What happened at Glastonbury 20 years ago
A dig through the Telegraph archives reveals some interesting memories about the festival in 1997. For one, it was wet. Really really wet. There was a record number of people requiring treatment for trench foot (seriously) and, tragically, two people died over the course of the weekend. This is an except from our report on 30 June:
More than 90,000 people endured three days of torrential rain, high winds and clinging, oozing, ankle-deep mud in a perverse pursuit of a good time. "People have been absolutely heroic" said Michael Eavis, the festival organiser, yesterday. "The wimps stayed away and the lion-hearted folk turned up determined to enjoy themselves. For years to come people will be saying I was there in '97 and survived."
"Last time we had queues around the block for sunburn," said one medical worker. "This year all our treatment rooms have been full of twisted ankles and people complaining of being cold and miserable." Two people died at the festival. Michael Galloway, 25, from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland was found dead in his tent at the West Pennard camp site just outside the festival grounds in the early hours of Sunday. Police described the death as "not suspicious". Douglas Bryson, 41, who was found dead in his tent on Saturday morning, was believed to have died from a heroin overdose. Mr Eavis was paying for Mr Bryson's wife and two children to be flown to their home on the Isle of Man.
By yesterday afternoon police had made 140 arrests, fewer than at the last festival in 1995. Of these, 54 were drug-related and the majority of the remainder to do with theft. However, police were investigating an incident in which a man from Bootle on Merseyside was left in a critical condition after he was beaten over the head with a baseball bat while trying to scale the perimeter fence. They were treating it as attempted murder and were looking for three men.
That year was also the first year to welcome a government minister to the festival, and was it was rather a surprising decision at the time – when Glastonbury was being accused from all sides of becoming gentrified. Labour arts minister Mark Fisher came on stage just after the Smashing Pumpkins and, despite fears that he might be pelted with mud, he was, it seems, as much of hit as Jeremy Corbyn.
"You may think it's bizarre but this is the first time a Government minister has ever been to Glastonbury," he said to the crowd. "But you may have noticed that this Government is a bit different. We are going to back British bands because they are good."
What to watch now
As Jamie Cullum has just completed his really rather storming set on the Pyramid Stage, there will be a half-hour break before Laura Marling begins. The BBC Introducing stage is, however, being broadcast live on BBC Online and via the Red Button. Performing right now is the metallic mask-wearing electroduo Speakman Sound. So head there for a bit of beep beep boop.
Get ready for Barry Gibb
The last remaining Bee Gee will be playing the now-traditional Legends Slot on a Sunday afternoon (following in the footsteps of Dolly Parton and Lionel Ritchie). Before he kicks off at 4pm, remind yourselves of the best of The Bee Gees' hits.
What's currently and soon to be on TV
On the BBC Red Button and the BBC website the festival is well underway, at least on the Pyramid Stage. There Jamie Cullum is mid-way through what is, he just said, his 13th Glastonbury set.
Meanwhile footage from the West Holts Stage will begin at 2.15pm with Yorkston, Thorne and Khan. The John Peel Stage will begin on TV at 2.30pm with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizzard. Live coverage of the Other Stage kicks off at 2.55pm with Rag N Bone Man. Finally we'll get to watch the Park Stage from 3.10pm, beginning with Julia Jacklin.
Weather update: it's getting slightly better
Alice Vincent is now in awe of James Hall's weather forecasting skills. Or just his guessing skills.
You know what James said about basking in the sun by 1pm? The man's an oracle: the sun is breaking through the clouds. It is positively balmy. I would be basking if I wasn't such a consummate professional.
Which is good because these chaps were snapped earlier in the rain. Ponchos off, lads
Glastonbury will stay at Worthy Farm, says Michael Eavis
James Hall has this to report
Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis has confirmed that there are "no plans" to stop holding the festival at Worthy Farm.
Speaking to festival newspaper The Glastonbury Free Press, Eavis said: "We have no plans to stop doing the festival here, but we want to try something in another location away from the farm, possibly in 2021." He described the new event – tentatively called Variety Bazaar – as "the last big gamble in my life". News of the event had sparked speculation that Glastonbury would stop happening at Worthy Farm.
The spirit of Alfred Hitchcock is alive in Glastonbury
Alice Vincent writes
Remember when there was a genuine media fear about attacks of violent seagulls? The Circus Field is full of them. They're human-sized, and prone to hugging, but also just pecked my hair. Consider yourselves warned.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has his turn with the microphone
Patrick Smith has been over at the Leftfield Stage, for a spot of politics
Giving a talk at the Leftfield Stage, John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, was in combative mood. "Is democracy working?" he asked. "It didn't work if you're a family living on the 24th floor of Grenfell Tower. Those people were murdered by political decisions."
At Glastonbury, @JohnMcDonnellMP says Grenfell Tower victims were "murdered" by "political decisions" made over several decades pic.twitter.com/FqMPkRxH6m
— Kaya Burgess (@kayaburgess) June 25, 2017
The best bits from Saturday
Now that our writers have had some time to reflect on the events of yesterday, here's their rundown of the 10 best moments. It includes an affectionate tribute to Michael Jackson by his brothers, Liam Gallagher's defiant performance of Don't Look Back in Anger and Jeremy Corbyn reciting poetry.
The secrets of a candlelit escape
Alice Vincent writes
As Glastonbury-goers know all too well, the South East Corner, home to Shangri-La, Block 9 and The Unfairground, can induce hours of crushing and queuing at certain hours of the morning as people clamour for the unhinged costumes and heavy beats that can be found there. But one field over, there is a different world.
Last night the sound of Block 9 could be heard from the Green Crafts field, which by day is home to more spoon-whittlers than you can shake a, well, uncarved wooden stick at. But come nightfall the tents batten down the hatches and fill the lawns with candle-lit lanterns. It proved a magical escape from the madness next door.
Weather weather, it's all about the weather
This from our woman in the field, Alice Vincent, who writes
The drizzle has returned, once again. Glastonbury veteran James Hall has just termed it "driving drizzle", in fact, but says that by 1pm we'll have "basking sunshine". I'm less convinced – the man's wearing a poncho.
Good morning
It's the final day of the festival. Those still in their tents are right now probably trying to ignore the ever brightening sun and stuffy heat. For those of us watching from the comfort of our homes, a full English breakfast and a long, hot shower, is it?
There's no music anywhere until 10.30am, unless you want to take in the Kidzfield which starts at 9.30am. So sit back and relax and catch up on anything you might have missed yesterday.
