FIFTY3FRIDAYS: GLASTONBURY REVISITED

Oh dear, the year is flying by. This New Year’s Day joke is already out of date. The theme of our first Fifty3Friday of the brave new year is even less topical. As my voluntary hiatus got in the way of writing about my time at Glastonbury 2025, I thought it might be an idea to include some highlights today as a sign-off to 2025 [OK but 2 days late – Ed]. In truth I get anxious just thinking about writing about Glastonbury let alone actually getting around to doing it. I've had experience of covering it for US websites which involved a degree of discipline in terms of posting copy but have nothing but admiration for real journalists who turn their stuff around so quickly. Then again, they don't use two fingers to type.

With any live review, I try to take you there. I unashamedly write about people whose music I really like, whether they are planned sets or surprises, so I don’t feel the need to comment on bands and genres I really don't get. I always go to Glastonbury with a few must-see names. The day before I arrived, I wrote down Lucy Dacus, Father John Misty, Bess Atwell and St Vincent. Who are they, several people who should know their Kneecap from their Elbow asked me?  Then I added around 40 others I really wouldn't mind seeing, the laws of physics permitting. I’ve picked out just a few potted memories to share with you here.

Joe, Paul, Tony: selfie of the 3 Amigos by Paul Kerr. Other pics from Glastonbury by Tony Hardy.

My Friday Glastonbury began in the agreeable company of fellow writers and Glastonbury Emerging Talent judges, Joe Lepper and Paul Kerr (collectively herewith the 3 Amigos) with Horsegirl, the Chicago trio who opened on the Park Stage, flanked by half-hearted smoke machines.  Horsegirl got up to very little horse play with hardly any chat or movement yet its deadpan slacker vocals and short, sweet songs came over with a distinct charm, as on this track, “Switch Over.”

After catching the end of Supergrass’s set on the Pyramid stage, sadly missing “Feel Alright", my next Friday highlight was undoubtedly CMAT, whose Pyramid show was worthy of an entire review on its own. I loved that the Irish songstress and her band were decked out in raincoat dresses or skirts, perhaps fearing the worst Glasto weather, only to cast them off to emphasise the irony of “Take a Sexy Pictue of Me”. Given that the sun was beating down it must have come as a relief to ditch the plastic. The set was filled with lyrical and visual humour, great songs and real energy.

The big stages, however, hold no monopoly on talent as a trip to Glastonbury’s Green Fields will usually bear witness. After catching some of Andrew Maxwell Morris’ set on the homely Small World stage (the Glastonbury regular was as good as ever), I hung around to see Chloe Foy on the nearby Lizard stage. The Gloucestershire native was someone whose emotive songs had marked her as a distinctive voice in a crowded landscape. Live, solo with just her acoustic guitar and stunning voice, she delivered an intimate performance that brought a stillness to the room. Her 2025 album, Complete Fool, charts the end of a long-term relationship. It’s a familiar trail but one handled with exceptional nuance and grace. Here is the title track (on video, with band this time).

Remembering that this is supposed to be a few personal highlights from Glastonbury 2025 rather than a blow-by-blow account, I will wrap up Friday with a round of applause for Paris Paloma who has come a long way from The Fiddler to the Avalon, a mention for Ash – “Shining Light” is still such a tune, key change and all – and the electric pyrotechnics of Dhani Harrison, though some who came to see his set, ironically on the Acoustic Stage, might have been expecting the odd Beatles cover. It was nice to see the wonderful rock vocalist Liela Moss join Dhani during his set. Alanis Morrissette was pretty good too, much better than the underwhelming burger I half-enjoyed afterwards in hospitality [surely hospital? – Ed].

On Saturday morning I walked past the snaking all-day breakfast queue. Is it the queue that lasts all day or the breakfast, I wondered? En route to see Bess Atwell (Avalon 12.50), I watched confessional popster Alessi Rose open the Other Stage with plenty of sass and was convinced she was American (no, she’s from Derbyshire), briefly encountered Kaiser Chiefs cranking out the hits and stopped by Bread & Roses to see the end of Sam Scherdel’s set. Often seen with a full electric band, Sam was in fine form playing the acoustic troubadour with customary verve, accompanied by a keyboard player.

On my must-see list, Bess Atwell did not disappoint. The Brighton-based singer-songwriter released her third album, Light Sleeper, in 2024 and along with her 4-piece band exuded a quiet confidence on the live stage. Her polka dot sundress and pristine hollow body Gretsch coordinated beautifully too! Bess sings in a soft transatlantic drawl, telling tales from the heart with a natural intuitiveness. She set a high bar with her consummate opener, “Release Myself”, and maintained it throughout the set.

Lucy Dacus in the hot sun on the Park Stage was always going to be an afternoon delight. And no, that’s not journalist and food critic Jay Rayner on bass. Featuring six songs from her latest LP, Forever is a Feeling, and bookending the set with brilliant crowd favourites “Hot & Heavy” and “Night Shift”, Lucy and her 5-piece band served up the perfect blend of intimacy and full-on entertainment. Last week, I highlighted “Ankles” from the latest album. Here’s how it sounded live.  

My third treasured memory of Saturday at Glastonbury was enjoying an anarchic but super fun set by Princess Maha aka The Kut on the bicycle-powered Mandala stage in the Green Futures area while seated on possibly the most uncomfortable plank of wood I have encountered. Pitched somewhere between an extended sound check and a jam, depending on the track Maha was joined at different times by Evie on bass, a bongo player and two different drummers. It is quite possible they were all complete strangers. The chaotic fun came to a naturally chaotic close with this one, “Hollywood Rock n Roll.”

A concluding highlight of Saturday was seeing Father John Misty perform on Woodsies, formerly known to us oldies as the John Peel Stage. It having just dawned on me that all the artists I have featured so far are female, the blokes finally make a comeback. Once the drummer with Fleet Foxes, Josh Tillman has morphed into a commanding frontman, an expressive showman with a performance zeal second to none. His set reached a peak with the magnificent “Mahashmashana”, the 9-minute title track from FJM’s sixth album. The sax was something to behold too.

I found myself back at Woodsies early doors on Sunday where Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition winners, Westside Cowboy, had the honour of playing the day’s first set here. The Manchester four-piece took to it like ducks to water. Opening with quite possibly the festival’s longest song title - “I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)” – and closing with a striking acapella rendition, “In The Morning”, the band made a serious impression, showcasing amazing energy yet offering moments of great refinement.

A quick mention for Nadia from New Zealand who had no idea who Westside Cowboy were but had pitched up 5 hours early to make sure she had a prime position for Djo in the afternoon and soon made friends with another girl. Between them, they commandeered cardboard and pens to construct song requests. For those who have no idea who Djo is, he is US actor & musician Joe Keery who plays Steve Harrington in Stranger Things.

I managed to get back to see a bit of Djo (he was good – psychedelic electric pop meets surf rock) after enjoying sets by Celeste followed by The Libertines (both on the Pyramid Stage) and catching some of Welsh folktronic warrior, Mali Haf and Glastonbury ETC Finalist on the BBC Introducing Stage. Her energy on stage was fantastic and I loved this one very much: "Llais".

After dallying a wee bit with Rod Stewart’s cabaret show and loving Snow Patrol’s anthems on the Other Stage (great sound – beats the Pyramid), my final highlight was provided by Annie Clark aka St Vincent (back again on Woodsies – how many steps is that). She is an astonishing artist who seems to absorb untold influences from the great rock and pop outliers from Bowie to Zappa, Hendrix to Prince, and still sound remarkably original. This is “Flea” from St Vincent’s 2024 album, All Born Screaming. ...And that is a wrap.