Glastonbury 2023 Saturday round-up: Guns N’ Roses struggle while Lana Del Rey scintillates
“Someone get popsicles, someone do something about this heat”, were the lyrics that rang out from the speakers as a Spoon song played on the PA in what is one of the most fitting moments of Glastonbury Festival so far. While the heat refused to relent, it was a day of mixed fortunes on the musical side of things; Guns N’ Roses were comical, but plenty of others scintillated.
There is evident fatigue in the air this year as the beating sun is taking its toll, sapping crowds to a more mellow disposition. But with a cold beer stood next to Everton FC manager Sean Dyche and Rick Astley blasting out some cracking Smiths covers with The Blossoms, everything is more than bearable as the festival really comes into its own.
Across the 62 stages at the 900-acre site, you had performances from Tinariwen, Ezra Collective, Maggie Rogers, Lewis Capaldi and about a million others. And the benefit of a 200,000+ crowd means that every act draws a sizeable mass. However, the exodus of people ditching Guns N’ Roses to wander over to Lana Del Rey was a notable moment.
Below, we’re recapping the biggest talking points of the day. From the energised carnage of Shame to the Lizzo making a firm argument for a headline slot, this was the view from Worthy Farm.
Saturday at Glastonbury Festival:
Guns N’ Roses put on a comically bad show
On the second night of this year’s Glastonbury Festival, Guns N’ Roses delivered a crowning performance when it comes to the most comical moments in the cultural celebration’s history. The camp “real rock ‘n’ roll” was akin to 100,000 people turning up to watch your dad’s friend’s band play at the local pub. Amid the notably sparse crowd, this bewildering display was a laugh a minute—the sort of laugh that comes from utter disbelief.
They began proceedings with ‘It’s So Easy’ and made enlivening it look like the hardest thing in the world, serving up scintillation with all the ease of Stevie Wonder racing in Le Mans. After a strange video introduction that looked like it had been curated by Joe Rogan and the graphic designer responsible for the Monster can, this turgid opening sent an instant shockwave of despair over the crowd, only tempered by how damn funny the whole thing was. This continued for 25 endless tracks in what is being crowned as one of the worst headline sets in the festival’s history.
Rick Astley & The Blossoms attract a massive crowd covering The Smiths
Rick Astley continued his unlikely team-up with The Blossoms covering The Smiths in front of a huge crowd in what was previously a secret set-up at the Woodsies stage. Is it a gimmick? Are they a novelty act? Absolutely, but that isn’t a dirty word in my book, and the thousands of enthused fans present for the performance are testimony to this point.
Furthermore, they might be a novelty act, but they are a superbly fine-tuned one. Astley’s vocals were pitch-perfect, and the band were as tight as Robert Plant’s pants. In a world where The Smiths sadly can no longer be, this reminder of what a great band they were is a welcome gimmick for us all to revel in.
Lana Del Rey’s curfew debacle
When she was 30 minutes behind schedule and still absent from the Other Stage, the first few boos could be heard, followed by chants of support by ardent fans. Then she emerged looking slightly shaken, eventually citing that ”my hair takes so fucking long to do”. Del Rey was scheduled to play between 22:30 and 23:45, but after taking the stage at 23:00, she lasted until the midnight curfew when she was cut off at 00:02.
However, what the large crowd did get the chance to feast on was delectable. With stunning grace, she put on a scintillating show with plenty of dancing panache and quirky artistry. The stark contrast of this class with the crass crap of Guns N’ Roses also served to amplify the debate about a lack of female headliners. Many punters will be hoping she returns to play the Pyramid Stage soon and she gets a more straightforward hairdo in the process.
The Pretenders bring out the guests
Playing what was previously a surprise set, The Pretenders pulled the strings and brought out a whopping array of guest friends. Johnny Marr and Dave Grohl joined them for a jam. Then Chrissie Hynde even grabbed Paul McCartney, who had been watching in the wings, and the former Beatle had a quick dance on stage as a huge cheer erupted.
Making the announcement as Marr joined the stage, Hynde said: “My favourite thing about Glastonbury over the years is seeing my guitar heroes,” before introducing The Smiths guitarist. And while it did bring applause, Marr has now done so many surprise guest appearances that the surprise is now like wrapping a football up at Christmas.
The heat refuses to relent
Back when the weather forecast was endlessly being checked every 20 minutes, the solid pictures of sunshine were a beautiful sight to behold, promising a glorious sun-baked Glastonbury Festival. However, now that the press tent is being besieged by the peculiar issue of things being ‘too hot to charge’, the sun has become enemy number one.
Earlier today, I ventured back to the tent for a quick Haribo sugar fix only to find that they had melted together into one conglomerate mass of jelly. This is no way to live. With Sunday bringing the hottest day of the year so far, the battle is set to continue for the fatigued masses at Worthy Farm; let’s hope Elton John can provide a spiritual breeze of sorts.
