Glastonbury 2024: Squeeze warm-up the Pyramid Stage with all-time classic ‘Up the Junction’
Squeeze opened things on the Pyramid Stage at this year’s Glastonbury Festival—and they did so in style with their classic working class anthem, ‘Up the Junction’.
Opening Worthy Farm’s main stage has long been considered an esteemed slot. Last year, the Moroccan collective The Master Musicians of Joujouka opened proceedings, and in 2022 it was Ziggy Marley.
While conditions were overcast – a thankful relief from the sun for many – Squeeze broke through the crowd with set rammed with hits. In their 45-minute performance, the band rolled back the years with a huge crowd stretching back out over Worthy Farm.
‘Cool for Cats’ went down a storm as fans young and old provided singalongs to just about every song. However, known were more warmly received than the classic story song, ‘Up the Junction’, which was first released back in 1979.
The band vacated the stage to well-wishes for the rest of the festival with Olivia Dean set to follow in their wake. Thereafter it’s a run of Seventeen, Paul Heaton, PJ Harvey and LCD Soundsystem before first time headliner, Dua Lipa, takes to the stage for a highly anticipated set.
While she hits the main stage, smaller indie acts offer some competition for crowd count. Idles headline the Other Stage, Jungle played West Holts, Jamie XX tops the bill at Woodsies, and Far Out’s ground staff will likely be absconding to see Fontaines D.C. play on The Park Stage.
Speaking ahead of her performance, Dua Lipa told Music Week: “It’s amazing to be up there, to be put at the top, to headline Glasto. We’ve just got to keep supporting women and pushing them to that degree so they can see it’s possible.”
Squeeze are certainly no strangers to the festival, yet they still exhibited the same level of enthusiasm as the London lounge rockers went down a rather mellowed storm.
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