Glastonbury 2024: Watch Yard Act team-up with Katy J Pearson for ‘When The Laughter Stops’
Leeds post-punk four-piece, Yard Act, brought out Katy J Pearson during their live set on the Woodsies stage at Glastonbury Festival. The dynamic indie duo collaborated on the hit track ‘When The Laughter Stops’.
The band played to a packed out crowd in a very buoyant mood despite the draining heat. They followed on a surprise set by Kasabian which had been listed as TBA in the official line-up until moments before the show. The intrigue was such that Woodsies became over-capacity and revellers were being turned away from the tent.
It seems the bulk of people remained as once again, Far Out staff reported that it was the most congested show of the festival so far. However, there was still plenty of movement when indie starlet, Katy J Pearson, was welcomed out to perform alongside Yard Act to perform the track they collaborated on for the band’s latest album, Where’s My Utopia?, released back in February.
‘When The Laughter Stops’ is one of the stand-out tracks on the record, delineating it’s intricate concept. As Far Out wrote in an ‘Album of the Week’ review of the record: “Where’s My Utopia is a stream of social commentary of the most self-referential order. It is, in many ways, a concept album that examines the social science of the so-called ‘tricky second album syndrome’.”
Continuing: “Musically, they avoid this mythical syndrome’s clutches, but they know that’s not enough. That’s never been what the accursed syndrome is about—they know that their day of derision will come…and it will come. Yard Act are almost definitely a band soon to be relegated to the ash heap of history. They’ll be cast there by a coterie of cool people vaccinated from the appeal of collective fun.”
It seemed evident from their set that they’re still keeping any baying mob at bay for now, as the track went down a storm and Katy J Pearson’s unique vocals were as fine-tuned and ethereal as ever, as they sang together in fitting style: “For when we go back to our proper jobs and realise the laughter’s stopped / I need to know my chance was fully blown.”
Fear of proper jobs looks a mile off for both of them from where we were standing at Woodsies. In fact, with many punters questioning the likes of Keane and Coldplay getting such prominent spots, many fans will be wondering why their current jobs haven’t been ushered towards the Pyramid Stage.
Before their set, frontman James Smith spoke exclusively with Far Out about what to expect from the show and even referenced the hit track, ‘Dream Job’: “It feels ace, top, mint, boss, class, sweet, deece. Yeah, not bad. Good! This year will be better because we aren’t as knackered as last time. And it will be bigger, too, because there are seven of us on stage now.”
You can watch the scintillating performance of ‘When The Laughter Stops’ below.
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