Yeah, we know. Festivals aren’t just about the headliners – but at Glastonbury those big bands go much deeper than at most over events. There’s bags of new talent to check out, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the big hitters. Here’s just a few of the huge names you should make sure you see at this year’s festival.
RADIOHEAD
It’s Radiohead. It’s Glastonbury. It’s going to be special – that’s sort of ‘the law’. Even if it wasn’t, we’d have to pretend it was. Just remember to play Creep please lads. And do the dancing, Thom.
THE XX
Leading into Radiohead on the Pyramid stage might be the perfect slot for The xx Sure, they’ve got some noisy old din from Royal Blood to chill the fuck out of before the headliners take the stage, but then this trio are more than just a starter for a bigger, more storied band. Three albums deep, they could weave a spell over Worthy Farm that proves them one of British music’s most sparkling gems.
THE NATIONAL
Festivals aren’t the place for ‘trying out new material’, but The National aren’t just any band. With that trademark Berninger velvet tone on their side, it’s fair to say anything they try will hit that sweet spot. Even if they hold back on their new record ‘Sleep Well Beast’, they’ll weave their woozy spell all the same.
RUN THE JEWELS feat. JEREMY CORBYN
Glastonbury is all about “moments”. JAY-Z coming on to ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis in 2008 and Coldplay’s Viola Beach tribute in 2016 spring to mind. A good contender for 2017’s moment of choice is Run The Jewels being introduced by Jeremy bloody Corbyn. You know, the leader of the Labour party? The one that makes his own jam? Yeah, he’s introducing Run The Jewels. Him. No word on whether he’ll be freestyling over ‘Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)’ yet, but there’s always hope.
LORDE
She’s just dropped one of the best pop records in recent memory, breaking rules right, left and center while doing it. She’s doubled her arsenal of bangers. She’s got unconventional hook lines and smarter-than-you quips to spare. If Lorde belongs anywhere right now, it’s at Glastonbury. If her set is anything less than mind blowingly awesome, we’ll eat our onion rings.
CHARLI XCX
If festivals are about having fun, then there are few better ways to blow off some steam than with HRH Queen of All Pop Charli XCX. With bangers across the ages, she may change style as often as she changes her pants, but that doesn’t mean she’s unhygienic. The greatest pop chameleon of our age, she’s got bangers in storage that could blow the lid off, never mind her latest batch of solid gold. Plus, we know she’s got a cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’ in the locker. That alone makes her a must see.
GEORGE EZRA
George Ezra belongs at Glastonbury. It wasn’t long ago he was playing seemingly endless sets in a single weekend on BBC Introducing stages, but since then he’s gone on to shift more records than (almost) all his peers, and become a genuine household name that even your mum knows and loves. Safe then? Well, maybe, but also bags of fun. Just listen to new track ‘Don’t Matter Now’ and say that doesn’t sound like a prime festival bop. Exactly.
ALT-J
They may be up against it on the clash front (Phoenix, Warpaint and Foo Fighters are all on at the same time), but Alt-J headlining the Other Stage at Glastonbury feels like a good fit. Three albums date, they’ve already cut their teeth headlining other festivals, while their slightly weird, no rules take on genre-winding not-quite-pop us interesting and engaging enough to work on wider horizons.
STORMZY
Yeah yeah, we know. Stormzy just isn’t cool enough any more, now that your mum plays him in the car and tells you what a good singer he is. But you should listen to your mum more, because what often gets lost in the hype is that Stormzy is bloody good, and who knows, maybe he’ll bring out Little Mix for “that song”, then we can all go away happy.
LIAM GALLAGHER
In case you haven’t noticed Liam is back (Back! Back!!) and this time he’s good (Good! Good!!). He’s also got some history with Glastonbury, returning to continue his resurrection with a clutch of some of the greatest indie anthems ever written and some brand new freshly minted bangers. Wonder what fancy coat he’ll wear this time?
HAIM
It’s hard to imagine a better band for a tea time shuffle on the Other Stage than Haim. They already feel like a ‘Glasto band’ – some of their first big moments coming at the festival. Now they’re back with a second album in tow, and a billing as a band that can start a party wherever they go. Sunday should be funday with them about.
KATY PERRY
Oh come on. You were going to go to Glastonbury and not watch Katy Perry. Glasto is the sort of festival where bona fide pop stars can thrive. Third off the top of the bill on Saturday night, sat between Run The Jewels and The National, Perry’s woke pop feels like appointment viewing if ever there was such a thing.