Dua Lipa is the reigning British pop star of the moment, writes Neil McCormick, and she brought the slick moves, high-energy choreography and banging electro-dance hits to the first night of Britain’s favourite festival as if it were her due. With way more lithe dancers than actual musicians, it was more grand-scale sexy club night than a cold field in Somerset as an enthusiastic young crowd danced and sang along. “I’ve dreamt about this my whole life,” the 28-year-old asserted.
She wasn’t even born when Glastonbury 2024’s opening act were scoring hits. Veteran new wave band Squeeze, who kicked off proceedings on the Pyramid stage 10 hours earlier, celebrated their 50th anniversary as a band. It provided a fascinating contrast between an old, analogue version of classic British pop and the brand-spanking-new digital standard of Dua Lipa.
Men in colourful suits played actual instruments, singing witty, melodious songs in perfect harmony. No dancers, no backing track, not a skimpy costume between them (for which we can all be thankful). The Beatles-esque songcraft is gold standard, yet their hit-packed set sounded like a fading echo of an almost forgotten time.
There was a rawness and imperfection that might heighten its appeal to an older audience whilst baffling younger listeners. When Korean boyband Seventeen became the first K-pop outfit to play Glastonbury in a sparsely attended mid-afternoon set, not a note was out of place – presumably because the highly processed vocals of their corny pop-rock hybrid (played with thunderous unsubtlety by a five-piece band) were mainly pre-recorded.
It is referred to as “singing to track” and it has become ubiquitous in modern performance. The ranks of a few hundred screaming faithful were swelled by curious onlookers reacting with benevolent and ironic enthusiasm before drifting on to other stages. I am not sure Glastonbury is ready for K-pop – and vice versa.
But let’s not make this a battle between old and new, youth and age, because even on an underwhelming bill that lacked wow factor (an assessment share by everyone I spoke to, of whatever age), there was always something at this bewilderingly expansive festival to enjoy. And I am not just talking about the music. You could interact with goth witches on stilts, bounce along with kangaroos on stilts, or jump out of the way of cyclists on stilts (stilts are, er, big at Glastonbury).
Apart from a few fluttering Palestinian flags there was a joyful sense that the divisive politics we are all currently enduring had been left at home, to be replaced by the kind of utopian wackiness favoured by hippies back when Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis had hair. You could indulge in a Yoko Ono-themed “primal scream for peace”, sponsored by the Tate Modern, or endure seven minutes of silence led by Serbian performance artist Marina Abramovich. That proved weirdly touching, uniting the audience almost as if in silent singalong.
Perhaps Abramovich is onto something. I often wonder how important the bill really is to the people on the ground at Glastonbury, where sets essentially provide focal points to meet up with friends in an infectious carnival atmosphere. Nonetheless, when an artist delivers that extra something, it raises the whole spirit of the occasion.
The 75-year-old Lulu delivered a vocal masterclass in the Avalon tent (no backing tracks for her), but the best thing I saw was elfin Norwegian chanteuse Aurora, who blended the earthy and ethereal in a set of incredible singing, free-flowing movement, massive electronic soundscapes and powerful emotion. “Thank you,” she said, as the crowd roared approval, before adding, disarmingly, “I need to pee.” That’s what you get for trying to avoid those dodgy Glastonbury toilets.
With all the musicians on site, there’s plenty of opportunity for starry collaborations. Damon Albarn brought some Britpop spirit to the Bombay Bicycle Club whilst Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim joined old bandmate Paul Heaton to play The Housemartins’ 1986 classic Happy Hour to a rapturous singalong response. On balance, Marina, perhaps a music festival without music wouldn’t be such a good idea. Check back soon for the full review of Dua Lipa.
Catch up with all the Friday action from Glastonbury below:
