Glastonbury – The best unexpected collaborations of the weekend
The world’s biggest greenfield music festival has come to a close after 5 days of incredible performances and a collection of unforgettable moments. An electric atmosphere filled the Worthy Farm fields as Glastonbury celebrated it’s 50th year and a successful comeback after a 2-year break during the pandemic.
Glastonbury has had some unbelievably iconic moments over the years and some of the most memorable are the surprising duets and collaborations between performers. Over the years, the festival has brought together the likes of The Killers and The Pet Shop Boys, Dizzie Rascal with Florence and the machine as well as Miley Cyrus and Lil Nas X. Personally I think the more random and weirder the collaboration, the better.
Let’s take a look at some of the best unexpected crossovers of artists this year…
Paul McCartney the Beatles legend had the Saturday headline spot, and he did not disappoint. His 38-song set was full of great moments including: breath-taking fireworks, a heartfelt tribute to bandmate John Lennon, and the crowd singing Paul happy birthday to celebrate his 80th! But the moment that has had everyone talking is when he surprised the audience of over 100,000 people with icons Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl. The appearance of the Foo Fighters’ frontman made the performance even more special as he played for the first time since the death of fellow bandmate and friend Taylor Hawkins. The trio of Rock n Roll royalty performed Springsteen’s ‘Glory days’ followed by Beatles classics ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ and ‘The End’ with both guests taking part in an epic guitar showdown!
Perhaps the most random out of all my picks, making it one of my favourites, is when Blossoms invited pop legend Mel C from the Spice Girls on stage. I think it’s safe to say it was the crossover nobody was expecting. Frontman Tom Ogden asked the audience of The Other Stage, “Do we have any Spice Girls fans in the house?” before introducing sporty spice and asking her to excuse his poor attempts of the dance moves. Together they performed the Spice Girls’ classic ‘Spice up Your Life’ and the fans enjoyed every minute of the all-English modern indie rock and 90s pop crossover.
A collaboration I really enjoyed was during Lorde’s magical Sunday set, when she invited special guests Arlo Parks and Clairo to sing ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’ with her. The New Zealander star described the song as “the ultimate comedown anthem” and joking that her set is the perfect place to do this after a heavy few days. As somebody who is obsessed with all 3 singers, I can only describe them as the holy trinity of alternative indie vocals. The trio did not disappoint as they harmonised beautifully creating a wonderful moment for the audience to reflect on the whole weekend.
The duo that has caught the most attention from the weekend and a highlight for many attending was when American pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo invited British icon Lily Allen onto stage. 19-year-old Olivia stole the headlines as she sang Lily Allen’s notorious tune ‘F*** You’ directing it towards members of the Supreme Court that voted to overturn abortion rights in America. Rodrigo spoke aggressively, “so many women and so many girls are going to die because of this. They clearly don’t give a shit about our freedom”. The teen then named all 5 judges before giving an unforgettable performance alongside Lily who is known for her outrageous comments and controversies. The singing itself was far from perfect but the chaotic energy captured the beautiful raw emotions of anger and vulnerability.
Leave a comment down below telling me your dream Glastonbury collaboration!