Everybody knows that Kanye West was the biggest story of the Glastonbury weekend (unless something earthshaking happens on Sunday) but perhaps one set was even more relevant to the festival's homeland fans: The Libertines swung by for a surprise set on Friday.
Everyone knew that a big surprise set was going to go down on Friday, but you can never be sure how "special" a special guts really is; is it a huge act or is the promoter just blowing smoke? The last few weeks have been hectic as the Glastonbury promoters were forced to move Florence + The Machine up to the main slot after Friday's previously announced headliner—the Foo Fighters—cancelled following Dave Grohl's breaking his leg at a show in Sweden. Emily Eavis, one of the main organizers of the festival, announced that they had lined up a "very special" guest performer to take Florence's abandoned spot.
In this case, "very special" was very special.
Fans of The Libertines might regard Glastonbury with some trepidation. The band has performed here previously...and notoriously. The group had gotten beyond its peak of popularity when it was tapped to headline at the 2003 event...right before everything fell apart. Pete Doherty was forced into rehab just days before the appearance, forcing the group to perform as a trio. The set has been labelled among the worst shows the group ever performed.
Not during 2015. The Libertines finally made good on performing at the biggest festival in its homeland, delivering an enthusiastic set that thrilled the fans who showed up to see who the surprise guest was.
Getting them in on such short notice was no simple task. Eavis and co. booked four private 11-seat planes to ensure the band got out to its show in Moscow on Saturday as was previously scheduled, according to NME.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
