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Glastonbury kicks off with joyful blues, heavy showers and boy bands backstage Glastonbury kicks off with joyful blues, heavy showers and boy bands backstage
(35 minutes later)
The sound of frenzied screaming ripples through the Pyramid stage audience . It’s not James Bay’s anticipated lunchtime set that’s attracting such teenage hysteria, however, but the sight of One Direction’s Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson loitering at the side of the main Pyramid stage, their faces projected on to the massive screens that flank the vast pointed construction. Had it been a lesser-known artist on stage, this kind of limelight stealing might have left a bitter, dispirited taste. But for Bay and his huge-brimmed hat, Brit award, No 1 album and many other preordained successes, it’s another affirmation of his seamlessly fruitful career. The sound of frenzied screaming ripples through the Pyramid stage audience. It’s not James Bay’s anticipated lunchtime set that’s attracting such teenage hysteria, however, but the sight of One Direction’s Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson loitering at the side of the main Pyramid stage, their faces projected on to the massive screens that flank the vast pointed construction. Had it been a lesser-known artist on stage, this kind of limelight stealing might have left a bitter, dispirited taste. But, for Bay and his huge-brimmed hat, Brit award, No 1 album and many other preordained successes, it’s another affirmation of his seamlessly fruitful career.
On the first day proper of Glastonbury, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter’s set feels slightly incongruous: his collection of dusty, blues-inspired songs from his debut Chaos and the Calm and cover of Alicia Keys’s If I Ain’t Got You, feel more sombre, slumbersome Sunday afternoon show than rabble-rousing ignition for a Friday afternoon. “You go on forever,” says Bay, casting an earnest gaze across the sea of barely awake faces. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen.” There’s something joyfully uninhibited about the blues-pop poster boy’s earnestness: those guttural groans, the gurning, stadium-like swagger of his guitar solos. It’s all rather self-indulgent, but luckily he’s won himself an audience that is willing to sit through noodly guitar solos in order to hear single Hold Back the River.On the first day proper of Glastonbury, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter’s set feels slightly incongruous: his collection of dusty, blues-inspired songs from his debut Chaos and the Calm and cover of Alicia Keys’s If I Ain’t Got You, feel more sombre, slumbersome Sunday afternoon show than rabble-rousing ignition for a Friday afternoon. “You go on forever,” says Bay, casting an earnest gaze across the sea of barely awake faces. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen.” There’s something joyfully uninhibited about the blues-pop poster boy’s earnestness: those guttural groans, the gurning, stadium-like swagger of his guitar solos. It’s all rather self-indulgent, but luckily he’s won himself an audience that is willing to sit through noodly guitar solos in order to hear single Hold Back the River.
On the Other stage, meanwhile, there’s a more sinister sound coming from the crowd: “Hope you enjoy Kanye,” Van McCann, charismatic frontman of Catfish and the Bottlemen optimistically offers to the audience, who make their disdain for the American rapper known. Perhaps the thousands who’ve arrived to see the Llandudno group are the same thousands who signed a petition for West to lose his Saturday night headline slot this year. After all, the ethos of this indie band, whose slowly burgeoning fanbase has sold out shows on both sides of the Atlantic and scored them a Top 10 album, is built around the old-fashioned concept of four blokes, big crunchy guitars and chugging anthems about birds and beer – a far cry from West’s hot-headed, genre-bending rap.On the Other stage, meanwhile, there’s a more sinister sound coming from the crowd: “Hope you enjoy Kanye,” Van McCann, charismatic frontman of Catfish and the Bottlemen optimistically offers to the audience, who make their disdain for the American rapper known. Perhaps the thousands who’ve arrived to see the Llandudno group are the same thousands who signed a petition for West to lose his Saturday night headline slot this year. After all, the ethos of this indie band, whose slowly burgeoning fanbase has sold out shows on both sides of the Atlantic and scored them a Top 10 album, is built around the old-fashioned concept of four blokes, big crunchy guitars and chugging anthems about birds and beer – a far cry from West’s hot-headed, genre-bending rap.
Related: Glastonbury 2015: Friday daytime liveblog – Mary J Blige, Jungle and going down a stormRelated: Glastonbury 2015: Friday daytime liveblog – Mary J Blige, Jungle and going down a storm
In contrast to Bay and his fast track to success built on early-doors endorsements, the Bottlemen are a band built on word-of-mouth support and authenticity, something McCann is well aware of when he asks a security guard to hold on to a CD flung into the photo pit by an audience member: “I promise I’ll listen to it,” McCann assures sincerely. In contrast to Bay and his fast track to success built on early-doors endorsements, the Bottlemen are a band built on word-of-mouth support and authenticity, something McCann is well aware of when he asks a security guard to hold on to a CD flung into the photo pit by an audience member: “I promise I’ll listen to it,” the singer assures sincerely.
With a big audience already on their side, the only thing that stops this indie act from having a triumphant festival moment is a downpour of torrential rain that’s been threatening to break since Friday morning. Heavy showers begin moments into their single, Kathleen, soaking their gear to the extent that they’re forced to cut their set short: they play a mere 35 minutes. McCannflings his guitar to the side of the stage, and praises the sodden fans profusely for their support, before the Bottlemen head backstage. “Thank you for investing in this band,” he says, rather mercurially, before they disappear, leaving the more familiar sound of an audience roaring in support ringing across the site. With a big audience already on their side, the only thing that stops this indie act from having a triumphant festival moment is a downpour of torrential rain that’s been threatening to break since Friday morning. Heavy showers begin moments into their single Kathleen, soaking their gear to the extent that they’re forced to cut their set short: they play a mere 35 minutes. McCann flings his guitar to the side of the stage and praises the sodden fans profusely for their support, before the Bottlemen head backstage. “Thank you for investing in this band,” he says, rather mercurially, before they disappear, leaving the more familiar sound of an audience roaring in support ringing across the site.