Glastonbury 2011: Friday round-up

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Matt Cardy, Getty Images

There was a moment yesterday, watching a wide-eyed Chipmunk pound across the Other Stage, that we dared to believe. The sun wasn't shining exactly -- don't believe anyone who tells you it has so far -- but seeing a 20-year-old open Friday at Glastonbury with such aplomb made the old site buzz with excitement. He may have played it cool afterwards, but even for an artist who had never been to a music festival and is afraid of mud, it was clear that seeing the Pilton crowd singalong to his hits (chart topper 'Oopsy Daisy' in particular) retained a special magic.

Despite the promising start to the day, the sky remained stubbornly ashen and the ground -- well, there's a reason why the daily trudge is such a source of schadenfreude for people sat at home. During years like this, everyone at Glastonbury wakes up feeling like they've run a marathon and in a sense they have: one welly-risking wrench at a time. No matter: Metronomy were taking to the Pyramid Stage and about to start a confident set made up mainly of highlights from recent album 'The English Riviera'. Within minutes they had allayed fears that their songs might struggle to fill the festival's biggest stage, with recent single 'The Look' in particular giving people reason to dance a little (while stuck firmly to the spot, of course).

From early morning, shouts of 'Wu-Tang killer bees!' could be heard around the festival site (mainly from the AOL Music staff) as excitement for the hip-hop collective grew. As is the Glastonbury sky's wicked way, the rain really started to bucket it down just as RZA, Method Man and co took to the Pyramid Stage, but in truth a plague of locusts could barely have dampened the Wu-Tang Clan's enthusiasm -- or ours. Despite being heavyweights of hip-hop since the early 90s, the Clan sounded as focused and aggressive as ever, playing hit after hit from the greatest hip-hop back catalogue still touring. It was the perfect kick start to the festival and further proof -- as if any is needed -- that hip-hop and Glastonbury go together better than Noel Gallagher and 1995.

A little later in the day, and the worst-kept secret of the weekend was officially out: Radiohead were, again, playing an unscheduled set at Glastonbury. Anyone hoping they were in for an intimate experience at the Park stage were badly disappointed as the crowds extended far and wide, prompting Thom Yorke to dedicate some of his songs to "those who couldn't make it in". In truth, the majority there were probably hoping for a greatest hits set, rather than tracks from 'King Of Limbs' which Radiohead played to a slightly muted response. They ended with 'Street Spirit' -- a welcome note of nostalgia for those getting soggy at the back -- but the jury remains out on this most brilliant of modern bands' latest output.

And so, finally, to U2. As the heavens weep over thousands of people who were curious to see what 'the world's biggest band' would do now that Micheal Eavis had finally got them on the Pyramid Stage, Bono, The Edge and co did, well, what U2 are supposed to. Riffs that are huge without being heavy, choruses that feel emotive without having much of a point ('Sunday Bloody Sunday'-era aside) and plenty of messianic posturing. As you would expect from an act of their status and longevity, U2 were nothing if not an exceptionally tight live band, but anyone hoping for a performance that would go down as a Glastonbury great were probably kidding themselves.

-- Additional reporting by Rebecca Laurence

- Read our Radiohead live report
- Read the full review of U2
- Check out Glastonbury 2011: Thursday pictures

 

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