Lizzo, Elton John, Rick Astley... Who will give us 'Glastonbury moments' in 2023?
- Published
Lizzo will play just before headliners Guns N' Roses on the Pyramid Stage this Saturday
"What's wrong with this picture?" asked country star Kenny Rogers near the start of his Pyramid Stage set at Glastonbury in 2013.
"Glastonbury and Kenny Rogers? I'm so far out of my comfort zone."
An hour later, he was walking on air. The audience received him so enthusiastically that he played Islands In The Stream twice.
He later declared the festival one of his "top five experiences".
A variation of that scene happens at Glastonbury every year. A song unexpectedly takes flight, and the artist and audience meet in a magical space between excitement, euphoria and exhaustion.
It's almost impossible to predict... but there's no harm in trying, so I sat down with BBC Radio 1's Arielle Free to identify this year's potential "Glastonbury moments".
You can listen to playlists on Spotify, external, Apple Music, external or YouTube, external, and argue with us about the choices on social media (not really, for goodness sake, who has the time?)
The headliners
Arctic Monkeys are headlining the festival for the third time
Arctic Monkeys - RU Mine
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Mark: Which of the headliners are you most excited about?
Arielle: That's so hard. Arctic Monkeys are a band I literally grew up with and have loved since their MySpace days - but I feel like I have to say Elton John, because I might never get to see him live again. Plus I keep hearing lots of exciting rumours about special guests. I think he's going to go all out.
Mark: He's already said it'll be a completely different set to his current tour, but he traditionally finishes with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and I think that'll be a hugely emotional moment, because this could be his last ever show in the UK. I can hear that "ah-ah-ahhhh" chorus ringing out across the fields long after he's left the stage.
Arielle: I saw him at Bestival and he was on stage at 11am doing his own soundcheck. He cares about the performance more than anything else, so it can't fail to be emotional.
Mark: Any guesses on the special guests?
Arielle: Let's be honest, we're all hoping for a bit of Harry Styles, aren't we!
Mark: You chose RU Mine as the Arctics' big song. Why that one?
Arielle: If there's a song that epitomises why I love Arctic Monkeys. it's that one. It's high energy. It's sexy. If they kick off with that one, we're in.
New discoveries
The Last Dinner Party play before lunchtime on Saturday, but are expected to draw a huge crowd
The Last Dinner Party - Nothing Matters
Gabriels - Love And Hate In A Different Time
Flo - Cardboard Box
Mark: The Last Dinner Party have got a huge buzz around them. They were signed to Island Records with just one single and they're already supporting Florence + The Machine on tour. There's a definite sonic similarity there. They're first on the bill at the Woodsies stage on Saturday morning, but I think the tent will be rammed.
Arielle: Thank you for putting them on the list because I hadn't heard of them. I was like, "The Last Dinner Party? That sounds like a site-specific theatre group."
Mark: To be honest, I think they might be. They look like Wednesday Addams dressed like the cast of Bridgerton.
Arielle: On Saturday, I'm hosting the West Holts stage, which means I get to see Gabriels, who are my favourite band at the moment.
Mark: I saw them on The Park stage last year when no-one really knew who they were, and it was like a religious service. People walked away converted, telling everyone they'd seen the best band of their lives.
Arielle: They give me goosebumps. I've seen them five times, and Jacob [Lusk, frontman] is one of the most incredibly charismatic, engaging, overwhelming performers. And I'll tell you one thing: Gold Leopards.
Mark: OK...
Arielle: Gold leopards. That's all I'm allowed to say!
Pop classics
Rick Astley has announced a new single in the lead-up to Glastonbury.... but that's not the song people want to hear
Lizzo - Good As Hell
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
Arielle: Lizzo's set is going to be one of those ones where everyone just throws their arms around each other and has fun.
Mark: She's such a force of positivity.
Arielle: I remember when Adele headlined. There was a grandma, her daughter and the granddaughter all singing Rolling In The Deep in unison at the top of their voices. I think this will be the same.
Mark: We've chosen Good As Hell, but it could just have easily been Juice or About Damn Time or Special.
Arielle: I remember when Lizzo played the West Holts stage in 2019, she said she'd had a 13-year gap between Glastonbury performances, because she first played in the unsigned artist's tent. And now, however many years later, she'll be on the main stage, she'll bring her flute, she'll bring her dancers. I get really emotional when I see artists achieve their dreams like that. I'll probably cry.
Mark: We need to talk about Rick Astley on Saturday morning. I think people will come along just to hear Never Gonna Give You Up and, honestly, he could just play that on repeat for an hour and we'd all be happy. The crowd's going to go bananas.
Arielle: Carly Rae Jepsen's the same. You can hear everyone singing Call Me Maybe already.
Mark: I've told the BBC I'm not working for that hour she's on stage. I'm turning my phone off and diving into the mosh pit.
Arielle: She's massively underrated as a vocalist. I can't wait to hear her play I Really Like You.
Dance anthems
Nia Archives is at the forefront of a revival in UK jungle
Nia Archives: Off Wiv Ya Headz
Jessie Ware: Free Yourself (Eats Everything remix)
Fred Again: Delilah (Pull Me Out Of This)
Arielle Free: Technicolor Kenny
Kitty Amor ft Somedina - I Saw An Angel & Wept
Jayda G - Scars
Mark: Thank you for choosing the Nia Archives track. What a song.
Arielle: I've had it as my tune of the week on Radio 1 this week and it has divided the crowd. I don't know if people are really attached to the original by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, or the remix by A-Trak, but a lot of people have been, like, "Don't ruin a classic". Also, I'm on the radio from four 'till seven AM, so it might not be appropriate for that time of day.
Mark: It's pretty loud.
Arielle: She's doing her own stage at Glastonbury - Nia Archives Presents on Saturday night. That'll be amazing.
Mark: I'm really interested in Fred Again. I'm not sure he's that well-known but he's second on the bill on The Other Stage.
Arielle: Oh, I don't know. He's just headlined Coachella. He also headlined Parklife [in Manchester] recently, and apparently every other stage was empty. Even other huge DJs just felt the wrath of going up against Fred Again. He's so fast and technical. It's like watching a Formula One race for like an hour.
Mark: I've got to ask about your single, Technicolor Kenny. It's a summer anthem that's been two years in the making...
Arielle: It's been a long, long slog getting it over the line, but it's finally there. The short version of the story is I was on the way to my brother's wedding and the radio in our car was stuck on this yacht rock station. We heard I Believe In Love by Kenny Loggins three times - and I was like, "That would make such a good dance track". So I made an edit and sent it to Annie Mac, because she's my hero, just to get some feedback, and she played it on the radio without even telling me. And here we are!
Summer vibes
Wizkid headlines the Other Stage - Glastonbury's second-biggest venue - on Friday night
Wizkid ft Tems - Essence
Enny & Loyle Carner - Take It Slow
Dave and Central Cee - Sprinter
Lana Del Rey - Say Yes To Heaven
Arielle: When Guns N' Roses are on the Pyramid Stage, I'll be running to watch Loyle Carner headline West Holts. For him, it's going to be such a special moment.
Mark: Did you see his show at Wembley this year? It was such a compelling and thoughtful show. His album [Hugo] is all about his relationship with his father, and how that developed over a series of driving lessons, and the staging really brought that story to life. He even had the car on stage... It was really moving.
Arielle: I did see him last time he played West Holts, at about four in the afternoon. He brought on his mum, Jorja Smith, Ezra Collective. He's very loyal... Loyal Carner! He loves raising people up and his new track with Enny is so good. I really hope he brings her on stage. She's such an incredibly gifted rapper.
Mark: That song has such a laid-back summer vibe. And as much as we've talked about singalongs and dancing, there's that flipside to Glastonbury where the sun's going down, and you lie back and let the music wash over you. I think Lana Del Rey will be the perfect antidote for people who've maybe gone a little too hard during the day.
Arielle: Wizkid's Essence is such a summer tune. I've never seen him and I think he's going to be amazing.
Mark: There was a great review of his US tour, where they said he's entered his "rock star era", full of "shirtless serenades and rabid fans". I'm almost more interested in seeing that than Arctic Monkeys, who are on at the same time.
Arielle: I don't know what I'm going to do about that. I'll just have to deal with the consequences of whatever decision I make.
Arielle Free is hosting Glastonbury coverage on BBC iPlayer this weekend.
- Published20 June 2023
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