Avril Lavigne and Keane shower Glastonbury 2024 with nostalgia

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Avril Lavigne and Keane shower Glastonbury 2024 with nostalgia

Shania Twain was one of the biggest draws at Glastonbury on Sunday. Shania’s concert received mixed reviews due to the weakened state of her voice, affected by Lyme disease, which she has suffered from since 2003. Those who see the glass half full point out that, at least, Shania sings live and does not rely too much on pre-recorded recordings.

SZA has been criticised for two reasons. On the one hand, some attendees claim that her concert was not at all packed because SZA is much less well-known in the UK than in the US. On the other hand, other critics claim that her set was plagued with technical problems. She surprised the audience by singing a cover of Prince’s ‘Kiss’.

Another dose of nostalgia on Sunday at Glastonbury was brought by Avril Lavigne. Her performance of ‘Sk8ter Boy’ was particularly celebrated. She was not the only icon of the 2000s to have a great time at Glastonbury 2024: Keane has also been one of the groups confirmed on the bill. ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ is clearly a classic of British pop.

Peggy Gou has shocked the Glastonbury audience by bringing Sophie Ellis-Bextor on stage for a performance of ‘Murder On the Dancefloor’.

On Saturday at Glastonbury, Jessie Ware premiered her new single with Romy, ‘Lift You Up’. It seems that Ware will continue to stick to the dance floor on her next album, as ‘Lift You Up’ doesn’t beat around the bush, betting on the pop-house sound that was all the rage in the nineties. At first ‘Lift You Up’ seems to take the path of Everything but the Girl, but it eventually settles on a more basic and effective sound.

In their headline show, Coldplay brought out actor Michael J. Fox again on stage, as they did in 2016 in New Jersey. Chris Martin referred to Fox as his “hero” pointing out that Coldplay would not exist without ‘Back to the Future’. The Coldplay concert included two musical guests of the stature of Little Simz, who appeared on the unreleased ‘We Pray’, and Laura Mvula, who sang backing vocals on ‘Violet Hill’. The set closed with ‘feelslikeimfallinginlove’, Coldplay’s new single.

Technical problems have plagued Cyndi Lauper’s highly anticipated Glastonbury concert. As reported by the BBC, Cyndi’s voice could barely be heard during the first few songs of the set. Some attendees complained that Cyndi sang out of time, was out of tune or was not heard at all.

With her new album, ‘C,XOXO’, just out, Camila Cabello has offered another of the most anticipated sets of Saturday at Glastonbury. Unlike Dua Lipa, Camila has pampered her new album live, playing most of its tracks. Although Cabello’s repertoire has not been missing from her greatest hits, such as ‘Havana’.

Glastonbury opened its doors this Friday at Worthy Farm with a performance by one of its main attractions, Dua Lipa. In her first Glastonbury concert as a headliner, Dua Lipa surprised the audience by inviting Kevin Parker, that is, Tame Impala, one of the producers of ‘Radical Optimism’, on stage. Together, Lipa and Parker sang ‘The Less I Know the Better’, the classic from Tame Impala’s ‘Currents’ (2015), and Parker also appeared on stage to play electric guitar on ‘Houdini’, the song that marked the grand finale of the concert.

Another notable cameo at Glastonbury was made by Damon Albarn, who appeared at the Bombay Bicycle Club concert. Together they sang ‘Heaven’ and ‘Tender’. Above all, Albarn took advantage of his time at Glastonbury to talk about Palestine. He asked the audience: “Are you pro-Palestine? Do you think this is a just war?” He also called for people to vote in the UK general elections on July 4, and denounced that “perhaps it is time for us to stop putting octogenarians in control of the world.”

The issue of war was also present in the performance that Serbian artist Marina Abramovic gave just before the PJ Harvey concert. Dressed as a symbol of peace, Abramovic gave a speech followed by seven minutes of silence. In her speech, Abramovic reflected that “violence only brings more violence” and called on the world to continue demonstrating and protesting.

AURORA has also used her platform to denounce the situation in Palestine, Sudan, Yemen and Congo, specifically the suffering of the child population in these places. “It really worries me, I feel like the world leaders are trying to screw us over and over again,” she said while singing ‘The Seed’. “I can’t believe these disgusting people are damaging our future.” At their concert, too, IDLES called for a “ceasefire.”

Glastonbury continues this Saturday, June 29, with performances by Coldplay and Cyndi Lauper, and on Sunday, June 30, with performances by SZA and Shania Twain.

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Simon Müller

Simon Müller is the driving force behind UMusic, embodying a lifelong passion for all things melodious. Born and raised in New York, his love for music took form at an early age and fueled his journey from an avid music enthusiast to the founder of a leading music-centered website. Simon's diverse musical tastes and intrinsic understanding of acoustic elements offer a unique perspective to the UMusic community. Sporting a dedicated commitment to aural enrichment and hearing health, his vision extends beyond just delivering news - he aspires to create a network of informed, appreciative music lovers. Spend a moment in Mueller's company, and you'd find his passion infectious – music isn’t simply his job, it’s his heartbeat.