It’s always a sign of early summer when the music festivals get underway, and few are bigger than the Glastonbury festival. It’s kicked off now in earnest, the first of the three big headliners, the 1975, play on Friday night. It looks like it's another super weekend of music with some great 1970s artists in among the lineup.
The 1975 aren't, of course, a seventies band. When they got together in 2002, they picked up their name from some random notes left in an old poetry book. It was bought second-hand by Matty Healey, Taylor Swift's ex and lead singer of the band.
But that flash reminder of the seventies, combined with the Saturday night headliner Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts, made me wonder what other 1970s icons were still rocking the Glastonbury stages this year. As you might expect, it’s a short list after all these years. But there are some great names from that decade booked in. And who knows what others might sneak on stage as guests or lurk in the crowds?
Pure gold as 1970s stars take to the Glastonbury stages
There will be a lot of interest in seeing Neil Young live on the Pyramid Stage. It’s a shame that a running dispute with the BBC means we won’t see his set streamed live. Given that at one stage Young was going to pull out of the festival altogether, we should be grateful he changed his mind on that.
On Sunday, there is always a legends slot around 5 pm local time on the Pyramid stage. This year, it’s all set for a sing-along party with Sir Rod Stewart. That should be ideal for the Glasto crowd. Watch out too for Rod’s mate Ronnie Wood showing up with his guitar on stage alongside. Maybe we’ll hear something new from an upcoming Faces album.
Saturday is the biggest day for 1970s stars, though. John Fogerty will be there and no doubt blasting out a few of his own songs and some Creedence Clearwater Revival classics too. Adding some great dance tunes to the party will be Nile Rodgers and Chic. He has an amazing catalog of songs that he has released, written, and played on.
Two great blasts from the past, with a different style, also show up on Saturday. A great chance to see Gary Numan and a chance to hear his new wave and electro sound again. There is also Nick Lowe with his pub rock and roll and a batch of great songs to play. Both should be crowd pleasers in their own way.
The last of the main 1970s names comes with Burning Spear. He’s 80 now, but then we are going to find many 1970s stars who aren't around that age. His brand of Jamaican reggae hit the stage on Friday afternoon. Ideal for a sunny day at the top festival.