jacks.jukebox

You’ve made it to the final day. Whether you spent last night chilling to the dulcet tones of Ezra Collective and Loyle Carner, or bringing out your inner girl power with Mel C and Christine & The Queens, today might be about to get even better.

Sunday is STACKED with legends. And I don’t use that word lightly. We have Yusuf/Cat Stevens(!), Blondie(!!), AND Elton John(!!!) all gracing the Main Stage! Shame it’s not at the same time in some sort of super group.

It’s not only the Main Stage being graced by star power, as the likes of The War On Drugs, Alt-J, Queens of The Stone Age, AND shoegaze pioneers Slowdive will all be appearing on various stages throughout the day. It’s gonna be a busy one, so let’s get straight into it.

We’re gonna kick our Sunday off in similar fashion to Friday. This time with the Bristol Reggae Orchestra and Windrush Choir. What better way to fire the last day of the weekend into power, than by bopping along to some reggae whilst celebrating the Windrush Generation. Just know that British culture, therefore your life, would be significantly more boring and bland if it wasn’t for the Windrush Generation. Some people need to be reminded of that. Imagine if they were chucked on a boat to Rwanda. Ignore the culture war instigators.

Check out more about the Bristol Reggae Orchestra here.

Once you’ve got your hit of Reggae, you could stay at the main stage all day if you really wanted to, it really does pick up around 3ish. But I’d be making my way over to the Other Stage. If moody guitar sounds mixed with upbeat electronica is your sort of thing, then you wouldn’t want to miss Japanese Breakfast. The Korean-American indie pop band would fit the vibe of the day perfectly. Setting you up for the likes of Slowdive and Blondie later on. Japanese Breakfast’s main hit, “Be Sweet” is cordially invited into the Jukebox.

Next up, make your way to the West Holts Stage for 2pm. Here you will find Black Country, New Road. This is a band I have had recommended to me endlessly. Their 2022 album “Ants From Up There” is highly regarded as one of the best releases of that year. I’ve actually never got round to listening to it to be honest, so that’s why today would be the perfect opportunity to give them a go. The innovative alt band are making there Glasto debut, so be sure to check them out.

3:15pm on the Main Stage is where you want to be next. The artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, or just Yusuf/Cat Stevens as he actually goes by, will be performing in the legends slot this year. Go sing along to “Wild World” and pretend that you’re Sid in season 2 of Skins. This man has a back-catalogue dating over 50 years, and he’s gonna cram it all into 1 hour 15 minutes just for you. Both “Wild World” and “Father and Son” may enter the Jukebox.

Next up is a choice where you may genuinely have to flip a coin. With them both taking stage at 5pm on the dot. On the main stage (in the red corner) we have Blondie! And at Woodsies (the blue corner) we have Slowdive! I’m just glad I’m not actually there and I can watch them both on Iplayer.

I don’t have to say too much about Blondie. To get crude for a second (I do apologise) all I can say is that if it was 1970s/80s Debbie Harry, I, and presumably any other man (and probably most women), would not have a decision to make at all. Not to say she hasn’t aged like a fine wine since. But come on, there’s a certain aura around 1970s Debbie Harry which has gone unmatched ever since. Just check out this articles featured image for proof.

Enough of that, back to the music! Blondie is possibly the quintessential new wave band and one of the most influential pop acts of all time. Hip-hop and rap as you know it today wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for Blondie’s 1980 hit “Rapture”. The very first song with a rap feature to reach the top of the American charts. And for that reason, “Rapture” is of course in the Jukebox.

And then you have Slowdive. The shoegaze giants who really did help in pioneering a genre of music which is so influential today. Just look at bands such as Japanese Breakfast if you’re wondering if shoegaze is one of the most influential genres of the last 30 years. A band who’s discography is short but very sweet, I would not argue if you would rather see Slowdive over Blondie.

This is already maybe the busiest day of the weekend. Next up, depending on what you’re into, you could either check out Lil Nas X on the main stage at 7pm, or The War on Drugs, who have been described as a “hypnotic neo-psycadelic experience”, at 7:45pm on the Other Stage.

And then comes the choice of the three headliners. We obviously have Elton John himself who I’m sure will be playing an epic set on the Main Stage. Not only is it his last ever UK performance, but simultaneously he will also be making his Glastonbury debut, which just seems unbelievable. In tribute of the former Watford FC owner (cos that’s what he’s best known for, isn’t it?), my favourite tune of his can enter the Jukebox. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues.”

If Elton’s not your thing, that’s fine, because on the Other Stage we have modern day rock icons, Queens of The Stone Age. I’ve never been massive on Josh Homme’s band personally, but I do appreciate that they are up there with the very best live bands on the planet.

But it is the headliners on the Park Stage that I’d be making sure to see. Alt-J, whose performances at Glastonbury in the past have stolen the show, will be taking to the stage at 9:15pm. They are a band that I have always been desperate to see live, despite not being an avid listener of their albums. But I have heard a fair amount of their work, with “Left Hand Free” from their 2014 album “This Is All Yours” doing enough to make the Jukebox.

Finally, with the main stages closing up for the year, there’s only one place to go. In similar vein to “Jabba The Slut” on Friday and Saturday, I have the perfect act to take you long into the early hours of Monday morning. At 1am at The Rabbit Hole stage, we have… The Egg. Not much more has to be said, I’ll let Danny Devito do that.

So there you have it, thanks to me you have managed to have the best weekend of your life, you are welcome. Where would you be without me, eh?

Can’t lie, I’m quite relieved Glasto is over, I can finally write about something else (although I might do a weekend review, we shall see).

Have fun on the final night and be safe, but not too safe 😉

Until next time. Ciao for now.