29th June 2025
Another fine day in Paradise, blue skies with some wispy clouds to save us from some of the heat. Our usual breakfast, which has proven to be excellant and then off to watch some music.
Thandii
I made my way to the West Holts stage, where I saw Thandii, a tall blonde singer backed by drums, keyboards, and a guitar. I would classify this as modern jazz. It was a fine but not an overwhelming performance
Abel Selaocoe & the Bantu Ensemble
The next act on the West Holts stage was a real treat: Abel Selaocoe. The performance was a captivating fusion of virtuosic classical cello playing and traditional Bantu singing. Being a classical music ignoramus, I did not realize South African cellist Abel Selaocoe was a world-famous, genre-defying artist, celebrated for boldly blending Western classical traditions with his African heritage.
The Riptide Movement
I went back to the The Love Fields. It must have been to pick something up. I only know because I took some photos. On the way back to see Rod Stewart at the Pyramid Stage, I dropped off at the Acoustic Stage for a beer and caught a few moments of the band called The Riptide Movement.
Rod Stewart
Made it to the top of the Pyramid field to watch Rod Stewart’s perform in the highly coveted Sunday afternoon Legends Slot.
The 80-year-old rock veteran, following an introduction by rousing bagpipes, treated the sun-soaked field to outfit changes (including a wonderfully bright pink suit), a dazzling array of backing singers and musicians, and a parade of his greatest hits.
While there were fair questions raised over the strength and gravel of his voice on a few of the rock songs, his stage presence and ability to orchestrate a massive singalong remained completely intact. Highlights included a heartfelt rendition of The First Cut Is the Deepest and the unexpected appearance of Mick Hucknall for a duet, but the crowd truly exploded when Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood joined him for a blistering run-through of Stay With Me and Hot Legs (the latter also featuring Lulu).
The show delivered spectacle, nostalgia, and a proper Sunday afternoon party, culminating, naturally, with Sailing.
Set List Highlights
- Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)
- The First Cut Is the Deepest (Cat Stevens cover)
- Maggie May (includes snippet of ‘Gasoline Alley’)
- Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?
- I Don’t Want to Talk About It
- If You Don’t Know Me by Now (with Mick Hucknall)
- Stay With Me (Faces song, with Ronnie Wood)
- Hot Legs (with Lulu and Ronnie Wood)
- Sailing (The Sutherland Brothers Band cover)
The Verdict: Was he past it?
Absolutely not. While his voice might have lost a bit of its classic rasp, Rod Stewart understood the assignment perfectly. The Legends Slot isn’t about proving you’re the sharpest rock and roller; it’s about rolling out the hits, delivering entertainment, and bringing the festival to a joyous crescendo before the final headliners. He brought the party, the spectacle, and some brilliant surprise guests, securing his place as a true Glastonbury Legend.
Goat
After Rod Stewart, I rushed over to West Holts to see the band called Goat. Only saw last 20 minutes of this set. All the players were dressed in masks ,( Slipknot ). Their signature blend of driving Afrobeat, motorik krautrock, and hard-grooving psychedelia felt perfectly suited to the spiritual, sun-drenched landscape of Worthy Farm. The dual drummers laid down a colossal, thunderous backbone that drove every track.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
While The Brian Jonestown Massacre played, an aircraft drew a vapour trail in the sky, a Smilie. More fun than listening to the band playing. The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s 2025 West Holts set was less psychedelic bliss and more predictable chaos. Anton Newcombe seemed more interested in glaring at the sound engineer than playing, allowing endless tuning breaks to murder any festival momentum. It was a definite downer.
The Prodigy and the End
Visited the Other Stage for the headline act of the Prodigy. I was rather disapointed, the music is good, but there are so many long pauses between each piece. The whole rhythm of the gig just died on me.
With Ed and Mary we went on a bar crawl, looking for music venues, visiting Sensations for a covers band, and the Small World tent for some violin playing. I bailed out at around 3 and went back to my yurt.
Leaving
We packed up and left in the morning. Unfortunately Love Fields is a long distance from the main road, with several other campsites, car parks and glamping grounds in between, each letting their clients onto the road. We sat stationary for ages, hopefully our speed of movement would improve as we passed each exit onto our road. It did, but still we waited. Then we started to move, the traffic lights onto the main road were reprioritised to allow more of us to exit.
Gallery
