Bloc Party challenged the Glastonbury crowd to drown out Pyramid Stage headliner Neil Young during their headlining slot on the Other Stage tonight (June 26).
Frontman Kele Okereke greeted the audience after playing opener ‘One Month Off’, asking them to throw down the gauntlet to Young, who was playing at the same time as the London band.
“There are so many of you!” he exclaimed. “I thought you’d all be watching Neil Young! I want you to have as much fun and make as much noise as possible so they can’t hear anything on the Pyramid Stage.”
The singer and guitarist was wearing a t-shirt made for homeless charity Shelter, adorned with the image of the late DJ John Peel, who a Glastonbury stage is named after.
The band played hits including ‘Mercury’, ‘Banquet’ and ‘Hunting For Witches’.
Midway through the set Okereke bigged-up Lady Gaga, who played on the same stage as them earlier in the evening.
“How awesome was Lady Gaga?” he asked, drawing both cheers and boos. “Ooh, mixed opinions…” he added.
After playing ‘Flux’ and ‘Helicopter’, the band closed the first day of musical action on the Other Stage with a rapturously-received encore of ‘This Modern Love’.
“To be honest with you,” Okereke said at the climax of the set, “I’ve never really enjoyed going to or playing at Glastonbury before – until today!”
Bloc Party played:
‘One Month Off’
‘Hunting For Witches’
‘Positive Tension’
‘Halo’
‘Signs’
‘Waiting For The 7.18’
‘Song For Clay (Disappear Here)’
‘Banquet’
‘Two More Years’
‘One More Chance’
‘Mercury’
‘So Here We Are’
‘The Prayer’
‘Ares’
‘Flux’
‘Helicopter’
‘This Modern Love’
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Watch Bloc Party’s 2009 Glastonbury performance, courtesy of the BBC: