Macy Gray has been confirmed tonight’s ‘special guest’ at the GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL.
Gray will perform second on the bill this evening on the newly-constructed Pyramid Stage – directly after Counting Crows, and before the main headliners Chemical Brothers. Gray‘s confirmation comes as little surprise following weeks of speculation that the R&B queen was to play this year’s festival. However her record label, Columbia, were reluctant to officially confirm it until today.
In other changes to the festival line-up, Eagle Eye Cherry has been replaced by G Love & Special Sauce on the Pyramid Stage today, and Burt Bacharach, who pulled out of the festival earlier in the week after breaking his collar bone, looks set to be replaced by David Gray.
The usual Glastonbury rumour mill is already in overdrive, with artists rumoured to be making an appearance including Paul McCartney and Fat Les. Keith Allen and Joe Strummer have already set up camp in one corner of the backstage area, although bassist Alex James has yet to be spotted by nme.com.
The festival site remains damp this morning following a night of showers. Most of the main walkways remain heavy, but there is still no indication that conditions are to become as bad as the festivals in 1997 and 1998. However, the rain last night did create a backlog of production, stage crews and band tour buses trying to get on to the festival site. Reports suggested queues of up to three hours to get on site last night, and this morning, word in the main festival Production Office suggested up to 17 tour buses were backed up, waiting to enter the site.
This morning, tractors are out in full force, attempting to improve access and get the bands on stage in time.
nme.com will remain on the festival site, come rain or shine, to bring you the latest news and reviews as they happen. Click back later today to see reviews of all the main bands, including Chemical Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, Moby and The Bluetones, within minutes of the bands leaving the stage.