It was one of the worst-kept secrets of this year's edition of the British Glastonbury festival, but no one was quite ready to believe it, until the rumors came true.
A little before 18:XNUMX local time, Dave Grohl, singer and guitarist, came out on the Piramida stage, which started the surprise performance of his band. foo Fighters.
It was their first appearance at the festival since 2017 and their first gig in the UK since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year.
"You knew all along we were going to show up, didn't you?" Grohl laughed on stage.
"It's nice to see your faces again," he said.
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In the announcement of the festival, the band was on the list of performers under the name The ChurnUps, but this line-up confirmed via Twitter an hour before the performance that they would play.
After that, the already well-filled Piramida stage attracted an even larger number of visitors.
The band played an abbreviated set of greatest hits, including songs All My Life, Learn To Fly, The Pretender i Best Of You, as well as several tracks by Metallica and Black Sabbath.
"We only have an hour, so we have to try to fit as many songs as possible," Grohl explained.
When the band last performed at this festival, Hawkins was behind the drums.
After his death, Grohl's first public appearance was on the Pyramid stage, when he attended Paul McCartney's performance.
Although he is known for giving his best at gigs, Grohl surpassed his standards on Friday night, playing and singing like he was possessed.
The riffs were stronger and the screams were louder, he was drenched in sweat from the first minute.
The performance was powerful and emotional, especially when they played a slower version of the song My hero, which felt like a tribute to Hawkins (even more so than the track everlong, which was written in his honor).
Afterwards, Grohl brought his daughter Violet on stage to sing a duet Where Are You Now, dedicated to his mother Virginia, who also passed away last year.
Despite that, the atmosphere was more cheerful with the extended versions of their songs, which sounded refreshed and relaxed, even though the gig was shorter.
Paul McCartney and his daughter Stella were also at the concert, and the band made a promise to the audience.
"If you come again, we will come too. See you next year," said the rock band.
Friday was the first day with a full musical program at the Glastonbury festival, which formally opened on Wednesday.
Among the well-known performers will be the band Arctic Mankiz, as well as the British singer-songwriter Ben Howard, who participated in the opening, having returned to music after two minor heart attacks.
He was visibly moved by the audience that greeted him at the beginning and end of the performance.
"It was really special," he told the BBC after coming off the stage.
“It's like there's something in the air, isn't it? Everyone is having a good time, even though it's still early. This is magic," he said.
So far, they have performed at the festival The Lightning Seeds, as well as Carly Rae Jepsen, who was carried by the audience while singing her biggest hit Call me Maybe.
After the band foo Fighters, R'n'B star Kelis also performed on Friday, and until the end of the festival, stars such as Guns and Roses, Elton John and Lana Del Rey will perform.
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