'Glastonbury has reminded us what is at stake for music in the 2020s'
30.06.2023 - 06:19
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Flicking through Twitter on a Friday night is not an ideal way to start the weekend.
However, last week, one M.E.N. reviewer had good reason to. That was to soak up the reaction - both good and bad - of Arctic Monkeys' headline Glastonbury set.
One can make whatever one wants of the Sheffield rockers' performance at Worthy Farm. For some, it was a turgid trawl through the most pretentious aspects of Alex Turner's character. For others, it was a successful reinvention of the last British band to truly dominate the music scene.
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Whatever your thoughts are, the reaction served as a reminder that music really is the lifeblood of UK culture. Every once in a while, a homegrown artist will come in and grab the nation's attention. For the mid-00s, Alex and co have that crown.
For the 2010s, it's most likely Stormzy. For the mid-2020s, it's undecided.
What might be worrying to some is the fact that British artists are finding it harder and harder to make the leap - with foreign tours becoming more expensive, streaming chipping away at incomes, and the actual cost of starting a band is reaching a prohibitive point. So, the fact that the gig guide for June only includes international acts might be a seen of a declining industry.
Or it might be the sign that the Brits were at Worthy Farm, or another field. What we do know is that there's plenty up for grabs in the 20s.
There's no arguing that American five-piece Sir Chloe are an indie dream. On the back of their sophmore album, they sent fans to cloud nine with a beautifully-crafted set at Band On The Wall.
From crawling verses and thrashy choruses, to delicate melodies about love, it's