Coldplay Triumph at Glastonbury: 5 Biggest Highlights
Coldplay closed out this year's Glastonbury festival with an epic headlining set in front of over 100,000 fans last night. The band's 20-song performance was met with rabid fan response and packed with numerous surprises and highlights. In addition to the collection of great photos above, we've tracked down video and the stories behind five of the most important moments from this momentous evening:
A Tribute Fit for a King
At the end of Chris Martin's solo performance of "Everglow," the band played video of a 1977 speech from recently deceased boxing and civil rights legend Muhammad Ali, in which the champ declares that he wants to be remembered by more than his in-ring career: "I'm going to dedicate my life to using my name and popularity to helping charities, helping people, uniting people…."
Barry Gibb Joins Coldplay
Coldplay kicked off their encore by inviting Bee Gees star Barry Gibb onstage to sing two of his band's biggest hits: "To Love Somebody" and then, after the crowd roared in the affirmative after being asked if they wanted more, 'Stayin' Alive."
A Touching Farewell to Viola Beach
Saying that the band "reminded us of ourselves in our early days," Coldplay performed "Boys That Sing" by Viola Beach, the British indie band whose members all tragically died in a car accident back in February. "We're going to create Viola Beach's alternative future for them and let them play Glastonbury for a song," stated Martin. "This would have been [Viola Beach] in 20 years..."
It's a Family Affair
A sweet moment happened near the end of Coldplay's Glastonbury set as Martin's two children, Apple and Moses, joined their father by singing backup on "Up&Up."
Sharing the Stage With the Boss
"Wait, you know what? I don’t want this to be the last song," Martin declared after the previously mentioned family sing-a-long. "Can we speak to someone in charge?" Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis answered the call, and not only granted his headliner's wish but sang lead vocals on a cover of Frank Sinatra's "My Way."