PJ Harvey casts herself as a provocative rockabilly re-inventor at Glastonbury
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Marina Abramovich, a performance artist, has been given a short time to perform on the main stage before PJ Harvey. She wants everyone in the audience to participate in seven minutes of silence while she is on stage, wearing a costume shaped like a large peace symbol. She says she wants to do this because she thinks the world is a terrible place.
Bombay Bicycle Club, moving from the Other Stage, clearly didn't receive the message, but their reflective performance also allows Glastonbury a moment to transition from Sugababes' "Round Round" to Harvey's captivating blend of modern and ancient aesthetics.
When Emily Eavis strikes a gong to signal the end of the silence, Polly Jean appears to emerge from the leyline itself, clad in attire resembling a haunted crow tree. In this appropriately mystical setting, the newest chapter in her career, which has been likened to David Bowie's evolution, comes to a captivating end.
In the world of theatre, there are people walking around dressed like old paintings, complete with frames. The first few songs from Harvey's new album, "I Inside The Old Year Dying," show her as a modern version of artist Jan van Eyck's interpretation of St. Vincent. Once known as a garage rocker and glamorous pop singer, Harvey has now been seen as a medieval artist experimenting with new styles for the past ten years.
"Prayer at the Gate" and "The Nether-Edge" have a haunting sound with spirit voices and instruments that resemble wishing sticks and summoning pipes. These electronic pagan pieces could easily be the soundtrack for a dramatic scene like the final moments of a movie. With lyrics about death and romance in Anglo-Saxon language, Lankum's unique style is influenced by "dark-haired lords" and shepherd girls. It's a fascinating mix that might leave the Dua Lipa fans at the front of the crowd scratching their heads.
The sounds and atmosphere at this place are really intense and immersive. When the energetic horns of “The Glorious Land” from the well-received album Let England Shake play and Harvey sings the lyrics, saying that the fruit of our land is deformed children, the crowd, although small, reacts to it like a hit party song.
Also, the energetic clapping along to "The Words That Maketh Murder" set the mood, but things really picked up when Harvey shed the tree dress and launched into "50ft Queenie". She crawled across the stage, exuding a raw and daring energy reminiscent of old-school rockabilly artists.
It's comforting to see that Harvey has kept hold of her classic songs like "Man-Size" as she has evolved. When she starts playing the sharp chords of her first single "Dress" from 1991, you can hear the beginnings of her current dark and gritty sound.
She ends with a unique perspective from Patti Smith on "To Bring You My Love", a dark introduction to an evening of energetic pop music that demonstrates the diversity of musical genres available. If you listen closely for a few more minutes, you may just catch a glimpse of the legendary musicians giving an amazing performance.
