Pyramid Subs - Did They Pull It Off?

[Gnomicide]

Following on from a discussion on the LAWF thread, Pyramid sub is said to be a difficult one to pull off (madam).

Who managed it and who didn't? I've put some in where either I saw them or where I gather they made it or blew it based on what I've read on these boards. I'll update this post if I can as we go along. I need to point out that I've no doubt Faithless were bloody awful on both occasions but people seemed to like them for some unexplainable reason.

I've gone back to 2000.

2000
Macy Gray - ?
Pet Shop Boys - Yes (gah!)
Embrace - ?

2002
Faithless - Yes
The Charlatans - ?
Roger Waters - ?

2003
David Gray - Yes
The Flaming Lips - Yes
Manic Street Preachers - No

2004
Kings of Leon - Yes
Black Eyed Peas - Yes
Morrisey - Yes

2005
The Killers - Yes
New Order - No
Primal Scream - ? 

2007 - Year of the K Bands
Kasabian - Yes
The Kooks - ?
Kaiser Chiefs - ?

2008
The Fratellis - ?
Amy Winehouse - ?
Leonard Cohen - Yes

2009
The Specials - Yes
Kasabian - Yes
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Yes

2010
Dizzee Rascal - Yes
Scissor Sisters - Yes
Faithless - Yes

2011
Morrissey - No
Elbow - Yes
Pendulum - No

2013
Dizzee Rascal - ?
Primal Scream - No
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Yes

2014
Elbow - Yes
Jack White - No
The Black Keys - No

2015
The Libertines - Yes
Pharrell Williams - Yes
Paul Weller - ?

2016
Foals - Yes
Tame Impala - Yes
Beck - Yes

2017
The XX - Yes
The National - No
Biffy Clyro - ?

2019
George Ezra - Yes
Liam Gallagher - ?
Vampire Weekend - Yes

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by Gnomicide

[incident]

2 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

2008

 

Leonard Cohen - ?

Arguably the most adored Pyramid Stage set of all time - and certainly as far as non-headline sets goes. There's no way this should be a question mark.

[stuartbert two hats]

My personal opinions on the ? sets:

 

2004
Black Eyed Peas - Yes
Morrisey - Yes

2005
New Order - Hell no

2017
the xx - Yes

[st dan]

Faithless’ 2010 sub will forever be one of my favourite Glastonbury performances. A combination of factors, my first Glastonbury, their last gig as a band, the weather at the festival, the setting sun, eagerly waiting for Stevie Wonder - for me it was one of life’s moments where you just stop and look around, and everything in that moment is just perfect. And I’m not even a huge fan of the band. 

I thought The xx and Foals both were great too. And despite being a huge National fan, their set just didn’t cut it for me in 2017. 

Edited April 6, 2021 by st dan

[kingcrawler]

I don’t think The Black Keys did, they seemed miserable the full time, didn’t play their full set and then complained about the Glastonbury crowd at a festival in Poland the following week. 

Of the other sets I’ve seen, I’d say The xx were great and seemed to go down really well on the day. The National didn’t get it quite right though and I think the band have admitted that since. I’d say Foals probably pulled it off too. Obviously there were the sound issues at the end but on the whole I thought they were good, even if it’s not the best I’ve seen them.

[Spindles]

Tame Impala's set was well received, I thought.

[Gnomicide]

4 minutes ago, incident said:

Arguably the most adored Pyramid Stage set of all time - and certainly as far as non-headline sets goes. There's no way this should be a question mark.

Very good point, I've absolutely no idea why I didn't put him as a straight yes.

[fraybentos1]

2 minutes ago, kingcrawler said:

I don’t think The Black Keys did, they seemed miserable the full time, didn’t play their full set and then complained about the Glastonbury crowd at a festival in Poland the following week. 

Of the other sets I’ve seen, I’d say The xx were great and seemed to go down really well on the day. The National didn’t get it quite right though and I think the band have admitted that since. I’d say Foals probably pulled it off too. Obviously there were the sound issues at the end but on the whole I thought they were good, even if it’s not the best I’ve seen them.

The Glasto crowd isn't exactly boisterous though to be fair, is it?

[Gnomicide]

2 minutes ago, kingcrawler said:

I don’t think The Black Keys did, they seemed miserable the full time, didn’t play their full set and then complained about the Glastonbury crowd at a festival in Poland the following week. 

Of the other sets I’ve seen, I’d say The xx were great and seemed to go down really well on the day. The National didn’t get it quite right though and I think the band have admitted that since. I’d say Foals probably pulled it off too. Obviously there were the sound issues at the end but on the whole I thought they were good, even if it’s not the best I’ve seen them.

Well there you go, I read someone on Twitter the other day saying it was amazing. I'll hang on for another nay sayer.

[Homer]

I thought the Pet Shop Boys were really food in 2000;  better than when they headlined the Other.

[TheSheriff]

Flaming Lips 2003 was perfect 

[st dan]

5 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Well there you go, I read someone on Twitter the other day saying it was amazing. I'll hang on for another nay sayer.

I’ll back this up as another ‘not for me’ despite being a fan of theirs. They just looked like they were going through the motions throughout. Although that’s probably because I wouldn’t have said they were ‘mainstream’ enough for a Pyramid sub slot and a casual music audience at the time - their chance at that really should have been 2011/2013 after the success of El Camino, if at all.  

Edited April 6, 2021 by st dan

[kingcrawler]

8 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

The Glasto crowd isn't exactly boisterous though to be fair, is it?

Definitely not but there’s been plenty of decent sets at Glastonbury without a particularly wild crowd. They just seemed to be going through the motions though and I’m sure they finished around 10 minutes early. Not exactly the sign of a band nailing their set.

Edited April 6, 2021 by kingcrawler

[mcshed]

Morrissey in the rain in 2011 whilst everyone fucked off to the Park to try and see Radiohead was pretty grim.

[MrRadioactiveCake]

Always looked like Kasabian nailed 09. The band have spoken about their fond memories of it too in interviews since 

[Gnomicide]

9 minutes ago, mcshed said:

Morrissey in the rain in 2011 whilst everyone fucked off to the Park to try and see Radiohead was pretty grim.

I always thought so but didn't know what the general opinion was.

Cracking view.

[vintagelaureate]

The XX were brilliant, and I'm not really a fan of them. It was a brilliant set and a great atmosphere.

Biffy were good too, but that set wasn't their best. 

 

[gigpusher]

I really enjoyed the Scissor Sisters in 2010 so that would be a yes from me. 

[efcfanwirral]

42 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Following on from a discussion on the LAWF thread, Pyramid sub is said to be a difficult one to pull off (madam).

Who managed it and who didn't? I've put some in where either I saw them or where I gather they made it or blew it based on what I've read on these boards. I'll update this post if I can as we go along. I need to point out that I've no doubt Faithless were bloody awful on both occasions but people seemed to like them for some unexplainable reason.

I've gone back to 2000.

2000
Macy Gray - ?
Pet Shop Boys - ?
Embrace - ?

2002
Faithless - Yes
The Charlatans - ?
Roger Waters

2003
David Gray - ?
The Flaming Lips - ?
Manic Street Preachers - ?

2004
Kings of Leon - ?
Black Eyed Peas - Yes
Morrisey - Yes

2005
The Killers - ? 
New Order - No
Primal Scream - ? 

2007 - Year of the K Bands
Kasabian - ?
The Kooks - ?
Kaiser Chiefs - ?

2008
The Fratellis - ?
Amy Winehouse - ?
Leonard Cohen - Yes

2009
The Specials - Yes
Kasabian - Yes
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - ?

2010
Dizzee Rascal - ?
Scissor Sisters - ?
Faithless - Yes

2011
Morrissey - No
Elbow - Yes
Pendulum - ?

2013
Dizzee Rascal - ?
Primal Scream - No
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - ?

2014
Elbow - Yes
Jack White - No
The Black Keys - ?

2015
The Libertines - Yes
Pharrell Williams - Yes
Paul Weller - No

2016
Foals - Yes
Tame Impala - Yes
Beck - No

2017
The XX - Yes
The National - No
Biffy Clyro - ?

2019
George Ezra - Yes
Liam Gallagher - No
Vampire Weekend - Yes

 

From the ones I saw I agree with all of it - on the yes's kasabian 09 surprised me because i didn't like them before it, both Elbow ones were excellent but for me 2014 just beat 2011 because i was a big fan of the current album at the time. Libertines great from a surprise/redemption perspective but not sure id have loved it without that.

I actually really enjoyed Paul weller- he basically played a greatest hits which is more than I hoped for. 

Morrissey was hilarious before U2. Sounded like a pub band doing the smiths songs and he did a lot of moaning. Johnny Marr's live versions are brilliant in comparison 

I wish I'd been at 2017 , would've loved all three! 

[dingbat2]

Nick Cave subbing in 2013 was genius, probably the best pyramid sub I have ever seen. Intense, pure quality. The crowd who were there early to get a good spot for Mumford & Sons afterwards didn't know what hit them, still makes me smile now

 

[priest17]

24 minutes ago, vintagelaureate said:

The XX were brilliant, and I'm not really a fan of them. It was a brilliant set and a great atmosphere.

Biffy were good too, but that set wasn't their best. 

 

Been skeptical of The XX since the first album, didn't think a sub slot they shouldn't have had (imo at the time) would be the thing to win me over. They were brilliant though, perfect set up for what followed (which I loved)

Very curious on The Fratelli's verdict.

for the rest of them listed what I've seen, underlined what I've changed so fight me there (I think I love pymild subs..?!)

Saturday 2017 turned out to be incredibly underwhelming (endured a bit of Father John Misty between TN and The Jacksons (ergh)) so they ended up the best thing I saw. Hadn't seen them before or since. It was okay but I don't remember it as a sub slot. Watched Pendulum from my tent annoyed I'd let myself get so sunburnt not convinced I could be arsed with Sunday night. Gave Biffy the benefit of the doubt coz I was so apprehensive but had a delicious sandwich and lots of wine and had a laugh at the back.

2009
The Specials - Yes
 

2010
Dizzee Rascal - Yes
Faithless - Yes

2011
Morrissey - Yes
Elbow - Yes
Pendulum - No

2014
Jack White - Yes

2015
The Libertines - Yes

2016
Foals - Yes
Tame Impala - Yes

2017
The XX - Yes
The National - Kinda?
Biffy Clyro - Yes

2019
Liam Gallagher - Yes

[balthazarstarbuck]

2014
The Black Keys - Nope

2015
The Libertines - Yes
Pharrell Williams - Yes

2017
The XX - Yes
The National - No

2019
Vampire Weekend - Yes

 

Ranking them I’d say XX, Libs, Vampire Weekend, Pharrell, National, Black Keys.

Might be the hardest slot to get right, especially when there’s a crowd there for someone else. 

[dentalplan]

Hilariously, The National went down really well with non-fans.

The people who went in knowing that they didn't know any songs were like "ha, that was fun!". Fans who went expecting their favourite songs and got a bunch of songs we'd never heard were crying our eyes out.

[Homer]

Sunday of 2003, my ex-wife went berzerk after Feeder (in that way that people can go berzerk on a Sunday at Glastonbury). Had a massive shout at me and her friend then stormed off back to her tent. Left on my own in the Pyramid field, then I couldn't get out as so many people were coming in.

I was then forced to watched the whole of the Manic Street Preachers. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it started raining.

[maelzoid]

10 minutes ago, Homer said:

Sunday of 2003, my ex-wife went berzerk after Feeder (in that way that people can go berzerk on a Sunday at Glastonbury). Had a massive shout at me and her friend then stormed off back to her tent. Left on my own in the Pyramid field, then I couldn't get out as so many people were coming in.

I was then forced to watched the whole of the Manic Street Preachers. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it started raining.

Christ! How bad were Feeder?