Glastonbury review: Guns N' Roses are sporadically brilliant, while Lana Del Rey is cut short

Guns N' Roses person ever been a instrumentality unto themselves, and their header acceptable astatine Glastonbury was nary exception.

The hard stone legends played a meandering, sporadically superb acceptable that mixed stadium-level classics with little acquainted heavy cuts implicit an endurance-busting 3 hours.

Highlights included a raucous Welcome To The Jungle and the always-welcome Sweet Child O' Mine.

But they drew a smaller assemblage than US popular prima Lizzo earlier successful the day.

The US set took to the signifier astatine 21:30, opening with the Appetite For Destruction classical It's So Easy, arsenic Axl Rose prowled the signifier and Slash peeled disconnected riffs from beneath his trademark apical hat.

At 61, Rose's vocals aren't what they erstwhile were, but helium tin inactive propulsion disconnected a wolverine yowl erstwhile helium warms up - and his snarling transportation remains convincingly menacing. (Some TV viewers complained his microphone was excessively quiet, but successful the tract helium chopped done the swathes of guitar similar a weapon done butter).

The acceptable took a portion to get going - front-loaded with songs similar the rubric way from the band's misfiring 2008 medium Chinese Democracy; and Slither, a azygous by Slash's post-GNR broadside task Velvet Revolver.

It's lone erstwhile the riff to Welcome To The Jungle rings retired crossed the Pyramid Arena, a bully 20 minutes into the set, that they execute lift-off, pursuing it up with the a fierce rendition of Mr Brownstone.

They wage tribute to Ukraine connected Civil War, with Rose wearing the country's emblem connected his t-shirt, and footage of bombed retired homes illuminating the screens.

Towards the extremity of their set, Nightrain has a pent-up punky energy; and a screen of UK Subs' Down On The Farm is simply a bully hat-tip to Michael and Emily Eavis, who tally the festival.

Occasionally, they veer into choppy waters. Even hardcore fans are divided implicit the merits Use Your Illusion's bondage-themed opus Pretty Tied Up; and the 2021 azygous Absurd feels superfluous.

But they claw it backmost with the pent-up punk vigor of Nighttrain, earlier bringing retired Dave Grohl ("because you tin ne'er person excessively galore guitars") for a frenzied, euphoric encore of Paradise City.

In their chaotic pomp, buying a summons to spot Guns N' Roses was a gamble. You ne'er knew whether they'd crook up and, if they did, Rose had a wont of storming disconnected signifier if the assemblage truthful overmuch arsenic looked astatine him funny.

But determination was nary motion of that temperamental performer connected Saturday night.

"What a beauteous evening" commented the erstwhile hellraiser, a exemplary of politesse. "We'd similar to convey you for inviting us."

The Pyramid Stage assemblage wasn't arsenic ample arsenic it had been for Arctic Monkeys connected Friday night, with thousands of fans opting to spot Lana Del Rey header the Other Stage instead,

The US vocalist was half-an-hour aboriginal for her set, starting aft 23:00 with an apology: "My hairsbreadth takes truthful agelong to do... ace atrocious I'm truthful late."

When she yet began, her acceptable was a lyrical, high-concept show that featured ballet dancers and contortionists arsenic Del Rey draped herself languidly crossed the stage.

Sadly, her precocious accomplishment clashed with Glastonbury's strict curfew. She chopped respective songs, telling the crowd: "I'm astir to unreserved this acceptable to death."

But it wasn't enough. Her mic was chopped astatine midnight, with astatine slightest six songs near to play. A printed setlist suggested they'd person been immoderate of her biggest songs, including Summertime Sadness and Video Games.

Clearly devastated, the vocalist tried to speech to her fans, who rewarded her by singing Video Games a capella, portion chanting "one much song".

Del Rey sang on with them, past walked to the pit astatine the beforehand of the stage, truthful they could console each different directly. After that, she had to leave, intelligibly devastated.

Over connected West Holts, UK rapper Loyle Carner gave a much punctual, but arsenic affectional performance.

The acceptable was built astir his 3rd album, Hugo, which looks astatine his fraught narration with his biologic father, and however generational symptom tin beryllium passed down the bloodline.

It was a almighty show, that besides saw Carner criticise the authorities for its handling of weapon crime, and urging fans to "forget each that toxic masculinity [rubbish] that ruined my childhood".

Other headliners crossed the tract connected Saturday included French popular maverick Christine And The Queens and creation fable Fatboy Slim.

It was an embarrassment of riches that meant Glastonbury's 200,000 festivalgoers were dispersed to each country of the 1,000 acre site.

It besides meant that Lizzo was capable to assertion the biggest assemblage of the day.

The US prima burst onto the Pyramid Stage similar a quality glitter cannon astir 19:30 BST, playing a euphoric acceptable of sparkly psyche hits that included Cuz I Love You, Juice and 2B Loved.

Sporting jade-coloured hairsbreadth and dressed successful a steampunk ballgown, her infectious vigor stretched each the mode to the hilltops, wherever fans successful colourful wigs and fairy wings danced similar their lives depended connected it.

Surveying the audience, the vocalist recalled however rapidly her prima had risen since her archetypal Glastonbury quality successful 2018.

"We were successful a structure that was existent big, with cipher successful determination and maine and my DJ Sophia played our hearts out.

"And we kept playing, until present I'm lasting successful beforehand of each of you. I'm truthful proud. Thank you for supporting me."

Her acceptable ended with an ebullient mentation of the smash deed About Damn Time, implicit with aerobic choreography and a flawless flute solo from the pistillate herself.

The radical that drifted disconnected earlier Guns N' Roses did truthful connected unreality nine.

Earlier successful the day, 80s popular fable Rick Astley opened the signifier to an arsenic lukewarm reception.

Knowing that radical had mostly turned up to perceive Never Gonna Give You Up, helium sprinkled his acceptable with crowd-pleasing covers of Harry Styles' As It Was and AC/DC's Harder Than Hell arsenic helium built up to the inevitable, cheese-tastic climax.

"It was perfectly amazing. It's precise hard to enactment into words, but that was the loveliest assemblage I've ever played successful beforehand of," helium said aft coming disconnected stage.

"They were truthful generous, truthful loving, truthful amazing. Just a large experience."

Croydon-born psyche vocalist Raye was up next, with a white-tuxedoed large set who gave a distinctly retro, Amy Winehouse vibe to her lunchtime set.

She kicked disconnected her shoes to creation to Black Mascara, and choked backmost tears arsenic she sang the harrowing Ice Cream Man - a opus that details her experiences with intersexual abuse.

Like Lizzo, she couldn't rather judge she'd been booked for Glastonbury's main stage, aft a precise nationalist divided with her grounds statement who she accused of stifling her career.

"It seems similar yesterday we were playing festivals wherever we had much radical connected signifier than we had successful the audience," she said, cueing up the deed azygous Escapsim.

"I bash not instrumentality your beingness present for granted."

Grammy-nominated duo Amadou and Mariam brought the lukewarm and earthy vibes of Mali to the Pyramid Stage implicit lunchtime, earlier Mancunian prima Aitch raised the somesthesia with a simmering acceptable of UK rap anthems (and a perfectly-judged screen of Oasis's Wonderwall).

And that was conscionable the acts successful the main arena…

Rick Astley popped up again astatine the Woodises Stage to execute a acceptable of Smiths covers with Stockport indie set Blossoms; portion erstwhile Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr joined Chrissie Hynde for a acceptable with The Pretenders connected The Park Stage.

It turned retired helium wasn't their lone guest.

"Apparently there's a drunk feline backstage [and] helium insists connected playing," Hynde joked earlier Dave Grohl appeared (again) to play drums connected Mystery Achievement, portion Paul McCartney, who'd been watching from the sidelines, made a little quality to springiness a thumbs-up earlier disappearing again.

Oscar victor Tilda Swinton treated the crowds to an unexpected spoken connection show alongside composer Max Richter; and rap prima Dave cropped up during Central Cee's acceptable connected The Other Stage to execute their summertime anthem Sprinter.

The festival wraps up connected Sunday with the most-anticipated acceptable of the play - arsenic Elton John wraps up his UK touring vocation with a header acceptable connected the Pyramid Stage.

The vocalist has promised a bespoke amusement with respective peculiar guests, and speculation has already tally rampant.

Among the names rumoured to beryllium joining him (so far) are Britney Spears, Dua Lipa, Sam Fender, Harry Styles, Eminem and histrion Taron Egerton - who played Elton successful the blockbuster movie Rocketman.