LCD Soundsystem return with fury to close Glastonbury 2016

James Murphy loves Glastonbury. As well as playing a triumphant Other Stage slot just before their split in 2010, he brought his Despacio DJ project with 2ManyDJs to Worthy Farm back in 2014, playing a five hour set on each night of the weekend.

Tonight, however, by his own admission, is the biggest and best thing he’s done at the festival. It’s Sunday night and the rain has come again, but Murphy seems genuinely delighted that such a crowd has turned out to see the band on their first UK show back.

Flares erupt just minutes into opener ‘Us v Them’, with no signs of fatigue from the crowd. Murphy is on blinding form, orchestrating his band, who he introduces one by one across the duration of the set, with renewed vigour and passion.

No new songs make the set, but for a celebration and a return, it absolutely does the job. ‘Yeah’ turns into a rave in a beefed up live version, and ‘Losing My Edge’ sees Murphy at his most cutting.

Murphy comments that the band normally “chat shit” between songs all the time, but that tonight they just want to play as many songs as possible. It shows - highlights from the band’s three albums are absolutely crashed through, with Nancy Whang irresistible on ‘Get Innocuous!’.

The band’s “rock ballad” ‘New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down’ follows a sweeping, full-of-life version of ‘Someone Great’, and the band do everything tonight. Every base is covered. Then, when Coldplay’s fireworks erupt behind the Other Stage from the Pyramid and a truly anthemic rendition of ‘All My Friends’ starts up, as far as everyone in attendance is concerned, those fireworks belong to LCD Soundsystem.

Photo: Emma Swann / DIY