Bombay Bicycle Club deliver indie bliss with a side of Blur at Glastonbury 2024

Legends recognise legends indeed. Words: Dan Harrison. Photos: Patrick Gunning. Bombay Bicycle Club prove why they're indie royalty on the Other Stage, serving up a set of sun-soaked anthems that have the crowd in raptures. But just when we think we've hit peak Glastonbury, they go and raise the bar even higher. Enter Damon Albarn. The Blur frontman joins the band on stage for their recent collab 'Heaven'. To suggest it tops well over a decade of Bombay Bicycle Club's iconic indie brilliance showcased before would be somewhat unfair, but with a vocal that almost goes hand in hand with the fields of Glastonbury, there's no doubt it's a moment. But a bigger one is to come. Before treating us to something extra special, though, Albarn takes the temperature of the crowd on some pressing issues. "Are you pro-Palestine" he asks. "Do you feel it's an unfair war?" Second - the importance of voting next week. "I don't blame you for being ambivalent about that, but it's still really important.' And thirdly? "Maybe it's time we stopped putting octogenarians in charge of our world?" It's a reminder that Glastonbury has always been as much about consciousness-raising as it is about music. Then comes 'Tender'. While it might not have Graham Coxon's iconic drawl, hearing the Blur classic echo across Worthy Farm is enough to transport us back to their legendary 2009 headline set. But the real magic? Bombay Bicycle Club's 'Always Like This' stands toe-to-toe with it, closing out the set in euphoric style. Complete with brass section, it's a reminder of just how special this band is. As their contemporaries fade, Bombay Bicycle Club continue to shine. Legends recognise legends indeed.