Glastonbury 2014: Kasabian closes festival with powerful set

English band Kasabian has closed the 2014 Glastonbury Festival with a powerful, bombastic set that drew tens of thousands to the Pyramid Stage.

Kasabian covered Fatboy Slim’s Praise You and Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy, and paid tribute to soul legend Bobby Womack, who died this weekend.

“Ten years ago, we opened the Other Stage, when I was just 23,” said Tom Meighan.

“Thank you for this, Glastonbury. So much respect.”

The stage was lit in pink as the band took the stage shortly before 22:00 BST, launching into Bumblebee, the first song from their new album 48:13.

It was Kasabian’s first headline slot at Glastonbury, but lead singer Tom Meighan was an effective rabble rouser.

Kasabian, who have never taken themselves too seriously, brought comedian Noel Fielding onstage dressed as Vlad the Impaler during the song of the same name.

Tom Meighan also changed the song’s refrain to “Bobby Womack – see you on the other side” in respect of the late soul star, whose hit song Across 110th Street played on the PA before Kasabian took the stage.

Compared to the po-faced Metallica and the self-consciously quirky Arcade Fire, Kasabian appeared to be enjoying their headline slot.

In the event, Kasabian drew a slightly bigger audience (an estimated 100,000) than either of the other headliners – but not as big as Dolly Parton earlier on Sunday.

The final day of the Glastonbury festival opened with a performance from the English National Ballet, who paid tribute to those who died in World War One.

Their performance, Dust, was choreographed by Akram Khan, who helped put together the opening of the London 2012 Olympics with Danny Boyle.

Sombre but powerful, the performance moved some in the early morning audience to tears.

Other acts on the final day included Ed Sheeran, who played the Pyramid Stage unaccompanied, using his acoustic guitar and a series of effects pedals.

Despite breaking several strings along the way, Ed Sheeran was warmly welcomed by the crowd in the mid-afternoon heat.

On The Other Stage, Ellie Goulding delivered an energetic, full-throttle run-through of her biggest dance hits as the sun set, while Disclosure brought several special guest vocalists – including Eliza Doolitle, Sam Smith and Aluna Francis to their headline set at the West Holts stage.

Against the bombast of Kasabian, Glastonbury organizers had programmed some more mellow bands to aid the come-down at the end of the festival.

Massive Attack’s hushed version of Teardrops was a highlight on The Other Stage, while London Grammar’s lush, melancholy album If You Wait drew huge crowds to the John Peel Stage.

However, Dolly Parton was the star turn of the day, if not the festival.

Dolly Parton, 68, charmed the crowd with her ornery banter and diamante-studded hairpiece, and led lusty singalongs to hits such as 9 to 5, Jolene and I Will Always Love You.

The mud will be traded for traffic jams during Monday as the 175,000 revelers leave Worthy Farm and head back home.

Glastonbury festival organizer Michael Eavis has confirmed the event will be back next year, and that he’s already booked all three headliners.

Prince – widely rumored to top the bill this year – is still refusing to come to Somerset, but at least one of the bands will be coming from abroad.

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