Emily Eavis confident on Arctic Monkeys: ‘I’m sure we’re going to be all right’

Emily Eavis has expressed confidence that Arctic Monkeys will headline Glastonbury tomorrow (June 23), as Alex Turner battles illness.

The frontman is suffering with laryngitis, and the Sheffield outfit, in the thick of an extensive European tour, called off their huge Dublin show at Marlay Park on Tuesday (June 20). That decision cast doubt on whether the group would be fit for their headline slot on the Pyramid Stage tomorrow, which is set to be their third time topping the bill in Pilton.

Now, though, chief organiser Eavis has sought to reassure fans that the Monkeys should be ready to go tomorrow night. “I think we are going to be all right,” she told The Times yesterday (June 21). “They’ve cancelled that, he’s recovering. I’m sure we’re going to be all right.”

Eavis went on to say, though, that the festival has contingency plans should Turner have to pull out. “We’ve got a couple of back-up plans if not. We’ve always got back-up plans for everything.” One suggestion has been that Foo Fighters may step up to take the slot; the rockers are widely expected to play a surprise set on the Pyramid tomorrow evening, with a mystery band called The Churnups on the schedule.

Fans have interpreted a recent social media statement from Foos frontman Dave Grohl, in which he talked about “churning up” emotions as they tour without late drummer Taylor Hawkins for the first time, as tacit confirmation that the band will play Glastonbury. Quizzed on the possibility of an impromptu Food heading set, Eavis was tight-lipped. “I wouldn’t like to give anything away,” she said. “You’ve got to allow the surprise to happen. It’s all about the surprise.”

Glastonbury opened its gates yesterday amid changeable weather; a crowd of 200,000 is expected this weekend to take in sets from the Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses and, in what may be his final British live appearance, Elton John. The Monkeys’ recent stadium run has met with rave reviews; on Sunday, the final night of a three-show run at London’s Emirates Stadium, Turner’s The Last Shadow Puppets bandmate Miles Kane joined the group for a nostalgic take on ‘505’. Fan-shot footage of ‘Star Treatment’, meanwhile – viewable above – suggested Turner was already struggling with his voice before the end of Sunday’s show.