The Libertines open Glastonbury 2022 with Ukraine tributes
The set opened the first Glastonbury since 2019 on the Other Stage
By Joe Goggins
The Libertines have kicked off the first Glastonbury Festival in three years with a career-spanning set – you can see the setlist below.
Pete Doherty, Carl Barât, John Hassall and Gary Powell strolled onto the Other Stage shortly before noon, as the good ship Albion sailed into Worthy Farm in scenes reminiscent of their surprise set on the Pyramid Stage in 2015. The setlist drew fairly evenly from their 2004 self-titled sophomore album, their 2015 comeback record ‘Anthems for Doomed Youth’, and their seminal 2002 debut, ‘Up the Bracket’, which the group are presently celebrating the 20th anniversary of.
The sun came out during the early set, which poignantly saw both band and audience unite to pay tribute to the people of Ukraine and the war-torn country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky. The premier had addressed the crowd via video moments before The Libertines arrived on stage, urging those assembled to “spread truth” about Russia’s ongoing invasion of the nation.
Midway through a raucous take on ‘The Good Old Days’, Doherty stopped to lead the crowd in a chant of “Volodomyr Zelensky”, to the tune of The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’, echoing a similar crowd tribute to then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the festival in 2017. At the close of the set, meanwhile, drummer Powell emerged from behind the kit to inspire another singalong, this time “We love you Ukraine, we do – oh Ukraine we love you“.
The band also took time to wish the festival a happy 50th birthday, after the COVID-19 pandemic nixed plans for a huge 50th anniversary edition in 2020. A playful Doherty also relayed a message from festival founder Michael Eavis to a friend of his called Ellie: “We have a message from Michael Eavis – get off my bloody land you bastard!”
In an interview with The Guardian earlier this month, the singer said that plans for a fourth album are afoot. “We still feel there’s unfinished business and there are more songs to write,” said Doherty. “But [Barât] doesn’t want to do it in England, or in France, which he sees as my turf. So the plan is to go to Jamaica and try to make another Libertines record.”
The Libertines, The Other Stage, Glastonbury 2022:
‘Up the Bracket’
‘Vertigo’
‘The Ha Ha Wall’
‘Gunga Din’
‘What Katie Did’
‘You’re My Waterloo’
‘Boys in the Band’
‘Can’t Stand Me Now’
‘Music When the Lights Go Out’
‘Horrorshow’
‘What Became of the Likely Lads’
‘Death on the Stairs’
‘The Good Old Days’
‘Time for Heroes’
‘Don’t Look Back Into the Sun’