Itās Sunday morning at 1am, and Glastonbury festival-goers are making their way across the fields and into the early hours of the night, magnetised towards the fiery glow emanating from the Arcadia spider. Kids dressed in space suits, would-be dancers donning glow sticks, and campers still buzzing from Paul McCartneyās headline set, convalesce under the 50-tonne arachnid, anticipating a hit-heavy playlist from Calvin Harris, and he doesnāt disappoint.
Standing in the belly of the fire-spraying spider, the Scottish DJ launches into āBlameā at the start of his ceremony, but even with this forewarning of the crowd-pleasing set to come, the congregation isnāt exactly pleased. Though the gigantic structure can be seen from the other side of Worthy Farm, Harrisā tunes are playing at such a low decibel they barely make it to fans who aren’t standing directly under its blaze.
Still, this is Glastonbury, and although thereās talk of the sound being āshiteā, the high energy on the farm is palpable, and Harrisā audience is more than happy to amplify their singing and dancing to make up for any gaps in the volume.
By the time the words, āBaby this is what you came forā hit the dancersā ears, the focus shifts from analysing sound levels to finding the best motion necessary to syncopate their hip movements to Rihannaās voice. The set drills on, with revellers swaying to āHow Deep Is Your Loveā and āOne Kissā under green laser beams, only taking breaks to embrace one another or sing along.
Blame it on the ley lines, or the otherwordly experience of standing shoulder to shoulder with ecstatic music lovers with the stars as a backdrop, but the lovelorn dance tracks Harris is known for take on new optimistic tones under the metal spider-fueled inferno. āHow Deep Is Your Loveā transforms from an angry inquisition to a recognition that boundless adoration is possible. The lyrics āwe found love in a hopeless placeā mutate from a proclamation of a sad memory into nostalgic gratitude that even dejected spaces can be fertile ground for romance.
As the night leans into the morning, it’s abundantly clear Harrisā fans arenāt listening to the optimism-laced words of āFeel So Close To You Right Nowā, as a nightcap, but as a precursor for an all-nighter. The DJ once said he makes songs “sonically designed to make you feel fucking incredible,” and as 2am hits on Sunday morning, there’s no doubt that declaration is true.
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