100,000 stand silent with Hooky at Glasto
THE Glastonbury Festival opened with the sounds of Manchester superclub Hacienda – after the city’s music icons Peter Hook and Rowetta led a minute’s silence for those killed and injured in the Manchester and London terror attacks and Grenfell Tower blaze.
New Order and Joy Division star Hooky was asked by festival organiser Michael Eavis to lead the silence – which was poignantly observed by the tens of thousands of revellers as the world famous music festival got under way in Somerset yesterday.
Hooky said to the crowds: “I’ve been very kindly asked by the Eavis family to lead this minute’s silence and could we please use it as a chance to send our hopes and our prayers for love, life and freedom – the things that we are here to celebrate. We send our sympathies to everyone effected by the events in London and Manchester, and everyone effected in Grenfell Tower.”
Happy Mondays star Rowetta, dressed in a black and yellow bee dress in a nod to her home city, added: “You’ve got the love Glastonbury, now let’s party.”
The stars were joined on stage by the Manchester Camerata to perform as Hacienda Classical – which re-imagines the dance tunes synonymous with Manchester’s most famous superclub as classical compositions. Afterwards Hooky spoke of the ‘enormous honour’ to be asked to open this year’s event and remember victims of the recent tragedies in Manchester and London.
He said: “It was wonderful, but the minute’s silence was tough. I’ve never seen Rowetta so frightened but it really was an honour to be asked to do that. My god it must have been 100,000 people out there. It was wonderful to see everyone come out.”
Hooky says he still marvels at how successful the Hacienda Classical project has been.
He said: “The gigs are selling out like mad. It’s 35 years this year since the club opened and you do underestimate how much of a part it played in everybody’s lives. It’s a great testament to Manchester, to Tony Wilson, to Rob Gretton, it’s a fantastic part of the city’s history.”
Rowetta told the M.E.N. she had her bee dress specially made as a tribute to the Manchester bee, which has become a symbol of the city’s resilience in the wake of the Manchester Arena terror attack.
She said: “To do the minute’s silence, it was such a powerful moment.
“It’s a big thing to start the whole Pyramid stage off in any year, but this year especially.”
Rowetta performed her spinetingling version of You’ve Got The Love during the set.