Since bursting onto the scene in 2002 with breakthrough debut ‘Let Go’, Avril Lavigne has gone on to become an unmistakable icon of the ‘00s pop-punk era. Yet, over two decades on, Glastonbury remained one milestone that she has been unable to check off – until now.
“Holy shit. I can’t believe it’s taken me 22 years to actually be here, it’s about time,” she shouts into the mic after opening her Other Stage set with ‘Girlfriend’. “Glastonbury… what’s up?” she laughs, looking out at the audience in equal parts euphoria and disbelief.
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This set has certainly been a long time coming, then. As she breaks out the back-to-back hits that first put her on the map including ‘Complicated’ and ‘Girlfriend’, the nostalgia in the air is real; the sea of people spanning across the space are clearly transported back to the moment that they first fell in love with the Canadian singer.
The past 24 months have seen something of a revival for Lavigne, with today’s set coming as part of her massive run of greatest hits tour dates. Hell, it was even reported the singer had been appointed to the Order of Canada as the festival kicked off. Yet, sporting a punk-inspired Union Jack on the back of her jacket, she makes it clear that her heart is firmly fixed in the UK at this moment.
Avril Lavigne performs on the Other stage at Glastonbury Festival 2024. CREDIT: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty
“Does anybody out there have a copy of my first album?” she asks, recalling how this first Glasto appearance rekindles the same feeling as when she was first thrust into the spotlight. “I was 17 and it was all such a crazy whirlwind. I came to the UK and everybody has always been so insanely supportive, so it makes me so happy to be here tonight.”
While much of the hour-long set goes on to become a raucous celebration of the pop-punk heyday – with ‘Sk8ter Boi’ and ‘I’m With You’ unsurprisingly seeing the audience erupt into life – other aspects feel like they’re missing something. There’s an inkling feeling that more could have been done to mark the monumental set.
Unlike many of her recent shows, there are no surprises installed for tonight, and any hopes of unexpected covers or special guests go unfulfilled. By spending the near-entirety of the set pacing from one side of the stage to the other, Lavigne’s in-yer-face attitude now feels more subdued.
Avril Lavigne performs on the Other stage at Glastonbury Festival 2024. CREDIT: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty
That being said, it’s hard to argue with the intensity behind the singer’s vocals. Newer, gnarlier songs like ‘Bite Me’ and ‘Love It When You Hate Me’ prove that – even two decades down the line – she is still a force to be reckoned with.
Avril Lavigne played:
Girlfriend
What the Hell
Complicated
Here’s to Never Growing Up
My Happy Ending
He Wasn’t
Don’t Tell Me
Losing Grip
I’m With You
Bite Me
Love It When You Hate Me
Sk8er Boi
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