Glastonbury crowds were given “a super special treat” when a surprise appearance by Cate Blanchett’s brought the cheering crowd to its feet — and the Australian star did it without saying a single word.
The Oscar-winning actress appeared with pop-rock duo Sparks as they performed their recent hit single ‘The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte’.
Opening the band’s festival set on Friday, singer Russell Mael announced “\We have a super special treat tonight”.
“We did a video for this song recently and we had the great honour of having the great actor Cate Blanchett join us – where are you Cate Blanchett?” she said.
Blanchett then appeared on stage, wearing a yellow suit, green glasses and red over-ear headphones – the same outfit she wore for the Sparks music video – to roars from the crowd.
After a series of energetic moves to the song, which she performed while standing in place, Blanchett bowed and left the stage without saying a word.
cate blanchett performing at glastonbury festival was NOT on anybody's bingo card but here we are! pic.twitter.com/mmO5XyctUW
— Rina (@bbblanchett) June 23, 2023
Sparks – Ron and Russell Mael – met Blanchett in Paris last year, prior to her success during the 2023 awards season for her performance in Todd Field’s film Tar.
“We met Cate Blanchett in Paris at the Cesar Awards last year, little knowing that a year later one of the great actors of our time – and a splendid person – would graciously consent to lending her booty-shaking skills to the first video from our new album,” the Mael brothers said previously.
And that wasn’t the only surprise at the legendary rock fest.
US rockers Foo Fighters caught the train from London, with Great Western Railway (GWR) dropping a tantalising hint festival goers could expect an unannounced performance by “rock royalty”.
Foo Fighters and their entourage had exclusive use of a first-class carriage for their ride from London’s Paddington station to Bath.
The band played the festival’s main stage on Friday in a slot billed under the name The ChurnUps.
Posting a picture of frontman Dave Grohl with GWR staff member Brendan Cropper, the official account tweeted: “Even rock royalty knows that there is no better way to travel to Glastonbury than by train!”
Grohl dedicated the last song of the surprise main-stage set to the band’s late drummer Taylor Hawkins.
Hawkins died suddenly in March aged 50 while the group was on the South American leg of its world tour.
-with AAP
