Shadow Puppets' 'secret Glasto gig'

By Kev Geoghegan
Radio 1 music reporter

The boys said they didn't have time to practice beforehand

The Last Shadow Puppets have played a 'secret gig' on Glastonbury's Park Stage.

It may have been the worst kept secret gig at Glastonbury, having been announced a day early.

By the time the band were due at around 8.30pm, the area surrounding the relatively small stage was packed.

After being announced, Alex Turner and Miles Kane took several minutes to actually arrive on stage.

They looked fairly relaxed, Turner in a surprisingly crisp looking white shirt.

He's been soaking up the backstage atmosphere since yesterday with TV presenter girlfriend Alexa Chung.

Kane, who sings with Liverpool band, The Rascals, wore a black jacket.

With no backing band initially, the Shadow Puppets played a purely acoustic set which later saw Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders take up stick duties on single The Age Of The Understatement and White Stripes frontman Jack White play guitar on Billy Fury's Wondrous Place.

But just one song in, Only The Truth, it became clear they were missing something vital.

No strings

With their number one album, The Age Of The Understatement, relying on sweeping string sections, it all sounded a bit flat.

Without a bassline or any kind of percussion it lacked punch.

Twenty-five-year-old Andy from Cumbria said: "Not bad at all, I was a bit disappointed not to see any strings to be honest.

"We expected a bit of an orchestra behind them, but no.

"There wasn't much atmosphere to be honest, I expected more."

Most surprising was the lukewarm response to their latest single, Standing Next To Me.

Turner and Kane spoke a few words in between songs but the speakers were too quiet and it was had to make out what they were saying from further back in the crowd.

The atmosphere did pick up a little when the band played the obscenely catchy song, The Meeting Place.

I thought they were absolutely amazing, I can't begin to tell you how good they were. Ally from London.

Next up was their first single, The Age Of The Understatement.

Turner and Kane took two or three attempts at the track's driving opening bars.

When they found a tempo they could agree on, they finally hit their stride and, at long last, the large crowd showed some louder appreciation.

James Bond

Before rounding off the set with Wondrous Place, Turner told the audience:

"Thanks for coming to see us, it was a bit sketchy because we didn't have time to practice this afternoon."

He added: "I'm going on with Jay-Z next."

Twenty-nine-year-old Ally from London loved the performance.

She said: "I'm so, so happy I saw them. I'm so excited.

"I thought they were absolutely amazing, I can't begin to tell you how good they were.

"Their album's a bit James Bond-esque and maybe they lost a little of that but I just think they're great."

The Last Shadow Puppets are the latest surprise guests at Glastonbury after sets by Franz Ferdinand on the Park Stage and Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly on the BBC Introducing Stage.