'She has it all': CMAT's 'spectacular' Glastonbury set has the energy of a headliner, say rave reviews
The 29-year-old musician, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, played songs from her back catalogue as well as new singles, including Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, from her forthcoming third studio album Euro-Country.
Plenty of festivalgoers could be seen doing the viral dance to the song, which has taken social media by storm in recent months.
The energetic singer chanted 'Free Palestine' and waded into the Pyramid Stage crowd, who were dancing in the midday heat, during her Glastonbury Festival set today.
CMAT began her performance by pretending to faint before singing the first verse of Have Fun
Alamy
Alamy
The Guardian described her as a
'spectacularly brilliant' performer
, speculating that this show could pave the way for an even bigger surge in her popularity.
There was a 'rapturous reaction' to her set.
'When she successfully encourages the audience to engage in synchronised dance moves to I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!, she looks quite startled at what a crowd this size enthusiastically dancing in unison looks like,' The Guardian writes.
'It's all incredibly engaging and preposterously good fun.
It really doesn't seem inconceivable that she could be headlining the next time she returns.
Advertisement
Alamy
Alamy
Introducing herself, she told crowds: 'My name is CMAT and I'm literally just a young one from Dunboyne/Dublin, depending who you ask.'
'This is the scariest moment of my life but it will probably singlehandedly be the best and most amazing thing I'll ever do,' she added.
The Rolling Stones said
CMAT 'has it all'
and will be one of the defining artists of 2025.
'Her songs are catchy, poignant and well-crafted; on stage, she's a powerhouse of performance, cracking gags and diving into the crowd, but not forgetting to make her final statement a call for a free Palestine.
'It's rare that a standout set, unlikely to be beaten for the whole weekend, arrives so early on the Friday afternoon at Worthy Farm, but the Irish singer is on a roll of stunning momentum right now.'
Alamy
Alamy
The Independent called it a
'note-perfect, high camp' set
, which will 'be a launch pad for the next chapter of her career'.
'Her crooning and thick scooping vocals cut through the air like a machete, and that larger-than-life presence has a majestic quality to it, emphasised by the impression you get that she absolutely loves what she does.
'By the time she's screaming the final bars of Running/Planning from the floor, splashing a can of water over and flicking it around while headbanging like she's in a Celine Dion video, there's no doubt that we've witnessed someone who has squeezed every last drop of potential from this opportunity.'
CMAT released her debut album, If My Wife New I'd Be Dead, in 2022, and followed it up with Mercury Prize-nominated Crazymad, For Me in 2023.
Her third studio album is set for release on August 29.
With reporting by PA
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
27 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Actor Terence Stamp, who starred in original Superman films, dies aged 87
Veteran British actor Terence Stamp, who starred in the original Superman films, has died aged 87. The Academy Award-nominated actor, who played Kryptonian villain General Zod in Superman and Superman II, died on Sunday. Stamp, who starred as a transgender woman in 1994's The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, won a Bafta for his performance. Born in the East End of London in 1938, Stamp rose to acting fame in the 1960s after he won a drama school scholarship. The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art scholarship led him to the stage, where he acted in repertory theatre and met Michael Caine, who was five years older than him. The pair lived together in a flat in Harley Street while they were both looking for their big break, but they parted ways and lost touch, Stamp previously told The Guardian. He made his film debut in Peter Ustinov's 1962 film adaptation of Herman Melville's Billy Budd and his portrayal of the title character brought an Oscar nomination. Known for his stylish clothes, Stamp famously dated actress Julie Christie, who he performed alongside in the 1967 film Far From The Madding Crowd and was also in a relationship with the model Jean Shrimpton. But, after missing out on the role of James Bond, he fell out of the limelight for a while. It was not until 1978 that he got his most famous role as General Zod and appeared in Superman's 1980 sequel as the same character. He began voice acting and writing books in the late '90s, but also continued acting in films, appearing alongside Tom Cruise in Valkyrie in 2008 and working on movies directed by Tim Burton. His film career spanning six decades ended with the 2021 psychological thriller Last Night In Soho. Stamp's death was confirmed in a death notice published online, the Associated Press said. Press Association
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Vogue Williams' night out with friends & husband at Oasis gig in Dublin as she puts ‘celebrity feud' to rest
VOGUE Williams revealed snaps with her husband and friends at the historic Oasis concert in Croke Park, Dublin. The Irish model and top podcast host shared a glimpse of her night with her pals at Oasis's world reunion tour in Dublin to her followers on Instagram. 4 Vogue Williams was seen having a blast at the Oasis gig in Dublin Credit: voguewilliams/Instagram 4 Spencer Matthews was glued to his phone during the performance Credit: voguewilliams/Instagram Advertisement 4 She put the 'celebrity feud' to rest after their strange encounter earlier this year Credit: voguewilliams/Instagram Vogue took to Instagram while preparing for and at the show to share some snippets of her incredible night. The 39-year-old posted a cute snap of herself, her husband Spencer Matthews and her friends getting ready to head to Oasis. She was spotted wearing a black t-shirt, a black top, a gifted purple handbag from Anxious Preoccupied and golden jewellery, looking stylish for the gig. Advertisement Joanne McNally, her best friend, was also seen at Leinster House with the group for pre-drinks before the gig, where she took to her Instagram raving about the dirty martinis. At the gig, one of the clips posted on her stories revealed that the group were "having a ball" with the incredible set list, including her husband, who was glued to his phone. Adding another clip with Liam Gallagher performing on stage, she said: "My life is made... I love Liam FOREVER!" Earlier this year, Vogue revealed that she was "ignored" by Noel Gallagher when the pair encountered each other at the Glastonbury Festival on her podcast. Advertisement The encounter was used as a joke by her close friend Joanne McNally, who jokily said that the pair were involved in a 'celebrity feud'. It was revealed that the Irish model encouraged him to speak to the famous singer, just for him to walk straight past her without saying anything. Vogue also added that she will feel "uncomfortable" about how they will feel once he performs on stage for the Dublin leg of the Oasis world reunion tour before carrying on to the international leg. Vogue Williams shows off her wedding outfit However, at the gig, she put the 'celebrity feud' to rest by posting a video of Noel performing on stage with a caption saying "All is forgiven..." and a sticker that reads "friends forever". Meanwhile, other stars were spotted at the Saturday night gig, including a reunion. Advertisement Johnny Sexton met one of his fiercest former rivals as he and his wife went to see Oasis at Croke Park. The former Ireland and Leinster out-half and his wife Laura were among the swarms of fans who were at the concert at GAAHQ. And amid the tens of thousands of people that made the trip, Sexton just so happened to come across fellow rugby legend Owen Farrell. The son of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell was also in Dublin for the concert with his wife Georgie. Sexton and Farrell were frequent rivals during the Irishman's playing career. Advertisement But they put that rivalry aside to share a photograph together which Sexton reshared to his Instagram Story.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Irish Times
Four new films to see this week: Materialists, Together, Night Always Comes and Oslo Stories: Love
Together ★★★★☆ Directed by Michael Shanks. Starring Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herrimam. 16 cert, gen release, 102 min Franco and Brie, a long-term couple, find themselves melding creepily together after relocating to the country. Never underestimate the impact of the profoundly unpleasant in horror cinema. There is a lot of that in this stomach-churning debut from Michael Shanks: hair is swallowed; genitals are stretched; most distressingly for many viewers, animals are shown in states of violent distress (computer-generated, of course). Some may view this as a bit cheap, but it takes real invention to make hardened critics squirm as they were in the press screening for Together. This is a masterclass in eugh. Full review DC Materialists ★★★★☆ Directed by Celine Song. Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoë Winters, Martin Ireland, Dasha Nekrasova, Emmy Wheeler. 15A cert, gen release, 117 min Johnson stars as a matchmaker plying her trade amid the moneybags of New York City. Attending a wedding, she bumps into a hugely wealthy financier in the currently unavoidable form of Pedro Pescal and decides to date him rather than grab him as a client. But Chris Evans, as her less-well-off ex-boyfriend, is waiting in the wings. Song's gorgeous follow-up to Past Lives presents itself as a romcom, but, short on laughs, it works better as a tart analysis of how money poisons relationships. None of that gets in the way of a delightfully romantic conclusion. Full review DC READ MORE Night Always Comes ★★☆☆☆ Directed by Benjamin Caron. Starring Vanessa Kirby, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen, Stephen James, Randall Park, Julia Fox, Michael Kelly, Eli Roth. No cert, Netflix, 108 min Kirby, who worked far too hard to save the unnecessarily glum Fantastic Four: First Steps, is yet again overexerting herself in an unworthy vehicle. Adapted from Willy Vlautin's novel, Night Always Comes opens with a lazy lesson in the failings of trickle-down economics delivered as incidental radio broadcasts on homelessness and grocery bills. Unhappily, Night Always Comes eschews its real-world dilemma as it swerves into low-life criminality. The heroine juggles prostitution, bartending and cocaine dealing as she encounters safe-crackers, low-lives and Eli Roth's sleazy club owner. Even Kirby can't make the theme-park poverty feel authentic. Full review TB Oslo Stories: Love ★★★★☆ Directed by Dag Johan Haugerud. Starring Andrea Braein Hovig, Tayo Cittadella Jacobsen, Thomas Gullestad, Lars Jacob Holm, Marte Engebrigtsen. No cert, limited release, 120 min The second instalment in this disarming Norwegian movie trilogy follows two friends, practical urologist Marianne (Hovig) and big-hearted nurse Tor (Jacobsen), as they enter meaningful, if unlikely to last, relationships. Marianne is nudged toward Ole (Gullestad), a divorced father of two, by her matchmaking chum Heidi (Engebrigtsen). Tor, who spends nights riding the ferry between Oslo and Nesodden, meets Bjorn (Holm), a therapist he later treats at the hospital. The romantic destinies remain open-ended, and the film leaves space for the audience to decide what their various connections mean. Subtle. Intelligent. Full review TB
