BST Hyde Park — A moment of wonder

A moment of wonder

Sunday 10th July was the last day of Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park, closing with arguably the greatest headliner they’ve had yet: the legendary Stevie Wonder.

The weather forecasted rain, and as we went on we saw several huge golf umbrellas that had been confiscated at the gates. But it didn’t matter – ever unpredictable, the British weather was sunny and warm and as the park began to fill up, most people had found room for picnic blankets and a spot of sunbathing.

This was the final day in the fourth year of Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park and it was one to remember. In addition to the Great Oak Stage there are four smaller stages playing around the edge of the park, with music starting at 12.30pm meaning you can realistically spend the whole day there. There’s also a huge range of food and drink stalls with something for everyone but watch out – you can’t bring any food in with you (which is a pity!) The festival is certainly family friendly, with a low-key, laid-back vibe – we even spotted some babies in the crowd with ear defenders on!

Support acts JP Cooper, King and Corinne Bailey Rae warmed up the crowd with some laid back soul music, but it wasn’t until Pharrell took to the Great Oak Stage at 4.30pm that things really got moving. He played for an hour, with a lively and varied set, opening with the Daft Punk hit Lose Yourself to Dance. You realize how influential Pharrell has been over the past twenty years in modern pop music, when hits such as Kelis’ Milkshake and Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl got the crowd to their feet. His shout out to strong women, was somewhat undercut by the misogynistic lyrics in many of his songs, most notably the Robin Thicke hit Blurred Lines but in the summer sunshine, most of the crowd seemed happy to dance and not think too much into it! A particularly crowd-pleasing moment came when N*E*R*D joined him on stage to perform some of the group’s most popular songs including She Wants to Move. The crowd were enthused throughout and he ended on a high with the huge hits Get Lucky and Happy. (Pharrell’s a busy man, and ever in demand as he headed straight from his set in Hyde Park to make a guest appearance at Wireless Festival).

But it was Stevie Wonder that the crowd had come for, and he didn’t disappoint. Taking the stage just after 6.15pm, he played for an astonishing four hours (with only a short twenty-minute interlude). The stage was packed with Stevie at the piano, along with an orchestra and some incredibly talented vocalists who all had a turn to shine, as they played through the entirety of Songs in the Key of Life for the first time ever in the UK. It is the 40th anniversary of the record’s release, but you wouldn’t have known it to look at the crowd who were singing along from the start. Although there were a few inevitable lulls, particularly during some of the lengthy instrumental jams – as a side note, no one does the harmonica quite like Stevie! – the atmosphere was electric every time the familiar riff of the next hit came on. Firm crowd favourites were Isn’t She Lovely, Sir Duke (that saxophone!) and Pastime Paradise. As the sun set, Stevie and his band played through both halves of the album in full, with lots of incredible and spontaneous riffing and jamming that made the gig feel like a real one-off.

When, after nearly four hours of playing, Stevie told the crowd that he was going to be leaving the stage, he was met with some boos, before he explained that his alter-ego would be taking over the end of the set: DJ Tick Tick Boom. The last twenty minutes were pure funk-tastic – he covered some Prince classics before breaking into three of his own biggest hits: Part-time Lover; Signed, Sealed, Delivered and Superstition.

When Stevie eventually took a bow, it was to thunderous applause – and we can vouch that on the way home, the entire packed tube train rowdily sang Stevie Wonder hits all the way from Marble Arch to Mile End (presumably much to the delight of the other passengers who had not been lucky enough to be at this once-in-a-lifetime event!)

By Kimberley Atkins

Photo credit: Dainel Harris (top right, middle left) and Tom Hancock (bottom right)