Entertainment

Lauryn Hill grapples with sound issues during Glastonbury set

Fans watching on TV took to Twitter to complain.
Fans watching on TV took to Twitter to complain. Fans watching on TV took to Twitter to complain.

Lauryn Hill grappled with sound issues throughout her Glastonbury set after arriving on stage late.

The revered rapper and singer is well known for her lax time-keeping and kept the crowd at the Pyramid Stage waiting by about 15 minutes after her scheduled 6pm start.

Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 3
Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 3 Lauryn Hill wrestled with sound issues as she performed on the Pyramid Stage (Aaron Chown/PA)

However, fans did not seem to mind and gave an enthusiastic welcome to Hill, who made her name in 90s hip-hop band the Fugees before announcing herself as a solo artist with her critically acclaimed 1998 debut album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.

Wearing a black cowboy-style hat with pearl chain strap, a coat with ruffled details and high-waisted trousers, Hill asked fans if they were “ready to take it back”, before launching into a performance of Lost Ones from her Miseducation album.

She said: “We appreciate all of you who rolled with us.”

Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 3
Glastonbury Festival 2019 – Day 3 Lauryn Hill was well-received by fans at Glastonbury but the reaction from viewers at home was mixed (Aaron Chown/PA)

Throughout her performance, Hill, 44, appeared visibly upset about the sound set-up, gesturing forcefully to the technicians off stage.

She repeatedly raised her hand to her earpiece, signalling she was not happy with what she was hearing.

Some fans on Twitter complained about her performance and Hill was trending due to the sound issues.

One said: “It’s a shame seeing Lauryn Hill like this…. sound man wasnt having it. Still an Icon on my eyes tho.”

Another commented: “Was really looking forward to Lauryn Hill at #glastonburyfestival2019 but the constant pulling on her in ears and wafting her arms at the sound tech ruined it.”

And another said: “Think lauryn hill might knock out the sound engineer on her way off stage.”

However, the reception from the Glastonbury audience was more enthusiastic and Hill received a rapturous reception when performing Killing Me Softly.

Perhaps her best-known track, the song was a number one hit for Roberta Flack in 1973 before the Fugees covered it in 1996.

Before launching into a performance of Ex-Factor, form her seminal Miseducation album, New Jersey-born Hill discussed the influences on her career.

She said: “So when I was growing up, I had this wonderful tradition of classic soul music passed down to me.

“I grew up listening to musicians like Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops, Temptations.

“I had this wonderful tradition of music that I played as a small child, maybe seven years old, I was listening to this music on a daily basis. This was my school, taught me about love, taught me about life.

“At the same time I had hip-hop music playing in this other ear. When it was my time to create a project of my own, I wanted to combine these two musical influences for me.

“I wanted this classic, soulful sound, with these complex love stories combined with these heavy and hard-hitting hip-hop drums, and it produced music like this one.”

Glastonbury Festival takes place in Worth Farm, Somerset, and continues until Sunday.