UKRAINIAN teen group The Sixsters delivered a stunning set showing stagecraft beyond their years at Glastonbury's Woodsies stage today (Friday).
The all-female punk rockers, aged between 13 and 20, were given the honour of opening the huge tent this morning, five years after they were created by drummer Kateryna Kuziakina in a small town in the Kyiv region.
Since then, they have released a steady stream of music in Ukrainian and English, despite their ambitions being halted by the pandemic and Russia's invasion of their country, which led to several members fleeing or sitting in bomb shelters.
The Sixsters have since regrouped in Essen, Germany, where they have worked to raise money to support Ukrainian children affected by the conflict.
They have also constructed their own studio and recorded another album, showing their incredible dedication and perseverance through adversity.
And, though few in the Woodsies tent will have known much about the award-winning five-piece this morning, they certainly will now.
With a Ukraine flag tied to singer Mariia Krutsenko's microphone stand, they launched into an electric 45-minute set, oozing confidence and dominating the space.
After their first song, Krutsenko told the audience: “We are The Sixsters, and we're here to rock this stage.”
Solo guitarist Anna Voloshyna later said: “We've travelled such a long way to be here, and we are really glad to be at such a big festival and have a chance to show you our songs.”
Every track contained plenty of energy and headbanging, while the crowds lapped up Krutsenko's deep, powerful vocals and the group's wicked guitar solos.
They even performed some of their songs live for the very first time.
As the band were leaving the stage, compere Jim Fox, who has been working at Glastonbury for more than 40 years, said: “What a way to start the weekend!
“Glastonbury sends its love to the people of Ukraine. I hope we see them here again.”
For more information on The Sixsters, visit their website: the-sixsters.com
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