Doctor Who Meets Orbital At Glastonbury!
In the afterglow of the Time Lord's 50th Anniversary episode, watch Matt Smith join techno siblings for time and space lift-off.
At this moment in Time, Doctor Who heads are on a roll, having just seen Fourth Doctor Tom Baker return on last week’s profoundly satisfying 50th Anniversary episode, and awaiting the arrival of Peter Capaldi, he of television's most compelling eyebrows, as the next actor to take on the role. Reformed Sevenoaks electronic duo Orbital were, no doubt, as thrilled as any long-time fans. Phil and Paul Hartnoll recorded their version of the Doctor Who theme (written by Ron Grainer and given pan-galactic form by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop’s Delia Derbyshire in 1963) on 2001's LP The Altogether, and also almost share a surname with William Hartnell, the actor who played the First Doctor. But it’s possible they were even more brain-spasmed during the last track of their show-closing Sunday night headline slot at Glastonbury 2010. This was the moment when Matt Smith, AKA the current incarnation of the Doctor, joined them onstage for their version of the Who theme. A pumping outdoor rave interpretation with cosmic light show – ideal for waiting for the TARDIS to land – it was a truly immense way to end the festival. It also gave us a rare three-man Orbital line-up complete with signature torch headgear.
"It was a pure magic moment," Paul Hartnoll told me. "If there’s ever a time to freak people out, that was it.” His brother Phil added, “Paul bumped into him at Coachella, and said, ‘Are you The Doctor?’ He’d heard about our cover version and the idea sprung from there. He’d never been to Glastonbury before. He was like a kid in the sweet shop.”
As former vocalist with Glasgow punks The Dreamboys, new Who Peter Capaldi has rock’n’roll form. Hartnolls, give him a ring for Glasonbury 2014!
