In an intimate chat that is exclusively available now on new audio app Rayo before being broadcast on Greatest Hits Radio (4pm on Sunday 30th June) Shania shared some Glastonbury set secrets, reminisced about her first ever performance and explained why the UK feels like home…
On getting that Glastonbury call: ‘It’s a wow. A real wow moment in my career. It’s such a one of a kind. The closer it comes, the more everybody tells me about it in their own individual stories as well their own experiences. Everyone seems to be such a dedicated fan of the festival, it sounds as though it’s a very bonding experience for everybody. It’s an event where everybody bonds over whether it’s great weather or bad weather or whatever it is that’s happening so I think it’s more than just a music festival, it’s a community gathering, a stamp, an annual stamp that everyone experiences.’
On whether she’s ready for the rain: ‘I absolutely am! I decided I would wear a cowboy hat, though in case it does rain. I prefer a cowboy hat to, like, a rain hat – so much more stylish than a plastic hat!’
On her set list: ‘I plan on singing everything that everybody knows so there’s no guessing. It’s just all about the hits. It’s all about singing together and having fun. It’s all about the shoulder-to-shoulder experience, isn’t it? Everybody wants to just sing along and sway along. They want to feel and I want it to feel familiar to everyone. And this is what I love about the time of the Legends slot because in it’s still daytime and I can see everybody. I’ll be able to see all the way to the back. I’ll be able to see the scope, the view because I see the audience as a unit. I really feel like it’s an environment and all the energy is individual. And I love the people watching. I love to watch people.’
On feeling at home in the UK: ‘Well, that’s it. I always feel at home when I’m here. Yeah, I really do. A sense of humour and there’s a charm here that makes me feel at home. There’s always a quaint corner somewhere or street that you can walk down. And there’s just a lot about the atmosphere that makes me feel comfortable.’
On her first ever performance: ‘Okay, maybe this doesn’t qualify for my first performance, but it was still a first performance. I remember my mother used to put me up on the countertops in restaurants because I would always sing out loud with a jukebox from the seat from our table. People would take notice so she decided to put me on top of the table and let me sing so people could see me.’
