Patti Smith was joined by the Dalai Lama during her Pyramid stage performance at Glastonbury. Honouring him ahead of his 80th birthday, Smith welcomed the spiritual leader onto the mainstage, then dedicated a special birthday poem to him before leading a chorus of thousands who sang happy birthday to the exiled leader of the Tibetan Buddhist order.
“6 July will be the his holiness’s 80th birthday,” Smith told the audience during a career-spanning set, which also included a cake cutting segment and a tribute to Wikileaks. “Glastonbury is the festival of the people and it would be very nice if the festival wished his holiness a happy birthday.”
The Dalai Lama went on to address Smith and the Glastonbury audience:
Thank you, thank you. Dear sisters and brothers, I really appreciate so many people’s expressions of warmth and I very much reciprocate it. I have dedicated my body, speech and mind to the well-being of others, so when people show these warm feelings [back to me] that gives me more enthusiasm. So I very much appreciate it.
Most of you [Smith and the musicians on stage] have white hair - but the voice and the physical action looks very youthful. So that gives me encouragement myself. I’m now 80, but I should be more active like you.
His holiness then talked about compassion and self-confidence and the importance of friendship, before giving Smith a big hug.
As he walked off stage, the sun came out for the first time today, and the band launched into People Have the Power, at the end of which Smith proclaimed: “Use your voice!”
