Forget the worries about how many of the notoriously unpredictable Staten Island rap group would show up: they only just managed to clear customs. "They treated us like the Taliban," complained Method Man during a punchy, spirits-raising 45 minute set that saw off any rain-induced gloom. It also set a new record for the number of casual hip-hop fans making the band's "W" sign with their hands, among them a visibly excited Suggs from Madness.
Even the band themselves seemed surprised by the response, Method Man telling us that, despite the quagmire, "we live in a lovely motherfucking country." They worked hard though, almost bullying the crowd into submission if energy levels flagged. Although now Dad Rap rather than the cutting edge, there's still a crackle of excitement if enough frontline members take the stage together, in this case RZA, Method Man, Ghostface and GZA.
It helps that they still look great: RZA in wraparound shades with his name on the front, Method Man not bothering to take off his hotel bathrobe, its pristine whiteness suggesting he may well have been carried to the stage in his own personal sedan chair.
It didn't seem to matter that the crowd didn't really know early tracks such as Bring Da Ruckus or Shame On a Nigga, or that they played Ice Cream, which really belongs to the absent Raekwon and a sunnier day. The Wu-Tang merely seemed thrilled to be here, and Glastonbury happy to have them.
