Slade plan to reform original line-up to perform for Glastonbury’s legends slot

Noddy himself has vowed to get the original band back together to storm the iconic Pyramid Stage to take the legends slot – but might have an uphill struggle to reunited the feuding members

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Pret teams up with Noddy Holder to bring Christmas early

Slade might have one of the most iconic Christmas songs out there but they are planning to swap winter success for summer fun with a slot at Glastonbury festival.

The band, who were formed in Wolverhampton in 1966, are said to rake in £500,000 every Christmas thanks to the enduring appeal of their number one 1973 hit Merry Xmas Everybody being replayed year after year.

The group currently consists of founding member Dave Hill, who plays guitar and sings – while other members include bass player John Berry who joined in 2003, vocalist and keyboard player Rusell Keefe who joined in 2019 and drummer Alex Bines who joined in 2020.

Noddy Holder was an original member and lead singer from 1966 until he quit in 1992 – while keyboardist Jim Lea and drummer Don Powell completed the original line-up.

While the band have endured explosive arguments over the years – after splitting in 1992 and Don being sacked by Dave over email last year – 75-year-old Noddy wants to get the original line-up back together to play the legends slot at the 2022 Glastonbury music festival.

Noddy told The Sun about his plans to perform in the coveted slot, explaining: “It would be amazing if we could work out our differences. I think we’d probably all have to go in on a coach each. Or we’d all have to have a changing room or caravan each.

“And maybe we’d have to have glass barriers between us on stage so that there would be no fisticuffs on stage.”

Noddy also fears he could face an uphill struggle to get Dave and Don talking again after the former fired the latter from his revamped version of the band last year.

The shrill voiced glam rocker said: “I think it’s a long time before they get talking again. But that happens in rock ’n’ roll bands. If it’s not one crisis, it’s another.”

It’s not just a Christmas song that made Slade UK heroes – they had six number one singles and three number one albums over the years since they emerged in the ‘60s.

Their 1971 single Coz I Luv You, 1972 singles Take Me Bak ‘One and Mama Weer All Crazee Now, and 1973 tracks Cum On Feel the Noise and Skweeze Me, Please Me were all chart toppers as well as their festive smash.

Meanwhile albums Slayed? and Old New Borrowed and Blue hit the top of the UK charts in 1970 and 1972 respectively, while 1973 compilation record Sladest also hit number one.

Glastonbury is expected to return in 2022 after the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

The event should take place next year between 22 and 26 June 2022 – with a number of headliners already announced.

US singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is expected to headline the Pyramid stage on the Friday – while Diana Ross will take to the same stage to perform in the legends slot on the Sunday.