The Wheel of Four Tunes open their set with an AI sequence with Donald Trump, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Clarkson, Gordon Ramsey and more praising the trio. Possibly controversial given the questions around the use of AI in the arts but it’s lapped up by the dedicated crowd at Sensation Seekers Stage, most of whom are already Wheel of Four Tunes converts.
They know the in-jokes, they know what to expect and they’re ready for it. The trio are all dressed in red Power Ranger jumpsuits – a few prepared audience members are dressed as the green Power Ranger.
To begin the show, members of the audience at the barrier have the opportunity to pluck eight potential genres from member Barry’s bag – we have a combination of options: the Noughties, Christmas, Hip Hop, Country, Cheese and more. With the genres attached to a spinning wheel, the idea is that an audience member spins the wheel to choose the next genre of songs that will be played. Then, we all sing-a-long – that’s the show.
It’s not karaoke – this is the studio version of Bohemian Rhapsody and Fairytale of New York – we’re just singalong to the tracks as The Wheel of Four Tunes trio crack jokes and essentially act daft on stage. Audience members get in on the act – poor Mike, having picked possibly the best genre available (the eighties) gets booed for being from London and is forced to apologise for where he lives. It’s all good fun and although it might be as good as singing along to Queen or Dexy’s Midnight Runners, it’s not a bad replacement.
The Wheel of Four Tunes performed on Sensation Seekers Stage at Glastonbury 2024, running from 26 to 30 June
