Glastonbury 2025 Emerging Talent Competition winners Westside Cowboy and Hot Stamp wow at Ceremony 5
Westside Cowboy and Hot Stamp proved why they are one's to watch in 2025.
With all the action taking place in the same venue - historic Bedford spot Esquires - the fifth edition of all-dayer Ceremony is undoubtedly one of the easiest events to navigate.
Similarly, the scheduling is a music fan’s dream: with one act finishing as the next one starts, it means the crowd naturally flows between rooms, and there is far less chance of bands playing to an empty space.
With early bird tickets having started at under £25, you’d be hard pushed to find an event that’s better value for money.
While this year’s line-up boasted a dozen bands, the two standouts of the day were Hot Stamp and Westside Cowboy – here’s why we were so impressed by them.
Hot Stamp
© Kane Howie
Despite it only being their third ever show out of London, sister duo Hot Stamp prove why they’re one of the most exciting new bands right now. The pair - Jasmine and Poppy - may have only released one single to date, Josephine, but it’s an absolute anthem with epic pounding drums and riffs. A cover of The Veronica’s’ classic Untouched brings an element of nostalgia while an unreleased song about “smashing the windows in your living room” sounds like another imminent hit. Considering it’s 3.30pm on a dreary Saturday, they draw an impressively large crowd.
Westside Cowboy
One of the buzziest bands of the day, Manchester quartet Westside Cowboy defy technical issues to deliver a set that justifies their recent Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent competition win. While heavy guitars, frenetic drumming and one almighty scream under flashing strobes kick off their set, the tempos of the songs that follow regularly change before going off in unexpected, thrilling directions. What’s most clear is just how much fun the four-piece have on stage. One minute they’re harmonising perfectly, the next they’re thrashing their respective instruments; the drummer, in particular, plays like it’s his last time. The soft, acoustic folk start of Shells holds the room silent before it explodes, while the final song sees the group gather round one mic and drum together. They really are one of the music industry’s most unique and compelling prospects.
