Glastonbury is a sleepy town in Somerset, home once a year to a massive festival which is historically one of the best annual gatherings of rock from major UK and global headline acts. Just last year The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, Kasabian and Kaiser Chiefs headlined, to name but a few. For some reason, however, the organisers seem to have gotten it wrong this year.
For a predominantly indie and rock festival, American rapper Jay-Z seems, at best, a bold, controversial signing. At worst? Just plain barmy. In the festival planners’ defence, it is important to try to reach out to all styles, but I think they’ve shot themselves in the foot with this signing.
At least Jay-Z is current, with a large fanbase in certain demographics, but when I heard that Shakin’ Stevens had been contracted I nearly fainted! What must have been going through their minds in allowing some clapped-out, talentless old man to massage his ego in front of thousands of rock fans, many of whom probably haven’t even heard of any of his songs? Bizarre.
So, is the festival dead and buried? Many die-hard Glastonbury fans have boycotted the festival this year in disgust, and it is true that tickets, costing a hefty £155, have been slower selling than usual. Surely the atmosphere and overall ‘Glasto’ experience – music, (drugs), alcohol, (sex), mud and massive toilet queues (or the shameless ‘bottle’ technique if you can’t wait – should be enough to save its reputation?
Admittedly, £155 seems quite a lot of money to see a handful of very good acts, a selection of average ones and, sadly, quite a few acts which in better years would not have been invited to play at the event at all.
Certainly there are better line-ups at the summer’s other festivals: in particular, Reading/Leeds and T in the Park. It seems to be near enough impossible to get hold of Reading tickets, which, I guess, proves its popularity.
Glastonbury, though, is surely the spiritual and historic home of the UK’s festivals, and hopefully will come through this year with its reputation still intact.
One positive from the situation is that it is easier for people who haven’t experienced Glastonbury before to get the chance. Even though it may not have as good a line-up as usual, I think that it still promises to be a great festival, and as I was too slow in finding Reading tickets you may just see me in a tent in darkest Somerset, fully clad in waterproofs and singing Shakin’ Stevens at the top of my voice with an old hippy couple!
