If Eavis won't admit the truth, will Glastonbury next year be better?

[GarfieldLeChat]

it's not to do with the music it's to do with the extortionate cost.

that being said as annabelle churchhill died last xmas there may not be another Glasto after this one... at least so the rumours go not in it's current format.

 

[Dravinian]

Still, even if he was, what does it matter? Like I said, even if he is not to your taste, he has a place on the bill and no-one has to go and see him.

Which they haven't, and Micheal Eavis is losing weight over it.

So not that simple then, really. Since its impact is being felt.

As to manufactured, I mean his sound is exactly the same as every other 'sound' out there in the genre. Think of it like an assembly line. Manufactured, fit to order.

 

[twistedAM]

Think of it like an assembly line. Manufactured, fit to order.

I wondered when The Kings of Leon would emerge in this debate

 

[The Groke]

Which they haven't, and Micheal Eavis is losing weight over it.

What I meant was that those attending the festival needn't go and see him

The few times I have been, there have been perhaps 4 or 5 acts that were "must see" for me (many of those I failed to reach, being in some kind of substance-induced stupor) plenty that I would try to catch if I was in the vicinity, many I didn't know and were a pleasant surprise when I saw them accidentally and probably a majority that I had no real interest in or actively disliked.

For me the festival was only 50% or so about the music anyway. The rest was the event itself, being there with friends, meeting new people, getting wasted, catching other, non-musical acts etc.
It was in the other stuff that Glastonbury always shone above the other festivals - Reading for example often had a wicked line-up, but the festival itself was a shit-hole.

As to manufactured, I mean his sound is exactly the same as every other 'sound' out there in the genre. Think of it like an assembly line. Manufactured, fit to order.

Hm - well we will have to agree to disagree then.

Do you even like hip-hop?

Can you not see that the same simplistic argument could be applied to any other popular genre, thus making it a bit redundant?

 

[Augie March]

Which they haven't

It's only 3,000 odd tickets that haven't been sold.

 

[dodgepot]

years of bad weather, rising prices, registration kerfuffle, laods of other (cheaper) festivals to choose from....? nah - it's one act amongst hundreds that's putting everyone off going to such a huge festival where you can spend a whole weekend and not go anywhere near the main stage...

 

[Doctor Carrot]

I've never been to Glastonbury and probably never will. I'm sure it's a great experience but i'd rather spend a week in another country sitting on a nice sandy beach, eating cheap tasty food, drinking cheap, ice cold beers from a glass and experiencing a different culture, as opposed to sitting in wet muddy field, eating shit, overpriced food and drinking warm beer from a can. Both things would cost near enough the same but the former is always going to be the more appealing option.

If the price was alot fairer and the festival was a bit smaller then i'd definitely go, but I don't see that happening unfortunately.

 

[killer b]

the main stage line up is underwhelming, but it used to sell out before they'd even anounced the lineup, so it can't be that...

 

[Termite Man]

Or do you think he was being diplomatic about the fact that booking Jay-Z was a mistake, one he won't be repeating?

I think you sound like a clueless twat to be honest .

 

[magneze]

They're just made the registration process so complicated that most people really can't be arsed any more imo. That and the weather.

 

[Sadken]

I've never been to Glastonbury and probably never will. I'm sure it's a great experience but i'd rather spend a week in another country sitting on a nice sandy beach, eating cheap tasty food, drinking cheap, ice cold beers from a glass and experiencing a different culture, as opposed to sitting in wet muddy field, eating shit, overpriced food and drinking warm beer from a can. Both things would cost near enough the same but the former is always going to be the more appealing option.

If the price was alot fairer and the festival was a bit smaller then i'd definitely go, but I don't see that happening unfortunately.

That's exactly my position. I get a limited amount of time off per year and if I want to go to a festival I'll try and combine it with seeing something of a different country as well.

Plus, I went to Burning Man a couple of years ago and I can't help but feel that schlepping round in the mud of Glasto in between Coldplay and Travis sets will be a huge come down after that. Also, Burning Man isn't a big corporate cockfest.

 

[twistedAM]

It's only 3,000 odd tickets that haven't been sold.

That's what they say.
Every promoter massages figures.

 

[Sadken]

I'd love to have Michael Eavis massage my figure. Not for anything erotic, just because it would make a great anecdote.

 

[pinkmonkey]

It's the mud and the cost isn't it? This festy is jinxed with bad weather, it is just so exhausting when it's wet there - miles to traipse and few places to sit and rest. Last tmie I went I just ended up knackered and bad tempered.

When the weather is good it's amazing......

 

[Idaho]

The weather is what really puts me off. That and the size. It's too tiring for an old fart like me.

Glastonbury isn't about the music line-up. Its a festival of performing arts. It's about everything else going on. Of the 3 times I have been, I have probably caught 3 or 4 headline acts.

 

[Fez909]

Glastonbury just isn't cool any more. The so-called Glastonbury 'experience' didn't exist for me when I went. It was less of an 'alternative' event (which it seems to market itself as) than other festivals I've been to, so you could say it's now mainstream. Even your nanna will know what Glastonbury is. Adding to the ever increasing size, hassle, price and mud...Well, why would you?

 

[Artie Fufkin]

Glastonbury isn't about the music line-up. Its a festival of performing arts. It's about everything else going on. Of the 3 times I have been, I have probably caught 3 or 4 headline acts.

totally agree with that. to be honest despite being no fan of Jay-Z, I'd be more interested in seeing him headline than Verve and Kings Of Leon, who are such lame choices.

 

[Jazzz]

I would say Eavis is right - people just had another muddy year and have thought, 'fuck it, is this really that much fun?'.

My decision on whether to book a ticket when they came out was based purely on mud and who else might be going.
I didn't even know the lineup. I've never really cared that for the main stages, though.

 

[Fez909]

Glastonbury isn't about the music line-up. Its a festival of performing arts. It's about everything else going on. Of the 3 times I have been, I have probably caught 3 or 4 headline acts.

If this is really true, why don't they stop booking massively hyped, expensive pop music, and reduce the size and cost of the festival?

 

[London_Calling]

Just listening to Eavis on Radio4 saying that the poor ticket sales, the first time in ten years that tickets are still available, are due to the mud of the past 3 years.

Didn't the capacity go up to 175,000 last year (from 150,000) - in which case it has sold out compared with every year except last year, hasn't it?

Fwiw, I think the mud plays a more signif role as the demographic shifts - it's as much a hip brand now as anything, and that makes it subject to the whims and vagaries of new social groups. A well as subject to festival fashion whereas before, with it's old demographic, it was outside that stuff.

 

[tommers]

They're just made the registration process so complicated that most people really can't be arsed any more imo. That and the weather.

that. I looked at registering and they wanted my photo and my fingerprints and a swab from my cock and so I decided not to. There are other festivals you can go to. It's not like I'm emigrating to the United States.

And last time I went I was so "tired" when I came back that I started crying after watching a documentary about socrates.

 

[internetstalker]

Just listening to Eavis on Radio4 saying that the poor ticket sales, the first time in ten years that tickets are still available, are due to the mud of the past 3 years.

Why is he so incapable of admitting the truth, Glastonbury has sold out for ten years playing good music.

It isn't about rap, hip hop, RnB or any other crap about style that hte media and others want to pretend it is about. Public Enemy have played as have several other Music of Black Origin acts, the difference between these acts and the headliner this year, is merely talent. Those acts were talents and were well received by a crowd of people with discerning musical tastes.

Jay-Z is just another talentless member of the RnB production line that is the United States, they pump out these acts like they pump gas, now that might go down in plastic America, but the plastic UK, which exists and lets not pretend it doesn't, doesn't attend Glastonbury.

So if Eavis wont admit that putting on shit music has resulted in lower ticket sales, are we likely to see the same next year?

Or do you think he was being diplomatic about the fact that booking Jay-Z was a mistake, one he won't be repeating?

Nah the poor ticket sales are nothing to do with JZ

It's because eavis has made it so fucking hard to get tickets for the last few years that alot of people haven't bothered!

 

[magneze]

that. I looked at registering and they wanted my photo and my fingerprints and a swab from my cock and so I decided not to. There are other festivals you can go to. It's not like I'm emigrating to the United States.

It's ridiculous isn't it. It's harder to get a ticket to Glastonbury, involving more forms of ID than it is to get a passport. People want to go ... just not THAT much.

 

[internetstalker]

I would argue that perhaps it is a matter of protest. It isn't that Jay-Z is purely not to their taste, it is what Jay-Z stands for that people don't like.

Manufactured crap.

How on earth is Jay Z Manufactured??

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

How on earth is Jay Z Manufactured??

Cos he's part of black culture and is therefore to blame for the increase in violence in our society. And he's also made of glue and matchsticks and modelling clay and not really a real person at all. And Dravinian don't take no dissing from de man innit......

 

[veracity]

I can only speak for myself and bf, but we're not going because it was such an effort last year. Terrible weather, far too rammed with people and too greater distances involved (when it's muddy and full of people). It's exhausting. Far better to go to a smaller festival with a more communal atmosphere and more likely good weather, even though the music won't be as good.

So, nothing to do with Jay-Z

Precisely why I'm not going either this year, but am looking forward to a couple of smaller festivals - Latitude and Solfest.

Jay-Z is a complete red herring and absolutely nowt to do with slower ticket sales than usual.

I also think another major factor may have been what Eavis said about not wanting the festival to be full of oldies - bit insulting IMO.

 

[Idaho]

It was less of an 'alternative' event (which it seems to market itself as) than other festivals I've been to, so you could say it's now mainstream.

Ok - your challenge is to find anywhere in the Glastonbury festival marketing information where it says it is an alternative festival.

I have a feeling your are talking bollo.

 

[internetstalker]

Cos he's part of black culture and is therefore to blame for the increase in violence in our society. And he's also made of glue and matchsticks and modelling clay and not really a real person at all. And Dravinian don't take no dissing from de man innit......

Well you learn something new every day!

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

The problem with the festival is twofold i) when it rains it can't cope and ii) its a rip off. So after three days of squelching through mud forking out money hand over fist why bother again? Especially if you are left to rot in a non functioning coach station for 8 hours when its all over. Ofc if its sunny everything works out fine.. just seems less likley to be sunny these days..

Of course all the Urban Glastovangelists are probably there at the moment, so we've got until monday to slate it whereupon you can expect to get WoWed.

 

[Fez909]

Ok - your challenge is to find anywhere in the Glastonbury festival marketing information where it says it is an alternative festival.

I have a feeling your are talking bollo.

...the more alternative, less noisy aspects of festival life....head up to the Field of Avalon, the Tipi Field, and the Green Fields...

How's that?