Comments on: Is Glastonbury losing its appeal?

By: Mikey

Mikey — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:39:08 +0000

I’ve been going to every Glasto since 2000 when so many got in free overor through the wall. It has changed or rather evolved over the years but still holds a remarkable feeling in the rain and mud aswell as the summer heat. I feel so much has been written about Jay-Z performing…like many, I like a good headliner and if it’s Jay-Z’s oppounity to shine then so be it…the festival has made and broke a few bands in it’s time because people can vote with their feet…if ya don’t like it watch something else…if ya do like it stay and tell ya friends…that’s what Glasto’s about. Personally I always see who I want to see whether or not they are on the main stage. The tickets will be sold cos it’s just too good to miss. If ya haven’t been before try it while you have the chance…no other festival of this size has everything including camping within the fence which means the parties do go on for 5 days or so…what value. It’s brilliant!!

By: jj

jj — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:05:10 +0000

I have to say, that I think Michael Eavis and Emily may have caused the quite remarkable drop in ticket sales by repeated comments about getting a ‘younger crowd’ in. I for one was deeply offended by their comments last year. The whole point of Glasto, is the absolute diversity of everything, from the babies to the teenagers to the middle aged and older - for me, it isn’t the music, it’s the experience. We go every year, my husband, myself, and our three children. We meet up with our family, and old friends,(some of who we only ever see at Glastonbury) and for every one of us over forty, we bring along an equivalent number of teenagers, and crikey are they keen to go!! My eldest is 22, and of all the festivals, this is the one she returns to year after year! My younger children (9 and 4) have known nothing else, and I am proud, that they too love Glastonbury for everything it has to offer - mud included!
So Mr Eavis, if you read this, if you alienate the people who have helped Glastonbury evolve into the very special place that it is for 5 days a year, you will lose what you and thousands of others love so much!
See you in June….yippeeee

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:40:41 +0000

The main problem with glastonbury is that the rising cost of tickets has forced out the very people that gave it its identity in the first place. It’s not that its a bad festival now, but its just too much like everything else.

People aren’t anti Jay-Z because of race. There have always been a massive variety of hugely popular rappers at the festival, many of whom got their first big break there. It’s just that if you’re going to have a headlining rapper on a friday, make them a decent act that isn’t past its peak.

But don’t hate the festival for the headliners, i hardly saw anyone on the big stages last year, if you don’t like what’s on the pyramid stage, head up to the avalon feild or the stone circle, or the jazz world stage. If you only come to glastonbury for the big names, you’re there for the wrong reasons.

By: Tom Morgan

Tom Morgan — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:42:55 +0000

Emily Eavis is an idiot trying to blame poor ticket sales on a racist middle class Britain. Jay-Z is hugely popular in America (which we all can accept has many more issues with race than the UK) and hugely popular within the hiphop scene. Glasto is neither of these things. It is a traditionally guitar based festival and that is what appeals to its usual clientèle.

I, however shall not be returning to Glasto this year. As has been mentioned there are far better, smaller festivals to go to. Festivals that don´t rip you off and festivals that are not so huge so if you ever split up with your mates you may have some chance of finding them again.

By: Lawson Gold

Lawson Gold — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:39:28 +0000

Shocking that the daughter is now claiming people (including Noel Gallagher) are, in short, racist if they don’t want to see a rapper at Glasto. Really got her finger on the pulse, that one.

Of course, it’s nothing to do with the poor line-ups of recent years, the silly ticket system, etc. No one cares about the weather if the lineup is good - which might explain why in recent years, everyone’s complained about the weather.

It wasn’t so long ago that you had to choose which artist you wanted to see the most; now it’s just ‘is there anyone worth seeing, or shall we wander around the town?’ - and that was before they started raising prices.

By: tom

tom — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:30:51 +0000

V??? crazy misguided fool. you cant compare v to glasto mate. once the official line up is released in all its glory im sure youll see how much better glasto will be. im not a fan of jay z at all but so what go and see some of the other things at Worthy Farm while he is on, live a little and make the most out of your experince. oh and cos i live near v i will be going again this year and in fact have been at everone from 96, so trust me on this. one is a corporate bossed, carling sponsored mcfestival for middle aged people who have only heard of pete dogherty and amy winehouse due to the sun and think they are entitled to scream at you if you get in their way for a sec and the other is glasto my friend!

By: Obidike

Obidike — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:29:24 +0000

Its a wonderful idea to have JayZ play @the festival. But the organisers should state openly what their objectives(theme) are for the festival, which imo markets the context of the festival. I’m a black person, and we must agree that JayZ music would apply to considerable number of black people as well as other cultures, I dont know what research has been done by the organisers in determining the cultural profile of people who go to glastonbury. I would not put my money of a lot of black folks having fun wearing rainboots jumping around in mud listening to music. where this was a festival in a place like hyde park in summer we may be talking a diff story.
All the same i dont think the sales figure of tickets just has to do with this, i believe the present credit crunch is having the better impact. As a consumer i do have 2nd thots in paying 4stuff in advance esp where they may be more pressing needs

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:52:06 +0000

I’m a fan of Jay-Z but I dont think he should be playing the Glastonbuy festival, which is the reason I’m going to the V-Fetival this year instead.

It’s got NOTHING To do with colour/race as to why people arn’t happy about him headlining, it’s the fact it’s Rap music being played at a traditionally indie/rock festival.

The organisers will realise when it’s a flop this year and we’ll see who’s laughing then!

Or maybe the fact that it was near imposible to get a ticket last year put people off registering and going for a ticket.

The line up for the V is spot on this year, check it out.

Glastonbury would have been the best yet if they’ve have got Arctic Monkey’s to play the main stage and put Jay-Z on another one.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:02:35 +0000

I’m 18 now, and have been going to Glastonbury festival from the moment i was able to slip into some wellies.

Unfortunately, there will always be people who see Glastonbury simply as a ‘music festival’, and although this is the main selling point for the festival, there is so much more to see there.

I agree to a certain extent that Jay-Z was a poor choice as a headliner for Friday night, but what people have to understand is that Glastonbury has always and always will be a dynamic, unique and a spectacular event that always goes out of it’s way each year to bring new and exciting things which will appeal to an enormous amount of people.

I’m not a Jay-Z fan myself, but he is without question, an extra-ordinarily talented man, and is very good at what he does. And i agree with the organisers that booking Jay-Z is a perfect opportunity to introduce people to new kinds of music, and to hopefully open their eyes and allow them to try new things.

On a different note, we run the Theatre and Circus fields at Glastonbury. This area spans around 3 fields and is a perfect example of what Glastonbury has to offer besides music. You won’t see an acrobatic flying around the top of a marquee on the Pyramid stage!

But back to my point, if people judge Glastonbury on just the one thing, then they must truly be blind as to what is going on around them. The amount that there is to do at Glastonbury is astounding, whether it be watching your favourite bands performing on the Pyramid stage, or grooving in at the Jazz stage, sampling the thousands of different styles of food stalls scattered around or simply just chilling up at the Green Fields with your mates. There is no end to the excitement there.

So yeah, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, at least until you’ve discovered everything there is to know and do.

By: BigFatSpliffter

BigFatSpliffter — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:13:04 +0000

Dont think initial line up has done them any favours…I’m still going though!! Perhaps its the fact that there is a moderately difficult registration system juxtoposed with the inability to pay with credit card! There are other alternatives which have not fallen foul of the floods to such an extent as Glasto, and also you can just whack it on the plastic and worry about it later…
Glasto has been debit-crunched!!