The Glastonbury Festival, the world's largest green field arts and music festival has returned to its guitar-based roots and chosen Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Blur as its headline acts this year. Tickets are apparently all ready sold out.
It was last year that hip-hop superstar Jay-Z headlined the festival in an effort to attract a younger crowd. Ticket sales dragged and critics bemoaned the abandonment of festival origins but the rapper was widely judged a success, by mud soaked attendees. (One notable hip-hop exception on the main stage is British rapper Dizzee Rascal, who was topping the UK singles charts on Monday and has rocked British festivals this year.)
This year, old favourites dominate with Tom Jones, Status Quo and Madness playing the main stage and hip-hop artists Q-Tip, Roots Manuva and Black Eyed Peas relegated to the smaller areas. Metric, Fucked Up, Deadmou5 and Peaches will be there representing the Canuck contingent.
Musical diversity appears to be key this year.
"We know that there will be objections to whatever we do but if last year taught us anything, it was that we have to follow our gut instinct," festival organiser Emily Eavis told Britain's Guardian newspaper. "Risks pay off, and featuring Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen in one weekend was a choice ... and we had to take it," the paper quoted her as saying.
Other artists likely to appeal to a younger crowd include indie pop group The Wombats, Animal Collective Australia's Gabriella Cilmi, electro-pop musician Little Boots, and pop artist Lady Gaga.
Pete Doherty will play Glastonbury's second-largest stage, and there is great speculation he will be joined by his former group, the Libertines, after he performed earlier this month with two of its members for the first time since the band split in 2004.
The festival is held on the farm of founder Michael Eavis, who started the event in 1970 when entrance cost one pound and included free milk. This year's almost 200,000 tickets went for 175 pounds each. Free milk however is not included.
Not just about music, the June 24-28 festival also has performing arts, theatre, dance, spiritual-healing, circus events and funny hats. But the best feature of all, the people watching. This one makes Burning Man look like a puppet show!
Check out the full line up here. It’s huge! Anyone up for a roadtrip?
7 comments:
HOLY SMOKES!
I started reading the lineup and commenting to myself, hey why didn't he mention...? Until I realized that you would have run out of bandwidth if you tried to mention all the mentionables.
It would have been easier to list who is NOT going to be there.
Let me pick up a new pair of wellies and I'll meet you at the airport.
Sounds good Barbara, I'll be there with bells on! And yes, I did consider duplicating the list but realized the uberpost would overwhelm the blawg. It is truly an awesome line-up. I can not imagine the logistical hell that the organizers would have to deal with.
But what great fun to escape to the UK to witness such an event.
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I want to go!!!
I do work for a UK company. Hmmm, maybe I could convince them to fly me over for an urgent team meeting.
One day, Mr. Sean, one day, I will go to this Glastonbury shindig and sleep in the mud and rub up against strangers and get disgustingly drunk and all the other stuff they do up there.
And the lineup is ridiculous. Utterly. It's taking everything I have right now not to explode in jealousy.
Oh, how I miss Glastonbury, Somerset and all that mud, sigh.
Kickass.
Good to see Metric there. They impress me more and more with every album.
Sounds great Barbara, I'll be there with ringers on! Furthermore yes, I did acknowledge doubling the record however understood the uberpost might overpower the blawg. It is without a doubt an awe inspiring line-up. I can not envision the logistical heck that the coordinators might need to manage.
In any case what extraordinary amusing to getaway to the UK to witness such an occasion.
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