Glasto glad to give festival a hip hop edge

Glastonbury organisers have defended the decision to recruit hip-hop star Jay-Z to headline the festival after guitarist Noel Gallagher, from 1990s Beatles tribute act Oasis, blamed the failure to sell all the festival tickets on the decision to get Jay-Z to perform.

Glastonbury organisers have defended the decision to recruit hip-hop star Jay-Z to headline the festival after guitarist Noel Gallagher, from 1990s Beatles tribute act Oasis, blamed the failure to sell all the festival tickets on the decision to get Jay-Z to perform.

But writing in today's Independent newspaper, co-organiser Emily Eavis said the festival was "delighted" when it booked Jay-Z.

She said: "In truth, we felt honoured to have him on board, and believe that he is absolutely the right act for our festival...

"First, we were blown away by selling 100,000 tickets on the first day of sale, especially given that it was a snowy Sunday in April.

"Second, Jay-Z is far from the first hip-hop artist to perform at Glastonbury, as one might assume from some strangely hysterical press reports."

She said the festival had a long history of attracting top rap artists and insisted it was not a bid to move the festival away from traditional supporters.

"There is no reason why we should not have the greatest living hip-hop artist on at Glastonbury; in fact, he is exactly the sort of act we should have performing."

She continued that feedback from Glastonbury fans was "overwhelmingly positive".

The 40-year-old Oasis star previously said it was "wrong" to have a hip-hop headliner.

He told the BBC: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you start to break it then people aren't going to go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance.

"Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?'

"I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."

Oasis headlined the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in 1995 and 2004, with the event selling out on both occasions.

Comments

[w]

Yep - guns, sexist remarks, racism - all key components to a happy glasto vibe. Confirmation of making the right decision would be unequivocal support from 100% of the people _PAYING_ to go - hmmmmm. Glasto seems to be pulling an Olympics - turn a blind eye to the people who pay for it, turn a blind eye to traditional ethics, do whatever it takes to get the dollar rolling, regardless of the sacrafice :- the future of the festival.

I'm actually really concerned about this - the vibe on the night is going to be something we're planning on avoiding like the plague.

w