The Glastonbury line-up has been released and is being put under scrutiny as ever. Stripped and analysed for offense and indignation, with lots of strange people moaning about their favourite bands not featuring.
What, did you really think Oasis were going to gazump their own reunion tour to appear?
And actually looking at the line-up, it’s going to be an exciting Glastonbury: one which perfectly reflects and showcases the eclectic nature of music right now.
Many will quibble over grumpy old music legend Neil Young headlining on the Pyramid Stage while Charli xcx is on the Other Stage. Surely Charli xcx is the biggest thing in music right now? But on the other hand, what a mix!
Heavy folk-rock from a grizzled survivor on one stage, versus hyperactive sexed-up club bangers on the other. The odd thing is, given how people consume music now, many Glastonbury-goers will be torn between the two.
This isn’t a dads vs kids thing anymore, music consumption has changed to the point where everyone is listening to everything all at once.
Yes, it has to do with Spotify and their nefarious algorithmic ways to make music into the aural equivalent of Pringles. But there is a wider digital culture which provides access to every corner of music history instantly. If you want to hear it, you can, for free. Despite awareness of how artists are strugglin, which music fan isn’t going to take that opportunity?
And it leads to the kind of cross-generational, cross-genre, uber-eclectic Glastonbury line-up like this one.
You have older icons like Young, Rod Stewart, Nile Rogers. Your Nineties glory days icons like The Prodigy, Busta Rhymes and Supergrass. Noughties indie icons The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand and the reformed TV On the Radio. Cult bands who were surely steal huge crowds for big ‘moments’ like Kneecap, Weezer, The Maccabees, or En Vogue. And then a who’s who of who’s hot right now: Charli xcx, Jorja Smith, Ezra Collective, Bob Vylan, Olivia Rodrigo, Self Esteem, Japanese Breakfast. JADE.
Honestly, what more do people want?
The only bum note I’ll concede is The 1975 as headliners for the Friday night. Matt Healy’s controversial behaviour makes them a choice that doesn’t feel very Glastonbury – and this festival feels unique in the way its headlines are kind of spokespeople for the festival, emblematic of certain values – and also the band just aren’t that great. Sure they’re popular, and their music is precision-tooled to be played in large stadiums, but they lack the heart and soul of the type of headliner that thrives on the Farm. Or more importantly, makes everyone watching thrive.
But the beauty of Glastonbury is that there’s always a hundred other things to watch and do at any given moment, so The 1975 can always be skipped for Loyle Carner or Four Tet or, er, Alanis Morissette.
It seems to be that most of the Glastonbury moaners are people who never go to Glastonbury. It means they don’t realise that the joy of the whole shebang is not just diligently crossing from stage to stage with a pre-planned schedule, it’s about stumbling across something you’ve never seen before, and being completely blown away. Like, have a couple of ciders and go see Goat or Cymande, and any rage over Olivia Rodrigo will soon disappear.
