107 replies to this topic

[puppetmode]

Gutted to see Prince playing Hop Farm the week after Glastonbury.

So close yet so far!

I'd love to know whether he was ever on the shortlist for Glastonbury and if so what went wrong. Timing? Money?
And if he wasn't on the shortlist, WHY NOT!!!

Ahwell, we got the next best thing...Beyonce  

[beadfc]

Yes, it's the week after Glastonbury. Yes, I will have no money. However, Prince live around 5 miles from my house?! I'm in!

[Paul ™]

This made me happy this morning

[Turbo Shotgun]

Maybe his agent made a mistake and got Hop confused with Worthy?  

[ivan]

beadfc, on 18 May 2011 - 08:46 AM, said:

Yes, it's the week after Glastonbury. Yes, I will have no money. However, Prince live around 5 miles from my house?! I'm in!

The Gods have certainly looked after you !

Thats even being a massive Strokes or Lady Ga Ga fan and living in Carlise !

[eFestivals]

puppetmode, on 18 May 2011 - 08:41 AM, said:

Gutted to see Prince playing Hop Farm the week after Glastonbury.

So close yet so far!

I'd love to know whether he was ever on the shortlist for Glastonbury and if so what went wrong. Timing? Money?
And if he wasn't on the shortlist, WHY NOT!!!

Ahwell, we got the next best thing...Beyonce  

I've no idea if Glasto were after Prince for this year or not - I suspect not, but you never know.

Anyway, if they had been, the timing of this Hop Farm announcement gets to show why they don't have him - cos he'll only confirm a gig around 6 or 8 weeks before that gig is due to happen.

While some promoters might be willing to accept that, it causes all sorts of difficulties. It doesn't give them much time to promote the event and sell the tickets, and for the likes of Glastonbury it means that if Prince didn't confirm as they might have been hoping that they'd then only have a few weeks to find an alternative headliner - but an act of real headliner status might not be available.

While selling tickets for a late Prince announcement might be fairly easy, selling tickets for a late announcement of another band (particularly if that band is short of being real headliner status) could be enough to see that event financially fail. It's a big risk for any promoter.

I don't know for sure, but I'm of the belief that Hard Rock Calling was hoping to get Prince this year. Instead they announced The Killers just a few weeks ago, which to me reeks of them having to find a fill-in act. After all, The Killers aren't doing anything at the moment because of Brandon's solo stuff - so it's a fair bet that they had to pay waaaay over the top to get them. Despite The Killers popularity and the fact they're doing nothing else, the tickets haven't sold out and might not sell out, and the promoter might lose shed loads as a result.

[whateverman]

I actually imagine that Glastonbury were trying to get him, just based on the 'big American artist that we've always wanted to land' comment by Emily last year (Beyonce? Really?).  But that's just me speculating.
I imagine it fell through because of the very same reasons efestivals said.

[CaledonianGonzo]

If the 6-8 week Prince booking period clause really is the reason, I do wish that Glasto had held their nerve and booked him anyway.  The festival being sold out anyway, they didn't have much to lose.  Could even have put Beyonce on the Saturday and held Coldplay in their back pocket for the Sunday if the purple one pussied out.

Personally, I'm a little bit gutted.

[jimmyt]

Just to check, is it impossible (as in pretty much impossible - clearly nothing is impossible) that he turns up a week early and plays on the Friday at The Park, seeing as that slot isn't yet "booked" (allegedly)?

[1mills]

Surprised that the tickets are so "cheap" in fairness at £40.

I'm going to the Foos that day already though, so that rules out making this one.  Already missing Flaming Lips doing Soft Bulletin that weekend due to a wedding (where we've also been told the David Haye fight is not going to be allowed by the bride).

[dingbat2]

That's quite a coup for Hop Farm

[eFestivals]

CaledonianGonzo, on 18 May 2011 - 09:30 AM, said:

If the 6-8 week Prince booking period clause really is the reason, I do wish that Glasto had held their nerve and booked him anyway.  The festival being sold out anyway, they didn't have much to lose.  Could even have put Beyonce on the Saturday and held Coldplay in their back pocket for the Sunday if the purple one pussied out.

Personally, I'm a little bit gutted.

But if they'd held out, would they have got him?

If Hard Rock Calling was in for him but Hop Farm have got him instead, there's a reason why and that reason is extremely likely to be money. And as Glasto doesn't - can't - pay top-dollar, it's exceedingly likely they also wouldn't have got him.

As for Coldplay playing second fiddle as you suggest, why would a band of their status be willing to accept that? While they might have been willing to accept that, it's not like they'd be showing egocentric tendencies if they wouldn't accept it. They're one of the biggest bands in the world after all!

[puppetmode]

CaledonianGonzo, on 18 May 2011 - 09:30 AM, said:

If the 6-8 week Prince booking period clause really is the reason, I do wish that Glasto had held their nerve and booked him anyway.  The festival being sold out anyway, they didn't have much to lose.  Could even have put Beyonce on the Saturday and held Coldplay in their back pocket for the Sunday if the purple one pussied out.

Yes, and especially as T in the Park have beyonce and she's not even headlining. Perhaps the worry of previous years Bowie/Kylie/U2 have given them the eebeejeebeez when it comes to the big risk taking. beyonce certainly could have been 2nd on to Prince with no loss of face if she is below Coldplay at T.

Anywho, maybe another year

[**claire**]

CaledonianGonzo, on 18 May 2011 - 09:30 AM, said:

If the 6-8 week Prince booking period clause really is the reason, I do wish that Glasto had held their nerve and booked him anyway.  The festival being sold out anyway, they didn't have much to lose.  Could even have put Beyonce on the Saturday and held Coldplay in their back pocket for the Sunday if the purple one pussied out.

Personally, I'm a little bit gutted.

Me too... debating whether to join in the mad rush for tickets tomorrow!

[jimmyt]

Oh, and it doesn't matter to Glastonbury if they can't confirm someone until 6-8 weeks before the festival - it sells out anyway plus they've kept the line-up secret right up until the festival starting in the past, anyway - so why couldn't Glastonbury wait and get Prince instead of having to book bloody Beyoncnull.  She really does look like more and more of a dreadful booking by the day.  

I'm sure Prince would have cost too much but it's getting stupid when Hop Farm has a better headliner than Glastonbury.  For years we've been told that ME's dream bookings were Prince, The Eagles and The Rolling Stones.  Now, admittedly, it appears that The Stones just can't be got (although IOW managed it) but to be trumped on the other two by Hop Farm has got to indicate that something is wrong with the booking at Glasto.  I'm sure they're getting massive cheques but I'm also convinced that if someone really tried they could have made these two come to Glastonbury.  U2, The Eagles and Prince would have truly been the greatest set of headliners ever (and I'm not bothered by The Eagles, personally).

[tom1989]

As Neil said its down to the 6-8 week confirmation that Prince's PR Team seem to stick to. Glasto simply cant risk that, as it only sells weekend and not day tickets (ruling out the sunday tickets for locals), so it would have been a big risk for them to wait that long. That along with the fact that he probably charges extortionate rates for his gigs, which Glasto cant afford I'd say there was little to no chance of him ever being in the frame to headline. And for the person who was hoping for a park secret slot, that 100% will not happen, for the money reason above and for the fact he'd probably laugh at them if they suggested playing anything but headliner on the pyramid

[muffin]

10 min trip from my house!  I think i've just cum.......  

[Badlands]

jimmyt, on 18 May 2011 - 09:42 AM, said:

Oh, and it doesn't matter to Glastonbury if they can't confirm someone until 6-8 weeks before the festival - it sells out anyway plus they've kept the line-up secret right up until the festival starting in the past, anyway - so why couldn't Glastonbury wait and get Prince instead of having to book bloody Beyoncnull.  She really does look like more and more of a dreadful booking by the day.  

I'm sure Prince would have cost too much but it's getting stupid when Hop Farm has a better headliner than Glastonbury.  For years we've been told that ME's dream bookings were Prince, The Eagles and The Rolling Stones.  Now, admittedly, it appears that The Stones just can't be got (although IOW managed it) but to be trumped on the other two by Hop Farm has got to indicate that something is wrong with the booking at Glasto.  I'm sure they're getting massive cheques but I'm also convinced that if someone really tried they could have made these two come to Glastonbury.  U2, The Eagles and Prince would have truly been the greatest set of headliners ever (and I'm not bothered by The Eagles, personally).

Not that I''m doubting the size and stature of the Eagles but not sure they've got the legacy in this country unlike Waters/Stones/Springsteen to be Glasto headliners.

[Mardy]

So excited about this. I'll be there.

[eFestivals]

jimmyt, on 18 May 2011 - 09:42 AM, said:

Oh, and it doesn't matter to Glastonbury if they can't confirm someone until 6-8 weeks before the festival - it sells out anyway plus they've kept the line-up secret right up until the festival starting in the past, anyway - so why couldn't Glastonbury wait and get Prince

Firstly, would they have got Prince if they'd waited? Everything points very firmly to no. It seems clear that he's accepted the biggest money offer, which wouldn't have come from Glasto.

As for selling out, while they've sold the tickets this year, it doesn't mean the same happens next year. If they'd have waited for Prince and not got him they'd have quite likely ended up with a sub-standard headliner instead (such as Gorrillaz last year), which then impacts on the festival's reputation which might cause tickets to not sell in the future.

(Because Gorillaz were a fill-in for U2 because of Bono's back injury, people accepted those circumstances. They'd be less accepting if they didn't know the reason for a lower standard headliner than expected - and it's very unlikely that Glastonbury would feel they could announce "we got NotSoGood as a headliner this year because Prince wouldn't accept our offer".)

jimmyt, on 18 May 2011 - 09:42 AM, said:

instead of having to book bloody Beyoncnull.  She really does look like more and more of a dreadful booking by the day.

she's a dreadful booking for those people who don't like her style of music. Her sales get to show that he's a hugely popular act even if she's not popular with you, and in that context she's an excellent booking.

How good a booking she is will be shown by the numbers who go an watch her - and I've no doubt that the numbers will prove her a more than acceptable booking, exactly as happened with Jay-Z where much the same was said by people who have failed to recognise that tastes in music are changing (and always changing).

jimmyt, on 18 May 2011 - 09:42 AM, said:

I'm sure Prince would have cost too much but it's getting stupid when Hop Farm has a better headliner than Glastonbury.  For years we've been told that ME's dream bookings were Prince, The Eagles and The Rolling Stones.  Now, admittedly, it appears that The Stones just can't be got (although IOW managed it) but to be trumped on the other two by Hop Farm has got to indicate that something is wrong with the booking at Glasto.  I'm sure they're getting massive cheques but I'm also convinced that if someone really tried they could have made these two come to Glastonbury.  U2, The Eagles and Prince would have truly been the greatest set of headliners ever (and I'm not bothered by The Eagles, personally).

It's beyond doubt that Hop Farm are spending huge amounts to get these acts. Glastonbury is not in the financial position to compete with those sums, due to the money it gives to charities along with the huge amount of stuff it puts on above what the likes of Hop Farm does.

If you seriously expect Glastonbury to compete on money terms then Glastonbury will not be what it currently is.

Michael told me that The Eagles wanted £2M. He can't hold a gun to their head; if they won't play for what Glastonbury can afford to pay that's the end of it.