mr mister

So where did we land with this then? who’s bringing the Viagra Boys moment to 2024? Fat Whites on Woodsies? who am I missing? Ty Segal touring uk over Glastonbury week/weekend and not playing is very sad imho.

Ty Segal in London 28th June https://www.birdonthewire.net/events/ty-segall-roundhouse hmmm..

One small request for next year if anyone's listening (if you're not bringing back Williams Green) ,book more bands that bring this kind of crowd energy to The Park. (Ty Segal, Oh Sees, Gilla Band..if you;re asking!)

yeah , for sure , there are loads that have gone on to play the bigger stages.. but that's kinda the point.. WG was about showcasing them at an earlier stage of their career. Before they got to Woodsies level. When they were a bit more of a secret. There's something special about seeing fresh, exciting up and coming artists like the ones mentioned at the best festival in the world, in an intimate setting. it's part of what makes Glastonbury so diverse and great musically. To shift to the philosophy of, just wait two years and you can probably see them at Woodsies, is reductive and the wrong attitude imo I'm not expert in this stuff . but could of maybe seen bands like...Cola, Caroline, Ulrika Spacek ( there are better examples, I'm sure , I'm not a booker).. playing at Williams green this year... bands that arent big enough for Woodsies, and without WG.. there's no space for them

depends what your idea of 'alternative music' is i guess. Just saying get yourself over to Woodsies if you;re missing WG doesn't wash imo. My mum would probably agree the Courteeners and Editors are alternative music. I probably wouldn't. (first bit of mud slinging?) I'm not really sure where the push back is coming from to be honest. There's not much to argue. They've got rid of tent that catered for a specific level / brand / style of artist and not replaced it. And that's a bit sh*t for those who liked the tent and kind of artists that played in it.

uh, yep. those are the ones. they played in 2019. Was a good gig. not really sure your point tbh, but mine was: with the loss of Williams Green , these kind of bands no longer have an obvious place at Glastonbury. Or certainly there are less options for them.

and i really like Leon Vyenhall... Snapped Ankles is a great example. Black Midi and Fontaines DC have gone on to bigger things and stages and good for them, but someone like Snapped Ankles are of a certain level and are niche will stay niche. If you're not seeing them at Williams Green, you're probably not seeing them at Glastonbury. I remember discovering Robocobra there last year. Brilliant.. sort of experimental ,jazzy , post -rock, Tortoise-eqsue band.. so good. Again, which stage is catering for that this year. Maybe you could argue lower down the bill at West Holts.. but that stuff gets lost in a big field. It's also about the intimacy of seeing these kind of band in a small tent. Honestly, if they ditch the Pigs x7 / warmduscher / Henge style slots from the Truth then it really is game over..

It's not about the revamped space, and what that brings aesthetically and interactively. It's nice that there will be a field with some old cars, made to look like stone henge, to gawp at. Sure. But that will take me roughly 3 mins. What about the 4 days of lost music curation, music that you won't find anywhere else at the festival. And those who are saying there are other late night option, are also not getting the point. It's not about Guilty Pleasures. Glastonbury dropping WG is tantamount to them saying, we are no longer supporting up and coming or developing , left of centre / underground bands and acts. It's not like them dropping a stage in Silver Hayes, where you can just pivot 90 degrees , and watch Leon Vynehall in the tent just across the way instead. It uniquely catered for a certain brand of alternative music, that isn't replicated anywhere else. You might argue The Park. But Fat Boy Slim headling suggests it's not getting any more cutting edge up there. Close to labouring this one, I appreciate. But I bloody love the festival, and am just v surprised and disappointed they've decided to make this move. Hopefully they see sense and revert next year. Otherwise it's a slippery slope

pretty sure Williams Green wouldn't of been the biggest strain on the finances. dropping a couple of mid level disposable mainstream acts on the main stages, probably pays for the entire WG weekend booking budget, doesn't it?... making this up as i go, but you get the point. Not surprised they've had to cut corners, just surprised they've decided to do it in one of the most interesting and exciting areas of the festival in terms of music.

the Hive doesn't look like a replacment to me.. I mean, just look at who's played Williams Green recently.. Porridge Radio, Yard Act, Nilifur Yanya, HorseGirl, Jane Weaver, Mannequin Pussy, Amyl & The Sniffers, Black Midi, Fountaines DC, Shame, Jessica Hoop, Sorry.. this is in the last two years of the festival alone! It was the go to for some of the most exciting bands of the moment.. supporting and showcasing them before a few of have inevitably exploded... Major ball drop by getting rid of IMO. A bit of Glastonbury's edge and creditability going with it.

Looking at the line up, it appears there is no obvious replacement WG in terms of music this year then A huge loss for me. It was one of the few places at the festival where you could go and see something a bit more cutting edge and leftfield in the alternative space A little enclave that sort of caters for folk who might enjoy Green Man or EOTR.. Sure you have the Park , West Holts and Woodsies that offer it to a degree, but all three are starting to merge into each other in some ways. Williams Green line up was very specifically not like anything else at the festival, and it going effectively feels like Glastonbury saying they are giving up on that particular brand of up and coming, alt bands are artists. Big shame