The Rolling Stones....

[eFestivals]

... were NEVER in the frame to play Glastonbury this year, so says Michael Eavis.

Oh dear at all those people who said they defo were.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Maybe just Mr E. trying not to hurt Coldplay's feelings or make anyone on the current line-up look like second best?

Though I can believe it was common industry knowledge that they weren't sufficiently motivated enough to get their act together to tour at all - in which case, it's true enough that they wouldn't have been in the frame.

[eFestivals]

Maybe just Mr E. trying not to hurt Coldplay's feelings or make anyone on the current line-up look like second best?

it could be, but given how it was said I don't think that's the case. It seems pretty certain that it wasn't what the fest was trying to do.

[jimmyt]

it could be, but given how it was said I don't think that's the case. It seems pretty certain that it wasn't what the fest was trying to do.

[russycarps]

They will never play glastonbury.

[The Nal]

They will never play glastonbury.

[CaledonianGonzo]

While I'm erring on agreeing with you - and agree that money is almost always their main incentive - there have been times recently (principally the free concert in Rio and the Toronto SARS benefit) when they've turned up and played for beer money.

See also the theatre shows which they usually do a few times on each tour - there's no way they'll do anything but lose money playing them.

[russycarps]

I just think that to some people glastonbury is nothing special. To us fanatics we cant understand it and we think that for any band playing glasto would be the absolute peak, but it seems to me that there are bands who just couldnt care less about the place - if they have even heard of it at all.

I reckon the stones defo fall into this category. And after todays revelations it seems pulp might too...

[Ci Sgoti]

After just seeing the film by Martin Scorsese, "Shine a Light" I no longer have a wish to see them, even if it was to tick them off the list. They seemed to be congratulating each other by slapping one and other on the back and having a cuddle every time the successfully survived the duration of a song. A bit cringeworthy for me sadly

[CaledonianGonzo]

To be fair, there was a definite sea-change in the Stones attitude to playing live after they got royally shafted of their recorded royalties by Allen Klein and it became the only way they could make any money.

Jagger will be culturally up-to-speed enough to realise the significance of Glasto, but, post-Altamont, one can imagine him having a fairly cynical attitude to large festivals.

(Isle of Wight and Knebworth aside, obvs.)

[The Nal]

After just seeing the film by Martin Scorsese, "Shine a Light" I no longer have a wish to see them, even if it was to tick them off the list. They seemed to be congratulating each other by slapping one and other on the back and having a cuddle every time the successfully survived the duration of a song. A bit cringeworthy for me sadly

[russycarps]

it was sad and shocking to see them at the isle of wight the other year. Total garbage

[The Nal]

Also, why would they bother playing Glasto for 200k when they can get $2.2 for playing some poxy inaguration like this!?

[Ci Sgoti]

Oh they’re shite nowadays. Was watching Ladies and Gentlemen from 1972 again at the weekend. Just amazing rock and roll from them. They’re a funk band now as Bob Dylan said. And not the James Brown “Let the drummer have some of that funky soul we got” type either. They’re the shit type.

Problem is with them, its not ability. Its just that they couldn’t be arsed spending time working on their set and how songs are played. They’d rather just play a close approximation of their tunes and have Mick out front doing an impression of himself. Actually, I think at this stage, hes doing an impression of himself, doing an impression of himself.

[denwyn]

Never believe anything ME or Emily say concerning bookings at all..There track record is proven...

[eFestivals]

Never believe anything ME or Emily say concerning bookings at all..There track record is proven...

I'm not aware of eitjher Michael or Emily ever once having said an act isn't playing who is playing.

The nearest it's got to my knowledge was a comment that Emily twittered last January which suggested that Stevie Wonder wasn't playing - tho Emily has assured me that at the time she twittered that that Stevie wasn't in the frame to play at all, and she seemed rather offended that people might think she was telling porkies.

While I've no way of checking that, there's lots of things which indicate that what she told me has a good likelihood of being correct.

Edited April 4, 2011 by eFestivals

[budvar]

They will never play glastonbury.

[tommmy]

Well, you know what they say....A rolling stone gathers no moss.

[trouserpress]

I'm not aware of eitjher Michael or Emily ever once having said an act isn't playing who is playing.

The nearest it's got to my knowledge was a comment that Emily twittered last January which suggested that Stevie Wonder wasn't playing - tho Emily has assured me that at the time she twittered that that Stevie wasn't in the frame to play at all, and she seemed rather offended that people might think she was telling porkies.

While I've no way of checking that, there's lots of things which indicate that what she told me has a good likelihood of being correct.

[eFestivals]

Oh come off it they often spout nonsense about bookings - remember last year when they said they would have headliners from throughout the 40-year history of the festival playing on the Pyramid during the day etc, and who did we end up with? Gorillaz, Muse and Stevie W. They are (sensibly) playing it lower key this year but I still don't pay much attention to their murmerings about bookings

There's a difference between generalisations and specifics. I was talking about specifics, which - as I've said - I'm not aware of Michael or Emily ever having denied an act as playing who has then played.

[jimmyt]

There's a difference between generalisations and specifics. I was talking about specifics, which - as I've said - I'm not aware of Michael or Emily ever having denied an act as playing who has then played.

[FunkyDenz]

While I'm erring on agreeing with you - and agree that money is almost always their main incentive - there have been times recently (principally the free concert in Rio and the Toronto SARS benefit) when they've turned up and played for beer money.

[jimmyt]

Yeah, Neil! How dare you indulge in speculation like the rest of us. It's much better when you say nothing until it's confirmed on the official site. I'm annoyed at you for even having a rumours list. Let's just have a confirmed list, that we won't need because it'll be everywhere else as well! I only ever thought the Stones were playing because you said so. Sod all the other various publications and websites that ran with similar info, it was just you that made me think they would play.

[eFestivals]

it was your comments that made think it was even vaguely possible

A very nice selective choice of quotes you've made there.

I see you've ignored all of the ones where I make perfectly clear that it's something I'm viewing as a "possibility" and nothing further.

Even so, what you have chosen to present says "I guess" - and it said "I guess" *VERY* deliberately. Because they were guesses, and nothing further. Anyone who took them as something more than guesses needs to examine their own reading skills.

Edited April 5, 2011 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

Yeah, Neil! How dare you indulge in speculation like the rest of us. It's much better when you say nothing until it's confirmed on the official site. I'm annoyed at you for even having a rumours list. Let's just have a confirmed list, that we won't need because it'll be everywhere else as well! I only ever thought the Stones were playing because you said so. Sod all the other various publications and websites that ran with similar info, it was just you that made me think they would play.

There's a big difference between things which are clearly guesses at what might be happening and statement of facts that it is or was going to happen.

Many other media outlets ran speculative stories on the fact that The Stones might be playing; there were very good reasons why eFestivals never did anything similar.

I was guessing. That was made clear by the fact I said continually I was guessing, along with many statements along the lines of "lots of things about the stones fit, but they may just be coincidences".

I suggest some extra reading lessons.