Metallica 2014

[eFestivals]

On a serious note though, I once read an interview with ME and re roskilde he said having the second barrier in the crowd improved safety. Im often battered at Glastonbury, but I dont recall one of these on Other stage, so would seem unlikely for him to book them there on safety grounds?

It's perhaps the case that Other will have more barriers this year if Metallica play on that stage.

Also, do you think metallica moving into pyramid slot is more likely that The Eagles? No love lost for them on this board, but huge band nonetheless...

No idea. It will depend on the views within Worthy Farm on each's merits.

But I do know that Metallica were planned as Pyramid headliner at some point during the line-up workings prior to now. As I understand it, that changed as a result of Metallica's Soni contract, but whether that's irreversible I don't know.

[ThomThomDrum]

Good Lord, this years headliner guessing has been the wildest rollercoster regarding such ever. Its been 9 months of all "over the place" names and now the entertainment surrounding the Saturday night slot still keeps chugging along with one of the big 4 of trash metal the "leading contender"!

Crazy stuff. Bananas. Very amusing.

[morph100]

More white all male bands with guitars headlining, where's the black female solo artists playing harmonicas? ;-)

[GuitarManDan15]

More white all male bands with guitars headlining, where's the black female solo artists playing harmonicas? ;-)

Kirk Hammett is half filipino and Trujillo is of mexican descent...

[ThomThomDrum]

Kirk Hammett is half filipino and Trujillo is of mexican descent...

That does not make him a black harmonica playing lady but!

Where is the love for the black harmonica playing ladies!???

[Trebor]

I don't like Metallica or the Eagles but Metallica would be a much better headliner in my opinion. At least they'd put some effort in. Despite not being to everybody's tastes I do think they'd pull a big crowd and are a worthy headliner.

[monkey1989]

I saw them at the first sonisphere and leeds fest was very impressed.

But it just seems odd that glasto would put so much energy into a band in a contract and who are heavy metal is there no body else knocking around.

[eFestivals]

But it just seems odd that glasto would put so much energy into a band in a contract

Metallica didn't have a contract with Soni when discussions first started, and it seems to be the case that Metallica have already agreed to play Glastonbury at some level.

There's a Soni announcement later today, so it'll be interesting to see the wording used around Metallica in the press release. It might reveal something, it might not.

Edited March 5, 2014 by eFestivals

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

I saw them at the first sonisphere and leeds fest was very impressed.

But it just seems odd that glasto would put so much energy into a band in a contract and who are heavy metal is there no body else knocking around.

As much as they are middle of the road nothingness in their own genre, they're one of the biggest acts ever in that genre, who have professed a desire for some time now to play the festival, and only tour occasionally. Add in the fact they can't have that long left, I'd say its a question of the sooner the better.

[The Nal]

Metallica didn't have a contract with Soni when discussions first started, and it seems to be the case that Metallica have already agreed to play Glastonbury at some level.

There's a Soni announcement later today, so it'll be interesting to see the wording used around Metallica in the press release. It might reveal something, it might not.

Still seems strange that Soni have been pushing "the ONLY CONCERTS EITHER BAND WILL PLAY IN THE UK IN 2014"

Is Somerset not in the UK anymore?

Edited March 5, 2014 by The Nal

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Still seems strange that Soni have been pushing "the ONLY CONCERTS EITHER BAND WILL PLAY IN THE UK IN 2014"

Is Somerset not in the UK anymore?

Didn't you hear? Glastonbury is it's own landlocked sovereign state now like the Vatican, with Eavis presiding over everything like the Pope.

[eFestivals]

Still seems strange that Soni have been pushing "the ONLY CONCERTS EITHER BAND WILL PLAY IN THE UK IN 2014"

it wouldn't be the first time t5hat a promoter has told a porkie like that tho. The year that Neil Young played Glasto, IoW claimed him as an exclusive, for example.

Soni have bigger reasons than most to play things up for their own benefit. That doesn't mean they are, but there's certainly reasons why they might.

[sparkythetortoise]

I've yet to hear of any instance where things Michael has said which later turn out to be happen have been false at the time they've been said.

The Pulp appearance in 2011? He was adamant they would not be appearing. Obviously he had his reasons - trying to keep it a genuine surprise - but it shows he will fib if he thinks the circumstances warrant it, doesn't it?

Edited March 5, 2014 by sparkythetortoise

[mrtourette]

I doubt he lies, as Neil says what he says is either true or his intention at the time, it's just that people need to realise that things change and that he doesn't have much of a filter or concern. If Eavis cared about not misleading people he would be more aware of how his words are taken and the fact that what he says publicly often turns out not be be true, but I doubt he does. It's down to those listening/reading to know to take it with a pinch of salt, much like when Melvin Benn talks about 'massive guitar bands' headling R&L (My Chemical Romance) or Geoff Ellis referring to 'two huge international acts' headlining T (Calvin Harris and Paolo Nutini).

[eFestivals]

The Pulp appearance in 2011? He was adamant they would not be appearing. Obviously he had his reasons - trying to keep it a genuine surprise - but it shows he will fib if he thinks the circumstances warrant it, doesn't it?

What, you know for certain that he was lying? Can you point me at the proof of that?

It's genuinely very possible that he knew nothing about it if it had already been arranged, or that it was arranged after his words so would have been 100% truthful.

Michael does not book the bands himself, and I doubt he takes too much interest in anything except the Pyramid, so there's plenty of scope for what the various bookers are doing for the other stages to pass him by.

Having said that, with Emily heavily involved in booking The Park it's quite possible she mentioned it to him, but even then it doesn't necessarily mean it registered with him. If he's getting one band name said to him it's likely that they'll be a list of other bands at the same time.

I'd say that this Pulp thing is probably the biggest possibility of him telling a deliberate porkie out of everything, but without proof I'm filing it as not a porkie - because I know that in a lot of other cases where what he's said is not what has later happened it's definitely because of things changing behind the scenes rather than him telling porkies; and I've yet to have anything come my way which suggests porkie-telling except for the type of evidence-free presumption you've made here.

[Trebor]

Even if he was telling a lie about Pulp, he had to do so because of the security risk at the Park

[mrtourette]

The friendly-looking old guy they shove in front of the camera and whose story is a good narrative for the BBC's coverage every year is deliberatley kept in the dark so that they can plead ignorance every time his bumbling claims turn out to be nonsense.

[sparkythetortoise]

What, you know for certain that he was lying? Can you point me at the proof of that?

Of course I can't prove it. There is no need to. I was merely offering up circumstantial evidence of a different view. I remember it only because there a similar debate going on prior to the 2011 festival. It was late in the day, and many people were convinced of their appearance. On one of my rare contributions, I pointed out, against the run of opinion, that Pulp was unlikely, as he had out and out denied it, and used an argument similar to the one you are now using - which is to say that he is sometimes oblique, but never actually fibs.

Oh what a fool I felt!

Personally, I have no problem with it, and wouldn't describe it as a lie. I think it was much more akin to the sort of half truths we tell when trying to keep a party or a Christmas present secret. I imagine that having gone to that trouble he must have been furious the surprise was spoiled. The man's integrity is surely unimpeachable, but I don't think that means he is not above fibbing as a pragmatic solution to dealing with myriad difficult questions, and I see no reason why the possibility of him doing so shouldn't be factored into a debate.

[eFestivals]

If he didn't know they were booked for The Park, it is highly reasonable that he would have presumed that if they were playing it would have been on pyramid and he knew that wasn't happening, no?

yep, it might well have been that. There's a thousand different possibilities, of which him knowing and choosing to tell porkies is only one.

----

Oh, I've just thought of an occasion where it was believed that Emily told a porkie - when she said Stevie Wonder wasn't playing (in the early January of the year he played).

I asked Emily about that face-to-face, and she told me that no approach had been made for Stevie at the time of her tweet and that no approach to him was expected to be made. And further than that, she seemed genuinely upset that people thought she'd been telling porkies.

I asked those questions with huge scepticism about how she might respond. I ended up concluding that she was 100% truthful to me about that (tho of course I might be wrong).

[eFestivals]

wouldn't describe it as a lie. I think it was much more akin to the sort of half truths we tell when trying to keep a party or a Christmas present secret.

well, I can't rule that out as possible, but nothing else I've ever heard even remotely indicates that's how it might have been.

Absolutely everything that I've ever later retrieved info about has indicated that the truth of the time was told.

I don't think that means he is not above fibbing as a pragmatic solution to dealing with myriad difficult questions

Thing is, I see that sort of fibbing all the time by others. There's nothing of how Michael does things which leads me to conclude he's doing the same.

Both Michael and Emily have similar ways as each other of dealing with those awkward questions, without ever having to go the porkie-pies route.

[Wooderson]

"Jus' one more thing Mzz Eavis."

[eFestivals]

TBH if one of the most cynical gets in England believes her, I'll believe him.

that's just it. I'm immensely cynical.

So either Michael and Emily are onto something which has escaped every marketeer that has ever lived (because the success that comes from it can be seen by everyone), or they're straight up with things they say.

[Memory Man]

really i think metallica headlining could only have a positive effect on the fest and showing it has a bit more diversity, it would be a good thing!

[JamesT977]

I'm interested to see who would Sub them if they headlined the Pyramid, before it didn't seem to bad having anyone before them on the other but with the Pyramid it could be anyone. Would loved it to be Placebo on the Other stage though.

[eFestivals]

who cares? They're shit.

</me joins the darkrussy-side>

Edited March 5, 2014 by eFestivals