Your most controversial Glastonbury opinions

[TheGChild]

It would be a nicer place if they only let in over 30s

[willgooneday]

On 6/26/2022 at 11:05 AM, willgooneday said:

The festival should start paying more to attract a better calibre of artists and people should be willing to pay a higher ticket price to accommodate it.

 

It's currently in a ridiculous situation where the only people who can afford to take their low fees are established pop acts and legacy acts. The more mainstream it's gonna get the less it can rely on being something special to pay less to smaller artists and the less big smaller artists the more everybody will go to the big stages and cause the festival big issues.

 

If you're going to downvote someone for expressing a controversial opinion in a controversial opinion thread you could at least respond to their post.... 

[steviewevie]

6 minutes ago, TheGChild said:

It would be a nicer place if they only let in over 30s

Nah. Over 40s. And it was all seated. And all music stopped at 10:30.

[LoraMaze]

There were too many people this year and it constantly felt like a possible crush situation could arise at any moment…which it isn’t usually like

[Chipbarm]

4 hours ago, DTichborne said:

GET RID OF THE BLOODY FLAGS

(This is what you saw if you went to see Paul McCartney. That's just selfish) 

 

Three flags on one pole really is taking the piss!

[sophiemarie]

People doing drugs in a crowd are less annoying than people smoking ciggies in a crowd.

[Simsy]

On 6/25/2022 at 8:59 AM, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

Saw people asking about the ethnicity make up of the crowd this year in the Lenny thread and if it's representative of the UK, so I thought I'd ask about the quotas for female bands.

Are women flocking to all the female bands that are representing them? Or are they ignoring their representatives?

They don't actually have a "quota", but as you asked, I saw at least part of Wet Leg, First Aid Kit, Sigrid, Phoebe Bridgers, St Vincent, Little Simz, Billie Elish, Go_a, Joy Crookes, Self Esteem, Haim, Olivia Rodrigo, Moonchild Sanelly, Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Angelique Kidjo and Charlie XCX. Loads more female acts I wanted to see but couldn't because of clashes.

I wouldn't be surprised if I saw more female (or mixed) acts this year than in my first 5 glastos combined.

[hodgey123]

Stewards should enforce no blankets/chairs/lying down in particularly busy stage areas. No idea how it would work in practice but just got very, very annoyed about a family of four taking up a huge amount of space just outside the Avalon tent before McFly sat charging their phones completely oblivious to the crushes around them, annoyed people were stepping on their picnic blanket, standing up 1 minute before they came on and then leaving after 10 minutes.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

25 minutes ago, Simsy said:

They don't actually have a "quota", but as you asked, I saw at least part of Wet Leg, First Aid Kit, Sigrid, Phoebe Bridgers, St Vincent, Little Simz, Billie Elish, Go_a, Joy Crookes, Self Esteem, Haim, Olivia Rodrigo, Moonchild Sanelly, Caroline Polachek, Lorde, Angelique Kidjo and Charlie XCX. Loads more female acts I wanted to see but couldn't because of clashes.

I wouldn't be surprised if I saw more female (or mixed) acts this year than in my first 5 glastos combined.

 

1 hour ago, sophiemarie said:

Experienced the closest thing to a crowd crush getting to Sugababes, TLC, Mel C, Wet Leg and Diana Ross… so, yes?

And did you both choose them because they were women/representative of you? Or did you choose them because they played great music?

I'm betting the latter. Esp, in Wet Leg's case.

Edited June 27, 2022 by MEGATRONICMEATWAGON

[Simsy]

7 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

 

And did you both choose them because they were women/representative of you? Or did you choose them because they played great music?

I'm betting the latter. Esp, in Wet Leg's case.

That's the point. I went to see them because they play great music. They're not getting booked ahead of better male acts to fill some kind of quota, they're being booked because they're good.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

10 minutes ago, Simsy said:

That's the point. I went to see them because they play great music. They're not getting booked ahead of better male acts to fill some kind of quota, they're being booked because they're good.

Honestly, my question was just a bit tongue in cheek because someone asked a similar question in the Lenny thread a long the lines of "Are there enough black people there?". It's just such a shame everyone's fascinated with sex and race these days, ahead of merit, or letting people freely choose to see who they want to see.

When I asked, did you see them because they represented women, that's just because other people on this thread are always going on about 'representation', as if everything that happens in the world needs to be equally representative at all times. Why can't we just let people do what they want? Book who they want? Buy tickets to go to places they want?

I'm 100% confident that all of the acts you mentioned and saw were great. But that doesn't mean that EE is booking them based solely on merit. She's literally admitted that in interviews, I'm sure you can find the articles yourself. She said they were aiming for 50-50 balance, therefore, they're not booking wholly on merit, but also factoring in the singer's/bands' dangly bits and bobs. I don't like it personally, that's all. If I hire people to work in our company, I don't factor in their gender or race based on my own personal historical context. They're skin colour and men's/lady parts should have absolutely ZERO bearing on any decision.

That's all.

[Splatt]

Bring back portaloos (at worthy view at least). 

[Simsy]

1 hour ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

Honestly, my question was just a bit tongue in cheek because someone asked a similar question in the Lenny thread a long the lines of "Are there enough black people there?". It's just such a shame everyone's fascinated with sex and race these days, ahead of merit, or letting people freely choose to see who they want to see.

When I asked, did you see them because they represented women, that's just because other people on this thread are always going on about 'representation', as if everything that happens in the world needs to be equally representative at all times. Why can't we just let people do what they want? Book who they want? Buy tickets to go to places they want?

I'm 100% confident that all of the acts you mentioned and saw were great. But that doesn't mean that EE is booking them based solely on merit. She's literally admitted that in interviews, I'm sure you can find the articles yourself. She said they were aiming for 50-50 balance, therefore, they're not booking wholly on merit, but also factoring in the singer's/bands' dangly bits and bobs. I don't like it personally, that's all. If I hire people to work in our company, I don't factor in their gender or race based on my own personal historical context. They're skin colour and men's/lady parts should have absolutely ZERO bearing on any decision.

That's all.

I think they are booking more female or non white acts on merit, but they're giving people opportunities that they might not have had in the past because of their skin colour or dangly bits and bobs.

I'm not saying that when people said Adele must be subbing Radiohead instead of headlining it's because they thought her vagina meant she couldn't play after dark. I'm not saying that everyone who thought Jay Z was the wrong genre for the fest is a massive racist. I'm saying that glasto is in a position to give acts the opportunities they deserve.

Clearly there were loads of female artists at Glasto this year who deserved their spot, and hopefully it'll make some other festivals (that are a fucking sausage fest) realise that those acts are festival acts.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

11 minutes ago, Simsy said:

I think they are booking more female or non white acts on merit, but they're giving people opportunities that they might not have had in the past because of their skin colour or dangly bits and bobs.

So... making decisions based on gender/skin colour. Fair enough. For me that's sexist/racist, but each to their own.

[Simsy]

19 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

So... making decisions based on gender/skin colour. Fair enough. For me that's sexist/racist, but each to their own.

I can't be arsed with this, I've got work in the morning.

[clarkete]

6 hours ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

I'm 100% confident that all of the acts you mentioned and saw were great. But that doesn't mean that EE is booking them based solely on merit. She's literally admitted that in interviews, I'm sure you can find the articles yourself. She said they were aiming for 50-50 balance, therefore, they're not booking wholly on merit, but also factoring in the singer's/bands' dangly bits and bobs. 

You've made this claim about merit twice  before and both times I've shared the article where she explicitly stated that she hasn't compromised on merit. 

"It's a challenge. Everyone's finding it hard - but the acts are there," 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-51485570

For someone who claims not to have an agenda about sex and race, you don't 'alf like to bang on about it. 

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

8 hours ago, TheGChild said:

It would be a nicer place if they only let in over 30s

That one is definitely going to be controversial haha

The worst behaved and most ignorant people I see at Glasto always tend to be 40+, usually unaware that they're just miserable and annoyed at people who are having fun 

[SwallowOrSleepOnTheWetSpot]

"Merit" is a very subjective thing when it comes to deciding what artists are worthy enough, and it's not like acts were booked 100% booked on that in the past (as in, networking and such helped too). 

All else equal, who gives AF if they pick a female act over a male act.

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

4 hours ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

So... making decisions based on gender/skin colour. Fair enough. For me that's sexist/racist, but each to their own.

Do you think some female artists didn't deserve a spot? I think I actually saw almost exclusively female acts / lead this year 

Sinead O'Brien, Nilufer Yanya, Mitski, Liane la Havas, Phoebe Bridgers, Porridge Radio, Amyl and the Sniffers, Skunk Anansie, Self Esteem, Big Thief, English Teacher, (would have tried to see little dragon and Courtney Barnett if I'd started)

 

I've seen pretty much all those acts before at other festivals and they're usually on smaller stages I think it's great they get a better showing at Glasto

[TheGChild]

Kinda glasto related because it popped up a lot during impassioned speeches...

I am not a threat to you if you are walking alone

I dont hate you or your culture

I am not telling you what to do with your body

I do not act with entitlement 

I recognise your right to identify as you choose

I am full of love and acceptance 

I am not what people keep saying I am

Even if I am a 'white man'

 

Fire away!

 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Not all men am I right?

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

8 hours ago, BBC7BBCHEAVEN said:

Do you think some female artists didn't deserve a spot? I think I actually saw almost exclusively female acts / lead this year 

Sinead O'Brien, Nilufer Yanya, Mitski, Liane la Havas, Phoebe Bridgers, Porridge Radio, Amyl and the Sniffers, Skunk Anansie, Self Esteem, Big Thief, English Teacher, (would have tried to see little dragon and Courtney Barnett if I'd started)

 

I've seen pretty much all those acts before at other festivals and they're usually on smaller stages I think it's great they get a better showing at Glasto

No, like I said before to another poster, that's not really my point. I saw a lot of female acts and they all were amazing. Really deserved it. But then if they're so amazing, why the patronising leg up from Emily Eavis? Can these stellar female artists not make it on their own? Diana certainly did.

Why not say, "we're just booking the best acts for the best slots?" Why even mention gender? It's divisive. I think it ends up dividing people along their bodies, which is counterproductive to a society that gets along.

Also, if Emily Eavis is openly saying they're going to book it 50-50 and right some wrongs, then surely at some point she's made decisions to take gender into account and said, "This woman is more deserving of this slot, than this man, by virtue of being a woman".

Generally, if you switch the roles/races around in examples like this, it would be considered incredibly sexist and racist.

But that doesn't mean I'm against women on the bill, or headlining, or any of that nonsense. Other posters have created that narrative. I'm purely against making decisions based on gender (or race).

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by MEGATRONICMEATWAGON

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

9 hours ago, clarkete said:

You've made this claim about merit twice  before and both times I've shared the article where she explicitly stated that she hasn't compromised on merit. 

"It's a challenge. Everyone's finding it hard - but the acts are there," 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-51485570

For someone who claims not to have an agenda about sex and race, you don't 'alf like to bang on about it. 

Just like Emily Eavis and Lenny, I guess 😛

In fairness, I have to keep defending myself about it because of other's wild accusations that I'm some kind of white supremacist or hate all women, or that Diana Ross didn't deserve to be on the bill...

My wish is that we could all stop the agenda, let the music do the talking (singing/playing?!) and forget about historical hideousness, victim-hood, each other's personal context, and just love each other for our personalities and characters.

I want to enjoy the music without thinking about all the stuff that people cannot change about themselves.

#StopTheAgendas

[CaledonianGonzo]

Imagine this being someone's hobby horse the day after the festival. Imagine being that guy 

[wilko8]

It’s the Eavis’ festival. They can book who they like. Sensible people are on board with the fact that female artists have been woefully underrepresented on festival line ups since forever for no good reason, just blatant sexism. 
 

The festival could have a majority female lineup completely on merit so there is zero argument that 50-50 could be considered sexist against men in any way. 
 

And if you wanted to spend all your time watching white men playing guitars you still could, all day, every day.