Has Glastonbury Lost Its Political Clout? (Glastonbury Feature)
Monday, 04 July 2011
Written by Rachel Preece
Back in the seventies, Glastonbury was leftist and anarchistic; a festival firmly rooted in critical, political commentaries. This year, despite the fact that Beyonce was headlining and that the likes of Wayne and Coleen Rooney and Kate Moss were "glamping" (what a repellant tabloid word); Michael Eavis had promised us that the forty-first Glastonbury was going to be a field of political discontent, a "sounding board of unrest", as he told The Guardian.
There was much made about the Art Uncut plans to protest against U2's decision to move their tax affairs to the Netherlands, but these demonstrations turned out to be something of a damp squib - an 8m high protest balloon was removed by security before U2's set (where was the chance to use Glastonbury as a sounding board of unrest there Mr. Eavis?) and bar a scuffle or two, the set, and the festival in general, continued with revellers drinking cider and wearing their Daisy Dukes and wellies with joy.
And what was Michael Eavis expecting? How were festival-goers suddenly going to become politically active, politically interested? Most were there to enjoy the music and have a good time. Undeniably, Glastonbury will always stand for something a little more alternative than V, Reading or Leeds - and there is at least no corporate sponsorship - but when you have 18.6 million people watching on the BBC, and several thousand at Worthy Farm dying to see Beyonce, you're going to lose some political clout. You're no longer something underground, you're not championing the leftist eccentrics; you're giving the middle-classes something to tweet about.
Glastonbury really was the first festival with a political soul. Back in 1971, David Bowie and Hawkwind made stentorian environmental statements - speaking out against pollution and helping to raise awareness of the issue. In 1981, Glastonbury was organized with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and profits were donated to the CND. In 1994, a wind farm was used to help generate power for the festival. But the latter part of the nineties helped turn Glastonbury into what it is today. Over the past decade, Robbie Williams has played the Pyramid Stage, Jay-Z headlined, then there were Neil Diamond, Lily Allen, Dame Shirley Bassey ... accomplished pop acts, I concede, but none offered any political concepts, nothing recalcitrant or socialist. Alas, Lily Allen's F*** You was about as revolutionary as it got, and she did cite her disgust that the British National Party had gained seats at the European parliamentary elections - stating this as a reason to sing the song at Glastonbury 2009 - but does anyone remember that?
Perhaps Eavis was hoping that U2 would make some political comments (as opposed to political comments being made against U2) but even at U2's own concerts, statements Bono makes have been booed. Bono is famously disliked, and one of my most favourite heckling rumours is that at a Glasgow gig, Bono told the audience "every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies" and a crowd member retorted "well stop f***ing clapping then". If Eavis had hoped that he would be a social voice of the people, he was wrong. Bono is a controversial and clamorous spokesperson, who fails to represent the people.
In 2010 Eavis brought back Leftfields - curated by Billy Bragg and focusing on constructive debates, political comedy and music. This year's Leftfields tent showcased Hard Fi (after Living for the Weekend andStars of CCTV, they're not a band you automatically think of as being political, but they have played many a Love Music Hate Racism gig) and Josie Long (in 2010 she was revered at the Edinburgh Fringe for making a stand against poltiical complacency) among other political comedians such as Andy Zaltzman and Robin Ince. Getting rid of Leftfields in 2009 was a mistake, and it's tremendous news that the stage is back.
However, it's not enough to have one small political stage in a corner of Worthy Farm - we need representative headliners who engage in political discourse. True, Beyonce put on a terrific show at Glastonbury, but Glastonbury stands for peace, for humanity, for environmental issues. Beyonce doesn't stand for any of that. She flies the flag for independent women, along with Michelle Obama she campaigns against child obesity and she is fiercely proud of her country. All well and good, but not in line with Glastonbury's roots at all. The United Kingdom is dealing with a great deal of political discord and there are plenty of musicians out there who speak for the public. Whether they will draw in the crowds as Beyonce managed to is another question entirely, but Michael Eavis should remain honourable to the famous Glastonbury spirit and seek out left-wing, political musicians for future festivals.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
There was much made about the Art Uncut plans to protest against U2's decision to move their tax affairs to the Netherlands, but these demonstrations turned out to be something of a damp squib - an 8m high protest balloon was removed by security before U2's set (where was the chance to use Glastonbury as a sounding board of unrest there Mr. Eavis?) and bar a scuffle or two, the set, and the festival in general, continued with revellers drinking cider and wearing their Daisy Dukes and wellies with joy. 
