Gosh.....Glasto Yah!

We watched some of this on TV last night. What a load of old toot it was too. Quite obviously the white, well-heeled and middle-aged have maintained their iron grip on this festival. Each time it comes around I feel so sorry for the youth, who's festival it really ought to be.

I went to Glastonbury back in the days when it was the Piltdown Pop Festival, when they couldn't maintain the fences around the place and determined people were able to get in free. It was that little bit more chaotic, free-spirited and human in those days. Facilities were basic in the extreme and it was dominated by youth and youth only. It was a chance for youth to have a weekend away from adult supervision and see and hear bands that horrified the middle aged.

Parents were gratifyingly outraged by it all and it had the best endorsement of all in that the Daily Mail ran annual schlock horror "Drugs 'n' Sex Romp" headlines and called for it to be banned as an outrage to home counties decency.

In those days, no middle aged person would have thought to go along and demand to have all the glamping luxuries of home and a lineup dominated by Charleston from the 1920s and a bit of Lonnie Donegan skiffle. The middle aged had their events and the youth were left with theirs.



These days, "Glasto" is firmly in the middle class calendar, between Henley Regatta and Wimbledon Centre Court. It's whiter than Nick Griffin's facebook friends list and more middle aged and middle class than Virginia Water Bowls Club.

We watched several turns appearing on the TV last night.

First up was The Pretenders. One for the baby boomers. A group who had their first hit 38 years ago and who's pensioner singer is no less 65 years old. They played standard boring rock and we couldn't watch it for long. It evidently went down very well with the crowd though. When the camera showed you the crowd it was a big mass of grey hair and bald spots all nodding along, doing that swaying wedding reception dance they do after a couple of Bucks Fizzs and waving those stupid, stupid flags on long bendy poles.

Next we went back in time to 1985 (32 years ago) with another group beloved of the baby boomers - Radiohead. They did wailey guitar rock led by their grey-haired, grey bearded grandad of a singer. "Whoo hoo!" shouted the Glasto set and waved their flags some more. In the crowd shots we tried again to spot anyone who was not white, but did not manage to find anyone. Not one. A sea of white wrinkly faces and grey hair and beards to match the singer's. Cifriana explained that this was not black people's type of music, so they were probably watching something else. Since radiohead turned out to by samey-samey rock crud, we decided we'd watch something else too.

We turned over to see the set by Naughtee Rascal (© Catherine Tate) - music from this century at last, even if it is 15 years or so out of date. And we spotted our first black person! However he was presenting the programme rather than being in the audience.

Naughtee started into his set, doing gangsta rapping about "bruthas poppin' a cap in yo ass" and such like. We waited keenly for an audience shot to see the crowd's makeup. Surely if there were any black people there, they'd come out for this one. At first you couldn't see because the crowd were in the dark and then a strobe light came on illuminating them briefly in flashes.

Each time the light flashed on it was a shock to the eyes. It was like a strobe light looking in a bag of homepride ready-raised flour. It was exactly the same coffin-dodger crowd who had been watching The Presenilities earlier. All aged about 30 to 50 or so and all clad in their Joules country set finest. All nodding their heads along heavy metal style to rapping about the hood and cops and such like and of course more flag waving. Not one single black face to be seen amongst the whole sea of them. I wonder if that's the first time Naughtee has played to a crowd that's 100% caucasian. Cifriana said "ah well black people mustn't have wanted to go then".

Glastonbury these days is little short of a disgrace. A white middle class slap in the face to youth and ethnic minorities. "Look at us! This used to belong to you and be a celebration of youth, but it's ours now. Must make sure I don't miss the Kinks and the Who later...".

It needs to be closed down and banned. Just like the DM said.

 

Genuine images from Glastonbury 2017:-

Oh look! There's mum!




"Hmmm. Shares portfolio rose 0.4%"




"Yah! Yah! The Stones! Yah! The Yardbirds!"



Tw4t in a hat

 

Amusing.
...Clive wanting to ban anything that isn't about being a rebel.

 

What is your opinion on "youth" Jeremy Corbyn appearing later today, then? Maybe he is trying to win the grey vote?

What will he be singing?

 

I expect he'll be winning over another slice of that Tory vote!

Couple of strawberry pimms and those wrinklies will come over all rebellious and radical. Labour will be challenging the Lib Dems for second place in Virgina Water come the next election.

What time's Theresa May on by the way?

 

As you well know Clive she's busy running the country. Into the ground.

 

A good try, but it is embarrassing for you Clive.

You spend some time disgracing Glastonbury, with photos of old wrinklies, taking the mick out of the aged performers, suggesting it should be banned as it isn't current or relevant, "A white middle class slap in the face to youth and ethnic minorities."- only to find out that your hero, Jeremy Corbyn, is headlining today.

 

What this is, is reaching across the divide. Getting the middle class, green wellie, ABC1 Tw4t vote on side. The incoming Corbyn government will need to govern for the whole country, not just for the suave, well-informed and achingly-cool existing socialist constituency.

 

Assume you are aware of this, Clive?

http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/areas/left-field/

Though you do have a point about how middle class and middle aged the whole thing now is.

 

Like many of your posts Clive, but you do come out with the odd thing that makes my jaw drop. Racist, ageist and quite a few other -ist's in a single post...its a festival for goodness sake.

 

Bit harsh on the Pretenders Clive. They have some great songs and Chrissie Hynde's politics are probably nearer your own than many here. There's no reason for her to stop a lifetime of music because she's got a bit wrinkly.

Point taken about the rest of it. It's becoming anodyne, but when it was good in the past it was also pretty white. The corporates and the glamping brigade are the unwelcome addition.

The good thing is there are loads of other festivals to enjoy that retain their authenticity.

 

Isn't Corbyn the hottest thing going at Glastonbury this year? An appearance. Corbyn chants. And............there is sand sculpture of Corbyn riding a fox chasing Teresa May through a field of wheat! Think Clive is talking chuff on this one.

 

Exactly. Ask any of the youth which festivals they'd like to go to and I guarantee Glastonbury isn't one of them.

 

I would say Clive's halcyon days of Glasto were whiter still. Recent years have seen the organisers challenge the old stereotypes of the rock festival with Jay-z etc.

Not sure who you blame for the whiteness of the audience but I don't think you can blame the organisers.

I hate Glasto by the way.

 

If you want a festival with less whitey's present try this:

http://mi-soul.com/

They organise boat parties, the Margate and Southsea soul festivals, Ibiza trips, reggae nights, house nights the lot.

Oh and you missed out the ultimate chav day out: Royal Ascot. That was this week, I'd like to read your review of that!

 

I would argue that festivals of this type have always been attended by white, middle classers.. 3 days in a muddy field for your penance! and that the nations black youth just arent interested in this type of set up.. would rather spend their money in clubs or go to Ibiza (oh.. racist!)

A weekend ticket price of £223 wont help of course but then someone has to pay for Stormzy's latest Lambo.. so he can get out on the streets and "keep it real" with the yoot.
As for festival line ups these days.. well you have to try to sell tickets dont ya. If you were to aim only at the younguns you might as well just set up two turntables and a microphone. But in order to bring in a few old crinkly's with money to burn you need some washed out dad rock on show ("what are those funny instrument things they are carrying around?") or if you cant afford them a tribute band will seemingly do. You could argue this also introduces the kids to what was down in days of yore.. and lets face it they need some new stuff to sample.


Personally i think the only decent aspect of Glasto is that it's on the telly.. so you can watch without having to buy some wellies, paint flowers on your face & wake up in an overheated tent.
Sadly though ive already missed the Sleaford Mods (hopefully taking the piss out of proceedings) so that's it over for another year for me*

*and there isnt one next year.

 

Here you go Clive, a couple more links you may like. Events, weekenders, and a resonable price.

No wrinkly rockers playing bland music from years ago just a different variety of music.

http://www.thesouloflondonradio.com/

http://www.thesoulofgrenada.com/

 

Actually I was quite wrong! I asked Jnr Diamond if she'd consider Glastonbury and she said most definitely. Apparently the bands there are awesome, but the ticket prices are a bit too high?

 

would you find this offensive Clive:

'We watched some of this on TV last night. What a load of old toot it was too. Quite obviously the black, well heeled and young have maintained their iron grip on this festival. Each time it comes around I feel so sorry for the old who's festival it really ought to be.'

I would, so why not your initial post? .....explain? I'd have thought judging anyone who turns up to a festival by their skin colour or age is pretty offensive tbh

 

Yes, but that isn't the reality.

If you complained that Parliament is too white or not female enough it would sound a bit odd to say 'Yeah, but what if I said it was too black and anti-men?'

It's not racism to notice things and satirise them.

It's also not the only argument. Phil Lynott played to some astonishingly white and no doubt fairly racist (in hard and soft ways) crowds. But what an event when he did. Not a glamping tent in sight.

 

Thanks, I recognise selective racism when I see it, many on the so-called 'liberal' left choose not to.

 

Mmmm. Not sure satire gives you a free pass. And how do you distinguish that from other forms of comedy? I imagine you would find Jim Davidson or Bernard Manning racist?

Perhaps - possibly- Clive's statement is within acceptable bounds because white, middle-aged well-heeled people clearly have so many cards stacked in their favour socially, politically and economically?

 

I was a fairly frequent visitor to this (last one in 2015) for three reasons:

1. I can fit in a fishing trip from Weymouth.
2. I'm a massive Billy Bragg fan.
   
3. And, in the early days, it was one of the few festivals that actively catered for those of us with (young) children.

In the early days it had a very multicultural audience - but I did notice in 2015 during "The Beat's" set that there were more non-honkeys on the stage (band and crew) than in the audience...

EDIT: @Clive_ofthe_Kremlin - missed the word "more". FFS it originally read like I attended a Klan rally, which isn't too unlikely in deepest, whitest Dorset.

 

But is she considering going in a few years, like when she's middle aged?

 

Clive watches The Pretenders and Radiohead, then is surprised the crowd is white, middle-aged people. What did you expect? There are dozens of stages and hundreds of acts, those are two of the whitest, middle-aged bands there!

Wiley and Stormzy are on the Other Stage tonight, I'd expect a more diverse crowd for that - mixed in with a bit of a gear change of Alt-J straight afterwards.

But yes, the ticket price definitely makes it more difficult for youngsters to go.

 

Annie Mac might be able to help you:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ec584f/play/ax99hn/p056t70h

I'm not going to, as I'm not on ecstasy, but feel free to crowd spot.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0557bhx/glastonbury-2017-clean-bandit#group=p056kg71

Clean Bandit too.

I wouldn't look too hard in the crowds of the headliners. Most of the diverse under 30s will be on their way to Shangri La well before then.

 

Can't say I notice people's skin colour

 

Yes I'd agree that the price is what keeps it out of the reach of the young and the brown. That is one of the ways in which it is kept exclusively for people "just like us" - just like so many events. Even if I wanted to go to Glastonbury, I could not possibly pay £223 - and that to go alone! To take all five Kremlins would top out somewhere over a grand! Ridiculous for a bloody pop festival.

When 10% of this country's population is from an ethnic minority, it is definitely not being racist to comment when a huge crowd contains not one single ethnic minority person. Whatever the meeting or event, when that situation arises, I would suggest that something is going on.

Whilst it's true that probably not too many minority people would be interested in seeing Radio-nearly-dead or The Pretensions, someone has made the decision that will be the lineup. Someone has thought about the target audience they want to attract.

Someone commented above that they have to sell tickets. Yes they do, but not at £223 a pop! Rather than pay millions to these dinosaur rockstar lollapalooza megastars from the olden days, why not hire up and coming youth bands for a few hundred and a handful of headliners for a few thousand and then charge £60 a weekend ticket, like it used to be. Something people can afford.

I'd suggest that this festival has been systematically managed away from the poor and young and towards the middle aged and well-heeled. I think it's barefaced robbery from the young people of the biggest festival of the year. It's cultural appropriation of the very worst type.

And tonight, I see that the modern cutting edge of 21st century music will be represented by Liam Gallagher (from 30 years ago) and Toots and The Maytals (from Edwardian times).

Shameful really.

 

There's plenty of other cheaper festivals you can go to and see smaller upcoming bands and more specific to your tastes. Rather than the spectrum Glasto offers.
I hear Theresa May will be making an appearance at Bloodstock this year to appeal to the heavy metal vote.

 

Meh. Glastonbury markets itself as covering all styles from a world of music, suitable for three days of public service broadcast. And yet it is becoming a beano for the well off.

If Clive said Cornbury or Donnington was all white and that was bad I'd take him up on it, because they are what they say on the tin, Folk and Metal and you either like it or don't.

 

That's plain weird.