Glastonbury – Too Commercial? Bollocks.

It’s come to my attention very recently that a lot of people who don’t go to Glastonbury Festival stand back and say – it’s too commercial. This has always been an annoyance to me and many other Glastonbury goers since this is obviously a VERY prejudice view as many of these people have never been to Glastonbury.

I genuinely fail to see how people can say this if they look at the full line-up and the events that take part at the Festival. Many people who I have had saying this to me are regulars at Reading and have even said that this year they are only going to Reading to see “You me at Six”. Correct me if I’m wrong but are “You me at Six” not played on Radio 1 on a regular basis? Surely this defines commercial bands over non-commercial bands.

Granted if you are lazy enough too solely look at the pyramid stage then yes, it does look quite a commercial line-up with bands Shakira, Dizzee Rascal, Gorillaz and Scissor Sisters. However if you look further into the line-up and look to the stages such as The Park, John Peel and Queens Head, you will see how a lot of the bands are far from commercial. The Park stage, this year boasting bands such as Beach House, Avi Buffalo and Broken Bells who I am sure many of the critics will not have come across so decide to ignore and continue to blab on about the commercial side of the Pyramid stage. The Queens Head stage also hosts bands such as Fanfarlo, My Luminaries and Lissie who again cannot be considered mainstream and commercial. Another band to have appeared twice at Glastonbury is Holy Fuck. Apologies for the rude word but as this is the band’s name I have to type it, the point I’m making here is that with their electronic style and a name like they have the rule themselves out from being commercial.

Aside from focussing on the music, Glastonbury also offers everyone something to do besides the music. There are plenty of things to do for fans of arts and fashion. Places like Arcadia, Trash City and Shangri La offering something to please these people.

The main argument stands with the music. I’d like to think if you held this view that reading this will help to change your mind. I however have never been to Reading Festival, but I will not hold a prejudice view on it either way, I will be going this year and will then like to make my own mind up on the festival.

Craig