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1. Aliksandr (about 1 month ago)

   Jay-Z Headline set @ Glastonbury 2008

   “Those who remained saw a moment that changed music forever, the festival was born. Jimmy Hendrix’s rendition of Star Spangled Banner rang out over the small remaining audience on the last night of the Woodstock festival, 1969. Seemingly endless delays and torrid weather conditions had shrunk the crowd numbers from around 300,00 to little over 15,000 but Hendrix wasn’t fazed, because he knew what was coming, would change everything.” – Martin Boscoe, Billboard 1969.

   Each year the Glastonbury festival grows, both in size and in diversity, it’s what the festival is all about, “Peace and Love” they cry from the tepees and hippy huts. But do they really mean it? Of course they do, as long as it has a nice riff, a colourful outfit and a pussyfooted political agenda, they love it.
   But what happens when the organizers try something different? What happens when a black hip hop artist wants to headline the festival? Do they embrace the change and relish the idea of a new genre of entertainment? Seemingly not.

   Jay-Z is arguably hip hop’s greatest living icon. He has won sacks full of awards not only for his outstanding contributions to music but also for his input into other arts such as film and fashion. He really is somewhat of a big deal, and he’s not afraid to tell you.

   Some blamed Michael Eavis for the slow ticket sales for 2008’s Glastonbury festival as a result of choosing an ‘untraditional’ headline act, the most vocal of these was Noel Gallagher of Oasis, when asked what he thought of the slow ticket sale situation he replied: "I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?' I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong.” Peace and Love indeed.
   100,000 tickets of a possible 137,000 were sold in the run up to the festival, quite the opposite to the previous year in which all 137,000 tickets sold out within the first 2hours of going on sale. But was this Jay-Z’s fault? Could it not have been the fact that the previous year had been a near disaster due to traitorous weather conditions and this year looked to be the same? In my, and I’m sure many others opinions this I by far the more likely.

   Noel Gallagher, arguably the more controlled of the Gallagher brothers; I wonder what he thought? how he felt? where he was? When he saw Jay-Z take to the stage, guitar in hand, singing an ironic rendition of ‘Wonderwall?’. I wonder if he laughed and thought he would fall flat on his face? I wonder if his heart sunk as the crowd sung along and played into the Rap mogul’s hands moments before he unleashed his arsenal of hit singles and beautifully sampled tracks? Whatever he felt, he was certainly proved wrong.

   “They said you didn’t like hip hop, they said you don’t want me here tonight?” The crowd roared. The critics were silent.
   20 songs in, and the crowd have heard tracks chopped and screwed to include Glastonbury favourites from AC/DC, Amy Winehouse, The Prodigy and even U2. How many acts do you know who would put this type of research into a set? Not many. Most festival goers are satisfied with just having a good old singalong in a field over a few beers and the occasional recreational drug. If this were the bar for live acts many would be booed from the stage.

   Crowd favourite Numb/Encore was the set finisher. The lyrics ‘I Came, I saw, I conquered’ sounding extra sweet in front of a crowd who clearly do like hip hop.

   As I watched on at the gig again and again weeks later at my computer I wonder to myself what would have happened if Jay-Z had been delayed just as Jimmy Hendrix had almost 40 years prior?, would the crowd have waited out in the cold rain all night to see a moment of music history? I like to think so.

   This was Hendrix at Woodstock, this was Queen at Wembley and Oasis at Knebworth. This was a moment that changed music forever.

   A.W

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2. inutero (4 months ago)

   why no Phantom Band at Glasto?

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3. Aliksandr (5 months ago)

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