(06-22-2004) Will U2 Play Glastonbury In 2005? - XFM*

[HelloAngel]

Will U2 Play Glastonbury In 2005?


The gates at this year?s Glastonbury Festival haven?t even opened yet, but already organiser Michael Eavis has been thinking about who he wants to play in 2005, with U2 seemingly at the top of his list.

Glastonbury 2004 doesn?t even start until Friday (June 25) but festival supremo Michael Eavis has explained that he wants to follow up this year?s line up of heavy hitters (including Oasis and Paul McCartney) with another massive act.

"I?d like to get U2 headlining for next year and I?ll be making a phone call to them,? Eavis explained in an interview with Virtual Festivals.

"I know they like to do their own thing but, then again, so does Paul McCartney, and they don?t come much bigger than him.?

Eavis also explained that having already tried to book the-artist-now-once-again-known-as-Prince for this year?s event, he hasn?t given up on trying to get him onstage in Somerset in 2005.

"I might also try Prince again.? Eavis continued, ?We approached him for this year and he seemed interested but in the end he couldn't make it."

U2 have never played Glastonbury before and have not toured since their ?Elevation? dates back in 2001, and are currently recording a new album with Rolling Stones, Talking Heads and Morrissey producer Steve Lillywhite in Dublin, with an expected release date of late 2004/early 2005.

http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=28941

 

[djerdap]

Well, I surely hope it isn't early 2005...

 

[RockNRollDawgie]

Where is Glastonbury???? Never heard of it.

 

[meegannie]

I won't regret giving up my ticket this year if U2 play next year.

 

[U2girl]

Where is Glastonbury???? Never heard of it.

In Britain.

I doubt this news, because U2 hasn't played festivals since UF times and they tour on their own.

 

[celia]

bloody hell, if they do I will do my hardest to get tickets next year...I wanted to go this year but thought the line up wasnt as good as the year before...

 

[meegannie]

Michael Eavis has confirmed that U2 WILL be headlining next year. He said, "i booked next year's main act today. They are one of the world's biggest bands and have a 2 in their name." It's on Ch. 4 teletext for anyone in the UK.... on page 351.

Too excited to type more.

 

[DiGi]

if this is true I am going to finally go. No question about it.

 

[tarquinsuperb]

I have to say although it is starting to look more likely, that I still can't believe this news basically because it doesn't make sense for a variety of reasons.
1.) If we are to believe Miami in March is the start of the tour I'm not convinced the schedule would allow them to be in Europe by the June (unless it's whistle-stop stadia or stadia on a second leg)
2.) The money they'd receive for Glastonbury is 'token' e.g about $150,000 which for someone like U2 who could comfortably sell out a field this size on their own several times over would be a huge and to be frank unneccessary loss.
Why therefore would they chose to make a loss in a territory like Western Europe particularly, in the UK rather than in Ireland where they'll get hammered by the press and public if they didn't do something similar there.
3.) Without trying to pat ourselves on the back too much and in fact it's something the band should be congratulated on, is that one of the things that makes U2 special is their crowd to quote Bono: "You are not the passive massive"
This would not be the case at a festival and especially not at Glastonbury.

The other thing is this year's headliners were a bit not to put it too unkindly past their sell-by-date, they weren't even second choice let alone first choice (that was the Stone's by a country mile who didn't want to touch the thing by all accounts)

This news does appear to be a bit more concrete than most things we hear and hopefully REM will also sign up (although the earlier impression of next year's festival was that it was going to be Coldplay)

It could be though as it's practically the most famous music festival in the world, that it's on the bands check list of things they'd like to say they've done. You can say what you want about U2 but it has never been about the money.

Now we just wait for the battle for tickets to commence.

 

[trabantland]

if this is true I am going to finally go. No question about it.

me too!