Latest news with #MichaelEavis
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Lorde's Huge Week On The Rock Charts: What It Means For Her Career
Every song from Lorde's Virgin lands on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, with eight new ... More debuts led by 'Shapeshifter' at No. 13. GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 27: Lorde performs during day three of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 27, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. Established by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into the UK's largest music festival, drawing over 200,000 fans to enjoy performances across more than 100 stages. In 2026, the festival will take a fallow year, a planned pause to allow the Worthy Farm site time to rest and recover. (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage) Lorde's new full-length album Virgin has turned out to be another big commercial success for the singer-songwriter. The project, her first in several years, debuts inside the top 10 on every Billboard chart it appears on and even manages to lead several tallies. Virgin owes its impressive debut, at least partially, to strong streaming numbers, with millions of plays on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and others helping Lorde significantly increase her career total number of hits on one Billboard tally. Every Track From Virgin Charts on Rock Tally All 11 tracks featured on Virgin appear on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, the primary list of the most popular rock titles in the United States. Eight of them debut this week, while previously-released cuts 'What Was That' and 'Man of the Year' settle at Nos. 11 and 20, respectively. With these new wins, Lorde has now racked up 38 total hits on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. More than one-fifth of those arrive this week alone, which means this is a very exciting and busy frame for her. 'Shapeshifter' Leads Lorde's New Entries All of Lorde's latest entries from Virgin start inside the top 40, quickly establishing themselves as at least minor hits. Leading the charge is 'Shapeshifter,' which opens at No. 13. Seven more brand new tracks land close to one another, as 'Favorite Daughter,' 'Current Affairs,' 'David,' 'Broken Glass,' 'Clearblue,' 'If She Could See Me Now,' and 'GRWM' debut at Nos. 22, 26, 27, 28, 33, 35, and 37, respectively. Several Virgin Tracks Chart on Multiple Lists Some of the new cuts from Virgin appear on multiple Billboard rankings this frame. 'Shapeshifter,' 'Favorite Daughter,' and 'Current Affairs' all reach the Hot Alternative Songs chart, which only includes 25 slots. 'What Was That' remains the standout success from the set. The track is currently charting on eight different tallies simultaneously. It sits inside the top 10 on several of them and even reappears on highly competitive lists like the Billboard Global 200 and Hot 100.
Forbes
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Neil Young's Album Hits A New Peak Thanks To One Big Performance
Neil Young's Greatest Hits returns to the Official Album Downloads chart at a new peak at No. 27, ... More following his Glastonbury set with the Chrome Hearts. GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND - JUNE 28: Neil Young during day four of Glastonbury festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 28, 2025 in Glastonbury, England. Established by Michael Eavis in 1970, Glastonbury has grown into the UK's largest music festival, drawing over 200,000 fans to enjoy performances across more than 100 stages. In 2026, the festival will take a fallow year, a planned pause to allow the Worthy Farm site time to rest and recover. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage) Neil Young, along with his new band the Chrome Hearts, helped headline the Glastonbury Festival this year, which took place in the final days of June in Glastonbury, England. Young stands out from many of the other headliners, as he's neither nearly as young nor as trendy – and yet he still managed to draw a massive crowd. The legendary rocker and his backing group performed on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night on the same day as powerhouses like Lewis Capaldi, The 1975, Noah Kahan, and Olivia Rodrigo. Thanks to his coveted slot, Young bounds up the charts in the United Kingdom, as such a coveted slot can lead to a huge uptick in consumption. Neil Young's Greatest Hits Makes a Chart Comeback Young's compilation Greatest Hits is back and bigger than ever as fans across the U.K. are reminded of how much they love his many timeless tunes. The singles-packed project reappears on the Official Album Downloads chart this week at No. 27. The fact that it lands on that specific ranking speaks to the fact that Glastonbury attendees — and those following along online — rushed to platforms like iTunes to revisit his catalog around the time of his performance. A New Peak for a Familiar Favorite As Greatest Hits finds its way back to the Official Album Downloads chart, it reaches a never-before-seen high point. This turn marks its first inside the top 40 on the tally, as it previously peaked at No. 42. The compilation hasn't appeared on the list since February 2022, and it originally debuted just below the top 40 region in the summer of 2009. 'Harvest Moon' Returns to the Singles Ranking As Young returns to the album downloads chart, he also scores a win once more on the Official Singles Downloads list. On that ranking, 'Harvest Moon' appears for only the second time ever, as it breaks back in at No. 96. Focus Shifts From New Album to Nostalgic Favorites Shortly before heading to Glastonbury, Young released Talking to the Trees, his first full-length collection with the Chrome Hearts. Now, three weeks into its run on the U.K. rankings, the set slips more than 10 spaces on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums charts, as it seems fans are currently more focused on revisiting Greatest Hits than diving into brand new material.
Middle East Eye
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Middle East Eye
Bob Vylan backlash: Britain is more worried about words than war crimes
The controversy ignited by Bob Vylan's Glastonbury performance - specifically the chant of 'death to the IDF', in reference to the Israeli army - has exposed far more than artistic outrage. It has laid bare the limits of free speech in Britain when it comes to Palestine, the deep discomfort with confronting complicity, and the ease with which expressions of solidarity are demonised as hate. Glastonbury has long served as a cultural platform for political protest. From the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament to environmental justice, anti-poverty activism, women's rights and LGBTQ+ equality, it has never shied away from uncomfortable truths. The festival's founder, Michael Eavis, famously said that if people don't like the politics of Glastonbury, they 'can go somewhere else'. The festival also hosts a dedicated political space called Left Field, featuring daily debates and discussions on a wide range of issues. Over the years, the festival has witnessed powerful political moments, from solidarity with striking miners in the 1980s to a video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Challenging the established order and exposing political complicity is part of Glastonbury's DNA. But this year, a stark double standard was revealed. While the BBC aired without fuss performer Jade's use of an expletive that many view as demeaning to women, Bob Vylan's words highlighting Palestinian suffering drew national outrage. The BBC removed Bob Vylan's performance from its online player, condemned it as antisemitic, and issued a swift apology. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it 'appalling hate speech'. The Israeli embassy denounced it. Bob Vylan's US visas were revoked. A criminal investigation was launched over the performances of both Bob Vylan and Irish rappers Kneecap. Unmistakable message This was not merely a response to offensive language. It was a coordinated move to shut down political expression that challenges British and western complicity in Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza. And while condemnation rained down over a musician's angry words, that same week, Israeli soldiers admitted to killing civilians trying to collect food in Gaza - food that was being systematically denied to Palestinians by the Israeli army. The message was unmistakable: words exposing inhumanity against Palestinians are more dangerous to the establishment than the massive violence being inflicted on Palestinians. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war It's not that Bob Vylan's language was polite. It wasn't meant to be. Protest art rarely is. But to call it 'hate speech' while remaining silent on Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu invoking genocidal rhetoric, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referencing a biblical call for extermination, and Israeli pop singers calling for the death of Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa, is to reveal not a moral compass, but a political agenda. This isn't about preserving civility. It's about preserving Israeli genocidal narratives. It's about protecting the violent Israeli army from criticism by framing its opponents as dangerous, hateful or extreme. Bob Vylan's chant wasn't a policy proposal nor material support. It was a cry of desperation, born from a sense of urgency and horror at a crisis unfolding in real time. In Gaza over the past 21 months, most homes have been devastated; schools, universities and hospitals have been destroyed; and more than 57,418 Palestinians have been killed, with more than 130,000 injured. It's about who is allowed to speak, what words are acceptable, what truths are allowed to be told, and which lives are deemed worth defending The reaction provoked by the words of Bob Vylan says more about Britain's discomfort with confronting its own complicity in the Gaza crisis than it does about any supposed incitement. This furore came in a week when the government proscribed the non-violent direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist group, alongside two violent extremist organisations. This is a shocking attack on the right to protest in the UK. And that's the deeper danger. The ban on Palestine Action, and the intense rhetorical response to Bob Vylan's performance, illustrate a growing effort to police the boundaries of acceptable speech, especially when it concerns Palestinian rights. Glastonbury, once a sanctuary for protest and dissent, risks being neutralised, its radical edge dulled to align with the establishment. If charges against Bob Vylan and Kneecap follow, it will send a chilling message to artists, activists and audiences alike: solidarity not only with Palestine, but with all issues not supported by the powerful elite, is a line you must not cross. When words are punished more severely than war crimes and potential genocide, we should all be alarmed. Because this isn't just about a few words at a festival performance; it's about who is allowed to speak, what words are acceptable, what truths are allowed to be told, and which lives are deemed worth defending. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
QUENTIN LETTS: Lisa flew into a prolonged riff tearing into Glastonbury and the BBC... Nandy was jammin'!
Well that should have Glastonbury 's founder Michael Eavis chewing his silly beard. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy came to the Commons to debate the BBC 's hate-rapper incident. Rather than excuse it, the minister flew into what I understand (guitar-speak) is called a prolonged riff. Nandy was jammin'! Both Glastonbury and the BBC were torn off a strip. For years the centre-Left has grovelled to Glastonbury, hailing it as a pinnacle of our culture. Labour MPs have attended its foetid mosh pits and chanted 'oooh Jeremy Corbyn ' alongside spliffy rich kids boogying in the mud and mire. MPs such as Tom Watson (now a Lord) sucked up to these designer-grungies and their ghastly eco-glamping. But all that was forgotten when Ms Nandy stood at the despatch box. She seized on this foul-up and on wider conduct at the festival, where terrorist flags and Nazi symbols were seen. Things were so bad that Jewish festival-goers had felt it necessary to create their own 'safe space'. All this from a venue that claims to be liberal. 'I have levers at my disposal,' Ms Nandy told the Commons, 'and I will not hesitate to use them.' She was 'exasperated' by the BBC and its poohbahs. 'I'm not satisfied with the explanation so far,' she cried. Not since the row over Blairites 'sexing-up' the case for war in Iraq has a Labour politician torn into the corporation in such a way. For Ms Nandy to sound cross is quite something. Normally she is as menacing as Sooty's little friend Soo. For all the harrumphing, do we believe the Starmerites would ever pull the ultimate 'lever' over the BBC and put it out of existence? Invited to do that by Reform's Richard Tice (Boston), she froze. But she certainly did well with this Commons display and even managed not to be booed – a miracle –when she made a reference to Sir Keir Starmer. It may or may not be worth noting that the Culture Secretary has been much tipped for demotion in a coming ministerial shuffle. After this performance she has made it harder for No 10 to sack her. The Conservatives' Stuart Andrew claimed that music festivals 'must appeal to the highest standards of social cohesion'. There speaks a man who plainly packs a chip butty for his picnic at Glyndebourne. No MP asked the obvious question: can the director general, Tim Davie, survive? But Peter Prinsley (Lab, Bury St Edmunds), fanning himself with a scrap of paper, did ask 'who on earth will be held accountable?' and John Glen (Con, Salisbury) said the public would expect 'people to be held individually to account'. Dame Caroline Dinenage (Con, Gosport) noted that the editing failures could hardly be for lack of staff. The Beeb had 400 people at Glastonbury, averred Dame Caroline, who chairs the culture select committee. 'What were they all doing?' They were surely in the beer tent. Or, being the BBC, it may have been the Pimm's tent. Or something more powdery. Sarah Sackman, justice minister, wandered in to listen to the debate. So, upstairs in the peers' gallery, did Luciana Berger, who has rejoined Labour after the anti-Semitism of the Corbyn years. Jim Allister (DUP, North Antrim) spoke of 'an appalling pro-terrorist broadcast on our national broadcaster'. Andrew Murrison (Con, SW Wilts) had written to the super-rich Eavises at Glastonbury – 'no reply, none expected'. The only dissent to the Beeb-knocking came from Ayoub Khan (Ind, Perry Barr), who wondered why the Government did not criticise 'death to all Arabs' chants by Israeli football crowds. Ms Nandy firmly told Mr Khan that was because it had not been broadcast by the BBC. Sammy Wilson (DUP, E Antrim) described Glastonbury-goers as 'young, middle-class, educated morons'. Rap may not be Sammy's thing. He is possibly more of a Dolly Parton fan. I must say, I can seldom understand a word rappers say or sing. No subtitles. Maybe that was why the BBC failed to cut the feed.
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Glastonbury Festival: A haven of rhythm and resistance
Chants of 'free, free Palestine' reverberated on the grounds of Worthy Farms, and Palestinian flags flooded the venue as artists from across the spectrum voiced their support for Palestinian resistance. For five days every summer, the ceremonial county of Somerset in England becomes the epicenter of countercultural movements and political resistance. The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, which first began in 1970, has entertained diverse music genres over the decades. However, it has steadfastly stuck to its left-wing politics. Last week, the founder of what is now the largest music festival in the UK, Michael Eavis, said that anyone who didn't agree with the politics of the festival 'can go somewhere else.' While the festival grew in popularity and scale through the 1970s, it was in the 80s that it truly came into its own by building a space for activism and politics within its fences. In 1981, the festival was organised in conjunction with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, an organisation that advocates for unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament, and tighter international arms regulation. Environmental activism Over the years, environmental activism has become a core issue that united festivalgoers and organisers. Today, Glastonbury is powered by 100% renewable energy sources, and single-use plastic is banned on the premises. The festival takes a break every five years to let the farmland on which it is hosted breathe and rejuvenate. So in 2026, Somerset will not see droves of passionate people organise, groove, and agitate against the powers that be. In 2000, musician Billy Bragg and his partner Juliet Wills organised the Left Field stage at Glastonbury to tackle apathy and promote left-wing politics and trade unionism among young festivalgoers. This eventually turned into a regular fixture at the festival. The stage features left-wing musicians who champion anti-establishment sentiments, and political comedians like Mark Thomas. It is also a site of political speeches and debates. Keeping up this legacy, in 2017, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was invited to speak at the main stage of the festival, called the Pyramid Stage, which was built for the first time in 1970 after taking inspiration from the Pyramid in Giza. Charities like Oxfam contribute manpower in the form of volunteers who keep the festival running. In return, the festival donates its profits to these organisations. Dissent in 2025 This year, too, the resistance is bubbling with intensity at the Worthy Farm grounds. Irish singer-songwriter Cmat and rock band the Libertines voiced their support for a free Palestine during their sets, while former BBC presenter Gary Lineker echoed the sentiment after concluding his talk at the festival. Other singers and speakers turned up in keffiyeh scarves to indicate their solidarity with the cause. Musician Nadine Shah performed her set in front of a backdrop showing the destruction in Gaza. She went on to read an open letter from Artists for Palestine UK in support of the activist group Palestine Action, which the UK executive is planning to declare a terrorist organisation. Irish rap trio Kneecap took to the stage to address U.K. politics and the genocide in Palestine. Their set on the West Holts stage drew a massive crowd, reaching capacity nearly an hour before showtime. However, BBC chose not to broadcast their performance citing 'editorial guidelines.' But the trouble had already beset the media organisation as punk rock duo Bob Vylan took to the same stage and called for the death of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). While some joined the chants, others flagged it as incitement to violence. The organiser of the festival, Emily Eavis, responded to the incident and said she was 'appalled' by the comments made by the singer. This statement from her drew flak from some performers and fans alike. Rock band Amyl and the Sniffers took to their Instagram to highlight that the media, by highlighting the politically charged performances of Kneecap and Bob Vylan made it seem like these were isolated incidents and a couple of 'bad bands' whose sentiments the public at large does not share, which according to them was not the case. As Avon and Somerset Police investigate the video footage to determine if any offences warranting a criminal investigation have been committed at Worthy Farms, it remains to be seen how a music festival with its roots in the 60s counterculture movement responds to ever-evolving semantics of protest in a world where spaces of resistance are facing onslaught from the state.
