No two phrases usually tend to strike concern into the hearts of Glastonbury Competition ticket-holders than ‘set-clash’. Image the scene, you’ve simply spent £300 on a ticket, you’ve packed boots, garments, that optimistic bottle of suncream, and your tent. Then, you test the schedule and realise that someone has made a horrible mistake.
At that second, you’d slightly choose which of your mother and father to toss right into a ravine. You’d do something to not have to decide on, to not should resolve which of your favorite artists is extra worthy of your presence. Alas, the set instances are set in stone and no music fan, irrespective of how nimble, may be in two locations on the identical time.
In Glastonbury’s early days, set clashes weren’t a lot of a difficulty. However because the pageant grew bigger and bigger, extra levels have been added, and overlapping acts grew to become an inevitability. Right here, we’ve compiled 5 of probably the most infuriating set-clashes from the final 30 years or so. So, in the event you’re trying to revisit a misspent youth or just wallow within the struggling of others, be sure you test them out under.
Table of Contents
The worst Glastonbury set clashes:
Huge Assault vs The Prodigy (1997)
There’s an area in hell reserved for the desk jockey who determined to place two of 1997’s largest digital acts simply quarter-hour aside. Though to be truthful to them, Glastonbury 1997 was chock-full of must-see acts.
Torrential rain arrived simply earlier than the weekend, leading to one of many muddiest Glastonbury festivals of all time. Regardless of the quagmire, hordes of welly-clad revellers descended on Worthy Farm undeterred. 1997 boasted extra reside acts than ever earlier than, which means set clashes have been a given. Nonetheless, the expanded 800-acre website, that includes a ‘dubhenge’ constructed from upturned VW campervans and solar-powered showers, greater than made up for it. The lineup additionally included Radiohead, Ray Davies and Sting.
Portishead vs Arctic Monkeys (2007)
Many Glastonbury veterans will bear in mind tearing their hair out over this one. Those who selected Alex Turner and firm will bear in mind the weird however undeniably thrilling second Dizzee Rascal walked out on stage to rap over ‘Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Good friend’.
Ten years after the ‘Yr of The Mud’, Glastonbury 2007 was no much less swampy. The pageant had taken a yr off in 2006, so followers have been all of the extra keen to get caught in, marching of their droves to Arctic Monkeys’ maiden Glastonbury set. Different acts included The Who, Björk, Dame Shirley Bassey, Iggy Pop, CSS, Amy Winehouse, Mia, Kate Nash, Billy Bragg, Damien Marley, Lily Allen, and The Chemical Brothers.
Neil Younger vs Ray Davies (2009)
Ouch, two counterculture greats on the identical time. Clearly, no one thought that followers of traditional songwriting is perhaps eager to look at two of its biggest proponents. Nonetheless, I suppose you may’t have every little thing.
2009 noticed file numbers of ticket holders arrive on Worthy Farm. By Thursday morning, 90,396 attendees had arrange camp and have been eagerly awaiting the primary fundamental stage acts. As is conventional, the gorgeous summer season climate broke simply in time for the primary wave of performances, with a sudden storm dousing sunbathers in a chilly, moist measure of actuality. Fortunately the clouds rapidly parted, leaving ticket-holders free to take pleasure in units by Maximo Park, The Streets’ Mike Skinner, Lily Allen, East 17, and Nick Cave, the latter of whom almost had his set gate-crashed by a would-be reveller trying to fly over the safety fence in a microlite.
Radiohead vs The Flaming Lips (2017)
Truthfully, this one makes my toes curl. I believe I’d slightly eat one in all my very own palms than have to decide on between listening to ‘Bizarre Fishes’ and ‘Race For The Prize’. Sadly, ticket holders for Glastonbury 2017 have been met with that actual dilemma.
The Flaming Lips carried out alongside Radiohead throughout 2003’s Glastonbury Competition too, though their units have been scheduled effectively sufficient that frontman Wayne Coyne received the prospect to look at Thom Yorke and firm ship their iconic efficiency. Recalling the expertise, Coyne instructed NME; “After we received completed enjoying we have been in a position to keep on stage and watch Radiohead play. I like Radiohead, and simply seeing them embrace this big mass of overflowing love and power that was cascading down on them…it was wonderful.”
Paul McCartney vs Jamie T vs Mitski (2022)
You’d assume that greater than 50 years of expertise would have made Glastonbury a clash-free zone. Nicely, assume once more. Glastonbury 2022 ticket holders have been compelled to navigate plenty of ill-placed units, probably the most infuriating of which was the Paul McCartney/Jamie T/Mitski conflict. Followers additionally had to decide on whether or not to see Glastonbury newby Billie Eilish or pageant mainstays Foals, Haim or Large Theif, Kendrick Lamar or Pet Store Boys, and Diana Ross or Fontaines D.C.
To be truthful, Glastonbury did have a backlog of artists pre-booked to carry out the 2022 occasion after Covid-19 compelled organisers to cancel two years on the trot. I simply really feel sorry for Jamie T, who was in all probability compelled to look at his crowd regularly slip away as Paul McCartney took to the stage.
