June 25, 2010 - Glastonbury

Discussion thread for this show.

From U2.com

U2 will play Glastonbury next year, the 40th anniversary of the festival.

Friday June 25th, the opening night of the fortieth Glastonbury Festival, is the day to mark in your festival calendars. It will be the only date the band play in the UK and Ireland next year.

Festival organiser Michael Eavis said: "I promised the the best possible line-up for the show next year and the confirmation that U2 will play their first ever Glastonbury - and their first major festival gig since the early 1980s - is fantastic news.

"We've been trying for years... And now we've finally made it happen. I'm sure they will pull out all the stops to make next year's Glastonbury the most memorable ever."

"At last, the biggest band in the world are going to play the best festival in the world! Nothing could be better for our 40th anniversary party. And there are even more surprises in the pipeline.."

Promoter John Giddings said on Twitter: "It is true, U2 headline the Fri night at Glastonbury. They fly back for the weekend in the middle of their US tour."

'Glasto' which takes place on Michael Eavis' dairy farm in Somerset, is the most well-known arts and music festival in the world. Last year Neil Young, Blur and Bruce Springsteen headlined.

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So, will this be with claw and all?

Anyone got a spare ticket

This makes me really, really angry.

Anyone who hasn't got a ticket, more will be released in the new year from returns, etc. So just keep your eyes on it.

So happy about this. I think if they manage to hit the nail on the head with a great performance then it could herald a seachange of popular opinion about them in this country which has become increasingly negative over recent years. This could be one of their legendary performances.

MikeyJB said:

Anyone who hasn't got a ticket, more will be released in the new year from returns, etc. So just keep your eyes on it.

So happy about this. I think if they manage to hit the nail on the head with a great performance then it could herald a seachange of popular opinion about them in this country which has become increasingly negative over recent years. This could be one of their legendary performances.

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Would i dare too say this could be exactly why they are doing it. They gotta get with the kids again

ramblin rose said:

So, will this be with claw and all?

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I don't believe the claw will be involved. From all the video footage I've seen over the years of Glasto, all the bands just set up on a regular, ol' stage. Someone else probably knows more about it than me, though. But, they've also got a gig in Minneapolis two days after Glasto so they'll probably just keep the claw over in the States, I think.

No way could they get the claw there even if they wanted to.

theyre headlining the pyramid stage which is the main stage at the festival, no claw will be involved!

That's a festival appearance, not a U2 show. The audience is made up not only of U2 fans. I'm sure the organisers wanted to avoid U2 fans buying all the tickets when the band's appearance would be announced. I'm sure there will be extra tickets.

Maybe because U2 fans don't want to see the other rubbish they dredge up at Glastonbury?

No way could they set up the claw there, I assume it would just be a normal stage set up.

m0nkeyb0y said:

Maybe because U2 fans don't want to see the other rubbish they dredge up at Glastonbury?

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This is exactly why U2 don't normally play festivals - their fans will swamp ticket sales, crowd the front of stage, then grumpily ignore the other acts until U2 come on. That's not what festivals are about.

m0nkeyb0y said:

Maybe because U2 fans don't want to see the other rubbish they dredge up at Glastonbury?

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it's not a u2 stand alone show. it's completely unrelated the the 360 tour.

with attitudes like that it's no wonder they'd want to keep u2 fans away.

m0nkeyb0y said:

Maybe because U2 fans don't want to see the other rubbish they dredge up at Glastonbury?

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this may come as a surprise, but not everyone likes the same music. the other acts at glastonbury have plenty of fans. i don't see why u2 fans are more deserving of tickets than anyone else. i will never understand the sense of superiority some fans have where they think they're more entitled to something like this, a ticket for a rock festival, than fans of any other band attending.

Axver said:

This is exactly why U2 don't normally play festivals - their fans will swamp ticket sales, crowd the front of stage, then grumpily ignore the other acts until U2 come on. That's not what festivals are about.

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you think the level of entitlement is high at an ordinary concert, this is going to be off the scale. i can barely watch...

So what's the normal set length for an act or headliner at this festival?

now also Pinkpop

ramblin rose said:

So what's the normal set length for an act or headliner at this festival?

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Sprinsgteen did 2.5 hours this year, I think it normally clocks in at about 2 hours for a headliner.

I feel no sense of entitlement, I am just gutted that I won't be seeing U2 next year.

cdparky said:

Sprinsgteen did 2.5 hours this year, I think it normally clocks in at about 2 hours for a headliner.

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Wow, that's great.

I never ever expected this move from U2.

But it can be a good way to connect to the people normally not into U2. Like how Bruce did it last year on Glastonbury and Pinkpop Festival (Netherlands): I remember so many people telling me before theyw ent that they were not into Bruce, but afterwards admitting it was amazing!

coolian2 said:

you think the level of entitlement is high at an ordinary concert, this is going to be off the scale. i can barely watch...

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When U2 were trying to figure out how to make an Australian leg of Elevation profitable, they apparently briefly considered a festival-lite sort of thing. I can see why it didn't happen!

ramblin rose said:

So what's the normal set length for an act or headliner at this festival?

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Well, if U2 wants to play a full set, It hink they can play a full set. Springsteen played 2-2,5 hours last year

U2C said:

now also Pinkpop

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Call Principle Management!!! This could be sooooooooooooo cool!

coolian2 said:

you think the level of entitlement is high at an ordinary concert, this is going to be off the scale. i can barely watch...

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it's ok... tix were sold out ages ago, so hopefully we're safe

Can't wait to read Willie's Diary for that week..

just read about this just now on the news!

great news!!!

here's the article from the Guardian:

U2 to headline Glastonbury 2010

Bono and co are slated to play the Pyramid stage's top slot for the festival's 40th anniversary
Comments (10)

Buzz up!
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Rosie Swash
guardian.co.uk, Monday 23 November 2009 11.33 GMT
Article history

Glastonbury 2010 headliners ... U2's Bono and Adam Clayton. Photograph: Mark Allan/WireImage.com

U2 will headline next year's Glastonbury festival, it was confirmed today. Bono and co have been slated for the Pyramid stage's top spot on Friday 26 June, in what will be their first ever appearance at the festival. Organiser Michael Eavis had promised something special for Glastonbury's 40th anniversary, and in booking a band who have been rumoured to headline every year since the mid 1980s, he's done just that.

"The 26-year-old rumour has finally come true," Eavis said. "At last, the biggest band in the world are going to play the best festival in the world! Nothing could be better for our 40th anniversary party. And there are even more surprises in the pipeline."

Eavis added: "We've been trying for years ... and now we've finally made it happen. I'm sure they will pull out all the stops to make next year's Glastonbury the most memorable ever."

U2 will fly to the UK to play the Somerset festival in the middle of their North American tour.

Earlier this year, Bono told BBC Radio 1 that U2 had not been confirmed to play the festival in 2010, but was sure they would play Glastonbury at some point. "I know lots of people who love music want us to. It's something we're working up our whole life to do."

Tickets for next year's Glastonbury sold out in October after organisers decided to release them early – a scheme that proved successful last year. The festival will take place between Friday 26 and

Sunday 28 June 2010. So far, no other headliners have been confirmed. The Guardian is the official media sponsor of Glastonbury festival.

mama cass said:

it's ok... tix were sold out ages ago, so hopefully we're safe

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The 'superfans' will be inconsolable

phommel said:

Well, if U2 wants to play a full set, It hink they can play a full set. Springsteen played 2-2,5 hours last year

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Springsteen actually overran the curfew by about 10 minutes which cost Eavis about 30 grand or something in that order, but said it was a cost well worth paying for the amazing finale to Bruce's set.

If the band is on top form and Bono is energetic and in good voice, this could be one of the best moves the band has made in years!