Glastonbury
As what should have been the Glastonbury weekend fades into the distance, Getintothis’ Banjo is already looking forward to 2019 and who just might be headlining the mighty Pyramid Stage.
There is no doubt that Glastonbury’s absence this year has left a huge, gaping hole in the centre of summer for many people. Yes there are many festivals still taking place this year, but Glastonbury holds a special, unfillable place in the hearts of the many thousands who regularly walk its hallowed fields.
Headlining Glastonbury’s famous Pyramid Stage has become a badge of honour for the chosen few. Headline sets are played out live on TVs and computer screens across the world and, although Glastonbury does not pay as handsomely as a lot of other festivals, the publicity it generates is second to none. It is not uncommon, in the weeks following a good Glastonbury performance, for albums and songs to experience a huge upswing in demand and to storm the charts once more.
The rumours for who will be headlining Glastonbury next year started a long time ago. No other festival generates this amount of near guesswork as to who will be leading from the front. It has almost become a national pastime.
The latest rumour is that none other than Madonna will be taking top honours in 2019. This is tremendous news, as her Madgesty would be sure to bring glamour, gossip and greatest hits to the legendary Pyramid Stage.
But here the good folk at Getintothis have come up with their own list of possible, maybe and fingers-crossed headliners for the next arrival of the planet’s biggest festival.
Nick Cave
- Nick Cave
Nick Cave has proved himself to be adept at handling festival headlines this year, and last year’s arena shows have already become the stuff of legend, proving that Cave is at the correct level for a show of tis stature. Indeed, those lucky enough to have witnessed Cave‘s latest shows will no doubt be of the opinion that there are few, if any, who could match him as a live act.
Rumours of a new album are starting to circulate and a step up to Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage is one that he could take in his stride.
Just the thought of Girl in Amber or Distant Sky reducing 100,000 people to awed silence sends shivers down my spine. There is no doubt that Cave could produce one of Glastonbury’s most intense and riveting headline sets if he were given the chance.
Florence Welch (Credit: Artists Facebook page)
- Florence and the Machine
After headlining by accident in 2015, following Foo Fighters cancellation, Florence and the gang may well be ready for their first planned headline slot. A new album is already on the way after the summer and, if it takes off the way their last two albums have, they may well still be on the road promoting it by next June.
Recent sightings of Florence and the Machine have shown them to have progressed yet again and their sound is more than capable of filling the Pyramid’s vast area with lush washes of sound toped by Florence’s incredible voice.
There would be a certain sense of just reward if Flo & Co were to return to the main stage. They certainly proved they were up to the job last time, so just imagine what they could do if they were prepared in advance.
Stormzy
- Stormzy
Glastonbury has never run scared from putting on headliners that, at first glance, may not seem big enough to take on the job. Think back to Pulp’s era defining headline set in 1994 or the sight of Kings of Leon huddled together on the Pyramid’s huge stage facing their first major headline slot.
And with Emily Eavis’ much professed love of Grime and her insistence that it plays a greater part in future festivals, this may be worth putting a tenner on in William Hills.
The idea of Grime taking the Pyramid by storm is a compelling one indeed, and if anyone can do it, Stormzy would be the very chap for the job..
Mick Fleetwood
- Fleetwood Mac
Included for consistency as much as anything else, Fleetwood Mac seem to have been appearing in the Glastonbury predictions for yeeeeears now. The soap opera that is Fleetwood Mac seems to be continuing, with Lindsey Buckingham being given the boot and being replaced by Neil Finn of Crowded House and Mike Campbell, latte of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Just who would be in the band by next June is really anybody’s guess.
That said, there is demand for them to play but they may be destined to be one of the artists that got away. It may be money that has been the stumbling block here, as Glastonbury famously doesn’t pay the same rates as other festivals, but the publicity they would receive for it must surely make it worth their while.
In any event, Fleetwood Mac have the hits, they have the status and they have the appeal to make them a great headliner.
Elton John
- Elton John
Although Elton announced his retirement from touring earlier this year, this does not necessarily preclude him from one off gigs such as this. His farewell tour keeps him on the road until June next year, so this works out well in terms of timing.
With a huge and famous back catalogue, he falls onto that category where everybody, even the people who don’t like Elton John, like at least one Elton John song. He undoubtedly has the anthems to turn the whole Pyramid Stage audience into one huge singalong and could play a lengthy set consisting of nothing but hits.
His flair for the dramatic also plays out well on a big stage and his years of experience in handling huge crowds mark him out as a serious headline act. He may not be cool these days, but we here at Getintothis Towers kind of have our fingers crossed for this one.
CHIC
- Nile Rogers and Chic
Chic have already played Glastonbury twice, headlining West Holts in 2013 and playing in the sunshine last year in one of the festival’s undoubted highlights. Each time Chic have proved themselves to be an instant party, with enough killer tunes to make most bands weep with envy.
They are popular enough to take it up a notch and would have 100,000 people dancing like loons with no problem whatsoever. And with a new album on the way, Nile Rogers shows he has yet to run out of ideas.
Chic could turn the Pyramid Stage into the world’s biggest disco and have the audience smiling for the entire time they are on stage.
Rolling Stones in Manchester
7. Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones 2013 set has gone down as being one of Glastonbury’s greats, but by next year will be an incredible six years in the past. Maybe 2019 would be the time for them to make a return.
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Their current No Filter tour has been getting rave reviews and packing in the punters across the globe, proving Mick and the boys have lost neither their appeal nor their ability to rock an audience. Whether the Stones feel the need to repeat themselves by headlining for a second time is another matter.
It may well be that they feel they have ticked this off the list and gone back to earning eye watering amounts of money selling out the world’s biggest venues, but you never know. There is something that bands seem to find special about playing Glastonbury, so maybe this can lure them back for another headline.
Taylor Swift
- Taylor Swift
Glastonbury is a festival that never hides its love for pop music. Beyonce headlined in 2011 and other pop acts have played daytime Pyramid Stage sets, such as Katy Perry, Clean Bandit and Sugababes. Taylor Swift would fit this brief perfectly, but expect outrage and angst on social media should this prediction come true.
Whether the audience who flock to Swift’s stadium dates would be the same audience as attend Glastonbury may be open to debate, but there is a fun loving side to Glastonbury’s audience that means they are open to things such as this.
Royal Blood
- Royal Blood
When Royal Blood played Glastonbury last year, they proved themselves to be potential headliners on their next visit. They drew a huge crowd and immediately afterwards, talk of them topping the bill could be heard the length and breadth of the site.
Only two albums into their career, it may be a little early to talk of them as Glastonbury headliners, but there is no doubting that they are massively popular, with their How Did It Get So Dark album going straight to Number one on release.
It could be that a headline performance from Royal Blood is the thing that could propel them to mega levels of fame.
Kendrick Lamar
- Kendrick Lamar
Currently set to headline Reading and Leeds Festivals this year, Kendrick Lamar could well be a good fit for the farm next year. One of the planet’s hottest acts, Lamar could bring a breath of fresh air to Glastonbury’s main stage. Can we expect more outrage from Noel Gallagher if Lamar headlines? Probably not this time.
Lamar has headlined many festivals and arenas in his time, so Glastonbury won’t phase him. In some ways, it would be a good move from the Eavis family if they can make this happen, as headliners tend to be… well, a bit old fashioned. A move like this could be good for both parties. And for a very happy Glastonbury crowd.
So, some possibles, some not-so-possibles and maybe a bit of wishful thinking. Whoever does take headline honours though, Glastonbury will always be the daddy of them all, the king of the festivals.
And as such, it is bigger than just being about the headline acts, it is about escaping into a perfect mix of hedonism, surreality and friendship. And with tickets going on sale in around four months, the familiar routine of an early Sunday alarm and many feverish minutes hitting the refresh button awaits us all.
May we all get tickets, and may the sun shine down upon us.
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