Today's Music News

Lost boss on Glasto

Vagueness founder thinks festival has changed and pulls out.

04 Feb 08 - The creator of the Lost Vagueness area in Glastonbury has spoken out today (4 Feb), claiming the festival has lost its edge.

Lost Vagueness has featured at the festival for around 10 years but this weekend it was announced that this event, often described as the heart of Glastonbury, would not be taking place there again.

Lost Vagueness had grown from a small casino at the festival, to a massive area with eight venues and 1,500 performers.

Founder Roy Gurvitz told 6 Music that Live Nation's control over how the festival is run is having a massive effect on proceedings: “Up until now, that company took a back seat but now it's certainly starting to influence the line up of bands and the general feel of the festival.

"It’s not too sad that we have pulled out. Things move on and things change. There were a number of procedures last year that we were not particularly happy with.

“Glastonbury has changed. It’s becoming more commercial and more sterile. It’s definitely losing its edge. I had to fight to keep an area there and the rest of the festival is all being tidied up and compartmentalised. It’s being made cleaner and more corporate.”

The news comes as registration for the ticketing process began on Friday morning (1 Feb). Hundreds of thousands of hopefuls will be submitting their details in a bid to get to the biggest music festival in the country.

"Glastonbury has changed. It’s becoming more commercial and more sterile. It’s definitely losing its edge"
Roy Gurvitz

A statement on the Lost Vagueness official website states: "After 10 monumental years, the 'festival within the festival' which is Lost Vagueness will not be happening at Glastonbury 2008.

“It is rumoured that the vacuum created by the Lost Vagueness departure, will be filled by some ex Lost Vagueness crew and others, attempting to re-create a similar production in the same area.

“In the absence of any Glastonbury festival press release on this matter, we do not want you to be misled by this omission.

“Reproduction of our shows, without our permission or endorsement has been tried before, and however flattering these imitations may be, they will never come close to the real thing.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our fans for their continued support throughout the years who have followed our shows at the festival, and hope this announcement will not disappoint too many of you.

“To allay that disappointment, Lost Vagueness will be participating in other events and ventures around the country. Announcements will be made shortly."

Festival organiser Michael Eavis has said: “We brought a brand new area into Glastonbury Festival last year when my daughter Emily created The Park, which was a major addition to the festival.

“As part of that progressive change this year we have asked Debs Armstrong and Chris Tofu (of Continental Drifts) to programme the William’s Field areas of the site, previously occupied by Lost Vagueness. They have a new vision that I find inspiring, and the whole area will be divided into three separate fields and run by different individuals to produce a stunning result.

“After six festivals with Lost Vagueness it is time to move on. I wish Roy and his team well in their future activities but for Glastonbury it is another step forward in bringing in new ideas and creative thought.”

Full details of the new late night entertainment area for Glastonbury Festival 2008 will be announced in March.

What do you think about the end of Lost Vagueness? Let us know your thoughts.

Kelly Stooke

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Comments so far

Rose, N.Yorks
I totally agree with Roy's comments. I have been to glastonbury 3 times and even in that short space the festivals vibe has changed completely. One of the main reason being the commercial nature of the festival. I also think how the tickets are distributed add to the change, as it seems the majority of the people who manage to get the tickets are not the types of people who in previous years have made the festival what it is. Due to the ticket prices and the fact that you need to be a computer wizz with a high speed up to date mega computer to get the tickets. Not sure hippys would be down with that. The crowds were so uptight last year aswell....we found it very difficult to get to the front because everyone was so stern faced and when we did get there no one was singing jumping or anything...all just stood there with their arms folded. And that was even for the more mainstream acts.It is a real shame. A real shame...I'm bailing on glastonbury this year and heading for Benicassim where hopefully it won't be full of pretentious yuppies. rip glastonbury.

Lozair, North of Ireland
Hmmmm...it's a sign of something missing. I think the passing of Arabella Churchill is having a knock on effect already and she was a bulwark against the dreaded commercialisation. I went last year for the first time since 1990 and it felt odd. Where were the freaks, hippies, punks, rastas...any black people? There were loads of people there who could just have easily been at Wimbledon. It's the price the festival has to pay for the badasses in the past who came to steal and mug. The fence had to go up which meant bringing in the MAN. I think they should stick the CND peace symbol back on the pyramid and give the takings to help melt nuclear weapons like before - see if people will pay for peace. Get edgy again Glasto in the right way!! Peace and Love, Down with War!

B, London
True - Glastonbury has changed, and will continue to do so. It happens. So Lost Vagueness have pulled out? Meh. Great area, but it was far too crowded up there and hardly the traditional soul of the place. I was more surprised by the Jay Z announcement, which seems an odd one. Personally I can't see it driving too much extra interest. Hip hop to a field of 60,000? Hmm. Hope I'm proved wrong though. Michael Eavis is still one of my favourite humans, but I'm not sure I'll be back for a while. He's made quite a thing of wanting to bring in younger crowds, and at 32 I can't be doing with all the mud.

Colin, Barcelona
Agreed. The Glast has lost it�s way a bitm nore barbour jackets and range rovers than psychadelia and bus�s, but it�s still the best one going. I Think the price of the ticket has had an influence on who goes and who doesn�t. Also the only realistic way to get a ticket is online. Last year went to Bennicassim as well as Glast. Bennicassim rocks and it doesn�t rain ! i�m still gonna try to get a ticket for Glastonbury though.

Z Liverpool
Glastonbury isn't the same anymore and it's heartbreaking really. It's full of yuppie idiots and adolescents trying to be Kate Moss who use it as an excuse to dress up like t**ts and pretend they care about the environment. The line up has become increasingly mainstream to accommodate the change in visitor and last time I went (2005) I found myself walking around the festival hating everyone I passed for being pretentious. The people who made the festival what it was were those who didn't pay for their tickets. Glastonbury is aimed at different people now, I am not surprised Lost Vaugueness is leaving.

Big Kev (Team Warminster)
Couldn't agree more, taking the rain and mud as a given, i saw the 'reading' festival creep, with a polifiration of 'burger' stands, overtly aggresive marshalling and roaming groups of beer boys..I hope Lost Vagueness continue in their own right some where else, they are a true 'festival experince'.