Young initially announced his withdrawal earlier this week, citing concerns over “corporate control” and creative differences tied to the BBC’s partnership with the festival. Writing on his Neil Young Archives, he expressed dismay over what he perceived as changes to the festival's ethos, calling it “a corporate turn-off.”
Young made a post on December 31 stating:
The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs. We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.”
It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being. Thanks for coming to see us the last time! We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be. Hope to see you at one of the other venues on the tour.
However, in a new update posted on January 3, Young clarified that the situation stemmed from a miscommunication.
Due to an error in the information received, I had decided not to play the Glastonbury festival, which I always have loved. Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary, and we look forward to playing! Hope to see you there!
Festival co-organizer Emily Eavis confirmed the news via Instagram, sharing her excitement about Young’s return.
Neil Young is an artist who’s very close to our hearts at Glastonbury. He does things his own way, and that’s why we love him. We can’t wait to welcome him back here to headline the Pyramid in June.
This will mark Neil Young’s second Pyramid Stage headlining slot, following his 2009 performance, which included an unforgettable rendition of “Rockin’ In The Free World” and a cover of The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life”. Young was previously set to headline in 1997 but had to withdraw due to injury.
What do you think?
Show comments / Leave a comment