The evolution of rock music at Glastonbury Festival
By Ida Hildebrandt @indiepopdiaries
Every year when the biggest festivals announce their lineups, they are faced with complaints from older festival fans expressing disappointment that there is no rock music. Guests claim that festivals are becoming too commercialised since they are focused on other genres such as pop and hip hop rather than alternative rock music. There is truth to these complaints, festivals look different than they did 50, and even 10 years ago, but does that have to be a tragedy?
Music critic Colin Mccormick’s recent article in The Telegraph states that Glastonbury’s lineup looks more like a playlist for a children’s birthday party than a celebration of alternative music culture. The headliners are Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA and Shania Twain, all great artists, but none of them make rock music – which is what Glastonbury is traditionally known for.
Glastonbury: Then and Now
Glastonbury was held for the first time in 1970, famously the day after Jimi Hendrix’s death. In 1971, the festival was planned as a counteract to the commercialisation of other festivals. The lineup centred on music which was different from the mainstream, mainly rock, alternative and folk music and tickets were only a pound. Artists who played there in the 1970s include David Bowie, The Kinks and Joan Baez. The festival now risks driving away its old audience with a pop music lineup, not only because of the style of music but because of the values they seemingly abandon.
There are a lot of reasons for this, the main one being that other genres such as pop and hip hop are the most streamed among young people. The change can also be attributed to a changed gender, racial and age balance within the music industry. Glastonbury has also gotten massive, compared to when it was founded, but is notably still a non-profit which donates millions of pounds to charity every year. The festival's priorities have changed, but that’s not necessarily a loss, it’s simply changing with the times. If you look further down on the poster, there are some incredible rock acts on the lineup. Women and queer people are at the forefront of a lot of the most interesting rock projects following in the footsteps of Paramore, Florence + The Machine and boygenius. This is an exciting change, which means that the rock acts look different, but if you know where to look you’ll find breathtaking concert experiences.
Recommendations for Rock Fans
The Last Dinner Party, IDLES and Blondshell are three rock bands and artists, who are playing at Glastonbury this summer. PJ Harvey, Stevie Nicks and Avril Lavigne are also joining the festival fun, which seems to be Glastonbury’s way of honouring some iconic female rock stars.
The Last Dinner Party released their debut album Prelude To Ecstasy and it has easily been one of the most buzzing records this year. They performed at Glastonbury last year with only a few minutes of music released. This year fans can experience the record and sing every word. Prelude To Ecstasy mixes orchestral arrangements with striking guitar solos and captivating storytelling. Their sound has been compared to artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Florence + The Machine and ABBA, but it is entirely its own thing.
The five-piece band have a fully formed visual aesthetic, which consists of Victorian corsets, big skirts and unmistakable confidence and their already devoted fans do not hesitate to dress up for the show. In the lyrics, The Last Dinner Party explore queerness, the male gaze and mental health struggles. Caesar on a TV Screen and Beautiful Boy are both fantasies of being a man in power. The Feminine Urge explores the idea of sacrificing yourself for others as a woman. The songs are dramatic, exaggerated and at times satirical, which gives the music a cool edge.
IDLES are playing Glastonbury as well. A band who have been very active since their debut in 2017 and have played at the festival multiple times since. The band is led by Joe Talbot, who along with his bandmates is known for challenging norms around masculinity through queer fashion choices and songwriting aesthetics. They’re also famous for bringing a rowdy underground punk atmosphere to the big stages and this year's Glastonbury will be no different.
Their newest album TANGK is centred around messaging about love, care and community. TANGK is produced by Nigel Godrich, Radiohead's main producer who has worked on records such as OK Computer and Kid A. This record is the band's most experimental and varied project to date, compared to their previous classic punk sound. Their music brings something refreshing that is still gritty and has what people are missing from the old Glastonbury, in terms of being anti-mainstream, collectivistic and in the rock genre.
Another exciting rock artist playing Glastonbury this year is Blondshell. Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum is a singer-songwriter from New York. Teitelbaum released her self-titled debut Blondshell in 2023. The record has been well-received amongst fans and music critics alike. This will be her first time at Glastonbury and you should be there to witness it.
Blondshell is an indie rock record, which is not afraid of being vulnerable and exploring darker topics. The album has a theme of looking for salvation in destructive ways, through other people and through substance abuse, most notably in the song Olympus. The sound is guitar-heavy and at times explosive at times, whilst at other points being mellow and soft. For example on Salad, a song which is a fantasy about murdering your friend's assailant.
The role of festivals…
A crucial part of going to any music festival is discovering new music and expanding your taste. The rock acts may have a different look and sound, but I am sure they will give the audience their all and the shows will be breathtaking. This summer, you can either sit behind a screen and complain or get to the festival grounds and dance your heart out.