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And Finally Beef Of The Week
CMU Beef Of The Week #66: Michael Eavis v The Wombles
By Andy Malt | Published on Saturday 11 June 2011
Michael Eavis is cross. I’m not sure I can imagine Michael Eavis being cross, but if he says he is, I’m willing to believe him. My straining to conjure up an image of the Glastonbury founder being cross is hampered further by the fact that it’s The Wombles who have enraged him.
Someone, it seems, has booked The Wombles to play the Avalon stage at Glastonbury. You can see how this might have happened. The Wombles are famed for their ability to clean up and re-use rubbish, and Glastonbury attendees are known for leaving behind all kinds of crap after they’ve partied for five straight days down at Worthy Farm. You can see where wires may have been crossed.
Someone on the Glasto team probably suggested they get The Wombles in, another person remembered the children’s TV characters’ musical career in the 70s, a misunderstanding occurred, and suddenly there are five blokes sweating in heavy costumes banging out ‘Remember You’re A Womble’ in front of a bemused crowd of acid casualties and toddlers.
Actually, that sounds brilliant. But Eavis reckons having them play is “a bit of a mistake”, and told the BBC: “I’ve got about 25 stages and managers and bookers for each of the stages. I can’t control every single one of them but I do get cross about that kind of thing”.
The man behind The Wombles’ illustrious musical career, Mike Batt responded by saying that despite Eavis’ comments the band were still “looking forward” to playing the festival, but that any hopes of help with the clear up were now gone. He said: “They had been planning to tidy up the site afterwards but now aren’t going to do that. But they are going to rock the place and I hope Michael will check them out and regret regretting it. He probably doesn’t realise what a fantastic live band the Wombles are”.
He added: “Uncle Bulgaria told me he thinks Mr Eavis is probably perfectly aware that festivals like his are so popular because they offer an eclectic mix for everybody. It isn’t very nice to think that you have been booked at a festival where you aren’t welcome, but we hope Mr Eavis will pop along to the Avalon stage on Sunday to check out the reaction for himself. We might even give him a glass of Madame Cholet’s special dandelion cordial”.
It’s like Noel Gallagher v Jay-Z all over again.
