Noel Gallagher seems to believe that two things can be true at the same time, even if they contradict each other. For instance, the famously irascible former Oasis co-founder and High Flying Birds solo star made the scene at the Glastonbury Festival last weekend and while he reportedly said the annual mud-caked music gathering is the second most important thing in the nation — aside from his beloved Premier League soccer — he also lamented that the fest has taken a turn he doesn’t like.
“Don’t get me wrong, I f–king love Glastonbury,” Noel said according to the Sun tabloid. “I think it’s one of the most important things. In fact it’s probably the best f–king thing about Britain apart from the Premier League.” That said, Gallagher added that he fears the event — which Oasis headlined in 1995 and 2004 and High Flying Birds played in 2022 — has changed.
“It’s getting a bit woke now, that place, and a bit kind of preachy and a bit virtue-signaling,” Gallagher reportedly told the Sun. “I don’t like it in music — little f–king idiots waving flags around and making political statements and bands taking the stage and saying, ‘Hey guys, isn’t war terrible, yeah? Let’s all boo war. F–k the Tories man,’ and all that.”
The paper speculated that Gallagher’s comments came after Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap posted messages on the screen during their set decrying Israel’s war against Hamas as the crowd chanted “Free, free Palestine” along with the band. In addition, during a surprise pop-in during Bombay Bicycle Club’s set Gallagher’s former music rival, Blur’s Damon Albarn, asked the 200,000-plus fans to cheer if they were “pro-Palestine” and suggested President Biden, and Donald Trump, are too old to run for office again at the event where dozens of Palestinian flags could be seen flying over the crowd.
Other statements from stage came via an inflatable boat with dummies dressed as migrants that was launched into the crowd during Idles’ set by elusive artist Banksy while the band also lashed out at King Charles and new British parliamentarian and Donald Trump ally Nigel Farage; singer Charlotte Church also sang “free Palestine” and wore a keffiyeh during her set.
At press time a spokesperson for Gallagher had not returned Billboard‘s request for confirmation of the singer’s comments.
Gallagher, 57, reportedly suggested the music equivalent of “shut up and dribble” in response to all the commentary from artists, adding, “it’s like, look, play your f–king tunes and get off… It’s too much, Donate all your money to the cause — that’s it, stop yapping about it. Let’s just say for instance the world is in a bit of a f–ked up place and you’re all in a field in Glastonbury. What’s the problem with that? I haven’t got a problem with it. I guess if you’re 18 and you’re middle class you might have a problem with it. But what’s all the kids in a field at Glastonbury going to do about it? Everybody knows what’s going on in the f–king world, you’ve got a phone in your pocket that tells you anyway. What is the point of virtue-signaling?”
The Guardian noted that Glastonbury has a long history of support left-wing political causes and actions, from the annual presence of environmental group Greenpeace on site, to a 40-plus year partnership with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the hosting of the Billy Bragg-curated Left Field stage, site of many political discussions and debates.
