Kasabian's Tom Meighan: 'Glastonbury 2008 Was Rubbish'

He slams event...

by Jason Gregory
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Photo by: Shirlaine Forrest
filed in: Festivals Electronica

Kasabian's Tom Meighan: 'Glastonbury 2008 Was Rubbish'

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Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has told Gigwise that he felt the 2008 edition of the Glastonbury Festival was “rubbish” and has called for more “honest” coverage of the event.

He accused people who had given positive feedback about last month’s festival of “lying” in order to “cover it up like it was a success”.

Kasabian, who performed on the Pyramid Stage in 2007, missed this year’s event in order to continue working on their third album.

Instead, the band will headline the Creamfields Festival in Cheshire next month alongside Fatboy Slim.

‘Honest Journalism’

Speaking exclusively to Gigwise, Meighan said: “To be honest with you I thought Glastonbury was rubbish this year and I'm not just saying that.

“I think people are lying again to cover it up like it was a success and it wasn't, it was really poor. It was really bad.

“I'm not just saying it because of Jay-Z, I just thought the whole thing was crap this year, you know what I mean?”

Weak Line-Up

When asked why he felt the festival had been “rubbish”, he said the entire line up, which besides Jay-Z included The Verve and Kings of Leon, was “not strong enough”.

“There wasn't even anything exciting really, that's just my opinion you know,” he said.

“But it wasn't a success, it was just a very strange year for Glastonbury.

“I just think everyone is trying to cover it over because it's Glastonbury, trying to make out that it was the best thing in the world but sometimes it isn't, sometimes you've got to say actually it weren't very good.”

Jobs On The Line

Meighan said that people had chosen to write positively about the festival because “their jobs are on the line”.

“So they've got to kneel over and say it’s a success,” he said, without naming any individuals.

2009 Headliners

Despite criticisng this year’s event, Meighan went on to tell Gigwise that he would “love to headline Glastonbury next year”.

“We've got a long way yet, got loads more gigs to play and put a record out but it would be lovely if we could,” he said.

What do you think about Meighan’s comments? Has he got a point? Will Kasabian be back in 2009 to headline? Let Gigwise know your thoughts by posting a comment below.

Become a Gigwise member and your comment will appear automatically.

CLICK HERE to see our Best Bits from Glastonbury now - and the following links for day by day photo round-ups.

Glastonbury in photos: Day One - CLICK HERE
Glastonbury in photos: Day Two - CLICK HERE.
Glastonbury in photos: Day Three - CLICK HERE.

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(38)

full of shit wanker, why dont he and Noel Gallagher host theyre own fooking festival, they could call it wank in the park...
~ by Jem 7/10/2008
Wow - those are some pretty harsh words. Wrong, but harsh.
~ by Bob 7/10/2008
The headliners (except Jay-Z) weren’t strong enough, i expect something pretty fantastic from a glastonbury line-up. Also, th, losing lost vagueness was a blow. However, it’’s still close to, if not the best bestival in the world even just for atmosphere.
~ by Jay-Z 7/10/2008
How can he say it was crap if he wasn’t there? Dickhead. I’’m certainly not lying when I say it was ruddy brilliant and it was one of the best I’’ve been to. Er...Tom, band got a new album to promote by any chance? Need some headlines? Stop mimicking Noel Gallagher and form some opinions of your own.
~ by Lindy 7/10/2008
kasabian headling? now THAT would be a rubbish glastonbury! They are SHITE!
~ by Russycarps 7/10/2008
He seems to basing his opinions totally around the line-up of the pyramid stage. He truly doesnt understand Glasto if he thinks its the line up that makes a good festival. It’s all the other crazy shit that’s going on around the site that makes Glastonbury special. By the way, his performance last year at Glasto was awful. Just thought it needed to be said :)
~ by Michael 7/10/2008
id like to know if he went. But it wasnt a success. im not sure where the fuck it was i spent nearly 6 days of my life if that is the case. unsuccessful certainly wouldn’’t be an accurate description of it. meighan, youre a dick nerd. mick and em should take note; please say no to leicesters ’’finest’’ at g’’09.
~ by theloner 7/10/2008
Is this a joke by any chance? What a load of toss. Having been every year since 1990 I can honestly say this was a very good year. If you only focus on the Pyramid you miss what the festival was about. And as for the OP saying losing Lost Vagueness was a blow - that’s ridiculous. Shangri La was way better than LV, and Trash City was even better still.
~ by rafterman 7/10/2008
TRASH CITY WAS MENTAL. i found it one night when i was off my t1ts. for those who did not go this is the only way i can describe it... in american films where you have club scenes were women are dancing on podiums, breathing fire, loads of obscure sculptures hanging around people properly having it... well it was like that, but outside. amazing
~ by neil_hill_1 7/10/2008
how can anyone say losing lost vagueness was a blow? it was proper shit in 2007... this year trash city and shangra la were amazing. fantastic stuff! the kasabian front man is wrong just on the fact that you could not see a single band and still have a great time. oh... and kasabian’s second album was fuckin’’ awful! i hope they never headline anything!
~ by Lordless 7/10/2008
If you thought it was rubbish, you only saw it on TV. I would bet my left testicle that those who agree with Meighan were not there.
~ by stevedevine 7/10/2008
Well perhaps he should be complaining about the BBC coverage rather than the Festival, as that is the only involvement he has had. You need to be there to experience it. I was and he wasn’t. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I only saw a couple of bands at the Pyramid stage. How anybody can make a comment on something, good or bad, when they were not even there is completely beyond me ...
~ by Runner 7/10/2008
Bless! He’s never actually explored the festival properly has he? His point is entirely based on the acts at the Pyramid and Other Stages - not on the many hundreds of other things that go on (both impromptu scheduled) around the site. We had VIP access one yr - it was dull, dull, dull. If this is was your only experience of Glastonbury then I think you’’d end up with a similar POV based only on the headliners. Perhaps he should get tickets & wander ro
~ by laughhable 7/10/2008
FUCK OFF TOM MEIGHAN. Who do you think you are criticising the festival. Bet if u was to play, u would say on stage, this is the best glasto yet or something along those lines. Go and produce another awful record.
~ by Glasto2008Lover 7/10/2008
cock. muncher.
~ by billy 7/10/2008
did he even go? i feel they should NEVER headline it now..... what a dic \'oh im from kasabian and i watched it on bbc/spoke to a mate that went/ sat about in the backstage bit/ and so could tell it was rubbish.... maybe if you joined in with the spirit rather than just following noels lead. jesus just open your eyes to whats out there
~ by tommy 7/10/2008
who did he wnat there too make it more exciting? it was good just wandering around checking out bands you have heard a bit of. Glastonbury is about the experience, not the big band checklist. you stick at creamfields cos your obv far too cool for us....
~ by kasgabian 7/10/2008
What a load of cock - this was the best Glasto since 2000 with absolutely tons of good stuff. Sadly, dadrockers like Kasabian and Oasis are stuck in a timewarp. Who do you think Kasabian will rip off for their next album? Empire was a poor man\'s Earl Brutus after all.
~ by Fred Zeppelin 7/10/2008
What a numpty. IT WAS AWESOME!
~ by Gally 7/10/2008
Completely agree with him and I was there. Why cant people accept it wasn\'t up to its usual standard? Campsite - great. Bands - Wank.
~ by Dreddy 7/10/2008
Wow look at all the overwhelming support for his comments...not.
~ by Louise 7/10/2008
i love noel gallagher for talking his mind cos he is mostly right but this chump is nearly always wrong.
~ by gotanyveras? 7/10/2008
He is a numpty in a poor band. Nuff said.
~ by kasabianLOLZZZZ!!1 7/10/2008
what a fool, this glastonbury was the best in years.
~ by bash 7/10/2008
i like kasabian but how can you say stuff like that if you weren\'t there ??? good luck with creamfields when a crowd expecting dance music have to listen to club foot , If you get the chance to play glastonbury again , i will be there to watch you, but your comments have lowerd my views of you :(
~ by karl powell 7/10/2008
I think it was the best one in years. Dont think i will be buying a Kasabian album again!
~ by Eve 7/10/2008
I agree that the line up was not as jam packed with the Uber bands of some previous years , but the comments here testify to the fact that iy was far from a poor experience. I have been 10 times and although it wasn\'t the best, for me , it was easily in my top 3 . I had a blast .
~ by Simonizer 7/10/2008
what a load of total shite - this was the best glasto since the early 90s, and made all the better for the fact that his shithead band wasnt there. kasabian to headline in 2009? you can fuck right off you useless fucker...
~ by Mr Happy 7/11/2008
He wasn\'t there how the hell would he know what it was like down trash city at 5am? What it was like at Stone Circle on Sunday/Monday? Maybe he thinks there should be more coverage of that stuff? The line up was weak but the festival ROCKED - Best one in years for me x
~ by Melanie 7/11/2008
He seems to think that Kasabian are big enough to headline Glastonbury!!!!!!!!!! What the @#$?!
~ by Zippy 7/11/2008
Prat.
~ by Kiers 7/12/2008
no doubt he did not get further than the pyramid or other stage, you know glastonbury consists of more than that Meighan right ? You know most of the good things about glastonbury are nowhere near the main stage right ? No you probably don’t. Doh !
~ by Loser ! 7/14/2008
So they didnt even attend glasto this year? What an idiot! Then to say they would headline next year? Please Mr Eavis, don’t invite this complete weapon and his band to Glasto next year. Glasto 08 was immense in so many ways, bring on 09!
~ by dirvine 7/14/2008
Dickhead was not even there, now my fourth Glasto and yes, it was the best and not a single person i spoke to about it has said anything other than outstanding. What a twat.
~ by epad 7/15/2008
all i can say is tom meighan is a legend. it was shit this year, u need another decent band alongside the verve such as kasabian or oasis. none ov this shit tht bring out 1 album n think they r good!
~ by ian 8/31/2008
kasabian headlinin would b awesome. tom is a legend. best front man in a long long while. and 4 the record...he is spot on over glastonbury.
~ by Me 9/12/2008
He's a fucking retard and his opinion isn't worth a toss...
~ by Popular opinion 7/14/2009
2008 was pretty cack, This year had a much stronger line up.
~ by jesus 10/23/2009

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