The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is one of the largest outdoor music festivals in the world. Last year’s festival sold out in less than two hours, and the previous festival (in 2005; there was no festival in 2006) sold out in less than four. But this year, the tickets just aren’t selling.
On Monday, Oasis singer Noel Gallagher publicly blamed the decision to book Jay-Z as a headliner for flagging Glastonbury ticket sales. Charges of “veiled racism” followed close behind.
So, is Gallagher being racist? Does he have a point? What’s to blame for the sales shortfall?
Jay-Z by the Numbers
By any metric, Jay-Z is a giant in the modern music industry [source]:
- All-time RIAA certification: 24x Platinum
- Worldwide album sales: 37 million
- US album sales: 25 million
- International album sales: 12 million
No matter who you are, those numbers are impressive. However, it’s important to note that Jay-Z has sold more than twice as many records in the US as he has in the rest of the world combined. Maybe that’s no surprise, since Jay-Z is an American performer.
It’s also relevant to compare the popularity of Jay-Z’s singles in the US and UK charts. Almost across the board, he has done significantly worse in the UK than in the US. Meanwhile, 50 Cent and Kanye West seem to have escaped that fate to a degree (for reference, Fitty’s sales numbers slant much more to the international side, while the large majority of Kanye’s sales have been made in the US).
What Noel Gallagher Said
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Gallagher said in an interview, an audio of which was posted to the British Broadcasting Corp.’s Web site Monday. “If you break it, people ain’t gonna go. I’m sorry, but Jay-Z? … No chance.” He explained that the inclusion of a hip-hop act went against the festival’s tradition of guitar music, adding: “I’m not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. No way. No. It’s wrong.” [source]
Now, putting aside the fact that Gallagher’s comments sound liberally sprinkled with sour grapes at his own band’s lack of buzz and clear disdain for hip-hop in general, is that racist?
I don’t know the answer, but maybe you do. Share it below, if you feel so inclined.
For the record, here’s the official response:
Glastonbury Festival co-organizer Emily Eavis said the 38-year-old festival had a long history of attracting rap acts, including Cypress Hill and The Roots. She said the media stir over Gallagher’s comments revealed an “innate conservatism” in some sectors of British society.
“There is also an interesting undercurrent in the suggestion that a black, U.S. hip-hop artist shouldn’t be playing in front of what many perceive to be a white, middle-class audience. I’m not sure what to call it, at least not in public, but this is something that causes me some disquiet,” she said in an article published Tuesday in The Independent newspaper. [same source]
This comment is a bit misleading: Jay-Z is the first rapper to headline Glastonbury. There have been other hip-hop acts, but they haven’t been the main event before. Also, isn’t the white middle class responsible for most of Jay-Z’s album sales over the years? Maybe things aren’t the same in the UK - I don’t know.
By way of an alternate explanation, festival organizers have blamed the weather (among other things).
Meanwhile, the fact remains that tickets aren’t selling. So, what’s going on here?
Cross-posted to Newsvine.com.
© 2008 Evan Mix for Listen In. Some rights reserved.
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