Oxford University Students’ Union has had many famous faces through its debating doors – but on Monday night it was the turn of Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis to be invited in to talk music, milk and more.
Michael Eavis having some fun with one of our members! #Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/Va5Ie7l97z
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
Founder of @GlastoFest Michael Eavis having drinks with the winners members on our ballot #Glastonbury pic.twitter.com/deaFXmXeOV
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
Luckily for us non-Oxford students, some kind soul live-tweeted the whole event. Here’s 16 things were learnt from the Q&A session.
1. 2 million people pre-registered for this year’s festival – when only an eighth of that can actually go
2. Farmer Michael was in search of something more glamorous than milking cows – so he decided to start a music event
(Yui Mok/PA)
3. The first-ever Glastonbury Festival was £1 entry with free milk and was headlined by The Kinks (who weren’t impressed that the drive to the stage ruined their Chevrolet)
4. The event really became a festival in 1985 when 50,000 hippies came to the farm after the Stonehenge festival closed
Eavis: The festival changed my life – the politics of the time also happened to fit in nicely. pic.twitter.com/GOm4yAdP11
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
5. The festival has got so big that Michael now has to rent land from 22 other farmers
6. Michael described booking Jay Z to headline in 2008 as a “genius move” – but he didn’t actually know how to pronounce his name (he thought it rhymed with Stacey)
Eavis: Movin' on up by @ScreamOfficial is amazing! When I heard it I stopped milking the cows and I shouted "I have to get this band!"
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
7. Michael doesn’t like grime but knows lots of people do, so the festival has a whole stage dedicated to it
8. Rumours of Beyonce and Coldplay headlining together on the Saturday remain unconfirmed – but Michael reckons “there are better rumours than that going around”
9. Prince was on the list to perform at Glastonbury – Michael said “it’s such a shame he never came”
Eavis: I try my best to see as much of the social part of #Glastonbury each year. I want to say thanks to everyone for their work.
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
10. Michael loves the music side of his life – but “milk is in my blood”
11. Michael seems to think Europe is the only way to save small farmers. He said: “They’re the only one looking after them”
Eavis: I was walking at 2am and I was offered a cup of tea, which had been boiled using purple flames coming out of the mouth of a dragon…
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
Eavis: … And it was a great cup of tea! What a thing to see at 2am. #Glastonbury
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
12. Michael listens to music on a vinyl record player with a stylus and is not into streaming at all
13. Some of the notorious fence-jumpers who sneaked into the festival before security was upped in 2002 now help to run some of the stages
(Yui Mok/PA)
14. The team behind Coachella festival in the US said they learnt from Glastonbury
Members: Why is #Glastonbury special?
Eavis: I have no idea… You tell me!
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
Eavis: It's not run by a big corporation. People have more of a connection with it. it's very bottom up. Maybe that's why it's so different?
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) May 2, 2016
15. Glastonbury was voted the third best “brand” in the UK – even though no money has been spent on marketing, which Michael thinks is “amazing”
16. Glastonbury is proudly political – and the festival changed Michael’s life
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