Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will headline Glastonbury this coming Saturday, but fans hoping to watch the performance from home will be disappointed as the iconic rocker has blocked the BBC from livestreaming his set.
The decision marks a break from festival tradition, with the BBC confirming in a statement to the Telegraph: “At the artist’s request, we won’t be live streaming Neil Young’s set. Our plans, including those for our TV highlights shows and on-demand coverage, continue to be finalised right up to and during the festival.”
Instead of Young’s performance, viewers will be shown Charli XCX’s Glastonbury set while the Canadian-American musician headlines the Pyramid Stage.
This development follows a brief controversy earlier this year when Young initially pulled out of his headlining slot due to misunderstandings about the festival’s relationship with the BBC. In January, he stated: “We were told the BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot for things we were not interested in. It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being.”
He added at the time: “We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be.”
Just days later, Young reversed his decision, explaining he had left “due to an error in the information received” and that “happily, the festival is back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing!”
Six months later, it appears Young’s concerns were specifically with the BBC’s coverage rather than the festival itself.
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This isn’t the first time Young has limited BBC access to his Glastonbury performances. He last played at the festival on June 26th 2009, when the broadcaster only aired portions of his set. The BBC explained at the time: “Neil Young’s career has been conducted on his own terms. Last night Neil’s management agreed to let TV and radio broadcast five songs as they watched and listened to his performance. They believe in the live event and retaining its mystery and that of their artist.”
Young has long been known for his principles regarding artistic control and corporate involvement in music. His stance on the livestreaming of his Glastonbury performance aligns with his history of maintaining tight control over how his music is presented and distributed.
