The petition to have Kanye West removed from his headlining slot at this summer’s Glastonbury music festival is approaching 100,000 signatures. For perspective, the 2013 edition of the UK’s most famous music fest drew nearly 120,000 fans, while the town’s own population sat at 8,932 in a 2011 census.
The petition, which currently has 87,355 supporters, was created a few days ago by Glastonbury attendee named Neil Lonsdale, who writes: “Kanye West is an insult to music fans all over the world. We spend hundreds of pounds to attend glasto, and by doing so, expect a certain level of entertainment. Kanye has been very outspoken on his views on music….he should listen to his own advice and pass his headline slot on to someone deserving! Lets prevent this musical injustice now!
Lonsdale prefers a rock band to take Kanye’s Saturday night slot. Foo Fighters are set to headline Friday, but Lonsdale thinks someone like the Rolling Stones and AC/DC would be a better fit, and would even put up with Prince.
In a follow-up interview with the BBC, he adds: “I think a lot of people want to go to a festival, stand in a field, all come together, have a sing have a dance. And I think that Kanye and his music might not be that. I don’t like his music generally, it doesn’t speak to me in the same way that a guitar band would.”
We’ll see what happens. As of right now, Kanye has not addressed the situation.