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With the snow falling across the UK and the spring only a lily pad leap away, it's time for the festival rumour mill to get churning...
Pilton Farmer come Glastonbury Festival Organiser Micheal Eavis has suggested to the BBC that the God-father (or should that now be Grandfather) of Soul, James Brown will be wheeled out to entertain this summer, more than likely with backing singers in Polyphonic proportions. Fellow funky oldie Prince is also in the running to be most rumoured to maybe be playing for the second year running. We also hear that Paul McCartney is once again rumoured to be playing - tho some guy on acid we spoke to last year swore he played before REM?! Those mono-browed Manc’s Oasis, who return with a new record in September, are also rumoured for a headline slot.
Other rumbles include The Cure, Basement Jaxx and Daniel Bedingfield, who have all recently, unofficially, confirmed themselves as playing. Other sensible rumours include Blondie, Pretenders, White Stripes, Gary Jules/Tears for Fears, Belle & Sebastian, Doves, Gomez, The Strokes, Ash, Damien Rice, David Kitt, Starsailor, Scissor Sisters, Junior Senior, Franz Ferdinand, British Sea Power and Idlewild (who played last year but have a new album late Spring). The smart money has to be on the likes of Joss Stone, Katie Melua, Jamie Cullum, Amy Whitehouse and anyone else who relies on the exposure and association to heighten their marketing campaigns. Oh, and if you're listenin' Eavis, DiS would like to see Erykah Badu, Pj Harvey, Ryan Adams, B-52's, Bright Eyes, The Stills, A Silver Mount Zion, The Shins, Azure Ray, Rilo Kiley, Cat Power, Squarepusher, Sonic Youth, Sigur Ros (again please!) and Fountains of Wayne preferably on the Saturday evening, all in a row, please.
Tickets for Glasto, which are likely to again sell out in hours, go on sale at 8.00pm on Thursday April 1st 2004 (April Fools Day??) and will cost you a whopping £112 + booking fee, and then a bit more for post and packaging. The event takes place from 25th to 27th June 2004.
We've also heard reports that the Pixies are very likely to play V Festival, but we think this might just be some sources trying to annoy us, as we suspect someone like Dido will headline the other day of the event.
As for Reading, we're expecting (well, predicting) to hear Queens of the Stoneage, The Darkness, Courtney Love, A Perfect Circle, Slipknot and a few other likely suspects to be confirmed over the coming months.
DiScuss: James Brown, it just isn't the same really is it? What festival rumours have you heard? Who do you want to see this summer? What's your favourite thing about festivals? Anyone know how you're meant to get home from Glasto on the Sunday night without a car (last year the last train left as Sigur Ros went on stage!!)?
