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Glastonbury 2014: Prince pulled out due to 'social media chit-chat' says Michael Eavis

The 'Purple Rain' singer was in talks to play but got angered by rumours

Jess Denham
Monday 23 June 2014 14:43 BST
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Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL are back in London for two shows at Camden's Roundhouse
Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL are back in London for two shows at Camden's Roundhouse

Prince pulled out of playing Glastonbury this year because of “social media chit-chat”.

Festival boss Michael Eavis has revealed that the “Purple Rain” singer was angered that news of his planned performance seemed to have leaked when the bookies named him and Metallica as the likeliest headliners.

“We wanted him to play and it got to the point where his people were talking to us about him doing it,” Eavis told fashion designer Henry Holland for the Guardian.

“But before he confirmed he got really upset because he thought we had advertised that he was playing.”

The 78-year old organiser, who founded the festival in 1970, blamed social media for the problems with Prince.

“Rumours get everywhere and one of those rumours was that Prince was coming, so he didn’t want to do it in the end,” he continued. “All the social media chit-chat now about who might be playing really doesn’t help us.”

This summer’s Glastonbury, which starts on Wednesday, will be headlined by Arcade Fire, Kasabian and Metallica.

The annual Somerset event has come under fire in recent months for booking the latter US heavy-metal group.

News emerged that Metallica’s frontman James Hetfield is involved in a pro bear-hunting documentary, while British band Iron Maiden dismissed Glastonbury as “the most bourgeois thing on the planet” and vowed never to play.

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