Sponsorship - Barclays has suspended its sponsorship of all music festivals staged by promoter Live Nation in 2024, including Download, Latitude and the Isle of Wight. The move comes after several acts pulled out of the events in protest at the bank's investment links to arms companies that trade with Israel. Artists including country singer CMAT, metal band Ithaca and comedian Joanne McNally all withdrew from planned slots this summer.
A spokesperson for Live Nation said: "Following discussion with artists, we have agreed with Barclays that they will step back from sponsorship of our festivals." The bank signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Live Nation in 2023. It is understood that the suspension does not apply to the full term of the contract. The development comes after more than 100 artists boycotted Brighton's Great Escape Festival in May over the event's ties to Barclays.
Campaigners have accused the bank of increasing its investment in arms companies that trade with Israel, amid the ongoing war in Gaza. A spokesperson for Barclays said, "Barclays was asked and has agreed to suspend participation in the remaining Live Nation festivals in 2024. Barclays customers who hold tickets to these festivals are not affected and their tickets remain valid. The protesters’ agenda is to have Barclays debank defence companies which is a sector we remain committed to as an essential part of keeping this country and our allies safe."
Love The Farm - The organisers of Glastonbury Festival are urging attendees to bring "sturdy camping equipment" which can be taken home and reused after this year's event. About 200,000 people are expected to descend on Worthy Farm later this month. Every year, hundreds of volunteers and workers help to clean the site after the festival to return the farm to its previous condition.
"Love the farm, leave no trace," organisers said. In a statement, they added: “If you are coming to Glastonbury 2024, please remember to only bring sturdy camping equipment that you can take home again and reuse. In 2023, 98% of all tents were taken home. Let’s see if we can beat that this year."
Typically, more than 2,000 tonnes of waste is produced on the site during the festival. Steps have been taken to reduce the amount of rubbish generated, with a ban on the sale of plastic bottles introduced in 2019. The festival also only permits the use of compostable or reusable plates, cutlery and straws. Organisers said the amount of leftover waste had decreased after the new rules were introduced, compared to 10 years ago.
Eco-Friendly - Coldplay say they are aiming to make the most eco-friendly album yet, with their newly-announced 10th record, Moon Music. Each vinyl copy of the album will be pressed onto discs made from nine plastic bottles, recovered from consumer waste. A special notebook edition will also be comprised of 70% river plastic, taken from the Rio Las Vacas in Guatemala. The band say this will reduce carbon emissions by 85% and prevent the manufacture of more than 25 metric tonnes of virgin plastic.
Rare Gift - A rare vinyl by former Beatle John Lennon which was gifted to a charity by his widow and son has been unveiled in Liverpool. The Salvation Army’s Strawberry Field will display the 12-inch vinyl acetate of John Lennon's Give Peace a Chance and Remember Love, recorded with Yoko Ono, ahead of its 55th anniversary. It is one of 50 limited edition records gifted to charities by Ono and Sean Ono Lennon to help raise funds for the Salvation Army's Step to Work programme.
The vinyl will become a temporary feature at the visitor centre on Beaconsfield Road before being auctioned off for the charity. Originally released on 4 July 1969, the double-sided acetates were hand-cut on the lathe at Abbey Road Studios.
Rolling On - Sir Paul McCartney has announced his first UK tour dates since 2018, with shows in Manchester and London this December. They will be the first British shows of his long-running Got Back Tour which kicked off in April 2022 and has so far made more than $200m (£158m) at the box office. Sir Paul said he was "excited to be ending my year" back at home. The 81-year-old will play at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena on 14 and 15 December, and at London's O2 Arena on 18 and 19 December. Sir Paul simultaneously announced dates in Paris and Madrid.
Farewell - Songwriter Mark James, who penned enduring hits like Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds, has died at the age of 83. The Texas-born musician scored a US number one with the song Hooked On A Feeling and also wrote Presley's Always On My Mind. In 2000, he was named one of the top songwriters of the 20th Century alongside Paul McCartney, Elton John and Holland-Dozier-Holland. RIP.
(Jim Evans)
18 June 2024
