Noel Gallagher recently attended the Glastonbury festival and had a great time, but he couldn’t help but share his thoughts on the current state of the event. The High Flying Birds frontman expressed his disapproval of what he called “virtue-signalling” at the festival, criticizing acts for making political statements about issues like the conflict between Palestine and Israel and Banksy’s migrant dinghy protest during performances.
While Noel enjoyed spending time at Glastonbury with actor friend Matt Smith and discovering new acts on the smaller stages, he felt that the festival has become too focused on making political statements rather than just enjoying the music. He mentioned that he loves Glastonbury and sees it as one of the best things about Britain, but he believes that the current trend of “virtue-signalling” in music is unnecessary.
Noel’s comments come after this year’s Glastonbury featured a number of political statements, which is not uncommon for the famously liberal and peace-loving festival. He expressed his frustration with bands using their platform to make political statements and urged them to focus on playing music instead.
In addition to his thoughts on Glastonbury, Noel also mentioned an encounter with Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl at the festival. The two musicians have had a strained relationship, with Dave previously mocking Noel for his solo career. Noel expressed his desire for Dave to “wind his neck in” when it comes to talking about Oasis and indicated that he has no interest in engaging with him.
Overall, Noel Gallagher’s comments shed light on the evolving nature of music festivals like Glastonbury and the ongoing tensions between musicians in the industry. Despite his criticisms, Noel’s love for music and live performances remains evident, and he continues to prioritize the importance of playing music over making political statements.