No Rock And Roll Fun

GLASTONBURY BALANCES: The ticket arrangements for this year's rich kids in the country spree have been announced, although priority seems to be given on the glastonbury website to making it clear that the Mean Fiddler aren't the power behind the event, just a power. Hmm. Anyway, this year, in a bid to try and stop the touts, there's been a whole new plan drawn up. Tickets only being sold over the phone or via aloud.com; a restriction of two per person; tickets will be "personalised" and this will be stringently policed at the entrance - we're not sure how: DNA tests? Retinal scans? Stool testing? While we wouldn't want to blame Michael Eavis for trying to take steps to ensure that tickets go to the kids who want them for the going to Glastonbury value and not the resale value, we're still not entirely sure this system stacks up. Can parents not buy tickets for little Johnny as a treat for completing his A levels? Or will there be a way of personalising the tickets so that you can pass them on to someone else? After all, aloud.com requires a credit or debit card, which will mean a lot of young people will need to persuade a responsible adult to buy tix on their behalf - what's been put in place to allow this to happen? And is there some way that will ensure people who buy tickets when they go on sale (April 1st, 8pm) and then have their circumstances change suddenly will be free to pass them on to someone else for face value?

By the way: This year, it's GBP112. Plus a booking fee on top of that. Plus Postage and "packaging". I know some of the profits go to charidee (although the arrangement with the Mean Fiddler suggests this is seen as something of a fixed cost - and if after the charities get their cut of the profits, forty per cent of the remainder goes to the Mean Fiddler, what happens to the remaining sixty per cent?) but if you're going to be raped on the price of a ticket, you'd think they'd at least throw in an envelope and a stamp for free, wouldn't you?