Gigwise asks the important question

"Where are the stars of Britpop now" asks Gigwise, with the answer coming back that they're mostly all over BBC TV and radio talking about Britpop.

Still, if you've ever worried about what became of Menswear, Gigwise have gone to look for them. (The phrase "does anyone know if there's anyone selling shoelaces on this market" might be useful here.)

Glastonbury web round-up: Raging at the rain

Metronomy are having a lovely time at Glastonbury, although Gigwise shows they might be enjoying the grumbling as much as the fun:

Speaking to Gigwise about a radio interview where Eavis was quoted as saying there is wall to wall sunshine. Bass player Gabriel said: “It doesn’t matter because I’m having good time – but it’s such blatant lying.”

Oscar was singled out by the band for being a Glastonbury virgin, and a somewhat subdued Oscar quipped: “I haven’t seen any evidence that it’s so special. It sounds really harsh but maybe I will. We don’t want to be ungrateful. I am having a good time.”

Q went to see Shakin' Stevens, who seems to have confused his invite to play with an interest in what he's doing now:

[T]he former chart-topping star may have misjudged the situation a little when he announced: "We're going to do a few tracks from the new album."

Surely this would have been an opportunity to wheel out the entire back catalogue of hits rather than using it as a showcase for new songs?

Especially since he didn't do Green Door. And, as Q observed, there'd been a literally-minded request in the shape of:

a punter in the audience carrying a green door

And is the NME still running eye-catching headlines that don't really stack up?

Yes:

Kings Of Leon defy the BBC at Glastonbury

Really? How?

Scroll down, and down, and down, and you find this:

"The people at the BBC asked us not to play any new songs," explained Caleb introducing the track, "but we're going to have to ruffle some feathers tonight because it's Glastonbury."

So, it's not actually defiance as such, it's just turning down a polite request. And it's probably not that seriously asked anyway - after all, hardly anyone would recognise an old Kings of Leon track, so it doesn't make much of a difference if they slip in some new ones, does it?

Glastonbury web round-up: Third reich is wrong

Joe Lean has, the NME tells us, compared himself to Hitler during the Jing Jang Jong's set. Not, unfortunately, in the sense that he's about to escape justice, but simply because he looked a bit like him in a video:

Onstage, Lean explained that he unfortunately looked like Hitler in the video for recent single 'Where Do You Go', adding that this was "not a good thing".

Although, of course, it's not as bad as thinking like Hitler. Having said which, you can beat Labour in a by-election doing that these days.

The NME's coverage does seem to have hit on "eye-catching headline on a ho-hum story that actually says the opposite" framework for Glastonbury. So, we also get this:

The Gossip's Beth Ditto at Glastonbury: 'Jay-Z is guilty'

Only for the story to reveal that he's guilty in a good way:

"I'm so jealous of you, camping to see Jay-Z," Ditto said shortly into the set. "Seriously, I'm so fucking jealous. Jay-Z: guilty of making this festival good!"

Still, let's just ponder this for a moment: who is actually stopping Ditto from camping to wait and see Jay-Z? If she's that jealous, why doesn't she send a minion to Bristol to pick up some stuff from Millets and pitch a tent?

And is it just us, or does this "ooh, Jay-Z's made this a good festival" just smack of the most desperate bid to sound contrairian? I don't ever recall Ditto having accused Glastonbury of not being good in the past, and certainly never bemoaning the lack of hip-hop stars on the bill.

Meanwhile, Gigwise shows how to write a headline that sums up the story honestly, and with passion:

Lightspeed Champion Declares Love For Pukka Pies At Glastonbury

Q meanwhile is slightly hobbled by its official role as "partner", and so is having to do all the public service. Actually, the story about Billy Bragg, Dirty Pretty Things and Bluetones doing charity work for the guitars-for-prison charity is a strong one, and it's in a noble cause. It's a pity they've hidden it under an apologetic heading:

You have the right to remain LOUD!

[Part of Glastonbury 2008]