Glastonbury didn't think that The Verve are as good as Keane or something

Richard Ashcroft's suggestion that Michael Eavis didn't think The Verve would be as good as Keane have been scoffed at by Emily Eavis:

Speaking to the BBC, Emily Eavis said that Ashcroft's comments were “not true at all" and were “not a big deal.”

"We've liked The Verve for ages and we were really pleased to have them on," she added.

That doesn't quite answer the suggestion that Michael prefers Keane, though, does it?

Glastorumours: Thin pickings?

The ever-expanding range of festivals and the limited supply of big names looks like denting Glastonbury's line-up this year, with rumours suggesting that Jay-Z will be joined topping the bills by The Verve and, seriously, The Kings Of Leon. The Kings Of Leon? Headlining? And The Verve, who even Richard Ashcroft's head must register as having passed their peak by now?

It's a good job nobody who cares that much about music can afford to go to Glastonbury anymore.

Ashcroft throws his hat onto the Pyramid Stage

Richard Ashcroft has heard the rumours about The Verve headlining Glastonbury next year. In fact, he probably started them:

"I think it would be a travesty if we didn’t," he laughed. "Because I think what’s missing from a lot of the headliners is we’re one of the few bands that can jam without sounding like Lynyrd Skynyrd on a bad night, so we can actually take people on a proper journey, rock n roll wise.

"I think that’s what’s great", he continued. "If you can do that on the big stage the big tunes can get 60,000 people singing, but you’ve also got the capacity to change a standard rock gig into something else. I suppose that’s what's been exciting about playing and we’ll be excited about playing then."

Actually, Richard, Glastonbury isn't a "standard rock gig" by any measure, and some might argue that - if any of the spirit of the festival has survived intact - it's the surroundings that supply the transcendence while all the headline band is asked to do is turn up and play some songs for the Mums and Dads to remember their courting days to. The Verve, admittedly, could do that well, but there's still a sense that if the best Eavis can do is Ashcroft and his team to provide the defining, closing moment, it might be better to take another fallow year.

All farewells should be sudden, but not final

The Verve are embarking on their second reunion, apparently, with Richard Ashcroft digging out his cheesey trousers, making it up with Nick McCabe and booking a studio and some tour dates.

The reunion - which has generated slightly less excitement than the Spice Girls one, but more than East 17's - is expected to last until their mutual loathing once again reaches the point where they think they'd be better off solo and split again.