MICHAEL EAVIS has said the local economy “will grind to a halt” as a result of the cancellation of this year’s GLASTONBURY, predicting “a lot of people are going to go bankrupt” due to lost income from the festival.
Speaking in the current issue of NME, out nationwide tomorrow (January 10), Eavis said the fact Glastonbury will not take place until 2002 will have significant knock-on effects.
He said: “It was the Roskilde accident that started it all – people got scared. The police report was over the top. But with all the people that came last year, medical emergencies were actually down. No one was treated for crushing injuries. It really was the best show we’ve ever done – everyone was totally convinced of that. I’m getting hammered for Roskilde, basically. They all felt it could happen here.
“When the news it had been cancelled went to the councillors, I think they felt slightly guilty for pushing so hard. It’s one of the biggest shows in this country – probably the world. The whole local economy will grind to a halt, a lot of people are going to go bankrupt – it’s a major disaster. They are still carrying on in Roskilde – there’s no question of prosecution there. I’m getting hammered for something I have not done. They are not pinning blame in Denmark.”
For a full interview with Eavis, in which he explains the background behind his decision to pull this year’s Glastonbury Festival, see NME.