A few months ago when Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis announced that American rap god and urban clothing guru Jay-Z would be headlining the UK’s biggest and most beloved music festival there was a certain amount of indignation.  Stepping forward as the voice of guitar based rock bands everywhere was that shy,  retiring wallflower Noel Gallagher telling BBC news that deviating from the festival’s tradition of booking guitar-based headliners was “wrong”.  ”If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” he said. “If you start to break it then people aren’t going to go. I’m sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance.

A few months ago when Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis announced that American rap god and urban clothing guru Jay-Z would be headlining the UK’s biggest and most beloved music festival there was a certain amount of indignation.  Stepping forward as the voice of guitar based rock bands everywhere was that shy,  retiring wallflower Noel Gallagher telling BBC news that deviating from the festival’s tradition of booking guitar-based headliners was “wrong”.  ”If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” he said. “If you start to break it then people aren’t going to go. I’m sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance.

Of course this was just Mr Gallagher’s opinion and didn’t really seem to affect ticket sales for the festival (although tickets definitely didn’t sell as quickly as previous years).  Eavis cleverly positioned Jay-Z after Amy Winehouse knowing full well the crowd would turn out to see what kind of shambolic state she would turn up in.  Thankfully Amy didn’t disappoint rambling on about Blake, tugging at her dress and then twatting an overzealous fan for allegedly grabbing her boob!  What boob? Its just tired old skin hanging on to bone from where I’m stood!  Having said that Amy is great value and undeniably entertaining actually remembering at least two verses and half a chorus throughout her entire set which if previous live performances are anything to go by was a right result.  Thankfully so barking mad was Amy that the crowd seemed revved up for the arrival of Jay-Z who’s appearance was also bolstered by the rumour mill preceding days before the festival.  At one point reports suggested Chris Martin, Keith Richards, Amy Winehouse and Z’s other half Beyonce would all take to the stage for one big, musical collaboration!  Clearly a load of old tosh – lets be honest getting Amy and Keith out of the cubicle and onto to the stage would have been a job enough but what kind of sound these five would have made is anyone’s guess.

Anyway Jay-Z appeared with the same bravado and panache that seems to be genetically bestowed on all artists of this genre (yes Kayne West you arrogant tit I am talking about you) and went straight on in to perform a cover of Wonderwall.  The crowd went crazy but is that because they believed they were witnessing an affectionate homage or because they got the joke instantly?  I’m not sure but I for one think it was a big mistake.  If your going to get back at another artist for questioning your credentials by covering one of their songs then you need to make it either a bloody great version therefore rising above the insult or absolutely take the piss.  He did neither instead choosing to half sing (out of tune) while the backing track played over him which diluted the effect entirely and made me scratch my head in bemusement.

If he had held out and chucked it in later on in the set than it would have worked marginally better however the best idea would have been to get Amy out to cover it.  ’I'm…your…fuck…wha? blake….2 weeks…..oh yeh….wwoonndderwalll’ now that would have been something.

Besides the slight miscalculation at the beginning Jay-Z did go on to perform a fantastic set proving that it may have been a somewhat unorthodox decision to have him headline but it added variety and originality to festival proceedings and thats no bad thing.

Check out Jay-Z covering Oasis’s Wonderwall and performing 99 Problems at Glastonbury 2008

JAY-Z – Glastonbury 2008

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