Emily Eavis is responsible for the line-up for one of musics biggest festivals – yet still, some men dont want to work with her.
Welcome to 2019, people.
The Glastonbury co-organiser has admitted that some men in the music industry refuse to accept that shes in charge, despite her being involved in Glasto for two decades.
Eavis, who is responsible of booking the acts for all Glastonburys main stages, told Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4s Desert Island Discs, said: The live music world has been so male-dominated.
I go to meetings with just tables of men. Some were great, and some just refuse to accept that they had to deal with me.
Emily began working with her father Michael in organising Glastonbury after the death of her mother Jean in 1999, and alongside her husband Nick Dewey, Head of Music Programming, is now in charge of booking all the acts for the festival – including headliners Stormzy, The Killers and The Cure for this weeks edition.
And elsewhere on her episode of Desert Island Discs, Emily discussed her goal of having gender equality across the stages, with this years festival having 42% female acts.
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She said: We are working toward 50/50. Some years its 60/40. Its a challenge for us and weve really taken it on and Im always totally conscious every day that the gender balance should be right.
Every day when Im booking Im thinking about that and cajoling stage bookers to be onboard with it. Some of them have been here a long time so its a little bit of hustle. But were getting there.
Last year, Emily claimed that old guys in the industry were responsible for the gender gap at festivals, telling Music Week: I mean, there are a lot of old guys in the music industry; unfortunately its not been a topic which people have been conscious of.
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Its not necessarily purposeful, its just that it hasnt ever been top of the agenda like it is now. I keep saying to some of our older bookers who have been doing it for 30 years, “Come on guys, you need to engage with this”. Its just a new idea for a lot of them.
They say “Oh Ive never really thought about that”.
Female acts on the billing for this years festival at Worthy Farm include Janet Jackson, Janelle Monae, Christine And The Queens, Kylie Minogue, Miley Cyrus, Lauryn Hill, Billie Eilish and Lizzo.
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Glastonbury 2019 opens its gates this Wednesday, with
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