Neil Young Snubs Glastonbury Due to BBC's Involvement

Rocker Neil Young said he and his band, the Chrome Hearts, will not perform at this year's Glastonbury Festival, citing concerns about the BBC's involvement, which he claims places the event "under corporate control."

Although Young had not been officially announced as part of this year's Glastonbury lineup, speculation had circulated about a possible appearance. He revealed his decision in a letter published on Tuesday on his website, Neil Young Archives.

"The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all time favorite outdoor gigs," Young, 79, wrote. "We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in. It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being."

The Guardian noted that BBC has partnered with the festival since 1997.

Young's most recent Glastonbury appearance was in 2009, where he headlined on the Pyramid Stage. However, the BBC only aired select portions of his two-hour performance.

After criticism from Young's fans over the limited broadcast, the BBC explained that it had engaged in extensive negotiations with Young's management over the past few months to decide how much of his performance could be broadcast.

"Neil Young's career has been conducted on his own terms," the broadcaster said in a statement at the time. "Neil's management agreed to let TV and radio broadcast five songs as they watched and listened to his performance. They believe in the live event and retaining its mystery and that of their artist."

Young was also scheduled to perform at Glastonbury in 1997 but had to cancel after cutting his finger while making a sandwich just before the start of his European tour. 

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