Nadine Shah just announced she won’t be hitting the stage at this year’s Glastonbury, and it’s all because the costs are through the roof! Despite swirling rumors about her appearance at the Worthy Farm fest, she cleared the air on her X/Twitter, saying she turned it down due to not getting a spot on the televised stage. “The rumors are false. I’m NOT playing Glastonbury. Would’ve loved to, but without TV coverage, it’s just too pricey for me,” she tweeted.
In another tweet, she added, “Let’s face it, performing live costs a pretty penny. If it means getting on TV and reaching more fans, maybe you consider it. But without that? Nope, we’ve all got bills to meet.” While Glastonbury doesn’t always pay artists top dollar, the exposure can usually offset that. However, without a spot on the BBC’s broadcast, artists like Shah miss out on those extra perks.
Shah doesn’t shy away from discussing the hardships up-and-coming artists endure, especially criticizing how streaming platforms are a goldmine for “superstars and mega labels” while the smaller musicians scramble for crumbs from live gigs. In a passionate Guardian piece last December, she talked about the devastating impact of the pandemic on live music, leaving artists like her dependent on streaming revenues alone.
“I thought I’d manage—hey, I’m a gutsy gal from the North, nominated for a Mercury Prize, with loads of Spotify listeners. I figured I’d make rent,” she wrote. But reality hit hard, and she found herself moving back home with her parents during the summer—not exactly the rockstar life, right? Like many in her circle, she was scraping by, wishing she was part of a band like Dire Straits.
Spotify also faced criticism for its payment model, requiring a thousand streams before a track starts earning royalties. Matravers appreciates Spotify for music discovery but slammed the pitiful royalty rates. “I used to think success would make me rich. Sadly, that’s not the case. It’s about time artists earned real money from their records,” he expressed.