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THE DARKNESS frontman JUSTIN HAWKINS has savaged the boss of the Glastonbury festival after snubbing an invite to perform there.
The country?s biggest rockers will headline the Carling Weekend at Leeds and Reading instead.
Last year the band were in talks with all the big festival organisers but Glastonbury chief MICHAEL EAVIS refused to book them ? saying he thought they would be forgotten by the time his event takes place in the summer.
Angry Justin, whose band scooped three Brits in February, says Eavis came back with an offer as their fame grew but they were delighted to knock him back.
In an exclusive interview from the band?s tour bus in America, Justin told me: ?Eavis is a c**k. We don?t deal with f***ing a***holes. We were speaking to all the big events before Christmas and Glastonbury was on the list.
?But Eavis said he thought we wouldn?t be around for the festival in June. It?s his loss.?
The flamboyant singer also rubbished stories that the group had asked for ?1million to play the Somerset event.
Justin claimed that was sour grapes.
He fumed: ?Our decision not to play Glastonbury is nothing to do with cash.
?Of course we asked for a lot ? we?re the best band around.
"Michael Eavis is just annoyed that he missed the boat. He came back to us after he realised his mistake. But it was too late.
?We?d already agreed to do the Carling Festival for a lot less money. So he?s lost out.?
The Darkness opened Glastonbury last year when the band was relatively unknown.
And Justin doesn?t think much of the experience.
He told me: ?Glastonbury is all about sitting in a field and buying funny hats.
?When I go to a festival it?s because I want to see bands and like the line-up.
?I never went to Glastonbury until we played there. But me and our drummer ED GRAHAM went to Reading for five years on the trot as fans.
?I would say go to Reading, which is about the music. Don?t bother with Glastonbury unless you want to stand in a field and be healed. Reading is about the rock.
?It?s been one of my ambitions to headline Reading.
?It?s part of British musical history. It?s legendary. It?s the big one.?
When Justin and Ed went in the Nineties they created a stir with a special drinking cape.
Justin explained: ?We were really studenty and had a special red power cape. When you put it on you had to down white cider.
?It got us noticed ? I got backstage in 1997 and played pool with KYLIE MINOGUE.
?I want another cape for this year. I?ve lost the original but I?ve spoken to my tailor about making a new ? more extravagant ? one in time for August.?
The lads are also determined to camp out in a tent ? just like in the good old days...sort of.
Justin said: ?We want to keep it real. We?ll definitely stay in a tent. But it?ll be a big one ? in our own field.?
Tickets for the Carling Weekend are available now. They cost ?105 for a weekend pass and ?45 per day. The Darkness headline Reading on August 27 and Leeds on August 28. Call 08701 500044 or check out www.meanfiddler.com
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"of course we asked for a lot we're the best band around" their block. Maybe its just me.. but I just don't get it. I mean don't get me wrong... its nice to HEAR some guitar on the radio but thats about all I can say for them
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He still can make me chuckle though. That's a damn funny line.
I still think they could be great if he just drops the falsetto.
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Yeah, I had to chuckle at this one, my favorite line;
?We want to keep it real. We?ll definitely stay in a tent. But it?ll be a big one ? in our own field.?
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