Skip to main content

Kanye West’s Glastonbury performance draws criticism, stage-crasher

kanye west glastonbury festival criticism
Everett Collection/Shutterstock
Kanye West’s larger-than-life antics have once again put him in hot water — this time across the pond. His already-controversial performance Saturday at England’s Glastonbury Festival was even more eventful than expected. Not only did he face a stage-crasher, there have now been several dozen complaints to Ofcom, the British equivalent of the FCC.

According to the U.K.’s Press Association, the rapper’s profanity-laden performance, which was broadcast uncensored on the BBC, has racked up 44 Ofcom complaints. Although viewers had been warned to “expect bad language,” many were still offended enough to formally voice their displeasure. They join the already sizable ranks of Brits upset by West’s performance. Over 100,000 people (at the time of publishing) had signed a Change.org petition requesting that West “listen to his own advice and pass his headline slot on to someone deserving.”

West, obviously, did not heed their request and took the stage as planned. During the show, British comedian Simon Brodkin, in character as Lee Nelson, managed to get on stage to interrupt the concert wearing a “Lee-zus” shirt. (Points for being clever.) He claimed on his Lee Nelson Twitter account that he was giving West a hand in light of all of the naysaying leading up to his performance. Of course, security quickly escorted Brodkin away, and West returned to his performance unfazed. The comedian later commemorated the incident on Twitter, saying he’d done it for Taylor Swift, whose 2009 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech was infamously crashed by West.

Brodkin’s stunt may have served as small consolation for petitioners still smarting over the fact that West was a headliner. Yet, perhaps West would have been willing to listen, if he believed that there’s actually anyone more “deserving” out there. With his usual penchant for tact and humility, he told the Glastonbury crowd that they were watching “the greatest living rock star on the planet.” Little did he know, Lionel Richie’s performance the next day would draw an even bigger crowd.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
Best Cyber Monday Deals 2022: Laptops, TVs, AirPods, and more
Best Cyber Monday Deals 2022

Cyber Week is here! With some truly epic deals out there, this is the best time of year to buy a new tech gadget. If you slept through the Black Friday sales, then the Cyber Monday sales, you better grab what you need during this week of slowly diminishing deals. From tablets to air fryers, laptops to smartwatches, we've rounded up the best Cyber Monday deals across a range of categories, and you'll find them all below.
Cyber Monday sales: Quick links

Amazon: Huge discounts on laptops, Echo devices, and tablets
Best Buy: Your destination for sales on super-sized TVs
Dell: Unbeatable discounts on gaming laptops, monitors, and more
Gamestop: Cheap video games, console accessories and monitors
HP: Gaming PCs, laptops, monitors, and printers from $129
Kohl's: Home decor, clothing and kitchen appliance steals
Lowe’s: Up to 60% off appliances like refrigerators and decor
Staples: Save big on laptops, home office hardware and supplies
Target: Tons of cheap kitchen appliances and stocking-fillers
Walmart: Great for laptops, and is restocking PS5 and Xbox Series X

Read more
What is hi-res audio, and how can you experience it right now?
Dlyan Wireless Headphones

High-resolution audio, hi-res audio, or even HD audio -- whatever you decide to call it (for the record, the industry prefers "hi-res audio"), it's a catch-all term that describes digital audio that goes above and beyond the level of sound quality you can expect from a garden-variety MP3 file and even CDs. It was once strictly the domain of audiophiles, but now that major streaming music services like Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, and Qobuz have embraced it, almost everyone can take advantage of what hi-res has to offer.

But what exactly is hi-res audio? What equipment do you need to listen to it? Where can you download or stream it? And does it actually sound better? We've got the answers.
What does the term 'hi-res audio' mean?

Read more
How to download music from Spotify for offline listening
How to download music and podcasts from Spotify: The downloads folder.

If you're a Spotify Premium user paying that premium Spotify fee, chances are you've taken at least some time curating playlists, liking songs, and using the platform's easy-to-use (and recently revamped) user interface to discover new and old music.

But sometimes all that music or your favorite podcasts aren't available if you find yourself without an internet connection to stream them from — like on a long plane ride or weekend camping trip in the sticks. That's where Spotify's offline listening feature comes in handy, allowing you to download playlists, albums, and podcasts through its desktop and mobile apps so you can still rock out while you're off the grid.

Read more