90s Britpop band, Pulp, have revealed in an interview that the festival were not interested in an anniversary headline slot.

Pulp are widely considered to be one of the greatest British bands of all time, and one of the main pioneers of the familiar Britpop sound. Despite this, keyboard player for the band, Candida Doyle, revealed that Glastonbury “weren’t interested” in hosting the band at this year’s festival, despite it being the thirty year anniversary since the band headlined the Pyramid Stage in 1995.

The band were not originally destined to headline the festival back in 1995, the impromptu opportunity came about when John Squire of The Stone Roses, one of the bands set to headline that year’s festival, broke his collar bone in a mountain biking accident, meaning the band could no longer perform. So, Pulp got the call up and headlined the Pyramid Stage on the Saturday.

This performance can be credited as a defining moment in Pulp’s history, as it was the catalyst that caused the band’s fifth studio album, ‘Different Class’ to go four-times platinum when it was released, just four months after playing Glastonbury.

Irrespective of the monumental success of the Pulp’s previous headline slot, in an interview with BBC Radio 6’s Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie, Candida stated “We wanted to, just because it’s the 30th anniversary and that kind of thing, and they weren’t interested. And then we were thinking maybe next year, and then they’re not doing it next year,” as Glastonbury will observe their routine fallow year.

But, some festival goers believe that this year’s mysterious slot on the Pyramid Stage, penned as an artist named ‘Patchwork’, is still going to be Pulp, despite both Candida Doyle and singer Jarvis Cocker both separately alluding to the contrary.

@martyfors This is going to be amazing. Pulp returning to Glasto this year. #pulp #glastonbury #glasto #glastonburyfestival ♬ original sound – martyfors

A slot at this year’s festival would also coincide with the release of their new album More which was published on June 6 this year, as well as the band’s current world tour, which sees them play arenas across the globe. 

The new album, as well as information regarding the tour are available here.