The completely adulatory coverage from Ch4 and then the BBC is to blame for converting Glastonbury from a music festival into something approaching a stop-off in the New Season: something to fit in either between Henley, Wimbledon and Cowes, or between one footie season and another.

Remember going to any festival and - apart from fellow music nutters - when you came home you'd face blank stares when you described where you'd been? "What, so these bands play in a field do they?"

Nowerdays, it is a rite-of-passage, part and parcel of the whole "year off to 'travel'"mind-set. Nothing wrong with that I suppose, but it seems to be less and less about the music - unless its in a trainspotting way: "Radiohead: yeah tick, Gorillaz: got, U2: haven't"

I quite agree. As some skinny-trousered, Shockwaves-haired, tone deaf no marks take to the stage they will be announced as the bestest thing in the known universe. After watching them parping away in their talent vacuum for an hour or so, the TV audience will wonder what the hell the presenter was going on about...

... Fearne Cotton to say "this is Muse - they are shit".

I disagree your view on that. I was sitting outside (there wasn't much to see and no seats) with a coffee, and it was absolutely perfect for a Sunday lunchtime. I thought the scheduling was brilliant. I was hoping for a repeat with Jonsi this year.

but isn't the idea that we see the 'highlights' of Glastonbury? Therefore to show us something they regard as lacklustre rather begs the question, 'Why show it to us then?'

I don't expect Jools to offer critiques after each performance on Later, so I don't expect the Glasto coverage to turn into Late Review.

Glasto is different from the Edinburgh Festival becase there's no competitive edge, it's all under one roof, so to speak, and performances are not fighting for your cash or some prize.

Also, Glasto gives most of it's profits to charity, so I don't see the BBC supporting Glasto as a cynical, Eavis-supporting exercise. Especially when compared to underwriting Lloyd-Webber's West End ventures through Saturday teatime telly, or ITV giving all that free publicity to the latest Cowell signing.

... and the presenters are getting a pasting for not slagging bands off for poor performances (which they haven't performed yet).

...the people linking the coverage are seeing considerably less of the events than the people at home.

was always able to let us know what he thought of a band without having to come out and say it.

While we're at it, my gripe (as one who couldn't possibly be in a field with that many people - oh, the humanity) is always that they show far too much of a few bands, despite having cameras on all stages. In that way, it's not nearly critical or judgmental enough - if it really is highlights, then that duff performance from Oasis headlining on the Saturday should have been cut down and something good slipped in. And I'd love to hear some critical analysis from Radcliffe - though I seem to remember him looking a bit, er, tired for much of last year's screentime.
A thought, though: did Ellen and Hepworth offer analysis of Live Aid? Did Bob Dylan get the shoeing he deserved, or Freddie Mercury praise for lifting the day?

... less about cheerleading the event.

But is it accurate to compare music coverage with sport coverage? After all, England were undeniably poor against Algeria, but if Lauren Laverne announced that Muse were crap thousands of fans watching the band may well disagree pretty vociferously. The subjective nature of music and the desire of telly presenters to transmit the excitement of the live audience to the people watching at home kind of goes aginst subjective analysis I'd think...

saying lots of very unflattering things about almost all the acts. My faith in myself as a music fan wavered.
I felt petty, vindictive and spiteful.

I hadn't enjoyed myself so much in years.
Bring on the weekend!

dodging, and failing to dodge wave after wave of piss filled plastic cider bottles was one of the most entertaining things I've ever witnessed. It was sunny too, if I recall..

And part of the fun of Peel was that he seemed to acknowledge it was a most ridiculous profession. But if we are to have them at Glastonbury why not give it over to Lawrenson, Hansen and Shearer? It would amuse me greatly anyway.

Not from Glastonbury but you get the idea:

Cotton: So what did you think of U2's performance?
Radcliffe: The rhythm section were criminal - i've never seen such a lack of communication between bass player and drummer. Time and again they were caught napping
Cotton: what about Bono?
Laverne: Well, we saw both sides of him today. Here's an example of his undoubted skill (shows clip of singing) but here we see the totally cynical side (shows Bono pontificating). It's a sad part of modern pop music
Whiley: He doesn't need to do that sort of thing does he?
Cotton: Here's a clip of The Edge playing guitar. Always very professional and competent.
Radcliffe: Well, you can't dispute his quality but there's always a lack of passion.
Cotton: turning to the next act - Oasis. Talk of internal tensions in the camp?
Laverne: I think these things are overhyped by the media. 90 minutes on the stage they'll be focused on the job in hand
Whiley: Well, i disagree, it's always easy to niggle Liam Gallagher and opponents pick up on this.
Cotton (gives Gary Lineker style winning smile): That's all from Glastonbury this week, the day that we saw a wonder performance from Jay-Z and more crowd trouble at the phone-charging tent

Veteran of the Word Magazine podcast in the past and the man in charge of the BBC TV Glastonbury coverage addresses a lot of these issues in a blog post talking about this years festival: rights issues , what bands allow you to show, and why the BBC can't cover every stage.
http://bit.ly/glastobbctv

and likewise Paul Rodgers who does the same but for 6music.
http://bit.ly/glasto6music

Don't forget that a lot of the BBC coverage these days is online with live streaming and tracks on demand for up to a week and beyond.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcmusic/glastonbury/

I can answer 2 questions though.
@humphreyplugg . Fearne Cotton isn't part of the BBC Glastonbury coverage this year but yes Mark Radcliffe, Lauren Laverne and Jo Whiley are.
The 6music truck is actually, this year at least, just behind the Pyramid Stage.

( disclaimer: Sorry this is a bit of plug and i, you've probably guessed, work for the BBC,)

Did you see the Isle of Wight Festival presenters? Thank god Glastonbury's not on ITV!!! Hound, Berry and someone else were awful.

Furthermore, I saw Rufus at a comedy event in Nottingham last week. As if trying to release himself from the shackles of his new primetime, comedy dancing identity he proceeded to spout out 30mins of filth and 'controversy'.

He thought he was Bill Hicks/Lenny Bruce - he was closer to Chubby Brown on a bad night.

---------
The BBC should reform the OGWT dream team of Hepworth and Ellen for Glasto!!!

We are lucky to have a public service broadcaster who has the resources to cover the festival in the detail it does so we will just have to put up with the grinning

There is also a bit of jealousy - despite any protestations to the contrary who wouldn't want to be there on a weekend like this

... they're not really going to want presenters banging on about how awful it is, surely?

It's probably not helpful to liken a music presenter to a football pundit. They're very different things, and Mark Radcliffe isn't really supposed to be doing the same job as Mark Lawrenson. The Glasto presenters are providing links and introducing bands, not offering up detailed analysis.

its all big fuckin' dogs cock to me - love the music, hate the smug twatface norks that smug their way around it on the coverage - wheres john peel when you need him... oh... yeah....