With festivals across the globe banning selfie sticks, and Truck Festival in Oxford banning Katie Hopkins, The Edge team created our list of what should be banned from festivals in a dream world, featuring iPads, ‘LADs’ and acoustic guitars. Not simply satisfied with just our team’s responses, we asked the artists playing festivals themselves what they would ban; here were their responses.
Years & Years
Emre Türkmen: “Katie Hopkins is a good one. Maybe the Daily Mail?”
Olly Alexander: “Yeah, Daily Mail aren’t allowed”
Emre: “Nigel Farage? People get really pissed of about the iPhone thing but I don’t mind it, I don’t see what the big deal is!”
Olly: “Selfie sticks get in your face so they’re a bit annoying”
Emre: “Maybe those Vuvuzelas?”
Olly: “They got banned ages ago!”
Lucy Rose: “Portaloos. I think we should all have nice toilets. Just spend the extra cost and it’s so much nicer.”
Rae Morris: “I’d ban those flowers that people put in their hair! I know that’s really terrible, I’m not a fan, sorry! Maybe if it’s real flowers, but it’s just the plastic ones. Sorry, that’s a really snobby thing to ban. Maybe there should be a festival where nobody takes their phones, because as much as I rely on it would be so much better if we weren’t taking pictures of the gigs.”
Fatboy Slim: “Very interesting question…I’m trying to think of a witty answer!” [as prompted by tour manager]“Generators that don’t work! Nah there’s not really [anything he’d ban]– the whole point of a festival is anything goes. I mean I think everybody holding up their camera phone and filming you all the way through should be banned. I think there should be something where you can only film for a minute, but people who just stand there for the whole gig, why not just enjoy the gig instead of filming it?! But nah that’s not really [anything he’d ban], I’m up for any kind of stupid behaviour.”
The Bohicas: “Dreadlocks on white guys,” “People peeing in cups and throwing them” “Mud; but I guess you can’t really band that at a festival!”
Darwin Deez
Darwin: “Don’t throw a full beer towards the stage”
Michelle: “Unless it’s closed”
Darwin: “No, if it’s closed you can pass it up, better not throw it. I always like to say no slam dancing, but I don’t know what that is.”
