  From the urlLink NME : Chances of THE DARKNESS playing this year's GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL are looking slim after it was claimed the band would want £1million to play. The figure is a far cry from the £75 they were paid to play their Friday morning opening set last year. Today festival organiser Michael Eavis told the Daily Mirror: "It's incredible how much things change in a year. " "When we booked them last year they were just a pub band no-one had heard of. We paid them £75 but they were thrilled to be given the opportunity. " Since the appearance, which was seen to kick-start the band's massive run of success, their album 'Permission To Land' has sold 1.2million copies in the UK alone. Yet Glastonbury's good-causes remit means the festival does not pay its performers such inflated prices as other festivals. A source close to The Darkness told the newspaper: "To play Glastonbury this year, they'd want £1million. The way they see it, they'd worked long and hard to get where they are and feel entitled to make the most of their success.
" I don't care how long and hard you work, no-one is worth a 100,000%+ pay rise in a year. And no-one who graduated from Huddersfield Uni should be able to make £1million for a night's work. In other news, these are the headliners for Reading / Leeds this year: Is it me, or is this the most piss-poor line-up of headliners ever? Of the three, only the Darkness (who have ruled the world this past year) are truly worthy of a headlining slot (but not a million pound headlining slot, mind).
Green Day, great as they are, haven't done anything worthwhile since 2000's Warning (they played second on the bill the following year, by the way). And the White Stripes? They could be bigger than the fucking Beatles, but 2 people on a huge stage does not an awesome spectacle make. Consider also that during the height of the garage rock revival, the Hives (surely a much more entertainig live act) were still playing in broad daylight.
Previous years have brought us geniunely huge, legendary acts such as the Beasties, Chili Peppers, the Manics, Eminem, and Metallica (before they released that travesty of a new album). 2002 was a pretty awful year for Reading and Leeds, (the Strokes / Foo Fighters / old has beens Prodigy and G n' R), but this one tops even that. This is all redundant, of course, since we'll all be going to Danny's wedding instead of this overpriced shite. 
