The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft; "(We're) Not As Good As Keane (West)"

Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft that festival founder Michael Eavis opposed the band's headline slot on Sunday (June 29).

Eavis's daughter Emily rebuffed the claim, saying "that's not true at all," reports the BBC

Either there was some behind the scenes drama or it could just be nothing much and just some off the cuff remark. With all the drama of the Noel and Jay-Z episode, it's hard to say.

Ashcroft

Addressing the crowd in front of the Pyramid stage, Ashcroft said: "I want to thank Emily Eavis for inviting us to play Glastonbury.

"I hope her dad realises why she booked us now. I think he was a bit worried we wouldn't be as good as Keane or something."

But Emily Eavis, who co-organises the event, refused to respond to the jibe, saying it was "not a big deal".

"I'm not sure where the Keane thing came from because Keane were never an option this year."

In related news,

The Verve have a full plate of summer festivals. The group will be touring around the world playing all the major festivals from Osaka to Madrid. To check out their summer dates, refer to their Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/theverve

MORE HERE