The decision by the organisers of Glastonbury to book Kanye West as headliner of this year’s festival has caused some trepidation amongst music fans.

Upon hearing the news of the controversial booking, a petition calling West "an insult to music fans all over the world" was started by Neil Lonsdale.

Far from being a political stand by a modern music fan to protect the integrity and the good name of Glastonbury, Lonsdale has actually never been to the festival himself and said: "My petition started as a joke and I never thought it would make a difference. I don't think it would make a difference if 200,000 people signed it. Anyway, Kanye's a big boy, I'm sure he can take a bit of banter."

Despite the humble beginnings of the petition, it has now reached over 90,000 signatures, proving that West is far from a popular choice.

One of the festival’s organisers Emily Eavis has now responded to the petition and dismissed the Kanye haters saying: "We think the story this year should not be: 'Why is Kanye coming?' but: 'How amazing is it that Kanye is coming? He’s a music legend, always interesting, never boring. Headlining acts have never have been limited to rock and never will be." 

One of the main reasons cited for the creation of the petition is the fact that West is seen as a negative role model by many but Eavis has dismissed this saying: "We book our acts by choosing the best and most challenging musicians on the planet – not by applying some kind of arbitrary morality test. Remember, we are dealing with a man who made a version of a worldwide hit single which highlighted the social issues that conflict diamonds cause in West Africa."

 
It’s unlikely that the petition will change the minds of festival organisers in their hiring of West but one thing is certain; the publicity surrounding the decision will bring more festival goers to Glastonbury’s doors.