People love to hate on ‘Ye. The rapper is scheduled to headline the annual Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts on June 27. However, festival-goers have been working since March to remove Kanye West from the lineup by circulating a petition on Change.org.
The petition called for a rock act instead of West, referring to him as “musical injustice.” Last year’s entertainment included Arcade Fire, Metallica, Kasabian, and Dolly Parton – but petition creator Neil Lonsdale did not seem to think the rapper was up to par. He wrote, “Kanye West is an insult to music fans all over the world. We spend hundreds of pounds to attend glasto, and by doing so, expect a certain level of entertainment.”
SEE ALSO: Damn ‘Ye: 60,000 People REALLY Don’t Want Kanye West To Perform At Glastonbury
The petition gained the support of UK celebrities such UK rugby player Tom Heathcote who shared the campaign, but it only raised about 135,000 people in support against West by the time Lonsdale submitted the petition to festival heads. As of today, the lineup still reads Kanye West among other artists such as rock acts Florence and the Machine and The Who; R&B acts May J Blige, Lionel Richie, and Pharrell Williams; and another controversial rapper, Azealia Banks.
Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters—who cancelled their Glastonbury appearance after Grohl broke his leg—chimed in on anti-West campaign with NME. “I don’t know who the dude is that started the petition but I think every one of those votes is only fueling Kanye’s fucking fire and it could be the greatest show of all time,” he said.
Even if West remains as a performer, things are looking south him with the audience, according to British Betting and Gaming agency Ladbrokes. The company calculated the crowd’s predicted approval at this year’s festival:
Kanye West to be booed off stage – 2/1
Kanye West not to perform a song – 10/1
“Kanye’s headline spot is still a touchy subject, and after a few alcoholic beverages it seems increasingly likely the crowd will turn against him,” Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes told NME.
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