Steve Mason Calls Out Damon Albarn Over Glastonbury Slots

Ex-Beta Band frontman Steve Mason has hit out at Damon Albarn for hogging the Glastonbury headline slot, the NME reports.

Mason, who performed a solo set at the Somerset bash last weekend, criticised the Britpop legend for closing the Pyramid Stage at two successive festivals -- with Blur in 2009, and this year with Gorillaz.

Albarn's cartoon-based act stepped in following U2's pull out over lead singer Bono's back surgery -- not that Mason was particularly lamenting the Irish rockers' absence.

"I couldn't explain to you how little interest I had in whether U2 played or not. I could not care less," said the Edinburgh singer. "The only thing that's bad is that Albarn got to have a headline when he had one last year. He should have given it to someone else."

Mason treated Friday's Park Stage crowd to a set that spanned his career with the Beta Band and King Biscuit Time, as well as performing tunes released under his own name. He also praised the Worthy Farm weekender's independent spirit. "There's no horrible branding everywhere to make you think you're at some corporate shindig, which is really noticeable and I think people really love that," he said. "The guy that runs it and his daughter [Michael and Emily Eavis] have full control over who plays and what goes on here. So it feels like a personal festival, even though it's enormous."