The Pop Corporation

Billy Nomates may or may not be a familiar name to you, but her situation will be. She’s getting hauled over hot coals by the most boring indie fans in the world, thanks to a prestigious slot at the Glastonbury Festival.

In the past, we’ve seen Boring Indie Fans literally set up petitions to try and stop Jay Z headlining, saying it wasn’t in the ‘spirit’ of the event. Presuming they’d be okay with someone blowing a dog whistle instead.

Kanye’s performance (pre fash leanings) also came in for criticism because headlining a show as a solitary figure on stage JUST AIN’T ROCK N ROLL MAAAAAAAAN.

Despite the fact that Billy Nomates is very on the nose musically for these fans (kinda post punky, hooky fun times), there’s been a whole pile-on because the thing with Billy Nomates is – there’s no band to look at surrounding them.

That’s it. That’s the beef. Send tweet. Tragic.

Abuse and haranguing isn’t anything new in music, especially when Glastonbury is on. However, doesn’t it feel dismally out of touch to just blart on and on with tired criticisms in 2023? Right across the whole of pop culture, sneering for the sake of it feels as outdated as TFI Friday, Men Behaving Badly and whining about Auto-Tune.

Yet here we are, faced with a bunch of BIFs, going after a performer during a time when they have endless opportunities to watch or listen to something else. Sure, sneering can be a laugh, but these New Labour, Regular Hair Dye Appointments, Dinner Party, Do They Call It Mumble Rap?, I Read Naomi Klein That Time Dicks* are the worst for it.

(*see? sneering can be fun)

Billy Nomates has asked the BBC to take down footage from her performance at Glastonbury Festival after the volume of the backlash got too much.

She wrote on Instagram Stories: “The level of personal abuse on BBC 6Music socials for goin to work today is insane. I’ve asked for all footage to be removed.”

“I know it’s not for everyone what I do. I know lots of people don’t rate me. But the level of personal abuse on that public page is too much. There will be no more shows after this summer. You wouldn’t stay in a workplace that did this to you. Why should I.”

A number of musicians leapt to their support, including Geoff Barrow from Portishead.

He tweeted: “Today Billy Nomates Got absolutely destroyed & personally insulted by a load of 6 Music Dads after her Glastonbury 2023 performance saying she should have a band? What they don’t realise is that most of their fav bands Play along to backing tracks Least she isn’t pretending.”

LoneLady added: “I know how hard it is to stand and perform alone on stage; it takes a huge amount of inner strength – and at least I have a guitar to keep me company. The usual misogyny baked into this. Billy Nomates is a champ.”

In what should have been a highlight of a year in work and growing reputation, this weekend will be a sour note. Of course, it may also be the making of her as people hear her music in a bid to defend her from BIFs. That’s not really the point, is it though?