Harvey Does It For The Fans

He told the city’s daily paper that it’s not for VIP gig-goers who are “not there for the music. 

“There will be no ‘golden circle’ and no VIPs in the front. This is a show just for the fans, so they’re not going to be half a mile from the stage behind a big area full of VIPs,” he said. “Normally when you go somewhere new everyone thinks there’ll be druggies urinating in their gardens – which is not what we’re about,” he said, detailing local opposition to the festival.

It’s taken three years for the £2 million project to come to fruition. It’s sponsored by John Lewis Partnership, which owns a chain of department stores and supermarket giant Waitrose.

The event’s called On Blackheath and is being described as “a two-day music and food event” that runs in southeast London Sept. 13-14 with the musical talent matched by the lineup of chefs from some of London’s top eateries

. The acts playing the 15,000-capacity event include Massive Attack, Grace Jones, Frank Turner, Imelda May, Aloe Blacc, Levellers, and Athlete. The chefs will demonstrate their skills on what’s being called the Food Stage. They’ll be cooking for up to 80 guests at a time.

“It’s 100 percent better for bands to have fans closer to the stage,” Goldsmith said, explaining why “the golden circle” had to go.

“It not only makes them play better, but they are playing to real fans. The problem with VIP areas is that half the time they are empty because people are off talking or whatever, and they’re not there for the music.”