Sub-headliners

[Guest]

Right with no real headway in the decision of the headliners amongst all the rumor sites and no real predictions of subheadliners from any of them lets see what we can predict! Starting from scratch have you best bet. Whoever gets it right wins a wine gum.

I'll go for Placebo Offspring NIN. I reckon ill get 0/3 with them i was stumped for ideas

Can you do any better?

[TalkShow Bob]

Subhead liners? Do you mean second on the bill?

[dip]

Kaiser Chiefs.

[Role Model]

I think Offspring are a good bet, it's been years since they last played, 2004 I think.

[Chavmeisterdeluxe]

Lostprophets and kaiser chiefs

[Calm Like A Bomb]

I'm hoping Placebo is a good shout. Though even better would be a Placebo headline set in the R1 tent (Is that possible yet? Like Manics and Ash have the past couple of years. Not sure...)

I honestly have no idea this year! Which makes next month really rather exciting

Pendulum, is about my only other vaguely sensible guess

[Englishdragon]

Offspring has to be one of them, Carnt see them being anywhere on the bill at Download, They only played one date for there last album in the Uk and not been at leeds since 04.

Kaiser Cheifs would the another one.

Not a clue with the 3rd

[Budweiser]

Placebo and Offspring hopefully.

Edit: oo and Weezer

Edited February 17, 2009 by Budweiser

[Hota]

Franz Ferdinand

Weezer

The Cure (if we're lucky)

cant think of any other bands really to play that high up that have shined in the past year

[thegremlin_1999]

Offspring has to be one of them, Carnt see them being anywhere on the bill at Download, They only played one date for there last album in the Uk and not been at leeds since 04.

Kaiser Cheifs would the another one.

Not a clue with the 3rd

[ste4_20]

offspring was 03...

i watched em and i didnt go in 04!

they'd be great tho loved watching em again at download last year, totally part of my childhood! love it

[thegremlin_1999]

They were 04. Before The Darkness. Can probably see them playing, but wouldn't really fit well under any of the headliners.

I can see Franz playing V, Kaiser Chiefs probably isn't a bad bet. Could put Stereophonics underneath KoL on the back of a big 'best of' tour. But again, its probably too high for them. Strokes seem like a decent possibility. Flaming Lips under Radiohead?

[beLIEveR]

Right with no real headway in the decision of the headliners amongst all the rumor sites

[mooseman]

Kings of Leon

The Offspring

Weezer

Arctic Monkeys

???

???

Radiohead

Placebo

???

[flossy_]

the prodigy?

virtual festivals seems to think they are playing..although im not inclined to believe everything they say.

id also like to see Placebo and lostprophets as 2nds though.

possibly Yeah Yeah Yeahs as an nme headliner?

and even if we go down to so much as the 3rd act, id sat fall out boy maybe? and yeah yeah yeahs could fit here too.

[gazza_20]

to be honest all 3 will headline if radiohead do too.

prodigy are playing high up at download so can't see it.

2nd headliners

fob, lostprophets, placebo.

why would a band that headlined download only last year come back and sub whjen they're new album was out round download? i can't see it, but i do want it

[micawber]

Perm 3 from

• Kasabian

• Placebo

• The Prodigy

• Weezer

• Bloc Party (again!)

• Arcade Fire (unlikely)

[flossy_]

Perm 3 from

• Kasabian

• Placebo

• The Prodigy

• Weezer

• Bloc Party (again!)

• Arcade Fire (unlikely)

[kaosmark2]

When was the last time Neil posted a major band as TBC and was wrong?

I'm still working on the theory that the three bands that we're pretty sure are playing on the main stage aren't "the three headliners". I don't care if I'm in a minority of one, I'm gonna roll with it.

I'm going:

Friday

RADIOHEAD

Kings of Leon

The Offspring

Saturday

ARCTIC MONKEYS

Placebo

Pendulum (although I think on the main stage they'll be rubbish compared to last year)

Sunday

IRON MAIDEN

Slipknot

Special guests

I genuinely believe either of the Arctic Monkeys or KoL could play below Radiohead. I'm saying that they'd ordinarily see themselves as too big to play 2nd on the bill, but they might agree to do so BECAUSE it's the slot below Radiohead.

I predicted Kings of Leon, but let's say you're Alex Turner. Would you rather people talked about "The Reading festival that Radiohead headlined", or "The day Reading managed to get Radiohead AND Arctic Monkeys on the same stage, on the same day." Because if the three practical certainties are the three headliners, in years to come we'll be talking about the year Radiohead headlined.

[howlin_pete]

Get NIN in under Radiohead and we can have a 'f**k the record label' themed night

[jammy2211]

Kings of Leon

Kaiser Cheifs

The Kooks

Arctic Monkeys

Placebo

Weezer

Radiohead

Lostprophets

Offspring

[beLIEveR]

R+L wouldn't waste their money getting KoL as a 2nd headliner when they could pay nearly as much and put them top.

[theramm]

KOL headlined Glasto but played 2nd at V last year. As I've said before KOL will be playing R&L right on the back of another arena tour & AM have toured their 2 albums to death, whereas last year, Metallica & Rage hadn't toured so (like Pearl Jam) there were thousands of people waiting for a chance to see them. I've already got early bird tickets so am hoping for a strong day of bands to stop me from selling mine.

[kaosmark2]

Get NIN in under Radiohead and we can have a 'f**k the record label' themed night

[kaosmark2]

They've still got to sell tickets.

I'm not saying those three bands can't headline. I may well be proven wrong about my stance. My rationale is that Reading won't sell out (CERTAINLY not in the first few days) if the initial announcement only appeals to one set of fans. Rage, Killers and Metallica had a lot of appeal to a lot of different people for a lot of different reasons. Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys and KoL have even more appeal to some people, but won't persuade a huge percentage of previous year's fans to buy straight away. Which will mean they then have to spend MORE money putting that right in future announcements.