Should Reading/Leeds always have a certain amount of Rock/Heavy music?

[kaosmark2]

Getting back on topic, YES, Reading should always have heavier music included on the bill. It should also include lots of other genres too for that matter.

To the person who posted refering to everyone moaning and calling them "pussies".... get a frackin' grip! I've been going to Reading since 1997 specifically because of the versatility of the bill. I love my rock, metal and punk but have always chosen Reading over Download cos i love an eclectic mix of music in my summer festival.

I have fond memories of catching Jurassic 5 sharing the main stage with Rancid, Roots Manuva lower down the bill when the Foo's headlined (i think!), you just don't get this kind of diversity anywhere else.

[rivalschools.price]

You don't get it at Reading any more either, when was the last time a hip hop act other than Dizzee Rascal performed? Or a dance/electronic act outside the Dance tent?

Try Europe. I'd be going abroad again if it weren't for the £ being a bit shit atm. I'd prefer 5 festies here than 3 abroad. Just.

[ilovemaiden]

You don't get it at Reading any more either, when was the last time a hip hop act other than Dizzee Rascal performed? Or a dance/electronic act outside the Dance tent?

Try Europe. I'd be going abroad again if it weren't for the £ being a bit shit atm. I'd prefer 5 festies here than 3 abroad. Just.

[kaosmark2]

yeah,but with all due respect,hip hop and dance fans havent bought tickets for reading expecting to hear that type of music whereas rock fans understandably have bought tickets expecting the same b

balance of bands as previous years.

[jammy2211]

Well yes, but that wasn't my point. I was emphasising how R+L haven't got the diversity they used to, which does extend to less 'heavy' music.

[ilovemaiden]

It's more that other festivals have been set up that take these acts away from Reading. All the Dance acts play Dance festivals, so Reading can't justify more then one day of a dance tent. Same with other genres...

[kaosmark2]

Yeah precisely right to be honest.. I mean Creamfields is the same weekend isnt it? And now Sonishphere will be taking a lot of the heavier rock and metal as well...

Its just that there is enough 'indie' bands to go round all of the festivals..

[Lithium05]

Are there? I thought there just about 10 bands each with 30 odd names.

[Spiral_Low]

I grow so bored of identical indie bands all sounding the same taking turns to be big on the radio....

[clartmaster]

I have a rather ectectic taste in music and so I have always chosen Reading over other festivals due to the diversity. However over the years the bill has become more & more watered down and now just looks like a real life NME issue. Just look at the 'dance' tent. It has been full of NME bands for the last few years!

I can see this year being my last, I'm already tempted by Download cos of FNM!

[Ant_1310]

Right go easy on the new kid here . . .im not as experienced in festivals as you lot are, ive only ever been to 2 and then just gigs throughout the year so go easy on me im just

Yes I think there should always be that one 'rock/heavier' day on the bill, it adds colour to the festival and like others before me have posted it sets R/L apart from the rest of them BUT . . .

I think its wrong to complain that there aren't enough heavier headliners (I dont mean any of you in specific here) its just a general thing I noticed. surely you know that if all or 90+% 'heavy' or 'rock' is what you want then leeds never will be the place for you and you would do better to go to download

Leeds (or reading) generally caters more for the "indie" crowd or does now anyways, I know that is some of your points, but rather than complaining about it, go to a festival which doesnt cater for the indie crowd or just try to be happy with that one 'rock' day we do get coz its either that or go to download or one of the european festivals

But anyhoo back to my orginal point, yes that of day of 'rock' should stay coz if you're anything like me then you listen to more than just indie, more than just rock, more than just emo whatever, different strokes different folks and all that,thats why I choose to go to leeds because it still does have that variety maybe less so than it used to but its still there, some of you just refuse to see it

[Nickg76]

Ok there doesnt seem to be a 'Heavy Rock' Headliner but with 36 Crazyfists and Rise against both self confirming themselves this week (i think) there will STILL be something for the rockers. Which i think is a good thing

[dakyras]

stupid statement, totally irrelevant and basically placed for an argument..

[beLIEveR]

douchebag.

Edited March 12, 2009 by beLIEveR

[benisright]

Slag

For me the big(gest) issue isn't the fact that none of the headliners are heavy, simply that there are no big rumours below that. Saying that "well you'll be catered for in the lockup" is like saying "the poster will be yellow", that's just not news. Sure, I'll be happy with the lockup (and will go to the festival) almost regardless, but I still expect one or two big names that will excite me.

Pointing to years like 2000 is a reasonable enough argument with regards to the headliners, but the fact is in 2000 we still had Slipknot and Rage in there.

Edited March 12, 2009 by benisright

[ilovemaiden]

douchebag.

Edited March 12, 2009 by ilovemaiden

[beLIEveR]

People are assuming that with no rumours of heavy bands, means there will be no heavy bands. Fact is, we have no real rumours of NME indie bands.

Edited March 12, 2009 by beLIEveR

[benisright]

Good point, but in the past four years, two and a half weeks before the announcement I can only think of one top four band that we hadn't had even a hint at. And even then, that's only because I've artificially said "top four" rather than "top three".

[raltag]

Hi i am a BIG fan of the reading festival (leeds is still the cousin we dont talk about) i have attended every year from 99-to 08

and last year was my tenth reading anniversary and consecutive festival i still wear the last 3 years cloth wristbands :-) .

During that time i have seen many changes some for the good but many more for the worse, the most concerning for me personally and

my group of friends is the lineup and the festival goers attitudes.

The lineup has always been varied and as many others above have already stated this diversity is what makes reading the BEST festival.

The oppurtunity to walk a couple of 100 meters and be able to watch punk, metal, indie and dance is unbelieavable and in my opinion unparalleled

in other festivals (yes that does include glasto).

The problem is the lineup year on year has become increaingly indie-centric to the detriment of the other musical genres.

In 99 friday was ROCK, Saturday INDIE and sunday METAL of course there were other mini festivals ongoing the dance tent/punk day and various

standout examples of other genres that met the musical tastes of the times (im looking at you eminem), but the proposed new lineup does indeed

read like the cover to NME not ROCKSOUND,NME,METAL HAMMER.

In my humble opinion the headliners of reading festival should stick to the above formula the sunday being possible METAL/CLASSIC

(I.e AC/DC or metallica) who here wouldnt prefer this as the 3 headliners FOO FIGHTERS, Kings of Leon, Megadeath?? lower down we

have Klaxons,thursday,blink 182 etc etc

The second problem is the festival attendees themselves and i am convinced this is linked to the above concerns with the lineup,

it is almost too easy to suggest that the festival has become overrun by "chavs" where once i could walk through brown 3 and hear

megadeath,NIN,black sabbath playing see an aging iron maiden fan in a metal studded jean jacket and multiple coloured mohawk punks

all drinking heavily sitting round a damn good fire and laughing. I NOW witness burberry capped YOBS jumping on tents, agressively

harrasing any woman in sight while listening to Dizee rascal.

Now while i personally do not like the musical styles of most of the indie/new rave/r&b/rap etc scenes i do not mind shareing the festival with them

the problem comes from their attitudes towards others and general rudeness, idiotic actions such as the recent trend to try and create downtown basra IRAQ

by blowing up camping gas cannisters this is unacceptable hopefully to all of us.

Maybe im getting too old for all this (28) maybe quieter festivals like download are now more to my tastes (yes i do realise the irony in calling download quiet)

Im considering a change to sonisphere in the hopes i can leave the annoying crowd behind, but this just grates against me that i am being forced out of MY festival

Id just like to add to all those who are going to reply with "u sux lx3r, n3w rav3 4eve5" dont bother, enjoy your music, enjoy society dont ruin it. Eventually you will be me.

[ilovemaiden]

I can understand where you are coming from, but I reckon its society today, and the ratio of people that have a negative effect on a festival is increasing, so hence some are bound to start liking indie and rock etc..

p.s Megadeth are not big enough to headline

[beLIEveR]

Last year we didnt know about tenacious D.

[benisright]

Forgot about that one.

In fairness they were rumoured very early on (in the sort of way Green Day/ AC/DC were this year) but it was assumed they would have to headline, and the rumours died early because it was clear they wouldn't be. Was a genuine shock when they were announced though, gotta conceed that. I suppose this completely negates my argument, but we knew the general trend of what bands we'd be seeing by that stage.

There's rarely smoke without fire, and a lot of the noise does hint at the lineup going a certain way, although the details are unusually lacking. Here's hoping the noise turns out to be just that, and normal service is resumed on 30th March.

Edited March 12, 2009 by benisright

[harper11]

who wants to see the same old 50 year olds in bands like iron maiden every other year

there just arent any current decent metal bands capable of headlining

people talk as if reading has an ancient tradition of always doing the same thing

[Budweiser]

who wants to see the same old 50 year olds in bands like iron maiden every other year

[kaosmark2]

Better than watching Razorshite or RHCP.