Why don't we know the lineup...?

[Mr Ploppy]

Hi folks.

Now I want to ask a SERIOUS question and hope not to get the obligatory 'just wait' replies.

I would be going to Glasto anyway and even I was not - the headliners would have been enough to convince me. Nothing that IS or IS NOT confirmed will disappoint me in the slightest...

however... 3 things to consider...

1) Loads of other festivals are regularly confirming artists.

2) The re-sale for Glasto dupes and cancellations has finished.

3) A friend in a band that is playing Glasto tells me "glastonbury is already fully booked".

Now considering point 3 mainly - why can't we be told who is actually playing?

If everything apart from the performance times is set in stone - then when not tell us a bunch more?

ta.

Mr Ploppy

(PS) The info from the band playing is VERY trustworthy.

(and finally) Not 'BOOK ROLF' but 'I HOPE THEY HAVE ALREADY BOOKED ROLF'!!!!

[crimsonking]

They never do announce the full line-up until about a month before, may be wrong but think it may be some contractual thing with Q magazine so the get exclusivity etc.

[Mr Ploppy]

They never do announce the full line-up until about a month before, may be wrong but think it may be some contractual thing with Q magazine so the get exclusivity etc.

[richybear]

The full lineup has always been confirmed at the start of june for as far as i can remember so it's nothing new, one year they did'nt confirm anything, had to wait till we got there to look in the program

[pezzypops]

The full lineup has always been confirmed at the start of june for as far as i can remember so it's nothing new, one year they did'nt confirm anything, had to wait till we got there to look in the program

Edited April 7, 2009 by pezzypops

[kohoutec]

The full lineup has always been confirmed at the start of june for as far as i can remember so it's nothing new, one year they did'nt confirm anything, had to wait till we got there to look in the program

[givememoney]

yeah know what you mean!

[sungubala]

3) A friend in a band that is playing Glasto tells me "glastonbury is already fully booked".

[richybear]

...And thousands of people shouted out in despair as one "Not the f**king Stereophonics"

[Mr Ploppy]

Im not disputing your friends honesty and trustworthiness, but that simply isn't true.

Each area of Glastonbury is booked seperately - from the dance village, to the main stages to the theatre and circus fields. Your friend may be playing in one area which is fully booked, but the rest arent.

For example, as many of you know we are playing at Glastonbury this summer. But I have a close friend who is booking an act in another area - they are still discussing contractual terms. Nothign is confirmed yet.

I have no idea when the full lineup is complete by, I'm sure Neil will be able to shed more light on that than me...I only usually worry about our own booking! Id imagine it would be not that far before the full lineup is released.

[pedmills]

Its probably part of the sponsorship contracts that Q get to publish the lineup first. If we knew all the acts already less people would buy copies of the magazine.

Obviously the headliners are released early but I think they allow a few acts to be released to ensure quick ticket sales but keep most unconfirmed until the main announcement.

Also by the time the full lineup comes out the stages and times will be more solid. It would confuse people if loads of names were released without stages or times, or if loads of later changes were made.

Plus it reduces ticket refunds. If most of the lineup was released before the refund deadline there would inevitably be some idiots who don't like the lineup refunding their tickets. Obviously they could bring the deadline date forward but they have got to give people with valid reasons enough time to get refunds.

[scaryclaireyfairy]

given the money glasto pays bands will be peanuts compared to other fests, maybe there is a lot of chopping and changing of the bill right up to the last minute...? bands getting slots at well-paid euro festivals etc and rearranging tour plans? just a thought.

[jameshunt]

The line-up won't even be complete yet.

[Moon Monkey]

I don't think they should of released any of the line up.

Seems worse this year waiting because most people have had their tickets a while now rather than just getting them in april

[stuartbert two hats]

I understand the issues, but it was great last year, being able to discover all these new bands on Myspace before going to the festival. For example, I'd heard of Battles before getting tickets, but when I heard they were playing I checked out more of their tunes and they were a festival highlight last year. Even though there were some small errors in the lineup, it was still better than relying rumours from here or the Gorge.

I really wish they'd release more of the acts.

[lievepaula]

I thought that it's also to give the 'smaller' bands a chance to sell tickets for other gigs they are doing..?

Edited April 7, 2009 by lievepaula

[lievepaula]

?

Edited April 7, 2009 by lievepaula

[TheBoyInTheBubble]

It's surely also about getting free press coverage for their event. Glastonbury now stays in the music press basically all year long. Do you see Reading/Leeds, V or T getting that sort of coverage? The more the festival gets mentioned, the more it's worth sponsors (and let's not get into the sponsorship argument) providing the festival with the funding which helps subsidise all the funky bits which make Glastonbury as close to perfect as you can get without a comfortable bed and shower and air-conditioning/heating.

I think I'd actually be disappointed if I found out the line up now. I mean I'd get that moment of excitement which will come whenever I see the listing in Q, but I'd lose out on the two months of will they/won't they. Plus it's far better to have hope that people will or won't play rather than knowledge that they definitely aren't (or definitely are and thus mean you're going to get aural-torture whilst keeping your spec for Neil Young/Bruce Springsteen/Blur).

[pezzypops]

I understand the issues, but it was great last year, being able to discover all these new bands on Myspace before going to the festival. For example, I'd heard of Battles before getting tickets, but when I heard they were playing I checked out more of their tunes and they were a festival highlight last year. Even though there were some small errors in the lineup, it was still better than relying rumours from here or the Gorge.

I really wish they'd release more of the acts.

Edited April 7, 2009 by pezzypops

[bombfrog]

the rumours page here will have 98% of the acts before the lineup is announced

[kohoutec]

Exactly, we always have a very good idea of who's playing before the line-up comes out, especially the bigger acts.

Which is exactly why those people saying "how can you complain about the line-up, it hasn't even been announced yet" are wrong.

[tylerdurden]

.

Edited April 7, 2009 by tylerdurden

[LostRiot]

I would love it if they didn't tell you anything and you just waited till you saw the program.

Its not like the line up in any way effects whether i go or not, and suspense is always good.

[Neville Street]

The "tradition" of most of the line up not being available until June Q magazine is not that old. Many years ago there would be posters in record shops promoting the event with many many acts named on them and these posters would appear months before the event to help sell tickets.

There are plenty of people on these boards who will remember knowing most of the line up well in advance and leaving buying the ticket until a week before once the weather looked ok, or even buying a ticket in a record shop in Shepton Mallet/Wells/Glastonbury. We bought our 87 tickets in a record shop in Cardiff.

I think a lot of the reasons given are valid, and I also think the "name" bands have their own shows to sell, which has been mentioned elsewhere. The three main headliners have sold out their main shows of the summer, but perhaps others haven't and don't want themselves "confirmed" in case some of the 137,500 of us with Glastonbury tickets don't buy a ticket for their standalone show.

[daveinafield]

The "tradition" of most of the line up not being available until June Q magazine is not that old. Many years ago there would be posters in record shops promoting the event with many many acts named on them and these posters would appear months before the event to help sell tickets.

There are plenty of people on these boards who will remember knowing most of the line up well in advance and leaving buying the ticket until a week before once the weather looked ok, or even buying a ticket in a record shop in Shepton Mallet/Wells/Glastonbury. We bought our 87 tickets in a record shop in Cardiff.

I think a lot of the reasons given are valid, and I also think the "name" bands have their own shows to sell, which has been mentioned elsewhere. The three main headliners have sold out their main shows of the summer, but perhaps others haven't and don't want themselves "confirmed" in case some of the 137,500 of us with Glastonbury tickets don't buy a ticket for their standalone show.