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

[yasgursfarmhand]

Isn't also a big part of it the contractual agreements between the other festivals and the bands.

From what I have heard the big spenders IOW, V, Reading get the bands to agree not to release news of other dates until their slots have been announced at those festivals and tickets released ie: getting those fans to buy the tickets for their festival as opposed to having a choice of two or three. From what i can tell Neil Young's people,IOW and Hyde Park Calling all had a problem with this earlier this year. This is in exchange for the squillions of your English pounds that they get paid.

From what in can gather, Glastonbury pays the bands less and traditionally "sells itself" (last year being the exception), without the need to announce the bands. As they pay a lot less, they can agree to non-disclosure agreements until a certain time. I don't think Q's contract with be worth enough to prevent disclosure. I would guess it's the bands management.

The positives of playing at Glastonbury for a band however are immeasurable. It is a place where legends are made. Think Pulp in 1998. A band can be made or revived by a good performance at GF. Even a big selling artist will see a sales spike after GF, Look at Jay-Z's figures last year.

[sungubala]

I hear ya.

Well, all I will say it that this friend who has the booking made some late enquiries for an associated band. He was on the phone to the Glastonbury booking office and there were discussing with him that the festival is fully booked.

I was there when he took the call and I got the gist of it but it was only when the call ended did he explain about there being no more 'slots' avaiable this year.

So, thats my experience of the fully booked situation.

To everyone that replied and remarked that it is announced late and is like that every year - well thanks for the replies - but I know. My question is why leave it so late and I still have not heard any valid or semi-valid reason for doing this.

Maybe Neil can answer?

Cheers all!

Mr Ploppy

[daveinafield]

Fair enough, but I'm still pretty much certain that the festival is not fully booked yet. Hell we still may need to dot the i's and cross the t's on the contract. I let others deal with that though!

[sjhande]

when will you tell us who you are? anyone guessed right yet?

[ericlered]

It's not a tradition at all (well not long term), they only started this keeping the lineup a "secret" in about 1997 or 1998 or so, i have just been throwing out old stashes of NME's from the early to mid 90's where the lineup was advertised full page style like the other big festivals from january onwards in those years

edit:n i didn't read the rest of page 2 and realise i was beaten to this point

Edited April 9, 2009 by ericlered

[grumpyhack]

I've got mixed feelings about the line up being announced in advance.

I'd go anyway, regardless of the lineup (assuming I manage to get a ticket) and the great thing about Glasto is that a lot of people have the same attitude. They are there for the festival as a whole and not just to see their favourite band.

If you announce the line up before ticket sales you'll get lots of fans who only are interested in a handful of bands.

That said, it does add to the anticipation if you know that some of your all time favourties will be playing.

[sungubala]

He/ she is either a wind up or also on at Latitude. They're dropping the same "we've been booked" mails on the "Other festivals" forum as well.

Some ego...

[sifi]

What started off as an innocent inquiry on here turned into a bit of a witchhunt!

[Chazeboy]

A witchhunt you say? That's refreshing. Normally we go in for lynching around these parts.

[sifi]

did i hear lynching

ill get me pitchfork and rope

who we after!!!!

[The Nal]

Some witches or something. I don't know. Failing that, Oasis fans are always a good target.

[sifi]

And Radiohead fans. I mean the uber fans.

Edited April 9, 2009 by sifimaster

[grandadcollective]

Yes I am playing at Latitude as well. As for the ego, that is pretty non-existant. What started off as an innocent inquiry on here turned into a bit of a witchhunt!

[sungubala]

Is that a Royal 'we' or are you that guy I had the misfortune to catch 2mins of in a cafe ('Service with a holier than thou attitude and a dirty thumb nail in your egg bap' I think it was called)in the green field last year who kept asking everyone to please be quiet and informing everyone that there was no trickery involved and that the utter pap issuing forth was all from his mouth (Imagine a really bad, up his own arse Bobby McFerrin impersonator and your still not even close!).

If it is you I thought you were ace, where are you playing?

[Wanderlei]

I understand what the TS is saying. Glasto has sold all the tickets now. They have nothing to gain by keeping the line-up a secret.

Perhaps they think if they announce everything now it'll take away a lot of the suspense. Whereas if they announce the full lineup closer to the date it will give the whole festival a jolt just before it takes place.

It'd be interesting to know the official reasoning behind it.

[Chazeboy]

I understand what the TS is saying. Glasto has sold all the tickets now. They have nothing to gain by keeping the line-up a secret.

Perhaps they think if they announce everything now it'll take away a lot of the suspense. Whereas if they announce the full lineup closer to the date it will give the whole festival a jolt just before it takes place.

It'd be interesting to know the official reasoning behind it.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Chazeboy

[Wanderlei]

Probably lol.

[MieleBee]

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

[ericlered]

Exactly what I was thinking. People talk about it as if it's a new thing they have started doing but I'm pretty sure that even back in the 90's when I first started going the announcement was made in Q in the june issue. Even though you could still buy tickets up to a week beforehand it would always be officially announced about a month before. Of course there are always the leaked information of some of the headliners but you always had your ticket before knowing who was playing.

[Spider43]

I agree with the OP.

The ticket's are sold, it's a music & arts festival, I don't think it's unreasonable to let us know who is going to be performing once the deadline for ticket returns passes.

Obviously don't know the contractual situations but can't imagine that anyone playing is going to be 100% unique at festivals this year so would that affect stand alone sales for the big bands? Smaller bands would probably appreciate the publicity which is why you find them self confirming on my space...

I know it doesn't really matter as we all have a ticket and will have the best five days regardless of who is playing but I know i'm going to have dinner every day, sometimes I like to know in advance what I'm going to have... Maybe that was a shit analogy but you get the picture!!

[grandadcollective]

We being the band

That act sounds incredibly entertaining...unfortunately I missed it!

So no, sorry to upset you buy I have no idea whether he's playing again this year!

[tazzyb]

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

[Tim2006]

Apologies if it's already been mentioned somewhere but what date does the June issue of Q magazine normally come out?

[Pilton]

I hear ya.

Well, all I will say it that this friend who has the booking made some late enquiries for an associated band. He was on the phone to the Glastonbury booking office and there were discussing with him that the festival is fully booked.

I was there when he took the call and I got the gist of it but it was only when the call ended did he explain about there being no more 'slots' avaiable this year.

So, thats my experience of the fully booked situation.

To everyone that replied and remarked that it is announced late and is like that every year - well thanks for the replies - but I know. My question is why leave it so late and I still have not heard any valid or semi-valid reason for doing this.

Maybe Neil can answer?

Cheers all!

Mr Ploppy

[m_bantam]

I remember buying the guardian earlier than june last year! and the linup being announced a lot earlier!

Just been searching through the website and hey presto

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/apr/2...bury.festivals1

April 29th!!

if the same is to go by...it'll mean only two and a bit weeks wait!