Clearly a huge change in FR's target demographic.

[Explosions_In_The_Sky]

I'm sorry, but if anyone still wants to moan that this festival is 'too indie' or just for the 'nme reading fashionable wellies crowd', then they are plain ignorant. The organizers this year have clearly gone for the punk/harder rock crowd. It's everywhere. All over the main stage, makes up the best part of a few days in the R1/FR tents and has two whole days on one stage devoted to it.

IE. Fall out boy, deftones, ffaf, new found glory, alexisonfire, madina lake, sonic boom six, enter shikari, fightstar, the living end, lost prophets, AFI, gallows, in case of fire, broadway calls, the blackout, bring me the horizon, atreyu and of course all of the Lock Up. That's just for starters, I haven't even began listening to most of the FR bands yet.

I think Reading is going more towards the download/sonisphere direction, and less towards the V/Glastonbury end of the spectrum as it has in recent years. Quite frustrating for someone like me, who although I have liked a few of those bands over my teenage years, have, as most do, come to grow out of them.

Still a good line up (Sunday from brand new is immense), but I'm beginning to agree with those who argued that the line up lacked variety. Whilst many decided to label loads of bands they weren't interested in as 'indie' and slate the line up, at least those bands are musically varied. A lot of the bands above just pump out the same sound, it's impossible to tell their guitar tones, vocals or lyrics apart.*

*I realise that's a tad unfair to Deftones, who are in fact quite a distinctive and far reaching act.

Edited June 10, 2009 by Explosions_In_The_Sky

[thomasowen]

I'm sorry, but if anyone still wants to moan that this festival is 'too indie' or just for the 'nme reading fashionable wellies crowd', then they are plain ignorant. The organizers this year have clearly gone for the punk/harder rock crowd. It's everywhere. All over the main stage, makes up the best part of a few days in the R1/FR tents and has two whole days on one stage devoted to it.

IE. Fall out boy, deftones, ffaf, new found glory, alexisonfire, madina lake, sonic boom six, enter shikari, fightstar, the living end, lost prophets, AFI, gallows, in case of fire, broadway calls, the blackout, bring me the horizon, atreyu and of course all of the Lock Up. That's just for starters, I haven't even began listening to most of the FR bands yet.

I think Reading is going more towards the download/sonisphere direction, and less towards the V/Glastonbury end of the spectrum as it has in recent years. Quite frustrating for someone like me, who although I have liked a few of those bands over my teenage years, have, as most come to grow out of them.

Still a good line up, but I'm beginning to agree with those who argued that the line up lacked variety. Whilst many decided to label loads of bands they weren't interested in as 'indie' and slate the line up, at least those bands are musically varied. A lot of the bands above just pump out the same sound, it's impossible to tell their guitar tones, vocals or lyrics apart.

[Explosions_In_The_Sky]

I'm more inclinded to agree with this than the people saying the complete oposite, but I personaly believe there hasn't been a swing either way. They get the acts they can when they can and I don't see a major difference between this or any other year in the past 5.

Edited June 10, 2009 by Explosions_In_The_Sky

[pigshair123]

where abouts in oxford do you live?

[thomasowen]

Come on Thomas, they are playing it very safe this year, much more than others. Remember, once the initial weekend tickets go (fairly quick), the objective of unveiling the rest of the lineup is to shift day tickets.

They may as well brand it 'my first festival' what with all the 14/15 year olds that are going to be enticed by such day tickets for the Kerrang TV friendly line up. The weekend tickets sold on the strength of Radiohead, Kings Of Leon, Arctics (and the fact it's Reading) and they're trying to entice in the day ticketers by quite cleverly going after a specific demographic. Quite frustrating for weekend ticket holders who announcement after announcement get a wave of acts who sound very similar to a load from the last announcement.

You look through the past five years and there is nowhere near that amount of coverage of such music. It's only last year that it began to infiltrate the Carling Stage. The R1 as well in recent years has been pretty devoid of it. I understand a lot of teenage specific rock (I refuse to call it 'emo' although most of you will) is popular, but in recent years it has been confined to it's own stage (Lock Up) and select positions on the main stage.

It's everywhere this year.

Edited June 10, 2009 by thomasowen

[Explosions_In_The_Sky]

The headliners chose themselves this year, I don't think it was a case of playing safe, rather just chosing the headliners people wanted to see (and they were Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, Acdc and Green day by an overwhelming majority and two of those weren't available.)

Looking at the rest of the lineup I think the main stage this year is much more eclectic and varied than last year although perhaps the other stages, particuarly the FR stage are less so (but I still think there are good lineups on all stages despite this)

I think the orginizers couldn't book big metal acts and got very worried when they saw a few ignorant idiots moaning that there wasn't a big heavy headliner and so over compensated by putting two heavy headliners on the NME stage,2 days of lock up and a FR day pretty much dedicated to heavier acts. So in that sense I agree they have apealed to the fans of heavier music rather than the fans of more diverse music. And at the same time booked acts very simular to Arctic Monkeys as well to keep their fans happy, again at the expense of more diverse acts.

But it's such a hard thing to keep all sides happy, just look on here at the posts arguing there isn't ENOUGH metal. That is why I think this year they have made a well rounded lineup, and as I say it changes year to year with the ratio of genres they get.

Edited June 10, 2009 by Explosions_In_The_Sky

[hearing_aid]

I see what your saying but I don't think it is a huge shift, maybe a small one. I think the mainstage is and headliners is still the reason the majority of people go, for good or for bad. Maybe with the day tickets they have concentrated on a certain demographic but that is possibly to do with the 'Indie' crowd being catared for with the mainstage and the headliners. I would still say if you did a survry of V festival goers and Download goers many more V headliers would say they would like to go to Reading.

[inspectedinspector]

I think your missing the point that many people with eclectic music tastes and tastes predominantly in rock music don't hold half of those bands as being credible heavier bands, therefore they don't tick the check box as it is.

The lock-up arguement is invalid in my opinion, I'd be willing to bet the crowd who spend their entire weekend in the lock up hate the likes of BMTH, Madina Lake etc. And are perfectly justified to do so, especially if they infiltrated their stage.

[KingOfTheRodeo]

I'm sorry, but if anyone still wants to moan that this festival is 'too indie' or just for the 'nme reading fashionable wellies crowd', then they are plain ignorant. The organizers this year have clearly gone for the punk/harder rock crowd. It's everywhere. All over the main stage, makes up the best part of a few days in the R1/FR tents and has two whole days on one stage devoted to it.

IE. Fall out boy, deftones, ffaf, new found glory, alexisonfire, madina lake, sonic boom six, enter shikari, fightstar, the living end, lost prophets, AFI, gallows, in case of fire, broadway calls, the blackout, bring me the horizon, atreyu and of course all of the Lock Up. That's just for starters, I haven't even began listening to most of the FR bands yet.

I think Reading is going more towards the download/sonisphere direction, and less towards the V/Glastonbury end of the spectrum as it has in recent years. Quite frustrating for someone like me, who although I have liked a few of those bands over my teenage years, have, as most do, come to grow out of them.

Still a good line up (Sunday from brand new is immense), but I'm beginning to agree with those who argued that the line up lacked variety. Whilst many decided to label loads of bands they weren't interested in as 'indie' and slate the line up, at least those bands are musically varied. A lot of the bands above just pump out the same sound, it's impossible to tell their guitar tones, vocals or lyrics apart.*

*I realise that's a tad unfair to Deftones, who are in fact quite a distinctive and far reaching act.

[tohellweride]

Reading festival has a good mix of musical tastes for everyone, probably the best all-rounded festival in my opinion. You may have mentioned all the alt-rock, hard rock bands that are playing but there are equally as may indie/soft bands as well. Look at Sunday main stage for example.

[she bangs the drums]

I'm sorry, but if anyone still wants to moan that this festival is 'too indie' or just for the 'nme reading fashionable wellies crowd', then they are plain ignorant. The organizers this year have clearly gone for the punk/harder rock crowd. It's everywhere. All over the main stage, makes up the best part of a few days in the R1/FR tents and has two whole days on one stage devoted to it.

IE. Fall out boy, deftones, ffaf, new found glory, alexisonfire, madina lake, sonic boom six, enter shikari, fightstar, the living end, lost prophets, AFI, gallows, in case of fire, broadway calls, the blackout, bring me the horizon, atreyu and of course all of the Lock Up. That's just for starters, I haven't even began listening to most of the FR bands yet.

I think Reading is going more towards the download/sonisphere direction, and less towards the V/Glastonbury end of the spectrum as it has in recent years. Quite frustrating for someone like me, who although I have liked a few of those bands over my teenage years, have, as most do, come to grow out of them.

Still a good line up (Sunday from brand new is immense), but I'm beginning to agree with those who argued that the line up lacked variety. Whilst many decided to label loads of bands they weren't interested in as 'indie' and slate the line up, at least those bands are musically varied. A lot of the bands above just pump out the same sound, it's impossible to tell their guitar tones, vocals or lyrics apart.*

*I realise that's a tad unfair to Deftones, who are in fact quite a distinctive and far reaching act.

[Explosions_In_The_Sky]

I think your missing the point that many people with eclectic music tastes and tastes predominantly in rock music don't hold half of those bands as being credible heavier bands, therefore they don't tick the check box as it is.

The lock-up arguement is invalid in my opinion, I'd be willing to bet the crowd who spend their entire weekend in the lock up hate the likes of BMTH, Madina Lake etc. And are perfectly justified to do so, especially if they infiltrated their stage.

Edited June 10, 2009 by Explosions_In_The_Sky

[thomasowen]

I think you are trying to wind people up

Sorry but the majoirty of those bands you have quoted are certainly not punk or harder bands.

Fall Out Boy, Lostprophets, Madina Lake, Fightstar, The Blackout, Bring me the Horizon are all pop bands who are just as interested in there looks as the music and certainly not the bands that the regulars who enjoy heavier music would want to be playing.

There are lots more NME bummed bands The View, Arctics, Gossip, White Lies, Courteeners, Vampire Weekend, Crystal Castles, Macabees, Glasvegas, Freindly Fires, Florence and the Machines, The Horrors plus all the new bands for this year The Chapman family etc.

The line up is full of the NME bands to follow from the last few years.

[robsadler]

Many people who complain about too much 'indie' on the lineup say that it all apeals to the same people - a simular argument COULD be used here, though I hate generalising. Those bands are not heavy but they will apeal to the same audience and that is the point Eits is making.

[tomdsjames]

Everyone should just be greatful that we don't have the V Fest line up.

[Bradders]

I do think the FR stage has shifted massively since it changed from Carling. It seemed alot more underground and up-and-coming "indie". It was always the stage I spent most of my time at, this year though there's about 3 bands I want to see, it's just overflow from the NME and "emo".

[scottt]

The majority of complaints where from peopel who weren't happy when compared to Metallica, Rage, Pearl jam headlining in recent years.

How bands like Fightstar, madina lake, fall ot boy, BMTH, youmeatsix broadway calls are relevant to these people i have no idea

[beLIEveR]

What scott said.

The crux of your argument seems to be that as these bands are a little heavier than the others, they're all going to appeal to "hardcore/punk" fans.

Horseshit.

[JakusMaximus]

I get what you're saying, but this has got nothing to do with the people complaining about the "indie" line up as we also hate all those bands aswell! Please do not lump BMTH and fall out boy into the same catagory as deftones and faith no more - In my opinion the line up is full of shit rock and shit indie with a few decent indie bands and a few decent rock bands, the amount of shit rock is just as annoying to me as the amount of shit indie.

[scottt]

I get what you're saying, but this has got nothing to do with the people complaining about the "indie" line up as we also hate all those bands aswell! Please do not lump BMTH and fall out boy into the same catagory as deftones and faith no more - In my opinion the line up is full of shit rock and shit indie with a few decent indie bands and a few decent rock bands, the amount of shit rock is just as annoying to me as the amount of shit indie.

[rivalschools.price]

i cant believe you lot are biting.its obviously a wind up in response to the 'no metal' threads.then again,technically ive fallen for it as well by replying myself,ha ha.

[pigshair123]

and yet my question still goes unanswered

[she bangs the drums]

i cant believe you lot are biting.its obviously a wind up in response to the 'no metal' threads.then again,technically ive fallen for it as well by replying myself,ha ha.

[JakusMaximus]

Sorry i think Rock werchter may have err ya know, just clinched that one?

[VCK]

If you think this year is surprisingly heavy you clearly haven't checked the pre-2006 line-ups.