go to download/sonisphere

[thomasowen]

I can't be bothered to give a detailed acount of what I think, but I will say I hate Slipknot as much aa the next man but I read an interview with Corey Tailor (I think that's his name) and he came across really well. I would also argue with anyone that says Jack Penate is a festival favourite - he was shocking last year and shouuld not be welcomed back!

Also you have to remember that Reading and Leeds gets more exclusives than it's other major, commercial rivals and always has some variety.

Edited July 13, 2009 by thomasowen

[beLIEveR]

Also you have to remember that Reading and Leeds gets more exclusives than it's other major, commercial rivals and always has some variety.

[dunny]

If you want indie/pop **** off to Glasto/V fest ...........

[thomasowen]

Was the word "commercial" edited in so as to exclude Glastonbury?

[Lithium05]

If I did I probably would go to V. I don't understand why metal heads get offended by being told to go to Download or Sonisphere - if they like Metal it's the obvious place to go.

[MEGABOWL]

Some of those would be repeats from 2007/08.

[MEGABOWL]

If you want indie/pop **** off to Glasto/V fest ...........

[beLIEveR]

If I did I probably would go to V. I don't understand why metal heads get offended by being told to go to Download or Sonisphere - if they like Metal it's the obvious place to go.

Edited July 13, 2009 by beLIEveR

[thetime]

Where's dougal?

[Benj]

God this is boring.

You don't like the line up, who cares, stop crying like a baby. ooooh bloc party again wah wah f**king wah

You may like next years, you may not.

People have to realise that the line up isn't booked for them, or their close circle of mates, who all spit on the NME. If you think the festival has moved on from what you think/ want, move on yourself. It really is that simple, you either think the ticket is good value or you don't.

[beLIEveR]

God this is boring.

You don't like the line up, who cares, stop crying like a baby. ooooh bloc party again wah wah f**king wah

You may like next years, you may not.

People have to realise that the line up isn't booked for them, or their close circle of mates, who all spit on the NME. If you think the festival has moved on from what you think/ want, move on yourself. It really is that simple, you either think the ticket is good value or you don't.

Edited July 14, 2009 by beLIEveR

[rivalschools.price]

God this is boring.

You don't like the line up, who cares, stop crying like a baby. ooooh bloc party again wah wah f**king wah

You may like next years, you may not.

People have to realise that the line up isn't booked for them, or their close circle of mates, who all spit on the NME. If you think the festival has moved on from what you think/ want, move on yourself. It really is that simple, you either think the ticket is good value or you don't.

[Benj]

u might need to take your own advice.if you dont like these threads,dont read them.ha ha

[beLIEveR]

They all seem to start of vaguely interesting but always end up banging the same dull points deeper and deeper into your slowly rotting brain.

[pink_triangle]

4. The festival has evolved. Get over it. There has only been one constant throughout Reading's history, and that is that it's diverse. Regardless of which way it goes, if it becomes less diverse, that is a serious step back.

[beLIEveR]

If I was booking a festival for my own music tastes I would agree with you. However from the organisers point of view how would you persuade them that more diversity makes more money in their pocket. Looking at festivals today (apart from glastonbury which is a bit of an exception) it appears the more diverse a festival is the less money it makes. From a business point of view why should they make the fesitval more diverse. To them it doenst matter whether you or me go to another festival as long as someone will take our place. Its hard to fault the business model.

I can't question the current business model, if this year is to be considered a "blip" on the diversity front.

But in general, FR's business model is diversity. The result has been a wider range of people who would consider buying R/L tickets than for any other British festival, and thus no difficulty in selling those tickets despite the variation of bands at the top of the bill from year to year.

The best way I can think to explain this is that if you had Metallica on the bill at V, I don't think it would sell out. I'm not suggesting that Reading is going the way of V, because that would be a very ignorant and misinformed view, but the point to that comparison is that if the lineup goes more and more in one direction (ANY one direction), they are narrowing the pool of people who would be interested in buying tickets.

I'll add a sixth question to my drunkenly started FAQ, which finishes this post off nicely I think.

6. The festival sells out every year, why would it matter to them? They need to maintain demand. Reading's (sorry Leeds goers, R/L just gets on my tits, feel free to use Leeds in your responses) prices are rising at a faster rate than just about anyone else's. They can get away with this because they have a wider range of potential buyers than most others, I would argue even above Glastonbury. This base is bigger because over a number of years it has tried to be all things to all people (pleasing some more than others from year to year, but maintaining a balance). While diversity costs a bit more, the benefits of having more potential customers is far bigger. If you end up with a 10% increase in band costs, but this allows you to annually increase your revenue by 10%, your profits are actually increasing. Not to mention that other costs (such as staff, security, construction costs etc) are rising, but certainly aren't rising at anything like 10%.

[Matticus]

i think its not the fact that bloc party are playing and people dislike them, people are a bit annoyed at what seems like very unimaginative booking. smaller bands on the smaller stages then maybe, but to have a band as a main support to the headliner play so many years in a row is a bit of a joke.

[tombenj]

i think its not the fact that bloc party are playing and people dislike them, people are a bit annoyed at what seems like very unimaginative booking. smaller bands on the smaller stages then maybe, but to have a band as a main support to the headliner play so many years in a row is a bit of a joke.

[beLIEveR]

Couldn't have put it better myself on the Bloc Party front. I happen to dislike them, but people were also rightly bored of the Foos, and to a (slightly) lesser extent the Subways (I say this simply because they're not as big).

Incidentally I did go to see the Subways most times, but two of those were completely by chance (they played after Panic got bottled in 2006, and they played after a good main stage opening and before a four hour gap between any bands I watched last year.

The only time turned up knowing I was definately watching them was in 2005.

As for the "people don't go every year comment", I disagree. In my experience most people either go once and never again (more often than not because they simply didn't enjoy the experience), or go three to four years in a row, and then decide they've outgrown festivals.

[thetime]

when did festivals get so bloody serious?

[beLIEveR]

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLZZZZZZZZZZZZZ AT THE WUM. xxx

[rivalschools.price]

How childish.

You sound like the older generation who still go to Ibiza, yet moan all the time as it's 'now full of young people and not as peaceful as it was back in the 70s'. As I said in the other thread, Reading has never been a metal or rock festival, it's a popular music festival. If it doesn't cater to your personal taste, then tough crap. Don't throw your toys out the pram over it.

[midnightradio]

one question-if i want heavier bands,all day sessions on the beer and want a livelier band than radiohead to finish the festival on sunday,why on earth would i be the sort of person who would complain that ibiza isnt as peaceful as it used to be??????????

[rivalschools.price]

Talk about missing the point...