2011 Lineup

[Tigerdragon]

Because Beady Eye & Dance give a better alternative than Jane's Addiction to people who aren't into the heavier music side of the festival. Beady Eye are too similar to The Strokes/Pulp.

If your a rock fan over 18 & don't want to see MCR, Beady Eye or any of the dance then you'll have something to watch on Saturday ® rather than the indie but at least some rock that night.

Like it or lump it really. You're going to get your heavier music on the Main Stage one day, so it's stupid to have two competing rock line ups. Better to have a completely different alternatively.

You're obviously not going to please everyone (as you yourself are having a moan) but better to have diversity to spread the crowds.

Edited April 19, 2011 by Tigerdragon

[Delicate Balance]

I really don't understand this obsession people seem to have with regards to not wanting to see My Chemical Romance. It seems like people care more about having an 'ideal' alternative act headlining a different stage on the Friday, and are being blinded by that to such an extent that they dont care what gives the weekend as a whole the best balance.

The My Chemical Romance hate I find ridiculous as well. I don't really like them personally but nothing else really appeals to me instead so I may check them out to see if they can put on a good show. It seems like all the hate comes from the stigma of being attached to the emo scene. I'm guessing most of the people moaning would be happy with a more credible band even if they didn't like their music personally which I find strange. I could say more about this but it isn't really the main point I'm making.

The Lockup is a punk stage and the day with the most punk acts is clearly the Friday so it would make sense for it to run Saturday/Sunday. Whilst moving it to Friday might appease some of the anger over booking a polarising act like My Chemical Romance, it would mean a whole day full of clashes and then another day with very little if any punk at all. As it stands I feel there is a nice balance across the whole weekend.

Yes the headliners are important but surely 3 days full of music with a range of styles across the different stages is more important. As I've said there isn't really one act that jumps out at me to close the Friday and I'm sure lots of other people have a similar situations, but I've had similar situations in the past and I've still loved the festival. The headliner is only 1 band of many on each stage and is not the be all and end all of each day.

There isn't another festival in the UK I know of that provides a mix of rock, indie, metal, punk and dance like Reading does so we should be happy for the diversity. It is going to mean that at times there isn't something you don't like. Sometimes it will be the headline slot but I don't think its really that important.

[mrtourette]

Because Beady Eye & Dance give a better alternative than Jane's Addiction to people who aren't into the heavier music side of the festival. Beady Eye are too similar to The Strokes/Pulp.

If your a rock fan over 18 & don't want to see MCR, Beady Eye or any of the dance then you'll have something to watch on Saturday ® rather than the indie but at least some rock that night.

Like it or lump it really. You're going to get your heavier music on the Main Stage one day, so it's stupid to have two competing rock line ups. Better to have a completely different alternatively.

You're obviously not going to please everyone (as you yourself are having a moan) but better to have diversity to spread the crowds.

[kev1664]

I think you've kind of missed his/her point. I might be wrong but I think (s)he was suggesting

MCR (rock light)

Jane's Addiction (rock Alt)

Dance Tent (dance Alt)

The Horrors (indie alt)

Which keeps the whole Friday balanced and open now the lock up has been moved. Especially with the more dancey nature of the NME Sunday.

While Saturday would now have (With moved lockup)

Strokes/Pulp (indie)

Beady Eye (alternative choice)

Lockup headliner (Rock)

The Midnight Beast (hmm)

It redresses the Friday which now really lacks for any fans of rock music while the Saturday offers them the lockup which would have traditionally balanced MCR. Remembering of course this is traditionally a rock and indie festival, not a dance festival, would still be offering ample dance acts on two of the days (atleast as many as any other day) and is the same weekend as Creamfields (which caters if you want just dance).

It is at the very least a valid idea...

[mrtourette]

Janes addiction vs the strokes/pulp makes more sense than janes addiction vs MCR. Far too many people are using personal preference against MCR to cloud the fact that MCR/JA are more alike than Strokes & pulp/JA.

[kev1664]

Possibly, but too many people are using the the fact that MCR and Jane's Addiction could roughly fit into same genre/type as a reason that they shouldn't clash. The may be alike in some ways but those two bands will have a completely different fanbase, while The Strokes/Pulp/Jane's Addiction are far more likely to have the same fanbase and therefore people more bothered about that clash (and consequently no interest in the headliners on the MCR day).

[Bisque]

It redresses the Friday which now really lacks for any fans of rock music while the Saturday offers them the lockup which would have traditionally balanced MCR. Remembering of course this is traditionally a rock and indie festival, not a dance festival, would still be offering ample dance acts on two of the days (atleast as many as any other day) and is the same weekend as Creamfields (which caters if you want just dance).

It is at the very least a valid idea...

[mrtourette]

I think that is just a plucked out of the air opinion. I don't really like the Strokes but I do like Pulp MCR and Janes addiction.

Not that this argument means anything, but if you went to a hmv store it is more likely that you would find the CD's for MCR and JA in the same genre section which would be a different section from Pulp and the Strokes. Or to put it another way JA and MCR could play download or sonisphere where the Strokes and Pulp could(would) not.

[Tigerdragon]

I think the problem is less genre and who has similar fans more the two weakest headliners clashing. Inevitably going to leave lots of people in the lurch. Perhaps swapping muse and Mcr would have been a solution? In the same way gnr were reading friday last year. I think the undercards suit both too.

[kev1664]

How can it be a plucked out of the air opinion? I like The Strokes, Pulp and Jane's Addiction but I don't like MCR so it's just as valid as yours.

I'm sure when it comes down to genres they are more similar, but the fanbases would be different due to the age of the bands in question. Just because Pulp and Jane's Addiction are different genres (and it's not as if we're talking metal and trance here) doesn't mean that people can only like one of the bands, they've been around for a while and would have featured on the same festival line-ups, compilations CD's, music magazines, etc. Strokes are newer but have still been around long enough to crossover fanbases with Pulp and Jane's Addiction. I'd bet that here are more people intending to see The Strokes and Pulp pissed they're missing Jane's Addiction than there would be MCR fans. Fair enoough if you like both bands but I'd be surprised if there were many MCR fans interested in Jane's Addicition.

[timonweels]

i think beady eye were probably booked as a "safe" alternative to mcr, and to be fair, their album charted, NME is in love with them and they are selling tickets to their shows quite well.

I think fans of Beady eye are vastly under-represented on this forum, because their don't seem to be very many at all, and somebody bought their album... I don't think they'll be quite as polarizing as some people have predicted.

Personally, i hope they get a big crowd, because i don't want to see MCR, no matter how bad they might be, get bottled by asshats with nothing better to do on Friday night...

[Banana Co]

i think beady eye were probably booked as a "safe" alternative to mcr, and to be fair, their album charted, NME is in love with them and they are selling tickets to their shows quite well.

I think fans of Beady eye are vastly under-represented on this forum, because their don't seem to be very many at all, and somebody bought their album... I don't think they'll be quite as polarizing as some people have predicted.

Personally, i hope they get a big crowd, because i don't want to see MCR, no matter how bad they might be, get bottled by asshats with nothing better to do on Friday night...

[harderfaster]

i think beady eye were probably booked as a "safe" alternative to mcr, and to be fair, their album charted,

[timonweels]

Beady Eye shows are most likely only selling out because Liam Gallagher is part of them.

Edited April 19, 2011 by timonweels

[Tigerdragon]

The album has been bought by a good amount of people because of Liam. And they've heard it and gone, meh, some okay, take it or leave it. As far as I can tell there isn't really even one big hit that could draw casual fans. They're not going to be polarizing but nor are they captivating.

[mrtourette]

Once again you have used your dis-like for MCR to cloud judgement as to how fans can possibly like both MCR and JA. I am pissed off that I'll be missing JA for pulp and there will be others, but there is no doubting that MCR and JA are from the alternative music genre, although pretty far away, and I would guess that most of those MCR fans will be seeing JA saturday night and not the strokes or pulp.

[Guckeery]

You really can't compare MCR and Jane's Addiction just because they are dubbed 'alternate rock.' For a start Jane's helped invent that genre. And they are great...

[rivalschools.price]

I think you've kind of missed his/her point. I might be wrong but I think (s)he was suggesting

MCR (rock light)

Jane's Addiction (rock Alt)

Dance Tent (dance Alt)

The Horrors (indie alt)

Which keeps the whole Friday balanced and open now the lock up has been moved. Especially with the more dancey nature of the NME Sunday.

While Saturday would now have (With moved lockup)

Strokes/Pulp (indie)

Beady Eye (alternative choice)

Lockup headliner (Rock)

The Midnight Beast (hmm)

It redresses the Friday which now really lacks for any fans of rock music while the Saturday offers them the lockup which would have traditionally balanced MCR. Remembering of course this is traditionally a rock and indie festival, not a dance festival, would still be offering ample dance acts on two of the days (atleast as many as any other day) and is the same weekend as Creamfields (which caters if you want just dance).

It is at the very least a valid idea...

[kev1664]

What I actually said was that I'd be surprised if there were many MCR fans that were interested in seeing Jane's Addiction compared to The Strokes/Pulp fans, I haven't questioned "how fans could possibly like MCR and JA". Nice try though.

I just think that your argument that MCR fans are more interested in seeing Jane's Addiction than The Strokes/Pulp fans because they're both alt rock (although pretty far away inside that genre) is flawed, there's far more to it than that. But that's just my opinion and there's no fact to back that up. FR may plan their festival on trying to cover various genres (of course they have to really) but it's dangerous to pigeonhole bands and people and expect it to work out every time and in my humble opinion I believe it doesn't work out like that in this instance due to the histories of the bands and the circles and scenes that they have moved in during their lifetime.

[mrtourette]

Meh, I still say that's a far too simple a way to pigeonhole those bands and that it won't work out as intended because even though Jane's Addiction are apparently an alternative band and The Strokes allegedly an indie band they will share more fans than The Strokes and Beady Eye would or MCR and Jane's Addiction would.

But I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[Ashl]

That was not my arguement. My arguement was that it is better set out the way it is because the top two stages on both days have an alternative act and an 'indie' act. Moving JA to play the NME on mcr day would mean the top two stages on Friday having alternative acts and the top two stages on the Saturday having 'indie' acts, leaving very little alternative on either day for fans of the music that is not represented that day to have no headliner that they want to watch.

[kev1664]

I would say the view people are effectively taking is that of critical acclaim. The Strokes and Jane's Addiction both have had albums that are universally praised as 5/5 albums and Beady Eye(who I don't actually mind that much) in their current form and MCR do not(or not albums considered classics by lots of reviewers). That is probably why it would be better having them on different days people want to see bands that are classed as having song quality, over any genre issues.

[lharris92]

one act could change the weekend dramatically for me... InMe pleaseeeeeee

[Rudzkii]

[Tigerdragon]

If you're trying to cater to everyone why have two bands who rock fans are likely to like on the same day and a very very controversial choice with no rock alternative the next? You're right it's not really down to quality but Saturday doesn't need the rock nme headliner, (readings sat that is).

Edited April 20, 2011 by Tigerdragon