'Staggering'

[sm93]

The thing is, this forum has quite a few people whose tastes in music lean away from the mainstream. There's not many "typical" R/L-goers on here so to speak.

Your average R/L-goer would probably be excited at the prospect of Muse, The Strokes and MCR. Three modern day bands popular with the younger crowd, who make up a lot of the modern day demographic. That said, I'm only 20 and the only band out of those three I'd see at their own gig is The Strokes. But I'm different to a lot of people my age.

I remember a lot of us groaning when the 2009 line-up came out but a fair number of people my age thought it was an amazing line-up.

All about context and perspective. R/L has always appealed to a young audience, even in the glory days of the 90s when bands like Nirvana, Pavement, Smashing Pumpkins, et al would be regulars at the festival.

[thetime]

I just wish there was a proper summer festival for this kind of music, one with the sort equivalent to Primavera Sound (who without fail always produce quality lineups). I really feel like there's a gap here. ATP of course represent this but they don't do a big summer festival, End of the Road and Green Man do to an extent but aren't quite diverse enough. And then there's America which has just got loads of them, Sasquatch being one example. Reading and Leeds gets a fair amount of these acts but not the heavy hitters, more a selection of the ones gaining momentum and a few mid-size bands. I wish R&L covered this sort of ground but I suppose with V shifting clearly into pop territory and Download and Sonisphere grabbing the heavy acts they feel they have to have the stock rock acts.

[sm93]

its called glastonbury, or even latitiude.

theres loads out there as long as you dont want the major headliners.

[Role Model]

Find America's major festivals so much more diverse than over here, it's a shame, but this countries got too many close minded music fans.

[sm93]

its called glastonbury, or even latitiude.

theres loads out there as long as you dont want the major headliners.

[thetime]

Glastonbury as in basically the Park stage and then acts dotted round. Just a smaller part of the bigger Glastonbury experience, which i'm sure is great, but it's not about that sort of music nor the fans who are into it.

I think Latitude has a lack of direction as it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Having Florence and Vampire Weekend as headliners is great but that's just borrowing some acts who would play slightly lower down at Reading. I don't know whether it's going for that sort of crowd or not. Regardless, I think the lineup is usually a bit all over the place and nothing like Primavera's.

Edited February 18, 2011 by thetime

[mrtourette]

Find America's major festivals so much more diverse than over here, it's a shame, but this countries got too many close minded music fans.

[sm93]

you mean a varied lineup? rather than the same sort of bands? do you not want a varied lineup?

although primavera lineup looks immense, thought about it this year but werchter won the day due to price/easy to get to/lineup.

[thetime]

Of course I want a varied lineup, i'm mentioning Primavera loads but it really is the best example, there's loads of exciting and interesting music going on and they're keeping up with it. Latitude is varied but in a way where it's a weird mix and not completely successful in any of the different types of music it has.

This is just based on Latitude's lineup and me not completely convinced about the festival personally, this wasn't the point. I'm just saying there's no UK festival that caters for this, and if there's no room for one, I really don't think it'd be hard for Reading to incorporate this variation with more interesting music along the lines of Primavera and the American ones. You can still have The Strokes, Muse and the gang headlining, they just seem to get caught up booking all of these bands trying to fit into the 'Reading' image that it doesn't really have right now. Have the big modern rock headliners (then maybe one like Arcade Fire who did wonders for the crossover), have the XFM lot (Vampire Weekend, Florence, Bombay Bicycle Club) mixed in with the good modern indie rock (Modest Mouse, The Shins, The National, Bright Eyes), some of the Kerrang lot (Paramore , MCR, Blink, Sum 41), the 2011 Pitchfork hipster crowd (Animal Collective, Ariel Pink), these hip-hop crossover acts (Odd Future) and electronic ones (James Blake), then some bands who have the cult following and part of the history (Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, etc etc...), then of course post-rock and more experimental acts (Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky)... seriously, I really don't think it'd be hard to get GOOD variation which keeps selling tickets, make R&L look like a major hot relevant festival, get a better crowd who care more about the music, everything. They've got the money, can't be too hard. These are credible, good bands who are hardly Guns n' Roses expensive.

Seems impossible and it'll probably never feel it can cover this variety, but I think it's definitely possible. Gonna go dream on now.

[rexclark]

Melvin does this every year. I won't beleive anything he says about the headliners until they're confirmed but I very much doubt I'm going to be staggered.

Well unless he pulls Blur or Daft Punk out the bag.

Edited February 18, 2011 by rexclark

[kev1664]

Melvin does this every year. I won't beleive anything he says about the headliners until they're confirmed but I very much doubt I'm going to be staggered.

Well unless he pulls Blur or Daft Punk out the bag.

[lharris92]

i have a hunch aerosmith might be up to something this year.... they are making a new album at the moment (according to the NME) but have nothing announced. will probably amount to nothing anyway in relation to R&L though...

[Dave The Hedgehog]

i have a hunch aerosmith might be up to something this year.... they are making a new album at the moment (according to the NME) but have nothing announced. will probably amount to nothing anyway in relation to R&L though...

[mrtourette]

God that would be terrible. Leave all the rock dinosaurs to Download.

[**shandy**]

Is Steve Tyler still alive? Last time I saw him, it was a carrier bag full of bones dressed up in a Steve Tyler suit. And he played shit music too.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

He's currently judging American Idol

[gazza_20]

right so suppose going by the bbc article that they aren't headlining any other at all this summer and the strokes are confirmed tuesday.

Who would we say?

[mrtourette]

I wouldn't write them off if they are announced, that BBC quote could only be part of the actual quote or if they are announced I suppose Melvin could always claim he only ever meant in England.

If they aren't headlining I guess we could be really lucky and have RHCP and MCR headlining.

[Joe-]

Pearl Jam

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Pearl Jam

[Joe-]

Yes, we know.

[Role Model]

if Strokes end up not playing sort of throws my plans off and I'd probably have to go see them on tour, better than seeing them in a huge field anyway.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

That'd be really interesting if Strokes were announced at T.