Know your V history

[luckysalt]

HISTORY OF V

Know your V history, Im not going to V this year but been to many of the past ones, if you didn't know whats gone on at V in the past heres a quick recap. The fest started in 1996, and instead of doing a fulkl in depth thing, gunna just show some of the acts who have played before enjoy and comment if you were there or how much you think such a year looks the bollocks!

1996

Started as a idea by the band PULP, V has gone on to become one of the UK's biggest festivals. PULP came up with the idea of doing two huge outdoor shows one year, one in the North and one in the South of England, with a full undercard. With this in mind the thing took on a life of its own and V festival was born, no longer Pulp in control, Chelms was decided the main site, and V organisers, allowed camping on site and added a second day headlined by PAUL WELLER, the other site did not have the capcity to allow camping and thus only featured the one day with PULP headlining, for this reason the third stage only feautured for one day this year. But a new festival had been born, and many ideas for the future and how it could grow were in place.

V STAGE HEADLINERS - PULP and PAUL WELLER

SUBS- SUPERGRASS and THE CHARLATANS

SECOND STAGE HEADLINERS - ELASTICA and ORBITAL/SLEEPER

THIRD STAGE - TRICKY [stage was only ran for one day]

OTHER NOTIABLE ACTS - MIKE FLOWERS POPS who had covered Oasis' Wonderwall was booked on the main stage, yes V did gash pop even back then! 1996 was dominated by Indie throughout the line up, with the exception of ORBITAL on second stage it was a landfill of SHED SEVEN, MENSWEAR, CAST, LONGPIGS etc. GARY NUMAN also played his only V festival set, KULA SHAKER emerged at the bottom end of second stage before they become huge.

Edited April 29, 2011 by luckysalt

[luckysalt]

1997

Becoming more than just a one off, V re-emerged in 1997 with a full 2 days at two sites, Chelms and Leeds [where Leeds of Reading and Leeds] now takes place.

The Line up becamne more varied compared to last year as evidenced below, NME also took up sponsorship of the Second Stage.

V STAGE HEADLINERS - BLUR and THE PRODIGY

SUBS- KULASHAKER and BECK

SECOND STAGE HEADLINERS- ASH and THE BLUETONES

THIRD STAGE HEADLINERS- CHEMICAL BROTHERS and DAFT PUNK

OTHER NOTIABLE ACTS - FOO FIGHTERS made their first V Festival appearence this year, played 3rd down on main stage, Again an Oasis tie in was featured on main stage as an Oasis tribute band NO-WAY-SIS managed to get booked somehow! PLACEBO also made their V festival debut playing under Foo Fighters, Placebo were selling extremely well at the time. Getting top 5 singles [when this was hard to do] and Number one albums. DODGY featured high on Main Stage due to being big at the time with tracks like Staying out for the Summer. Whilst V still had more alternative acts in the form of PAVEMENT and TEENAGE FANCLUB playing mainstage

Second Stage had its fair share of Indie landfill, but a new upcoming band STEREOPHONICS made an appearence low on the bill

Third Stage had become a big place to see the biggest dance acts at the time, huge headliners in DAFT PUNK and CHEMICAL BROTHERS, yet OLIVE who had a Huge number 1 hit with You're Not Alone featured way down, SNEAKER PIMPS who had a massive hit with Spin Spin Sugar and other chart favourites like FINLEY QUAYE and BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE also made their way into the tent as well as long time festival favourites such as ALABAMA 3, DREADZONE and CARL COX, whilst notibal mentions must go to PROPELLERHEADS and DEATH IN VEGAS who were very succesful dance acts at the time.

Edited April 29, 2011 by luckysalt

[luckysalt]

1998

1998 came and V went back to a more indie line up compared to the previous year, this was probably down to the fact Reading sat up and finally considered V to be serious competition, V had booked a festival the previous year that many of the artists would have featured on its line up, still V managed to nab some prominent artists in 1998. This was also the year that V started to book pop acts who would not have gotten a place on the Reading line up, already chosing to go down a different path to Reading, whilst Reading promoted the UK leg of the Warped Tour, V's lower card offered a dance line up, they wanted to offere some else that no other festival did, and this was the token pop act.

V STAGE HEADLINERS - THE VERVE and THE CHARLATANS

SUBS- SEAHORSES and TEXAS

SECOND STAGE HEADLINERS- UNDERWORLD and FUN LOVIN CRIMINALS/IAN BROWN

THIRD STAGE HEADLINERS- JAMES BROWN and ALL SAINTS

OTHER NOTIABLE ACTS -

V did something this year that pissed people off and also got a LOT of media attention and newcomers to the festival, they booked ROBBIE WILLIAMS as 3rd down on main stage, recently splitting from Take That, and only just emerged on his solo career, V offered Robbie a huge slot on Main Stage after he had been seen at Glastonbury smoking in the crowd and trying to change his nice lad from a boy band image, he accepted and V changed forever, V also booked ALL SAINTS who were a hugely succesful girl group at the time in the Spice Girls shadow in a huge slot on the third stage, it was already clear that V was going to feature a vast choice of artists, from Pop, Indie, Rock and Dance trying to give something for everyone, rather than just be an Indie festival as it started.

V didn't want to alienate its Indie followers however and managed to book IAN BROWN the lead singer from the Stone Roses in a massive slot subbing on second stage as he like Robbie before him emerged on his solo career after The Stone Roses had split up after their Reading headline show in 1996. This was a big booking for a lot of people as they couldn't argue about Robbie so much when Ian Brown was also being giving the chance. Whilst big Indie acts THE VERVE and THE CHARLATANS were headlining they also placed SEAHORSES and TEXAS in sub spots in clever booking making it seem a big indie fest still. TEXAS had great crossover appeal as a Indie act who were enjoying massive chart success with a more pop sound, they were becoming a huge act.

Emerging act FEEDER got a low spot on the main stage as did GOMEZ on the second stage, whilst rising US act THE DANDY WARHOLS got on the second stage too.

GREEN DAY in a shock made their only V performance to date, considered a steadfast Reading act, V managed to book GREENDAY and at the time their popularity was falling fast, they got a 3rd down on main stage spot, and went down well but set fire to their own equipment at the end of their set and V were furious questioning the health and safety hazard it coul have become and banned them forever to return to the festival [something no-one really knows is still in place, but I doubt it is]

IGGY POP was booked on main stage as he had a huge smash with Lust For Life as the film Trainspotting was a massive film in pop culture at the time.

FAITHLESS made their V festival debut playing midway down the third stage and ABBA tribute act BJORN AGAIN also took up a similar slot as JAMES BROWN headlined the Third Stage. Roni Size who was hugely popular at the time in the dance world, subbed the stage.

[luckysalt]

1999

V STAGE HEADLINERS - SUEDE and MANIC STREET PREACHERS

SUBS- STEREOPHONICS and BEAUTIFUL SOUTH

SECOND STAGE HEADLINERS- MASSIVE ATTACK and JAMES BROWN

THIRD STAGE HEADLINERS- ORBITAL and FINLEY QUAYE

OTHER NOTIABLE ACTS -

V pretty much continyed 1999 as it left off 1998, Except for one thing. The other site changed forever, The Leeds site went, nabbed by Reading and Leeds who became a 2 site festival and V's North leg became Staffs, which it has been forever since

In terms of music it booked huge Indie headliners again, SUEDE being a indie club favourite and MANIC STREET PREACHERS, 5 hit albums under their belt and riding high after number hits with Design for Life being a big chart booking, STEREOPHONICS were booked as sub headliner who were really having massive success now in the charts and becoming a lot of young lads favourite act, who had moved on from the whole Oasis/Blur movement. HAPPY MONDAYS were snapped up to play 3rd down main stage after reforming post Black Grape's demise. PLACEBO went up a slot from their previous V appearence after their second album had smashed in the charts and they were becoming a huge alternative rock act in the UK. But they pulled out and were replaced by KULASHAKER who were having a difficult period post their debut album.

Following previous years preformances low on second stage, GOMEZ and FAITHLESS were bumped up to main stage, both having massive hits in the past year.

The emerging act this year was TRAVIS booked 4th down on second stage.

The Third Stage got a new sponsor in the form of JJB a partnership which would last for many years, ORBITAL returned to headline the stage, and FINLEY QUAYE was boosted up the stage to headline, a slot given towrads the end of his popularity, he fell off the map shortly after this. GROOVE ARMADA made an apperence lower down the tent and IAN BROWN returned to sub.

The Token pop act this year was MEL C who had started a solo career outside of the Spice Girls, given a smaller slot than Robbie had been given the year before, it still gained lots of media attention.

Edited April 29, 2011 by luckysalt

[luckysalt]

2000

V STAGE HEADLINERS - TRAVIS and RICHARD ASHCROFT

SUBS- MACY GRAY and PAUL WELLER

SECOND STAGE HEADLINERS- SUPERGRASS and MOBY

THIRD STAGE HEADLINERS- UNDERWORLD and LEFTFIELD

OTHER NOTIABLE ACTS -

At this point V was cemented as a festival, they lost the NME sponsorship of second stage, but it was picked up by MTV! V was thus shown as hightlights on MTV, it was given primetime slots and thus opened up to yet another audience, In terms of acts, this year was lacking in terms of massive breakthrough acts or US artists, TRAVIS had rode the popularity train and were thus given the Main Stage headline slot, with only 2 albums under their belt, the first sold extremely poorly, some people were disppointed with the choice, especially when Stereophonics had similar success and were only third down the previous year, 5 years into its existence cracks were showing, it didn't help when the other headlinbe slot was given to RICHARD ASHCROFT, one his band The Verve had only headlined two years before and two he was fresh on his solo career and didn't deserve the spot, made even worst still when established solo Indie hero and former headliner PAUL WELLER was booked to sub him.

MACY GRAY who had tremendous success with her album and single I Try, was given the other sub spot, another choice which didn't go down well, a huge spot given to a exclusively pop act for the first time, V was starting to break away from its Indie festival roots for goo and become a full fledged pop festival. It didn't help that over the other side of the fence a week later Reading had booked the HUGE triple bill of Oasis, Stereophonics and Pulp.

V saved itself a little with huge Indie favourites SUPERGRASS and commercial dance god at the time MOBY as second stage headliners, Supergrass were very established and had 3 top albums under their belt, whereas Moby was riding high with the album Play, and had numerous smash hit singles from it, these two bookings helped balance out the line up somewhat.

UNDERWORLD and LEFTFIELD headlining the third stage was something that Reading couldn't touch, yes V had fired at first shot at Reading trying to steal their Rock based acts and Reading had hit back hard stealing the biggest Indie headliners all at once and then also getting the biggest names in US Rockand putting them as the undercard [that year Reading had Foo Fighters, Slipknot, Blink 182, Rage Against The Machine, Deftones AND Limp Bizkit all on the main stage undercard] BUT there was one area V had the hold on and that was the dance market, V added to this with the additions of MORCHEEBA, MOLOKO, DEATH IN VEGAS, GROOVE ARMADA and KELIS

They also got CYPRESS HILL, SEMISONIC and BARENAKED LADIES to play the undercard of Main Stage and FLAMING LIPS on the Third Stage giving the line up that bit of International star power. But it was clear this year Reading had totally floored V and it had struggled.

Worthy note here, COLDPLAY made their V festival debut this year, low on Second stage, having just released their debut album, things were about to blow up for these guys and a lot of eyes were on them

Edited April 29, 2011 by luckysalt

[luckysalt]

2001

V STAGE HEADLINERS - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and TEXAS

SUBS- FOO FIGHTERS and THE CHARLATANS

SECOND STAGE HEADLINERS- TOPLOADER and MUSE

THIRD STAGE HEADLINERS- IAN BROWN and KYLIE

OTHER NOTIABLE ACTS -

BOY did V hit back in 2001! It first booked the double bill of US rock acts RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and FOO FIGHTERS to go back to back on main stage on one of the days, who both were enjoyed their biggest success in the UK to date, RHCP had just released Californication which was a insanely popular album and thus they were a huge headliner for V, it was all about them this year, V decided a little plan in the line up and had Indie/chart double act TEXAS and THE CHARLATANS head up the other day, but their popularity was seriously going down, so they booked a huge UK uprising act in MUSE to go against them, the result was MUSE got a huge crowd, as they just was released their second album.

V had another trump card up its selves though booking the reborn KYLIE to headline the third stage, the tent was absolutely packed out and they had to shut it and not let anyonme else in and in the future get a bigger tent as the festival grew and so did the amount of punters on site, V sold out weeks in advance, something that didn't happen back then and the festival and booking of headline acts against each other worked tremoundously well.

It was futher added to by booked Ian Brown as headliner of the Third stage up against RHCP and chart Indie fave TOPLOADER headliner of second stage. The choices seemed strong and the punters seemed to agree, but they also booked strength throughout the line up, PLACEBO returned to main stage, IDLEWILD who were doing very well with their album 100 Broken Windows were given a main stage slot, NEIL FINN was placed halfway through the main stage on main and got a great crowd, US act WHEATUS was giving a suitable slot on second stage after their smash hit Teenage Dirtbag, rising UK vocalist DAVID GRAY was given a 3rd down spot on main and COLDPLAY continued their rise given a 3rd down spot on main also.

THE AVALANCHES made a RARE UK appearence at V this year subbing Kylie on third stage, it is their only V performance and could be their last UK performance to date [*I have no idea]. We are STILL waiting on their second album which is still 10 years in the making.

JJ72 were an act much in the mold of Muse, in terms of being a UK indie/rock act on the up and were given the spot of playing below Muse, the crowd however heckeled Bassist Hilary Woods throughout the performance, with shouts of get your tits out for the lads etc [she had become a huge pin up for young music fans], she was so annoyed she played nearly the entire set with her back to the crowd, shortly after this she decided to quit the band for good right before the second album was released and the band never recovered.

SNOW PATROL made their V festival debut this year and another big act on the way playing V this year was STARSAILOR who really started to break out over the next year. V enjoyed a healthly mix of established stars being reborn and rising new acts this year and it was almost as the fest had remerged itself.

Edited April 29, 2011 by luckysalt

[luckysalt]

2002

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2003

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2004

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2005

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2006

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2007

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2008

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2009

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2010

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2011

OK ADD comments now, if ive made any mistakes whatever, Ive got all the placings

[Flaminglippy]

Some great memories from a lot of these...(been to almost all apart from last few years)

Highlights - James Brown headlining the second stage, SFA playing before-hand and dedicating 'The Man Don't Give A f**k' to him because they had to go on-stage late and he wouldn't let them over run...my sister crying during Oasis's set (not the last time the played...I was crying then because they were so shit) because it was the first time she'd seen them live...being absolutely trollied watching Primal Scream do a great set in the JJB (seem to remember they were against the Strokes)after the Pixies...Dizzee Rascal in the JJB...

Don't think I'll ever go again, but some happy times...

[luckysalt]

Cheers for the words Lippy!

Thats all for now, I'll continue this at a later date... hope you enjoy and past V goers comment if you were there, if you weren't there say what line up looks great/shit!

[boffy12]

this has been a good read i appreciate it didn't realise how indie it used to be the annoying thing is they have good indie acts still this year just no where enough

[Pierce1991]

Interesting stuff, I'd hate to think that Green Day wouldn't play again

[johnl]

Great reading, keep it up!

Having been to all the V s except 97 and 98 it certainly brings back some memories. I remember that Coldplay peformance when Chris Martin spent the whole set staring at the floor he was so scared of the size of the crowd.

Also remember The Killers playing a similar slot on the B stage one year.

I think it just emphasises the rather large change of direction that V has made, this year in particular

[karlpowell]

wow some great memorys , I have been to every V fest so far BUT dont think im going this yerar ( this might change soooooon )

[staffsknot]

Cracking work mate, remember my first V was '97 up at Temple, me and some mates heading out to see Foo Fighters... been most years since but it has steadily gone downhill from 2005-ish onwards. Think this year will be my last as when the Manics are so far down the bill its time to move on.

Met some great people and had some great times over the years but I think I've hit the point where there is better value, a lot of mates feel the same.

[luckysalt]

Glad people are liking the thread, I'll do some more on this over the next week.

[Mr Nasty]

Good thread LuckySalt. Have you not changed your mind about going?

I've been everyone since my first in 2001. I haven't got a ticket for this year as I was pissed off with the line up.

However, I had a think over the last month. I can't have a summer without V. No way, there's plenty of bands on I'll watch. I'm defo gonna get a ticket. No V would be like no Christmas!

V foreVer!!!