Bestival 2012 Headliners

[Vanderlyle]

There's also The Big Top, the Psychedelic Worm, the Black Dahlia Tent, the Sailor Jerry's stage, Red Bull Academy, Bollywood, Roller Disco, Ambient Forest, Bandstand, Swamp Shack, Cabaret tent... few others too.

Florence can be ignored and overall she's not that important to the grand scheme of things.

[smogo]

She's definitely got something else UK on the cards, and there's very little left that she could be announced for. There's Bestival, there's Hop Farm, and then I guess there's the possibility of one of the Olympics shows ... but the "can't announce till May" from Bestival strongly implies to me that it's Bestival that she's doing.

[zeppelin]

I reckon Rob would book her, don't really listen to her so can't comment particularly strongly either way but it wouldn't be my first choice.

Really intrigued as to who the third headliner will be, would've thought there'd be a dance act, C&S have got to be very likely!

Either way, the lineup is insane already so I'm not gonna complain

[Joe-]

No idea who'll be Sunday night, all I'm thinking is Moby, or some big dance act. Or Radiohead after all.

Friday is either C&S, Bloc party, Florence or mumfords I reckon.

[eFestivals]

I don't get this at all. Why would Reading/Leeds, which happens at the end of August, prevent another festival from announcing a particular act (who isn't a headliner or billed as any kind of exclusive) from announcing that act until May?

"Nooo you can't announce that Florence + the Machine are headlining Bestival until May, otherwise all our Kasabian fans will go there instead." It just doesn't make any sense.

It makes perfect sense.

If someone is thinking of going to a festival to see screeching Flo, at the moment their only choice in England is Reading/Leeds, so they'll buy a ticket for Reading or Leeds. If Bestival was an option at the same time they might choose Bestival instead.

Any promoter wants to ensure that they sell their tickets, and so R/L might have decided (as they have before) that the way to help ensure those sales is to ensure that other festivals aren't competing for the same band-fans. By restricting where else an act can play or when they can announce other shows it makes it more likely that R/L will get those band-fans and not the event that is competing by having the same act on the bill.

Like it or not there's not many acts that can shift tickets in the number and speed that Flo can at the moment. She's probably going to attract more people to R/L on the basis of any one act they have than The Cure or Kasabian will.

Also, I am still of the opinion that Florence + the Machine aren't the kind of act that Rob would book to headline the main stage at Bestival.

From one angle I agree.

But he's got a large number of tickets to sell, and for a venue which is not particularly accessible (because of the hassle of getting to the island). So the more popular the acts he puts on, the more likely he is to sell the tickets.

Added to that .... Last summer I'd have said that Flo was a certainty as a headliner for one or more of the very biggest festivals this summer (V, T or R/L) - and I'm somewhat surprised that she isn't.

She headlined Latitude (capacity 35,000) two years ago on the strength of just one album, so with a new album out it seems extremely logical to think she'd headline something bigger this year - and as I've put above, I'd have guessed at one of the very big ones.

As that's not happened then it seems very likely to me that she'll headline a festival between the size of Latitude and those very big ones - which pretty much means Bestival.

I could be wrong with the deductions I've made around this - after all, it's not like I've never been wrong before. But my record gets to show that I'm right far more often than I am wrong.

We'll get to find out when it's announced.

[rachbon]

I don't get this at all. Why would Reading/Leeds, which happens at the end of August, prevent another festival from announcing a particular act (who isn't a headliner or billed as any kind of exclusive) from announcing that act until May?

[kaosmark2]

I'm sure that Sunday we'll get some legendary act rather than a 2nd current one. I'm expecting someone along the lines of Flo/Bloc/C&S for Friday though.

[rachbon]

i would be SO happy if beach boys headlined.

[Joe-]

Screeching Flo haha

Was Rob lying when he said that he hasn't got the other headliners confirmed then? She can't headline Sunday, that'd be awful. That'd be a bunch of weak headliners, if C&S were to do Friday.

Edited March 13, 2012 by Joe-

[fgwoott]

Snoop Dogg has just been announced for bloc in London because he's got a new album out. That would be quality.

[eFestivals]

Was Rob lying when he said that he hasn't got the other headliners confirmed then?

he's certainly said something which was in contradiction to that at an earlier time.

So one of the statements he's made has to be incorrect, tho whether it's something as strong as a 'lie' I couldn't say.

[LondonTom]

We also have Pulp not with any UK dates other than than the Royal Albert Hall TCT gig in the UK yet....(Y)

[Homer]

The only thing about Pulp is that they seem like too similar a kind of booking to New Order to me...

[Dave The Hedgehog]

The only thing about Pulp is that they seem like too similar a kind of booking to New Order to me...

[FloorFiller]

i'm almost certain the Friday headliner will be Florence for the exact reason Neil has said. makes perfect sense in regards to Reading and Leeds etc. if not her, then definitely Bloc Party. if it's Chase & Status then that's pretty f*cking poor imo, so i'm disregarding them as i fail to believe that Rob would make such a poor decision.

as for the Sunday... i'm still holding out for Radiohead despite Rob point blank denying it (in fact, him logging on to the Bestival forum and denying it amid a 'it's Radiohead' conversation is one of the reasons i believe it's them - he seemed very quick off the mark to end the Radiohead conversation but hasn't done for other bands). whilst i love Pulp, i hope it's not them as when they announced their reformation i listened to them non stop and so soon grew a bit tired, and having them would feel a bit like having last years festivals leftovers

[eFestivals]

i'm still holding out for Radiohead despite Rob point blank denying it (in fact, him logging on to the Bestival forum and denying it amid a 'it's Radiohead' conversation is one of the reasons i believe it's them - he seemed very quick off the mark to end the Radiohead conversation but hasn't done for other bands).

You could be on to something there.

Then again, it could just be him managing people's expectations or something similar.

After all, if there's a strong belief that it might be Radiohead and it's instead (say) Pulp then people would feel disappointed, because of the big gulf between the popularity of the two acts.

Whereas if there's a strong belief that it might be (say) Florence and it's instead (say) Pulp then people would feel less disappointed, because they're acts in the same sort of ball park for popularity (even tho there'd be the different issues around popular with different groups of people).

I'd say that a part of Reading's current problem is that there's been little or no attempt at managing people's expectations, so every year people end up expecting three mega headliners of the Foos / Green Day / Metallica ilk, and when they don't get them they feel the festival has let them down and perhaps don't buy a ticket. Rob is perhaps trying to ensure the same doesn't happen with Bestival.

[Joe-]

I'd say that a part of Reading's current problem is that there's been little or no attempt at managing people's expectations, so every year people end up expecting three mega headliners of the Foos / Green Day / Metallica ilk, and when they don't get them they feel the festival has let them down and perhaps don't buy a ticket. Rob is perhaps trying to ensure the same doesn't happen with Bestival.

[FloorFiller]

yeah that'd definitely crossed my mind - i guess it must be horrible for a festival organizer as hands-on as Rob seeing people discuss acts such as Radiohead, Arcade Fire etc - big acts that everybody wants and that'd bring in the masses - when the headliners he in fact has are smaller, less superior / popular bands (and i'm sure the lukewarm response to New Order hasn't helped)

that reasoning is probably a lot more likely, but i'm still holding out that it's Radiohead (and the positioning of their UK shows / the shows surrounding Bestival also hints that it's them)

hopefuly he'll stick to his guns and announce the Sunday headliner in March so all this speculation can end, because christ is it killing me

as for Reading, i totally agree with you on that one, and a couple of years ago i would've said that it doesn't matter to the organizers as it'll sell out regardless, but as both last year and this year have shown, it definitely does matter as people aren't willing to go to Reading/Leeds just because it's their 'usual' festival anymore - they want a good lineup. i really thought this year's lineup would've been great because of last year's disappointing sales / lineup, but to me, it's even worse and just plain lazy, and Reading, which used to be THE festival to go to, is now getting other festivals has-been headliners (hell, i doubt the organizers would've even thought of The Cure if they hadn't gone down so well at Bestival)

[kaosmark2]

I think Radiohead are still in with a chance, after all, he denied Bjork last year as well.

Also, while Sigur Ros could headline Bestival on their own back, they need a big act following them, and they've played below Radiohead before. I remember seeing that pairing at Rock Werchter a few years back and loving it - I think they played together across a few Euro festivals that summer. I can't see many other bands that would be booked above Sigur Ros that are available.

That said, if it's someone else, even if I don't like them, as long as it's an act of suitable size I'll be happy. Sigur Ros then wandering off to another stage would be a fine end to the weekend.

[FloorFiller]

to be fair, Bjork apparently initially said no to his offer to headline and then much later on said she'd do it, so that wasn't Rob lying, it was Bjork being awkward

but i totally agree that Radiohead are the only band i can see fitting to go above Sigur Ros - especially since Sigur Ros themselves are getting a 90 minute, i.e. headliner sized, slot. right now, i'd be very surprised if it wasn't Radiohead. everything just seems to fit

[Vanderlyle]

Radiohead's current tour is almost entirely comprised of King of Limbs and In Rainbows. Don't get me wrong, I love IR, but if they stick that set-list to close Bestival then I can see some disappointed punters...

[Dave The Hedgehog]

it definitely does matter as people aren't willing to go to Reading/Leeds just because it's their 'usual' festival anymore - they want a good lineup. i really thought this year's lineup would've been great because of last year's disappointing sales / lineup, but to me, it's even worse and just plain lazy

[kaosmark2]

I like King of Limbs. Just putting it out there.

[FloorFiller]

i honestly really liked last years Leeds lineup - were loads of bands i would've gone to see if i had gone (only reason i didn't go was that none of my friends wanted to go as they aren't into the same type of music as me / Bestival was better and they/i could only afford one festival) but this year is seriously laughable (then again, so is T In The Park's and Isle Of Wight's - what happened!?)

yeah Radiohead's current setlists haven't been the best - seems like you're lucky if you get more than three 'hits'. very In Rainbows / King Of Limbs heavy (played it in its entirety at a few shows) but hell, it's Radiohead. they love to be awkward, and also, IT'S RADIOHEAD. who cares what they play. they could play all their b-sides for all i care and i'd still love it. when they played Leeds 2009 they played a very un-festival friendly set but it was still one of the best shows i've ever seen. and i'm sure a Bestival crowd more than any other crowd would appreciate it, hense another reason why i think they'll be playing

[Vanderlyle]

I didn't mind R&L's line up last year. Admittedly I'm not a big muso, but I liked the National/Pulp/Strokes section on the main stage... and I'm certainly still willing to see a Muse OoS gig. Can't remember much else about the line-up though so maybe it wasn't too great.

This year it looks pants. I don't even like the Foos, I thought the Cure disappointed last year at Bestival (I know Kaos will jump at me for that one:) and Kasabian are just.. well... a band with some fairly catchy sing-along tunes, but they are more like something you expect in between sets at the darts than headlining a music festival.

As for the undercard... just pants.