Bestival 2012 Headliners

[eFestivals]

That would make sense... however to be fair though, Neil also suggested at one point that Florence & the Cure wouldn't be at R/L, that Coldplay would headline V festival & had Radiohead down as a rumour for Hard Rock Calling despite the fact they were in Spain/Portugal on those particular dates... whilst his record speaks for itself & in most cases he (or his info) turns out to be correct, some times it doesn't, so I wouldn't rule Bloc Party out entirely.

The Radiohead thing was nothing to do with me personally.

At no point did I say that The Cure wouldn't be at Reading.

But you have a fair point with the others, although they were never said with absolute certainty - just as I've not said Flo for Bestival with absolute certainty.

That's the point with rumours, they're just rumours. They often turn out to not be true.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

The Radiohead thing was nothing to do with me personally.

At no point did I say that The Cure wouldn't be at Reading.

But you have a fair point with the others, although they were never said with absolute certainty - just as I've not said Flo for Bestival with absolute certainty.

That's the point with rumours, they're just rumours. They often turn out to not be true.

[eFestivals]

I do specifically remember you doubting whether the Cure would be a big enough draw to headline R/L... but that's all I was saying, I wasn't having a dig at you, I respect what you do & the info you provide on this website.

The facts - from Bestival last year - get to make clear that they're not a draw in their own right that's big enough to ensure that the tickets shift for R/L, which is what I said. And against that fact I was considering last year's failure to sell out (or to sell out easily, if you believe the official version) and believed that R/L would have gone for a more certain seller before they'd have gone for The Cure.

The facts got to prove me wrong about that, but at no point did I say they wouldn't headline and did say that if they did play they would headline and not play lower down. And along with that I also said that if they were the headliner it would be a great booking that added to the richness of the R/L line-up as a whole - which seems to be pretty much how it's being viewed as a generalisation.

They're certainly a more unusual and surprising choice for R/L, which is what was driving my doubts with them - but within that 'unusual' I made the right call.

The same 'unusual' can't be said about screeching Flo for Bestival, and while I might have made the wrong call with me thinking she's the headliner that can't be announced until May because of a contractual clause that she has with R/L, we've yet to see about that.

I'm by no means certain that I've got things right with that, but I remain confident that there's a good possibility that I have. I'm much more often right than I am wrong with deducing what's likely to happen at a fest from snippets of other unrelated info, but I'm not so daft as to think myself infallible, or to present what I say about these things as a certainty.

But it seems almost a certainty to me that she'll be announced for another English festival date for this summer, so if she's not announced for Hop Farm tomorrow (and I don't think she will be, I reckon Melvin would do all he can to stop Vince getting acts from his fests) then the likelihood of her at Bestival increases further as far as I'm concerned.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

I totally agree with what you're saying, but going off that same logic you just applied to Florence, surely Bloc Party are going to play at least one UK festival too, so where will they end up being if it's not at Bestival?

Anyway, it probably will be Florence & I never denied or called you out on that fact, I merely suggested that it could still be someone else...

[eFestivals]

I totally agree with what you're saying, but going off that same logic you just applied to Florence, surely Bloc Party are going to play at least one UK festival too, so where will they end up being if it's not at Bestival?

Nope, there's zero to put Bloc Party at any UK festival, while there's things to strongly suggest another English festival for Flo.

The fact of playing non-UK festivals of course suggests that Bloc Party are a possibility to pop up on a UK festival bill, but it doesn't make them a near-certainty - just as (for example) Green Day are doing some euro-fests but not UK ones.

In Green Day's case I know that they'll be announcing an autumn UK arena tour sometime soon, so they've chosen to do that instead of UK fests, and I guess that fests make better economic sense for them within mainland Europe. Presumably there's similar reasoning for Bloc Party too (cos I don't really expect a UK fest for them) ... tho I don't see them as the huge UK draw that some are saying they are, either.

So with the fact that info from other places strongly suggests another English fest for Flo, along with the May announcement of the Bestival headliner, and Melvin's liking for restrictive contractual clauses for his more major acts, it very much looks like adding up to Bestival for her.

Meanwhile, there's absolutely no reason whatsoever why Bloc party couldn't be announced right now if they're playing Bestival, or any other UK fest. So I reckon they're not playing a UK fest (unless they're announced for Hop Farm tomorrow .... I doubt that).

My thinking is a little more joined up than you've credited me for - and (I'm not trying to boast, but) joined up thinking is where I excel (I'm crap at everything else ).

Having said all that, I still know I could be wrong. There's nothing here to wave back in my face if I'm wrong, because the nature of stitching bits and pieces together as I've done here means that I'll always be wrong some of the time. But if she does get announced for Bestival then I've hopefully demonstrated again that I'm pretty good at this sort of thing.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Well written & well argued (especially for you ) I can't disagree with anything you said, I had kind of already accepted it's probably Florence anyway, so I'll stop being pedantic now.

[LondonTom]

You mean you use actual information and don't just post the latest band that comes into your head?

[Vanderlyle]

Leonard Cohen announced a new European tour today, and there's a big Bestival-shaped hole in the middle of it.

Just hoping... Can't see him as the Friday headliner, just because of his style - but maybe in a Brian Wilson type afternoon slot?

http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/press2012.pdf

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

You mean you use actual information and don't just post the latest band that comes into your head?

[zeppelin]

I'll probably watch Flo, how much I don't know.

Although saying that I happily sat at the campsite whilst Pendulum were on, but I really do dislike them! Might give Flo a chance, y'know, cos I'm a nice guy like that...

[mattrik3]

Any reason why it wont be The Black Keys???

[BTK1609]

Any reason why it wont be The Black Keys???

[mattrik3]

Exclusive to Reading and Leeds.

Edited March 26, 2012 by mattrik3

[smogo]

Any reason why it wont be The Black Keys???

[mrtourette]

Someone needs to clarify the England/UK exclusive thing, and where Belfast is.

[BTK1609]

They were until they got announced for Tennents Vital in Belfast in August! Keep up!

[eFestivals]

They were until they got announced for Tennents Vital in Belfast in August! Keep up!

But that's simply Festival Republic stretching the 'uk exclusive' thing a little and allowing their half-owner (MCD) to have the same act in a place which will have zero impact on R/L.

They wouldn't allow an 'outsider' like Rob to have an act they've billed as exclusive for a festival that is much closer geographically, I guarantee.

[mattrik3]

Someone needs to clarify the England/UK exclusive thing, and where Belfast is.

Edited March 26, 2012 by mattrik3

[mattrik3]

But that's simply Festival Republic stretching the 'uk exclusive' thing a little and allowing their half-owner (MCD) to have the same act in a place which will have zero impact on R/L.

They wouldn't allow an 'outsider' like Rob to have an act they've billed as exclusive for a festival that is much closer geographically, I guarantee.

[jump]

Great Britain exclusive?

[LondonTom]

I'm not sure if you're aiming that at me... but Bloc Party would hardly be a random choice, they're touring all summer at Euro fests & have yet to announce anything in the UK (arguably the country they're the biggest in/come from) so it wasn't the first band that came into my head, there was some logic to my argument, so shush your mush

If it wasn't aimed at me, then carry on about your business good sir

[eFestivals]

there is no UK exclusive anymore.

I know that, you know that, and anyone who paid attention in their geography classes knows that.

But you only have to look a few posts up to realise that it's enough to fool some people.

You might as well be suggesting that it'll be the foos at Bestival, cos they were announced on the same basis and are also doing Vital.

[mattrik3]

I know that, you know that, and anyone who paid attention in their geography classes knows that.

But you only have to look a few posts up to realise that it's enough to fool some people.

You might as well be suggesting that it'll be the foos at Bestival, cos they were announced on the same basis and are also doing Vital.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

This whole Florence thing - why would Festival Republic contractually tie in Florence until May? Would it really affect Reading/Leeds ticket sales if she were announced for Bestival now? The festivals are generally aimed at different demographics anyway

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Interesting news for Leonard Cohen fans. Just announced European tour and there's a gap between 6th September (Germany) and 11th September (Ireland) and no English dates yet. Hmmmmmm...