Bestival 2012 Headliners

[LondonTom]

if it were Mumfords, or Pulp, or Bloc Party, I can't see why the announcement has to be held back till May.

[eFestivals]

True...where did this may thing come from? Was it not when when everyone was confused about what he actually said about having booked them, then hadn't ...then he had just booked Stevie Wonder in!.

someone (it think it was Paul TM, but I might be wrong with that) posted in this thread ages ago that Rob had said that one of the headliners was booked by couldn't be announced till May.

I realise that there's now some doubt about whether that's correct or not, because some have said something about a headliner not yet being booked.

But then again, I've also read here recently something about Rob having said something along the lines of 'people have guessed the 3rd headliner' ... which of course gets to mean that the headliner is defo booked. So there's got to be some reason why that headliner is not being announced, which points back to the May thing being right.

Edited March 27, 2012 by eFestivals

[rachbon]

i thought stevie wonder was the one who wasn't booked yet, and rob saying that the friday headliner would be announced in may suggested that it was booked, but couldn't be announced.

[theampersanddevil]

More than one way to drive a publicity campaign.

He's just had stevie out the way, why release the other one in the same month.

Even if it is flo, why release it now? Looking at the bestival line-up and thinking still one headliner to go is kinda exciting.

If it is flo, its no bad thing a late release, if people are defo going for her, give them time to save up after dishing out for r/l. Same release means pick, different release time means maybe do both. Just cos his hands are tied, doesn't make it a bad thing.

I've seen this on new order boards, guys struggling to do more than 2 dates on the tour, edinburgh gets released and suddenly they are going. Ibiza gets released and they are going to that to. Just an example, but i've done it myself.

Edited March 27, 2012 by theampersanddevil

[smogo]

People from Bestival HQ have definitely, repeatedly, and recently said that they can't announce the Friday headliner until May.

Rob's comment to the NME that us lot on the official Bestival forum have guessed who it is looks to me like his way of letting us down gently, because if he's read what we've been saying about Florence (and he is himself a regular on that forum), then he'll know we're not exactly going to be breaking out the champagne when she is announced.

(The clutching-at-straws optimist in me makes me hope that actually he's leading us to believe it's Florence when in fact he's going to surprise us with someone much better... but I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that it will be Ms Welch).

[eFestivals]

More than one way to drive a publicity campaign.

Oh, I don't disagree.

But if it's correct that Rob said one of the headliners is booked and can't be announced until May, that was the situation before Stevie Wonder was booked, which makes it hugely unlikely to be any part of any considered publicity plan.

[eFestivals]

People from Bestival HQ have definitely, repeatedly, and recently said that they can't announce the Friday headliner until May.

then that's because of a contractual clause, and it's hugely likely to be an act that's already been announced for another festival in England - I'd put money on that.

I'm a little less confident that the act is Flo, but not by much.

[smogo]

Oh, I don't disagree.

But if it's correct that Rob said one of the headliners is booked and can't be announced until May, that was the situation before Stevie Wonder was booked, which makes it hugely unlikely to be any part of any considered publicity plan.

[dacbo]

just a suggestion but it may not be that Rob can't announce the act until May. It may just be that he isn't for self-imposed reasons. more along the lines of spreading out the announcements so as to sustain interest in the festival throughout the year. after all Bestival is very late in the year and some of the announcements are being made more than 6 months in advance.

they've drip fed headliners in previous years (though admittedly it sounds like some weren't signed up until later in the day in other cases). maybe they just want to do the same this year?

[eFestivals]

just a suggestion but it may not be that Rob can't announce the act until May. It may just be that he isn't for self-imposed reasons. more along the lines of spreading out the announcements so as to sustain interest in the festival throughout the year. after all Bestival is very late in the year and some of the announcements are being made more than 6 months in advance.

they've drip fed headliners in previous years (though admittedly it sounds like some weren't signed up until later in the day in other cases). maybe they just want to do the same this year?

it could be that, but it's unlikely that the act he'd had booked for a long time would be held back in favour of one he'd just booked I reckon.

Plus, the main aim of any promoter is to sell their tickets - and holding back a big name makes that harder to do because people might go for other festivals instead.

It might make more sense for him to do that if the fest was selling out more quickly each year, but the opposite is true.

So all in all I just can't see it. It defies the most basic logic.

[LondonTom]

it could be that, but it's unlikely that the act he'd had booked for a long time would be held back in favour of one he'd just booked I reckon.

Plus, the main aim of any promoter is to sell their tickets - and holding back a big name makes that harder to do because people might go for other festivals instead.

It might make more sense for him to do that if the fest was selling out more quickly each year, but the opposite is true.

So all in all I just can't see it. It defies the most basic logic.

[Joe-]

Someone on Twitter asked if there were any BIG bands left to announced, he said "nope!".

Guess Florence isn't very big then. Ha ha ha.

[theampersanddevil]

Someone on Twitter asked if there were any BIG bands left to announced, he said "nope!".

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Good! I hate Glenn Miller and all those trendy big band era scenesters with their dapper clothes, spilling my drink doing the charleston or whatever, makes my blood boil!

[Joe-]

Good! I hate Glenn Miller and all those trendy big band era scenesters with their dapper clothes, spilling my drink doing the charleston or whatever, makes my blood boil!

[fnchy77]

........... lovely stuff!

[cwaite123]

Just a suggestion about the 3rd headliner being held back until May, could it still be Bloc Party because they may be planning to release their 'comeback' single in may and release album details maybe? So with the hype around that then it would be the right time to announce as Bestival headliners? As it seems that there is a reason for Rob holding back the Friday night headliner.

[gazza_20]

Just a suggestion about the 3rd headliner being held back until May, could it still be Bloc Party because they may be planning to release their 'comeback' single in may and release album details maybe? So with the hype around that then it would be the right time to announce as Bestival headliners? As it seems that there is a reason for Rob holding back the Friday night headliner.

[hawkzred]

Doubt it, if they can release dates for other euro fests, they can for Bestival. Don't see it being Bloc Party, I know they got Stevie but I feel Bloc Party could play a bigger slot than Bestival headliner, they could've done that 4 years ago.

[LondonTom]

Doubt it, if they can release dates for other euro fests, they can for Bestival. Don't see it being Bloc Party, I know they got Stevie but I feel Bloc Party could play a bigger slot than Bestival headliner, they could've done that 4 years ago.

Edited March 27, 2012 by LondonTom

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

I was under the impression that there would be an announcement of some bands today? Or have I got that wrong...

[Chiefski]

Going off Bloc Party "waiting to release comeback single/album..." could it be they/whoever it is are waiting to finalise a tour which would include Bestival? But yeah, its most probably Flo.

[smogo]

I was under the impression that there would be an announcement of some bands today? Or have I got that wrong...

[Vanderlyle]

I'll put this name forward one more time... Leonard Cohen.

He announced is European tour on Monday, with a big Bestival-shaped hole in the middle of it.

http://www.leonardco...m/press2012.pdf

No UK dates announced there yet, which makes me think he is finalising dates for Albert Hall or O2 and then will want a few weeks to sell those tickets. Following which.... Rob can announce him for Bestival.

Final piece of the jigsaw comes from the LC forums. When one poster mentioned rumours of a Hard Rock Calling appearance, the site owner (who gets pre-sale tickets, tour schedules etc well in advance) immediately came on and flat-out denied it. However, when I mentioned Bestival, he went mysteriously quiet.

Edited March 28, 2012 by Vanderlyle

[eFestivals]

I'll put this name forward one more time... Leonard Cohen.

He announced is European tour on Monday, with a big Bestival-shaped hole in the middle of it.

http://www.leonardco...m/press2012.pdf

No UK dates announced there yet, which makes me think he is finalising dates for Albert Hall or O2 and then will want a few weeks to sell those tickets. Following which.... Rob can announce him for Bestival.

Final piece of the jigsaw comes from the LC forums. When one poster mentioned rumours of a Hard Rock Calling appearance, the site owner (who gets pre-sale tickets, tour schedules etc well in advance) immediately came on and flat-out denied it. However, when I mentioned Bestival, he went mysteriously quiet.

I wouldn't be surprised for him to be playing, but I can't see him as a headliner. While Bestival has had older acts previously, they've been far more mainstream than LC is.