Bestival 2012 Headliners

[rug568]

Definitely. Just imagine, just finished playing "Feel so Real" the crowd have just finished cheering.. all goes quiet.. hear a quiet piano.. straight into Porcelain. Oh, man. I'm only young and my parents used to play a huge amount of Moby, I'd probably overload on nostalgia and weep.

Jesus, might just dress as a weeping willow tree for that Sunday.

[kaosmark2]

Stop you're getting me excited.

[Joe-]

I dont believe he is, it is just wishful thinking on my part. Beck is one person who i would love to see over most others.

[gooner1990]

Is Moby touring?

[Joe-]

Is Moby touring?

Edited February 9, 2012 by Joe-

[Zacko]

Moby would be incredible.

[zahidf]

I like moby. Not big enough to headline though.

[Joe-]

I like moby. Not big enough to headline though.

[zahidf]

Hm, I find this hard to believe. I couldn't imagine him anywhere but headlining a festival. Surely he's more successful or on par than previous acts like Pendulum, Bjork. And protential 2012 headliners Florence/new order, etc.

[Joe-]

Nah. Last tour he couldn't sell out Brixton, and his last few albums flopped. Even new order are bigger now!

[gooner1990]

I'm sure a festival performance for a more dancey crowd...especially with the right sort off sweets inside them would go down well

[Bisque]

I think the average age of an efester is showing with the suggestions mentioned on this thread. Nothing current except Flo.

The headliners suggested are just dull for anyone aged early 20s. Sorry.

[kaosmark2]

I think the average age of an efester is showing with the suggestions mentioned on this thread. Nothing current except Flo.

The headliners suggested are just dull for anyone aged early 20s. Sorry.

[LondonTom]

Or it could be that a lot of people who don't hop onto fads prefer acts that have built up a reputation over a few years and albums, rather than flash-in-the-pan 2-album acts.

I'm early 20s, and I'd prefer bands that have a back catalogue to take up the longer headline slots. Would have been happy with Sigur Ros and Justice as headliners, but they're playing lower down.

Instead of moaning that we're old fogies, could you say who you'd like to see?

[Bisque]

Or it could be that a lot of people who don't hop onto fads prefer acts that have built up a reputation over a few years and albums, rather than flash-in-the-pan 2-album acts.

[kaosmark2]

Agreed, newer bands seem to get promoted far to easily to headline status then everyone complains their boring cos they got one or two albums worth of martial to work from and their "hit single" that got them fame to be bumped up

Pulp would be fantastic

This might seem an odd one ..but what about Franz Ferdinand as headliner here? Fallen back abit more again in appeal, but any possibility? (I do tend to mention them for every fest i am interested in as I'll admit I am a massive fan boy )

[kaosmark2]

Not sure what you're referencing by flash-in-the-pan 2-album acts (isn't that why most people go to V?R&L?) or hopping onto fads? Someone new has to headline occasionally otherwise you get the same old crap on repetition, which I don't think you were getting at in your post, which is why I like Besti amongst other many redeeming features.

[zahidf]

I think when we talk.headliners, we need to.remeber that they will have to be bigger than sigur ros and the xx on exclusive, and two door cinema club.

Of all the bands mentioned so far, only pulp, Florence and (maybe) new order fit the bill.

Bands not mentioned so far: depeche mode or suede?

[Bisque]

But it's hard to think of newer bands that could be offerred and would fit with previous picks isn't it? Which was more my original point.

[smogo]

I'm thinking one of the two "legendary" headliners Rob's booked, and "isn't who you think" (assuming by that he means they've barely been mentioned either here or on the official forum) might be Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

EDITED TO ADD: Looking back, his "legendary" tweet was referring to "One second headliner and one big top sunday headliner", ie Sigur Rós and Orbital. So that's no help in guessing the main stage headliners at all. I still think Nick Cave is a good bet though.

Edited February 10, 2012 by smogo

[Joe-]

Prince, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Leftfield, etc are some more. I know Arcade Fire/Radiohead aren't suppose to be playing shows, but like we've said before, Rob is a good persuader.

[DJL]

think Radiohead would be too far out of Bestivals reach (read: spending power)

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Two reasons why there are so few headline-ready new bands.

1. Lots of festivals and competition + not enough new bands who could carry an audience of 50,000 people = risk of repetition and lack of interest in festival.

2. Not enough new bands because music isn't as great or as treasured now as it once was, and doesn't produce as much consistent output of great and talented bands (with longetivity) as it used to due to the disposable nature/evolution of the industry, and the fact the mainstream aren't keen to expose or grab hold of bands who are risky/niche/unsellable in a world where nobody buys anything the mainstream sells anyway. Those bands they DO push, become over-promoted, over-saturated and over-exposed, and people become bored and utterly desensitised by them. Then by the time the hottest act of 2008 gets around most of the major festivals, by 2012 nobody will give a shit.

[5co77ie]

3. (there's more on this in an interview published on Monday) no chance for bands in the UK to get beyond a certain level by playing across the festival circuit to become a household name due to exclusivity deals choking off new talent by big festivals who want to tap into the talent to keep their festivals current - the result - more acts having a lesser shelf life as they fail to build an 'across festivals' audience. Less proficiency witihin the band to step a gear through playing live every weekend to big crowds.

ie The hottest act of 2008 signs so many exclusive deals for money to appear at big festivals on small stages, that by the time 2012 rolls around they're hardly known as a live 'festival' band, and can't hold a big audience as they've hardly had to do it - game over.

[eFestivals]

The headliners suggested are just dull for anyone aged early 20s. Sorry.

The thing is, much of what Rob books falls into that category.

In my few Bestival attendances I've been shocked at the clear lack of knoiwledge of the crowd of some very famous acts. It's rather strange that the clientelle is so strongly in their 20s with those acts on the bill, too.