Hyde Park 2012

[SecondSet]

Sun: Big Country, Guillemotts, Robert Ellis

[33-RPM]

A diverse range of new acts for Hard Rock Calling 2012

18 vibrant new acts will join the 2012 bill, supporting the weekend's iconic headliners for what is sure to be a once in a lifetime lineup, blending rock legends and today's hottest up-and-coming talent.

Black Stone Cherry, Kids in Glass Houses, Christina Perri, Guillemots, Big Country and Amy MacDonald are amongst those confirmed, joining headliners Soundgarden, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and Paul Simon in London’s Hyde Park on July 13-15^th.

Black Stone Cherry will jet in fresh from their US tour to join the Friday July 13^th bill. Also confirmed for this year’s rock spectacular are Welsh rockers Kids in Glass Houses; Skindred, combining reggae and dancehall with searing thrash and punk; and indie rockersLife In Film.

Saturday July 14^th sees Scotland’s Amy MacDonald return to Hard Rock Calling. She shot to fame in 2007 with the release of This is the Life, an album which sold over three million copies. Following a storming performance at this year’s Coachella,Dawes have been added to the bill, as well as the acclaimed saviour of blues, Gary Clark Jr,South Carolina’s NEEDTOBREATHE, rockers The Night and American singer/songwriterJonathan Wilson.

Christina Perri, American songstress andJar of Hearts hitmaker, is back on UK shores and joins the Sunday July 15^th lineup. She has recently been on tour with James Blunt and her album Lovestrong debuted in UK Top Ten. Following their 2010 reformation, internationally renowned Scottish rockers Big Country founding members Bruce Watson, Tony Butler and Mark Brzezick will play their first Hard Rock Calling.

Other exciting Sunday 15 July additions include BRIT-nominated indie band Guillemots, progressive bluegrass band Punch Brothers and virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, who were chosen by none other than Eric Clapton to join him on tour.

US acoustic country/folk singer songwriter Robert Ellis and London born musician Marlon Roudetten and Marcus Foster also join the bill.

[efcfanwirral]

how does HRC work with the two stages? Is Amy Macdonald really on at the same time as Bruce at what is essentially a sold-out Bruce Springsteen gig or does that stage finish earlier?

[zahidf]

how does HRC work with the two stages? Is Amy Macdonald really on at the same time as Bruce at what is essentially a sold-out Bruce Springsteen gig or does that stage finish earlier?

[efcfanwirral]

thanks - is that usually around the time of the main support? I'd imagine so - shame because I'd like to see Amy Mac then go onto John Fogerty!

[Kierkegaard]

Whole heap of new Wireless acts announced today, including Santigold and Metric on the Deadmau5 day.

[jump]

Whole heap of new Wireless acts announced today, including Santigold and Metric on the Deadmau5 day.

[LondonTom]

Metric!!! Fuck I wasn't going but now I will have to if they are playing.

[TheSeventhOne]

Friday, oddly, has turned out to be the strongest day for me with Santigold, Araabmuzik, Childish Gambino, Metric, The Roots and Ms. Dynamite all playing. Might have to do it.

[Kierkegaard]

Go to the Shepard's Bush show instead? (I mean unless you really want to see the rest of the line up at wireless:P)

[tolywoly]

Been offered tickets for the Best of British gig. I'm in two minds to be honest. Many considerations involved, but it'll probably come down to - rest of the lineup vs. my desire to avoid any Olympics related hassles.

I'm surprised that Bombay Bicycle Club are in contention. I was thinking more along the lines of Florence and the Marchine, for the 2010s act. Maybe someone like Kaiser Chiefs, or a re-reformed Libertines, representing the 00s.

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

I already feel a bit spolit having the specials and new order.. look at blurs supports last time they done hyde... crystal castles, vamprie weekend nowhere near as big.

I like how having the Olympics is an excuse to have shit hot support acts

[33-RPM]

The Mars Volta have been added to the Friday at Hard Rock Calling; they're headlining the second stage.

[Kierkegaard]

They're arranging a pretty strong undercard for the Friday in ratio to the headliner - perhaps they don't think that Soundgarden on their own would sell 60,000 tickets.

Still, still no news on the London Live headliner for Friday 27th May. Have you heard anything eFests? You knew about Blur months in advance, would you be able to dig something up for us?

[LondonTom]

Still, still no news on the London Live headliner for Friday 27th May. Have you heard anything eFests? You knew about Blur months in advance, would you be able to dig something up for us?

[mrtourette]

They're arranging a pretty strong undercard for the Friday in ratio to the headliner - perhaps they don't think that Soundgarden on their own would sell 60,000 tickets.

Still, still no news on the London Live headliner for Friday 27th May. Have you heard anything eFests? You knew about Blur months in advance, would you be able to dig something up for us?

[frankblack]

They're arranging a pretty strong undercard for the Friday in ratio to the headliner - perhaps they don't think that Soundgarden on their own would sell 60,000 tickets.

Still, still no news on the London Live headliner for Friday 27th May. Have you heard anything eFests? You knew about Blur months in advance, would you be able to dig something up for us?

[breathesgelatin]

Still, still no news on the London Live headliner for Friday 27th May. Have you heard anything eFests? You knew about Blur months in advance, would you be able to dig something up for us?

[mrtourette]

I think they'd sell even fewer tickets than Soundgarden.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

How about Smashing Pumpkins? They are playing the day before at a festival in Lisbon. Nothing else announced after that until July.

I know y'all pooh-poohed the idea before... but is it a possibility?

Edited April 26, 2012 by Frankly Mr Shankly

[jump]

Is there a theme to the London Live headliner? If the Blur 1 is best of British could the other one be a best of non-British for the Olympics?

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Is there a theme to the London Live headliner? If the Blur 1 is best of British could the other one be a best of non-British for the Olympics?

Edited April 26, 2012 by Frankly Mr Shankly

[Kierkegaard]

The London Live events have an increased capacity. 80,000 compared to 60,000 for Hard Rock Calling, Wireless and Madonna. I'm convinced that it'll have a massive headliner, if not necessarily the one I want.

The Spice Girls would sell that out, they sold 16 O2 shows on their last tour (20,000 capacity each). I seem to remember that they've been threatening to get back together this year.

However, I think jump has a point about the 'Best Of British' element. I can't see why they would sell one event under that banner, and then book another British artist for the opening. Perhaps U2 or something? I could see them coming out for an event of potentially Live 8/Obama Inarguation/Glastonbury proportions.

Kings Of Leon haven't played the UK this year. I don't know what's going on with them at the moment but they've sold out Hyde Park a fair few times before. Not quite the same calibre as Blur though.

Or Prince.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

I get what people are saying, but I think if you're going to go down the road of purposely making it none British, then it'll only work if they get acts from all over the world otherwise it'll just turn into a U2 concert or whoever it is that they've bagged to headline. Plus Kings of Leon have played Hyde Park of their own accord recently, that would be a very boring uninspired booking to say the least.

Prince would be amazing & could explain why they've had to wait so long to get it announced, as we all know what he can be like.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Frankly Mr Shankly

[jump]

Kings of Leon are on hiatus as they all hate each other now.