T in the Park 2013

[Red Day]

I'd say that a large portion of the camping is taken by younger people, but the day tickets are taken mostly by people in their 30s and 40s.

People are naive to think that when someone hits the magic age of 30 they stop going to gigs and festivals. I'd actually say these people nowadays have more disposable cash than teenagers and people in their 20s.

When you get into the arena at T and move about I think you will find quite a mix of ages - not to the same extent as Glastonbury, but getting there.

Lots of people such as myself have been going for more than 10 years. I know guys older than me from the days of Punk who go to gigs regularly.

I think last year's statement about Bruce Springsteen was tragically naive.

[frankblack]

Well v had as many pop acts as titp and maybe more, that sold out.

[eFestivals]

T did make its reputation as an Indie festival that catered for the big rock and dance acts but threw in a few token pop acts for novelty. Last year went in completely the opposite way.

see, i'd say that it merely got stuck in rut (like most fests) and suddenly realised it needed to play catch up. Even now it's not doing a great job at that catch up (neither are other fests),

Some of us like me have never seen the line-up T gives as anything but today's pop - because it's never been the pop that I grew up with, so I'm not attached to it in a way that means i have to class it as credible (and via that deem my own tastes as credible).

You say 'indie', but I say it's mostly nothing more than here today gone tomorrow throwaway pop that's little different to classic bubblegum pop of yesteryear - only that throwaway pop has transferred to guys with guitars to some extent.

After all, will 2001's Stereophonics and Texas be looked back on by your grandkids as classic music that is timeless, or will it be very much regarded as music of the time in the way that <picks random 60s act> The Searchers are today?

Edited November 27, 2012 by eFestivals

[frankblack]

see, i'd say that it merely got stuck in rut (like most fests) and suddenly realised it needed to play catch up. Even now it's not doing a great job at that catch up (neither are other fests),

Some of us like me have never seen the line-up T gives as anything but today's pop - because it's never been the pop that I grew up with, so I'm not attached to it in a way that means i have to class it as credible (and via that deem my own tastes as credible).

You say 'indie', but I say it's nothing more than here today gone tomorrow throwaway pop that's little different to classic bubblegum pop of yesteryear - only that throwaway pop has transferred to guys with guitars to some extent.

[Red Day]

There's been some pretty tasty headliners and most are on the rocky side of rock. At least Texas and Streophonics didn't headline every year back in the day.

I agree with some previous comments that a lot of older folks still go to T and maybe a combination of some more rocky headliners/subs like Pearl Jam etc would go down a lot better than Geoff and the bookers think.

[devilman]

There's a hint of truth in what you say Neil but the music and festival industry are cutting their own throats if they carry on the way they are. Festivals grew in popularity and bands realised they could make money from them rather than dwindling record sales. Wedding DJs and talentless biffs have jumped on the bandwagon because for some strange reason the younger population can't tell that they are being duped at the moment. A fancy light show and a loud bass speaker seems to make them blind to the fact that they are seeing anything but a live show. This will not last. The people growing up now need real songs and real music to relate to when they are older. It won't take too long for the great unwashed to realise that they can get just as good a quality sound and lights for a whole lot less money closer to home. But also, we all know the Beatles and Abba songs of many I could quote, who are the kids of today going to sing along to when they're older? There's nothing in current "pop" music, it's a bunch of contrived nursery ryhmes and pretty boys. In 92 Radio 1 had a best singles of all time poll. The DJ at the time, Mayo I think, said that the Nirvana stuff that overwhelmed the poll was not representative and would be forgotten in a few years. They did a similar one recently and guess who was still very much at the top? Pop is pop but quality is quality. Sometimes they actually coincide. People want to see quality and they'll pay for it but whilst T tries to palm off shite pop on people and charge higher prices than when they were getting quality they will never get the numbers they used to.

[mrtourette]

But you wonder if the type of music that is currently so popular is the type of music people would spend a weekend, up to their knees in shite to watch.

[thetime]

A very good point, also chasing this kind of audience is likely to lead to a high turnover of attendees and limited brand loyalty. Not unlike V.

[mrtourette]

And I know plenty of people who return to Reading every year, and I'm sure there are people who return to T every year.

I agree that V attendees will buy tickets without necessarily talking about it, but I doubt that there's a greater deal of loyalty there than other festivals. I agree that V knows their audience and their audience know what they're getting, but again I can't see how that means a more loyal customer base than any other festival.

I can see what you mean by there being people who will blindly by tickets for V regardless of who is playing because it's the trendy mainstream festival, but I would consider that to be slightly different than brand loyalty.

Edited November 27, 2012 by mrtourette

[Gingo]

There's a hint of truth in what you say Neil

[stu150]

Jee, young people, at T?

Think you should probably go find yourself another music fesitval gramps..

[Chiefski]

I wasn't complaining about "young people" in general, I was referring to young chavs who can't handle their drink and get violent when drunk.

If I remember correctly I said I would like Rihanna to sub Jay Z & Kanye. I would just be more worried about the crowd - saying this from experience - when I saw Jay Z there were quite a few aggressive drunk undesirables in the crowd.

[Gparsfan]

Then in that case im just a odd member of the target audience that hates most of the shite they had on last year then.

[craig94]

"Mainly oompa loompas"

I liked last years lineup, I'm not an oompa loompa, I know plenty others who also did, I wouldn't classify them as "oompa loompas" either, what a lazy, awful stereotype. Kudos though, I was unsure whether or not you were a prick going by your posts, I'm pretty certain you are now though.

[eFestivals]

There's a hint of truth in what you say Neil but the music and festival industry are cutting their own throats if they carry on the way they are. Festivals grew in popularity and bands realised they could make money from them rather than dwindling record sales.

the thing is, they're now cutting their own throats by playing festivals. It's starting to work against bands and not for them.

Wedding DJs and talentless biffs have jumped on the bandwagon because for some strange reason the younger population can't tell that they are being duped at the moment.

I'd say that's always been the case and you've been duped no less than them or me.

You've bought into throwaway indie crap like <picks random act> Pigeon Detectives, today's kids have bought into <picks random act> Nicki Minaj, and kids in my day bought into <picks random act> The Lambrettas

A fancy light show and a loud bass speaker seems to make them blind to the fact that they are seeing anything but a live show.

oh look, you're talking about The Chemical Brothers and Orbital.

This will not last.

and yet the Chems and Orbital have.

The people growing up now need real songs and real music to relate to when they are older.

I've been saying just those words about your generation for 20+ years.

[zahidf]

Why do say festivals work against bands now?

[thetime]

Why do say festivals work against bands now?

[marky3]

Arctic Monkeys is a repeat booking that I would kiss Geoff's bald head for.

[Chiefski]

Arctic Monkeys is a repeat booking that I would kiss Geoff's bald head for.

[Paul ™]

Rockness won't pay the £500,000 they would require.

[marky3]

I'd love them at Rockness but I don't think there's any chance of that. Queens are big but nowhere near the level of AM in the UK.

Probs do some travelling to catch the Monkeys at R/L or in Europe this summer.

[gazza_20]

I'd love them at Rockness but I don't think there's any chance of that. Queens are big but nowhere near the level of AM in the UK.

Probs do some travelling to catch the Monkeys at R/L or in Europe this summer.

[frankblack]

T made it's reputation as booking the most popular genre at the time, ten eyars ago it was indie and britpop, now it's not, all that's happened is that the music scene has moved on and you've not, it happens. There will be another 17 year old who will be looking for a festival this year and think T looks outstanding and will do for a couple of years, they might stop going and some other 17 year old will go because it's his/her genre that's being aimed at. It's one big cycle.

As a whole music festivals are on it's "downward" cycle.

[eFestivals]

Anyone who decides on who to book based on the out-of-touch Radio 1 is heading for a fall.

T for all its life proves you wrong.

[Red Day]

T for all its life proves you wrong.