Headliners 2015

[russycarps]

I think that the festival audience are a different demographic to the chart record buying public by a long stretch. To use sales of a current pop act as justification for this argument seems immaterial to me, it's about whether an act is a good fit for the crowd who attend, not whether they are currently selling truckloads of singles.

This sums it all up precisely.

Has the festival really sunk so low that taylor swift is now what the crowd demands?

someone a page or so back said that taylor swift would be more popular with the glastonbury crowd than the chemical brothers! Imagine if that was true! good grief.

[Matt42]

Do grown ups really like Taylor Swift? Seriously I mean? Buy her records and stuff. And actually want her to headline?

The Saturday 5pm slot no?

Her astronomical album sales must mean that she has a varied audience.

[russycarps]

what kind of 'strong case for her awful music' would you like russy? what statistics would win you over? 'biggest artist in the world' doesn't necessarily mean 'biggest artist in the UK' - we're a very small part of the world. that still doesn't mean she's not huge over here and undoubtedly big enough to headline, and just because she hasn't sold out one mammoth of a gig doesn't change that - i'm sure a lot of Glastonbury's past headliners would also struggle to sell out such an event, and your defence that 'well they headlined based on their musical output' point is shite - do you want all our headliners to have a forty year back catalogue before they can be deemed headliner worthy?

when / if she headlines, i think a lot of people are gonna be surprised at the size of the crowd she pulls - the festival demographic has changed

I admit I know nothing about the womans music apart from the youtube links I've clicked on here and shut down 30seconds later...

but it is a genuine question, if she is so huge why hasnt she sold this thing out? It baffles me, and makes me think the popularity among adults just isnt there, so it would be a massive mistake to have her headline.

Beyonce, who I also think is gash, would sell out hyde park in seconds so despite her tragic music, I could understand why she headlined.

Swift, it makes no sense at all.

[FloorFiller]

This sums it all up precisely.

Has the festival really sunk so low that taylor swift is now what the crowd demands?

someone a page or so back said that taylor swift would be more popular with the glastonbury crowd than the chemical brothers! Imagine if that was true! good grief.

surely the booking of Beyonce (and, despite what you will no doubt say, how greatly received she was) has proven that the demographic has now changed and pop music is now in demand?

[A Guy Called Matt]

I admit I know nothing about the womans music apart from the youtube links I've clicked on here and shut down 30seconds later...

but it is a genuine question, if she is so huge why hasnt she sold this thing out? It baffles me, and makes me think the popularity among adults just isnt there, so it would be a massive mistake to have her headline.

Beyonce, who I also think is gash, would sell out hyde park in seconds so despite her tragic music, I could understand why she headlined.

Swift, it makes no sense at all.

Only one act has ever sold out BST and that was the Stones.

All acts last year had tickets on sale on the day.

BST tickets sales really don't mean a lot.

[russycarps]

surely the booking of Beyonce (and, despite what you will no doubt say, how greatly received she was) has proven that the demographic has now changed and pop music is now in demand?

I think beyonce is awful but I didnt kick off about that booking (other than to see she's shit etc, obviously)

The demographic of glastonbury is old, the average age is 30+. Beyonce has been around forever and has loads of songs that even I know. Taylor swift cant be compared to her can she?

[russycarps]

Only one act has ever sold out BST and that was the Stones.

All acts last year had tickets on sale on the day.

BST tickets sales really don't mean a lot.

that says more about the bands that played there than anything else. Mumfords would sell that shit out, as would beyonce. If swift is ranked alongside them (or above them) in the popularity stakes, why hasnt she?

could it be because her fanbase is largely made up of kids and people who have no interest in live music? I think so.

[mike46]

Only one act has ever sold out BST and that was the Stones.

All acts last year had tickets on sale on the day.

BST tickets sales really don't mean a lot.

Libertines most definitely sold out of normal tickets long before the day, not sure about the VIP over-priced ones though.

[FloorFiller]

BST is one huge outdoor festival in London - that doesn't appeal to me one bit, and i'm sure a lot of people feel the same way. if she did an arena tour of the entire country, those dates would sell out. one giant date in London? nah, the travelling and hotel costs etc instantly make that kind of date a lesser prospect for many people. it's a hard gig to sell

I think beyonce is awful but I didnt kick off about that booking (other than to see she's shit etc, obviously)

The demographic of glastonbury is old, the average age is 30+. Beyonce has been around forever and has loads of songs that even I know. Taylor swift cant be compared to her can she?

you really think that's the demographic? maybe it's just because i'm in my twenties myself, but that's the demographic i notice, and i don't know what it is about Taylor Swift, but her music doesn't bring the same level of disgust that a lot of pop music does to non-pop music lovers. her music is prime 'being w*nkered and screaming every lyric at the top of your voice' stuff - perfect for a Sunday night at the Pyramid

[Spindles]

Indeed, Beyonce came with a decade or more of back catalogue and a history of association with the festival. There's plenty of room for pop acts at Glastonbury, but pop that appeals and has history with the older crowd (Madness pulled a massive crowd in 09 for example) is what works.

I think the Mumford's turgid performance demonstrated that large sales of a couple of albums doesn't guarantee a great headliner.

[FloorFiller]

Indeed, Beyonce came with a decade or more of back catalogue and a history of association with the festival. There's plenty of room for pop acts at Glastonbury, but pop that appeals and has history with the older crowd (Madness pulled a massive crowd in 09 for example) is what works.

I think the Mumford's turgid performance demonstrated that large sales of a couple of albums doesn't guarantee a great headliner.

i really don't see why pop music should have to go through these rules and regulations moreso than rock music. does this mean that Take That are a viable headliner and people wouldn't complain about them? of course not. there'll always be a reason to complain

Taylor is, at the moment, the biggest pop star, so why the hell not have her headline instead of some band churning out the same shit they've been doing for some twenty years? we've got the Foo Fighters doing that already

[Mezhyp1]

She's by far and away the biggest pop act in the world right now, and the fact anyone can argue shouldn't be a good booking for the festival in besides me, you don't, like I don't, have to go and watch her, so if you don't like her music then moaning about it isn't going to do anything

[Little Andy]

I always got the impression that Taylor was absolutely massive in the US, and I presumed it was mainly with teenagers. If she's popular with UK adults, it totally passed me by.

[hoils]

It's the fervour I can't get my head round. Proper frothing at the mouth madness.

I don't see why frothing is a bad thing, the best pop music always make me froth at the mouth with excitement. If not, it's not doing its job properly.

Pop music is about hype, fervour, outlandish statements. Frothing.

#TeamFroth

Edited January 30, 2015 by hoils

[stuartbert two hats]

so was Lady Gaga. so was Jessie J. what's your point? if Taylor were to play Other, it'd be as a headliner, which simply isn't happening, as she's far too big for it (which the other two acts weren't at the time of being announced)

My point was aimed solely at those who considered her as potentially being Other headliner/Pyramid Sub size. I was simply pointing out that she could not be dismissed from Other on genre grounds alone. If you think she's too big for that stage, then my point doesn't apply. As I said "if we assumed for one minute that she was a Pyramid sub/Other headliner". I have no opinion on her actual size as a Glastonbury act, I was just pointing out that a pop act isn't necessarily pyramid or nothing.

So, being pop doesn't in itself keep an act from Other, although being too large (irrespective of genre), naturally would.

Honestly, I'm trying not to get into the "she's massive", "she's not" debate, merely exploring the possibilities within a specific scenario that has been raised. You might think that the starting conditions of that scenario are invalid - that's fine. In that case I'm not trying to contradict you, in fact you're better off ignoring my comment, as it has no relevance to. If you did think she's slightly below headliner status at Glastonbury, then it's not out of the question that she could play Other, as pop acts have played high up on that stage in the past, although I don't remember an actual pop headliner there.

[dentalplan]

but there's absolutely no way Chemical Brothers would attract a bigger crowd than Taylor Swift. it's a ludicrous statement (but then again, there's no way Taylor Swift would be put on the Other to begin with so it's incomparable as the Pyramid, 9 times out of 10, will have a bigger crowd than Other, regardless of who's playing). i'm not letting my fanboyism get in the way; it's just fact

maybe she will sub (or be lower down the lineup), but as i've said before, it'll be the first time (bar the Legends slot) that Glastonbury has had such a huge current act in a non-headliner position, and i don't really see why they would have her lower when they could easily stick her at the top of the lineup

Why is it a ludicrous statement to think that a lot of people will want to watch a dance act that's been massively popular for twenty years and people have grown up listening to her than a young popstar that's only really just shot to fame here now and her biggest hits are catchy throwaway songs for kids?

Again she's really not as big as you think. She's massive in America, not here. Why is it incomprehensible that she might not be held in as high esteem by the bookers or the Glastonbury going public?

[JBarbour]

The Libertines are at T in the Park - does that make them more or less likely? Was it rumoured that they might do TiTP and Reading/Leeds?

Hopefully it rules them out. Not because I don't like them but because I think it is a very bad idea.

If they get announced for R/L on Monday which is looking likely then Melv will have signed them on an English exclusive. He doesn't like to share!

[Matt42]

I don't think the world is as segregated as it was a few years ago, with the presence of the internet, spotify, youtube etc the music scene has changed.

If someone is massive in commercial america there's a huge chance they will be huge here too.

It's only in very very rare circumstances that someone will be huge in america and not big in the UK / Europe.

[the wonderwhy]

Libertines most definitely sold out of normal tickets long before the day, not sure about the VIP over-priced ones though.

They kept getting put back on sale online, and I'm pretty sure you could buy them on the gate.

[FloorFiller]

Why is it a ludicrous statement to think that a lot of people will want to watch a dance act that's been massively popular for twenty years and people have grown up listening to her than a young popstar that's only really just shot to fame here now and her biggest hits are catchy throwaway songs for kids?

Again she's really not as big as you think. She's massive in America, not here. Why is it incomprehensible that she might not be held in as high esteem by the bookers or the Glastonbury going public?

well there must be a reason why Chemical Brothers are touted as Other headliners whereas Taylor is Pyramid or nothing, but i just hope for the sake of our argument that those two acts go head to head on the Sunday night (although not really - i want Alt-J to take that spot because i wouldn't want to miss Chemical Brothers / somebody good)

[russycarps]

I'd say when shakira played the other year she was "bigger" then than swift is now. That's the sort of slot swift should be in.

[DomDom1984]

On that "who would she sub" thing, I don't think she'd mind subbing Elton John. I don't think it's a case of who's bigger, and you could argue either of them are. It's just that I don't think there's many folk who haven't done or headlined Glasto before that would scoff at playing before such a guy.

[dentalplan]

well there must be a reason why Chemical Brothers are touted as Other headliners whereas Taylor is Pyramid or nothing, but i just hope for the sake of our argument that those two acts go head to head on the Sunday night (although not really - i want Alt-J to take that spot because i wouldn't want to miss Chemical Brothers / somebody good)

You could argue the same for Linkin Park. They're headliners at just about all that they play but at Glastonbury up against the Chemical Brothers they'd get a woeful crowd.

I don't think the world is as segregated as it was a few years ago, with the presence of the internet, spotify, youtube etc the music scene has changed.

If someone is massive in commercial america there's a huge chance they will be huge here too.

It's only in very very rare circumstances that someone will be huge in america and not big in the UK / Europe.

But there are a lot of people coming in and saying that they only know a couple of songs max. by her. It's alright saying "you must be really out of touch" or some shit but the point is they're supposed to be big enough that even out of touch people know their hits.

[Spindles]

Which is why, much as I hate to admit it, Take that would be a great booking.

[The Nal]

I don't think the world is as segregated as it was a few years ago, with the presence of the internet, spotify, youtube etc the music scene has changed.

If someone is massive in commercial america there's a huge chance they will be huge here too.

It's only in very very rare circumstances that someone will be huge in america and not big in the UK / Europe.

There are countless country and hip hop acts who are huge there that people outside of America havent really even heard of.

Equally, there are acts that are huge in parts of America that are almost unknown in other parts of the country.