Pukkelpop 2015

[TheNewUnion]

I too loved U2 at Glastonbury. They did a great job in incredibly difficult conditions. I think anyone would have struggled on that night (I am also of a certain age and agree we need someone with more than 2 albums)

edit

Re Pet Shop Boys. Would be happy with that. The lineup at Flow already shares several names with PKP. So let's take some more. I'd have Alt J, Belle & Sebastian, Beck, Flo and her Machine. They'd give our lineup a bit more punch.

Edited March 27, 2015 by TheNewUnion

[Snorefest]

The big Friday names seem a little aimed at the 'softer' hip music don't they? Bastille and Passenger are both in that 'acoustic guitar picnic' genre; Mark Ronson and Ellie Goulding will likely not offend many because they're fairly safe and poppy; even the bigger dance acts like Diplo and his Major Lazer are very approachable to the Mainstream Radio audience I'd imagine.

Genuinely wouldn't be surprised if Bastille end up drawing a huge crowd, I think they're probably more popular than we assume they are. Particularly with the teen crowd at PkP. Not saying they should be headliner, but I could understand the rationale behind betting on them if it's not possible to lock down a bigger name artist.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Snorefest

[DDave]

I do get why they've chosen who they've chosen on the Thursday and Friday. To me, it's a day ticket thing. There's an obvious (somehow) massive demand for LP. They've 'complimented' them with Soggy Biscuit to get the same crowd buying the day tickets. Same with the Friday with Bastille and Ellie Goulding etc. This points to me to us getting a big indie/alternative name for the Saturday hopefully to compliment The WOD and Tame Impala.

I can also see why they've gone for the bands as most of them will be fairly cheap and get a big crowd. From the organisers point of view, why pay out assumably big money for very established acts that generated relatively small crowds such as the Roses, Kraftwerk etc did.

Maybe looking forward they should be organising a smaller sister event that bridges the gap between PP and Rimpelrock and build a line up to suit.

[Dietediet]

I do get why they've chosen who they've chosen on the Thursday and Friday. To me, it's a day ticket thing. There's an obvious (somehow) massive demand for LP. They've 'complimented' them with Soggy Biscuit to get the same crowd buying the day tickets. Same with the Friday with Bastille and Ellie Goulding etc. This points to me to us getting a big indie/alternative name for the Saturday hopefully to compliment The WOD and Tame Impala.

Let's hope it's not their way of thinking, because in that reasoning the last headliner should compliment with The Offspring and Netsky...

Who have we got left as realistic options? (in Europe one month before or after the festival and headliner worthy) The only ones I can think of are Kings of Leon and Florence + The Machine (with Werchter sold out now)...

Putting my hopes on that still to be announced sub at Reading/Leeds, please let it be Pixies or Jack White.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Dietediet

[Semprini]

There's been a lot of talk about the Main Stage headliner's but what do we think about the possibilities for the other stages? There's some interesting/strange combinations of bands and DJs on all three days that make it quite difficult to guess where certain acts might play. I'm estimating that we've got between 60/70 international acts still to come but, based on who has already been announced, here's my predictions for some of the stages:

Thursday

Marquee - can't see an obvious headliner but think that Beatsteaks and George Ezra may be there or there abouts. Reckon Jurassic 5 are also likely (or Dance Hall)

Dance Hall - Ty Dolla $ign, Prhyme, Machinedrum, Brodinski, Sigma and Rebel Sound.

Club - Future Islands.

Boiler - Craze, Hannah Wants, Mr Oizo, Boyz Noise and Knife Party

Castello - Lido, Ghost Culture, Flako, Fakear and Hudson Mohawke

Friday

Marquee - FFS, Run the Jewels.

Dance Hall - Little Simz, Elliphant, Kareen, Ten Walls (if it's live, Boiler otherwise), Duke Dumont, Porter Robinson, Diplo, Parov Stelar and Mark Ronson.

Club - Bastille.

Boiler - DJ Mustard, The Upbeats, Spor, Black Sun Empire, Len Faki, Adam Bayer and Above and Beyond.

Castello - John Talabot, Jamie XX and Daniel Avery and Erol Alkan B2B.

Saturday

Marquee - James Blake - they love him for some reason. Tame Impala and TWOD are also contenders, although I think at least one of them will sadly be on the Main.

Dance Hall - Trixie Whitley, Todd Terje, Gorgon City and Underworld.

Club - The Maccabees (?).

Boiler - Critical Soundsystem, What so not, The Magician, A-Trak (still lots to come here which is nice!).

Castello - Howling, Shadow Child, Tale of Us and Four Tet.

Please feel free to disagree and offer alternatives!!

[DDave]

Club - Bastille.

I take it your taking the piss.

Edited March 29, 2015 by DiscothequeDave

[Semprini]

Club - Bastille.

I take it your taking the piss.

Just putting them where they should be. There's no mention in anything official that they're playing the Main!

Edit: Been watching the Ultra Festival live stream tonight and Gorgon City sounded good. The only other PKP act they have featured is Boyz Noise and he's currently making a fuc*kin racket. Heard he had moved on a bit from his old electro sound but not hearing anything different at the moment.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Semprini

[TheNewUnion]

Would Underworld not have a crack at headlining The Marquee? Assuming Ride play, I'd like to see them headline The Club.

[DDave]

Would Underworld not have a crack at headlining The Marquee? Assuming Ride play, I'd like to see them headline The Club.

I've a horrible feeling the Saturday will be clash central with the WOD headlining the marquee and Undieworld headlining the dance hall.

[TheNewUnion]

I've a horrible feeling the Saturday will be clash central with the WOD headlining the marquee and Undieworld headlining the dance hall.

Balls, if that's the case I won't know which way to turn (It'll probably be Underworld though, as I say TWOD last year in The Club. But they were so good I want to see them again - arrghhh)

[ilbeyene]

I don't think FFS and Run The Jewels will be in the Marquee. I'd go with Main for FFS (afternoon slot, obviously) and Club for Run The Jewels.

[TheNewUnion]

So, no more names and tickets "coming soon". You do wonder if either a) They've got a cracker of a headline act and cannot announce yet or They've not got one and are trying to get one before they put tickets on sale.

No idea really, just bumping the thread in hope rather than expectation.

[DDave]

Anyone else just listen to the new FFS song on BBC6?

Called 'Piss Off'

Exactly how you'd expect a FFS record to sound. Bloody brilliant.

Edit. Here it is, and yes they played it in full with all the naughty words left in.

Edited April 1, 2015 by DiscothequeDave

[DDave]

So, no more names and tickets "coming soon". You do wonder if either a) They've got a cracker of a headline act and cannot announce yet or They've not got one and are trying to get one before they put tickets on sale.

No idea really, just bumping the thread in hope rather than expectation.

Kanye keeps popping up announcing new festival dates, the latest being http://www.ottawabluesfest.ca/lineup/#/lineup

There's a few PP named bands there. It would fit the rap headliner spot and would complete the set of worst PP headliners ever. With the line up being so shambolic so far, I think it's safe to say we haven't got a clue who's being lined up.

[Dietediet]

Kasabian headlining Sziget. I've been saying before that they aren't headlineworthy in Belgium, but neither is Bastille...

[Noeliam]

Kasabian are already at Werchter. Not even headlining.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Noeliam

[Dietediet]

Kasabian are already at Werchter.

It has happened before that a Werchter sub is a Pukkelpop headliner in the same year (Sigur Ros 2008, Placebo 2009), that's why we haven't ruled out Florence + The Machine either. Now that the Kasabian day at RW is sold out, they might just.

[DDave]

Kasabian headlining Sziget. I've been saying before that they aren't headlineworthy in Belgium, but neither is Bastille...

Would be a very welcome addition but I'd still be expecting a bigger name.

Edited April 2, 2015 by DiscothequeDave

[Snorefest]

Friday

Marquee - FFS, Run the Jewels.

[...]

Castello - John Talabot, Jamie XX and Daniel Avery and Erol Alkan B2B.

Saturday

[...]

Club - The Maccabees (?).

All of these assuming the stages will remain the same of course... But I'd definitely move Erol Alkan/Daniel Avery to the Boiler. Alkan on his own has always been a late afternoon Boiler-slot at the very least.

The Maccabees opened the Main a few years back (2010? 2012?), so I'd expect them to either move up a slot or 2 on the main, or get a shot at the Marquee.

FFS looks like a Mainstage no-brainer, surely? Franz Ferdinand on their own could sub-head a festival day, couldn't they?

All of that said, could it be possible for them to perhaps rebrand the Marquee and Club together as one huge guitar music tent? Possibly move them opposite the Main, where the Club tends to be? Then you could get the Shelter and Wablief (provided that one stays) a bit further from the noise-leaking Boiler, and stick the special-beer site on the place of the Shelter instead?

[Dietediet]

All of these assuming the stages will remain the same of course... But I'd definitely move Erol Alkan/Daniel Avery to the Boiler. Alkan on his own has always been a late afternoon Boiler-slot at the very least.

The Maccabees opened the Main a few years back (2010? 2012?), so I'd expect them to either move up a slot or 2 on the main, or get a shot at the Marquee.

FFS looks like a Mainstage no-brainer, surely? Franz Ferdinand on their own could sub-head a festival day, couldn't they?

All of that said, could it be possible for them to perhaps rebrand the Marquee and Club together as one huge guitar music tent? Possibly move them opposite the Main, where the Club tends to be? Then you could get the Shelter and Wablief (provided that one stays) a bit further from the noise-leaking Boiler, and stick the special-beer site on the place of the Shelter instead?

Considering most of that guy's information has turned out wrong, I don't think we have to count on the 'stage change' rumours either.

And Franz Ferdinand could sub on their own yes. But they will mainly play songs from that collaboration (which sounds nothing like main stage material anyway). Marqueeheadliner sounds fit to me.

[Semprini]

All of these assuming the stages will remain the same of course... But I'd definitely move Erol Alkan/Daniel Avery to the Boiler. Alkan on his own has always been a late afternoon Boiler-slot at the very least.

The Maccabees opened the Main a few years back (2010? 2012?), so I'd expect them to either move up a slot or 2 on the main, or get a shot at the Marquee.

FFS looks like a Mainstage no-brainer, surely? Franz Ferdinand on their own could sub-head a festival day, couldn't they?

I agree that Erol Alkan and Daniel Avery are definitely big enough to play in the Boiler but they've booked a strange mix of DJs that day which makes me wonder how they will allocate them out? I've tried to programme the different stages based on the bands and DJs that are playing but the reality is they may well just mix the musical styles up. Above and Beyond, Diplo and Mark Ronson are all big enough to close the Boiler but I think at least one of them will be in the Dance Hall. There's also a case for Adam Beyer to be on last, based on the music he plays and the fact he's currently one of the biggest names in techno. The one I'm most looking forward to seeing though is Spor. Been a fan for a long time (not so keen on his 'Feed Me' moniker mind) and his recent Essential Mix is unbelievable. Will definitely clear the diary for that 90 minutes.

As for FFS, history shows that they like to put bands of this kind in the Marquee. Portishead last year and My Bloody Valentine, GSY!BE and Flaming Lips in the past - all bands big enough to play the Main but more suited to the Marquee (there's probably others that I've missed too).

Did pick up one thing on Facebook the other day - PRhyme will be in the Castello on Thursday 20th.

Anyone made any 'discoveries' yet from the new names?? Neither are exactly new but liking what I've heard so far from Future Islands and Slaves.

[ilbeyene]

As for FFS, history shows that they like to put bands of this kind in the Marquee. Portishead last year and My Bloody Valentine, GSY!BE and Flaming Lips in the past - all bands big enough to play the Main but more suited to the Marquee (there's probably others that I've missed too).

I think that Portishead, My Bloody Valentine and Gospeed You! Black Emperor are "special cases" cos they need a special atmosphere to play. That's why the Marquee was perfect for them. FFS are a totally different band, more energetic. They'll have only an album out, so they're going to play Franz Ferdinand songs as well for sure. I'm pretty sure they'll be on the Main Stage in an afternoon slot (like around 16.00 - 17.00).

Anyway GY!BE gig in 2013 was sick. Festivals should book more post rock bands like Maybeshewill (last year they opened the Club, worst timetable position possible for them), Caspian, 65daysofstatic, This Will Destroy You, Russian Circles, sleepmakeswaves, And So I Watch You From Afar and more.

[Dietediet]

I guess we're bound to have some names this week or early next week, if ticket sales are actually starting the 15th.

Although I keep finding it an odd date. It's Easter holidays until the 19th, and usually Rock Werchter/Pukkelpop don't give any important updates (i.e. names) during those weeks since it's a popular period for people to go on vacation. Not to mention that most people don't even know about that 15th, since it has never been communicated officially.

[DDave]

This 2nd announcement needs to be a bloody good one.

Headliner wise, is it inconceivable that we're waiting for the last Glastonbury headliner to be unveiled? Could the same act be headlining Glasto, PP, Sziget, Lollapalooza and be the special guest at R&L?

Prince for example has been linked with Glasto for years. He's done his hit and run tour with small venues and has moved it to arenas and maybe he fancies taking it to festivals.

Yes, I am clutching at straws.

Edited April 6, 2015 by DiscothequeDave

[Dietediet]

Definitely won't be Prince. The media reported in 2013 that Pukkelpop was close to booking him when Neil Young pulled out, but he refused because he will only have the closing spot. And since Netsky is already there...

My guess is that either they're failing to book someone headliner worthy, or it's a RW act that required waiting until the festival sold out (Florence or Kasabian).