Bestival 2015 headline guesses

[smogo]

Hopefully we'll be getting an announcement in the next week or two. So who do we think might be in with a chance of headlining?

I've given this a couple of minutes' thought, done next to no research around these guesses (in terms of who's currently active, who's got new albums out, etc), and I'm ruling out anyone who's headlined before. My lists go from most to least likely bookings.

DANCE/POP
Chase and Status
Calvin Harris
Skrillex
Basement Jaxx [edit: I've remembered they have headlined before, back in 2004, ie the first ever Bestival]
Robyn
Scooter
Beyoncé

INDIE/ROCK
Portishead
Vampire Weekend
Arcade Fire
The Maccabees
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Morrissey
Nine Inch Nails

HIP-HOP
Eminem
Tinie Tempah
Busta Rhymes
Wu-Tang Clan
Nicki Minaj
Kanye West
Jay Z

LEGENDS
Depeche Mode
Kylie
Dolly Parton
Duran Duran
Bruce Springsteen
Paul McCartney
Prince

Edited January 27, 2015 by smogo

[Guy Incognito]

Always thought Vampire Weekend are a fairly good fit for Bestival. Cant personally see any of Eminem, Jay Z, NIN, Kanye, Arcade Fire or Nick Cave headlining but would love any of the last three. It's always so hard to predict Bestival headliners but could definitely see any of Vampire Weekend, Calvin Harris and Springsteen topping the bill.

Im personally hoping Rob da Bank throws some curveballs and books Sigur Ros, Kendrick (as long as the new album is as good as the last two) and a dance based act such as The Chemical Brothers.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

Could see it being Portishead / Basement Jaxx / Kylie, I don't think it will be mind you, but Kylie is certainly a RdB type booking, Portishead has to happen sooner or later and I would imagine a lot of money would have been spent by then so maybe throwin Basement Jaxx simply because their live show is absolutely brilliant.

[Guy Incognito]

Portishead has to happen sooner or later and I would imagine a lot of money would have been spent by then so maybe throwin Basement Jaxx simply because their live show is absolutely brilliant.

Basement Jaxx would be a solid booking considering how good they were last year and how many turned up to see them. Im just wondering if Rob would consider bumping a returning act up to headliner again after the flack he came under for bumping up Chic last year. I'd like to see it happen though, would much prefer that to someone like Calvin Harris

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

Ueah I had thought about that actually with the whole Chic thing, I would guess if he did do it that he would just explain it away as a great booking and that he was concentrating on spending the money evenly across the stages - I can't see him getting one of the giant EDM guys in to play though, if Chase and Status have anything going on album wise this year they might get the leg up - seem to be friends of the festival so to speak so not beyond the realms to see them playing the Friday or Saturday.

[smogo]

Of course, Basement Jaxx have headlined before I now remember (back in 2004). Maybe Major Lazer should take their place in my list (after all, last year they played the same spot that Chic had in 2013!).

[FloorFiller]

lol Major Lazer as a headliner. that would be a new level of ridiculousness

a lot of the acts you've mentioned seem far too big to headline Bestival (more than one of them, anyway - there always seems to be one headliner who is unquestionably bigger) and a lot of them aren't currently touring / have just finished touring

Chase & Status

Calvin Harris

Skrillex

Robyn

Scooter

Portishead

The Maccabees

Morrissey

Tinie Tempah

Busta Rhymes

Wu-Tang Clan

Nicki Minaj

Kanye West

Kylie

Dolly Parton

Prince

those are all the acts who are still touring and are in the realms of playing Bestival (although in some cases, not headlining - some are too small, but then again you never know with Bestival)

[A-Rob]

I think Mark Ronson can headline a day

Edited January 27, 2015 by A-Rob

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

FWIW I remember after 2012 that my best mate said to me a few days after getting home that he thought Elton or Prince would be playing the following year - I asked him why he thought that and he told me that his Auntie (who lives on the Island as a driver) had picked up both Elton John and Prince in her car and taken them to a helicopter (didn't specify if the same helicopter)

I told him that he was talking absolute nonsense and that there was no way either would ever play Bestival - it sounded at the time like a really tall tale and the hallmarks of a completely made up story - but lo and behold the following year Elton John was booked which leads me to wonder if his auntie merely got lucky with her nonsense talking or she was telling the truth and Prince had in fact been there to check out the festival and see what it was all about with the idea of doing it in the future. Seeing as Prince hasn't played since I would hazard that my best guess was one of Elton's entourage was a little fella in glasses who she mistook to be Prince - makes for an interesting yarn either way.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

It's always notoriously hard to predict what Bestival has to offer but off the top of my head I'll go with something like:

Portishead, Two Door Cinema Club, Kylie (Frank Ocean headlining the Thursday night.)

Some of the acts on that list are ridiculous though.

[FloorFiller]

would be hilarious if, after all these years of trying to nab him, Prince chose to do Bestival over Glastonbury (although i guess he already did it with Hop Farm). i can't imagine RDB has that amount of money to throw at one headliner

It's always notoriously hard to predict what Bestival has to offer but off the top of my head I'll go with something like:

Portishead, Two Door Cinema Club, Kylie (Frank Ocean headlining the Thursday night.)

Some of the acts on that list are ridiculous though.

i'd take that. TDCC would be terrible, but there's usually one headliner i have zero interest in so it'd to be expected - the other three would be perfect

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

Yeah it would be great if he got Prince! Part of me naively feels like Prince does some shows just for the sake of it and not just for the money, maybe if he liked the whole vibe of the festival etc he would lower his demands within their range? I highly doubt it of course

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

TDCC surely couldn't get anywhere near headliner? Unless a new album did incredibly well of course, but I feel like the sound and that scene has moved on an awful lot since they were pretty big

[FloorFiller]

TDCC surely couldn't get anywhere near headliner? Unless a new album did incredibly well of course, but I feel like the sound and that scene has moved on an awful lot since they were pretty big

they were supposed to headline Latitude last year before pulling out due to illness last minute - with a new album out i think they could headline Bestival (as long as the other two headliners were considerably stronger)

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

Had forgotten about the Lattitude thing, blows my mind that a band with 2 albums as bad as they have made could headline festivals

[FloorFiller]

yeah, they're absolute garbage, but just the type of garbage that the youth of today eat up. fingers crossed it'll be somebody else, though. tbh i'm not sure they're the type of headliner RBD would go for. a little too far on the NME bait / shite side

[LondonTom]

Very harsh on TDCC there! Their first album is decent enough, 2nd a bit meh like most "indie" bands really. Their really not any worse than other similar bands tbh!

I'd be happy with them as headliners, even if its a little uninspiring.

[dentalplan]

2nd a bit meh like most "indie" bands really.

Neon Bible? Meh.

The Lonesome Crowded West? Meh.

Doolittle? Meh.

Meat is Murder? Meh.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea? Meh.

[kaosmark2]

Meat is Murder? Meh.

Yup.

[FloorFiller]

Very harsh on TDCC there! Their first album is decent enough, 2nd a bit meh like most "indie" bands really. Their really not any worse than other similar bands tbh!

I'd be happy with them as headliners, even if its a little uninspiring.

nah they're utter drivel. somehow managed to squeeze AC/DC's 40+ career of repeating the same song over and over in to two albums

[Staff_Sav]

FWIW I remember after 2012 that my best mate said to me a few days after getting home that he thought Elton or Prince would be playing the following year - I asked him why he thought that and he told me that his Auntie (who lives on the Island as a driver) had picked up both Elton John and Prince in her car and taken them to a helicopter (didn't specify if the same helicopter)

I told him that he was talking absolute nonsense and that there was no way either would ever play Bestival - it sounded at the time like a really tall tale and the hallmarks of a completely made up story - but lo and behold the following year Elton John was booked which leads me to wonder if his auntie merely got lucky with her nonsense talking or she was telling the truth and Prince had in fact been there to check out the festival and see what it was all about with the idea of doing it in the future. Seeing as Prince hasn't played since I would hazard that my best guess was one of Elton's entourage was a little fella in glasses who she mistook to be Prince - makes for an interesting yarn either way.

I heard a similar story just after I got back in 2012 about Prince being there checking out the festival. And it wasn't until after the 2013 I found out on the forums it was supposedly Elton instead. Maybe they were both there, and they've both decided they want to play it, but Prince is just being a cock tease and will agree at some point

[dentalplan]

Yup.

You're a "meh" follow up to kaosmark.

[LondonTom]

Neon Bible? Meh.

The Lonesome Crowded West? Meh.

Doolittle? Meh.

Meat is Murder? Meh.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea? Meh.

In general I'd say 2nd albums are a bit meh. Though I've seen some on here argue Neon Bible is meh by their standards, tbh its my favourite.

They are also a very different type "indie" band ...its a shit term really isn't it

nah they're utter drivel. somehow managed to squeeze AC/DC's 40+ career of repeating the same song over and over in to two albums

Its a decent song, why bother with anything else

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

I remember hearing TDCC for the first time and thinking they were really good, got tickets to go and see them and then after listening to the album from start to finish twice I realised I had made a grave error. I genuinely text the mates I had bought tickets for and said 'guys, I've listened to a bit more by them and they're shite, feel free to back out of the gig' thankfully they all went and then just berated me on how dreadful they were after I had hyped them up.

Good fun for about ten minutes - woefully lacking in depth beyond that.

But as with every single act in the world, horses for courses and all that - can kind of understand why people like them.

[Muppetmark]

didnt neil once say that a week before a festival which had tried and failed to book prince he said he would do it. Maybe that was bestival?