Lineup 2016

[Stuielooie]

28 minutes ago, swede said:

Not my thing, but thanks, anyway the point was that Foals deserve to headline, they should have headlined Glasto as well instead of Muse. The recycling of the same bands every few years is what will stagnate and eventually cause the downfall of festivals, festivals have to be brave enough sometimes to give bands a first time crack at headlining.

I'm not sure on the should have headlined Glasto, but I know they are gonna smash Reading

[JSmurphy]

11 minutes ago, theramm said:

Foals are shit. I watched their Glasto set & at no point did they show anything that warranted this (co) headline spot. Guarantee they get the smallest crowd out of any of the headliners & rightly so.

I reckon FOB will get the smallest crowd if Sunday ends Fall Out Boy / The 1975 / DJ EZ / Good Charlotte / Temper Trap

[thewayiam]

55 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

Best live band in the country atm? I will raise you one Creeper. 

I saw Creeper at 2000 Trees and have to see I think you are clutching massively....and I don't dislike them.

5 minutes ago, JSmurphy said:

I reckon FOB will get the smallest crowd if Sunday ends Fall Out Boy / The 1975 / DJ EZ / Good Charlotte / Temper Trap

FOB are about the most Reading band there bar Biffy Clyro lol.

[swede]

12 minutes ago, theramm said:

Foals are shit. I watched their Glasto set & at no point did they show anything that warranted this (co) headline spot. Guarantee they get the smallest crowd out of any of the headliners & rightly so.

You watched it live at Glasto or on tv ? I had family at Glasto who saw them who said they smashed it, I also saw them live at Leeds Arena in February and they were incredible, we'll have to agree to disagree that a band that have been around for 11 years and are 4 albums in don't deserve to headline lol

[Gucci Piggy]

1 hour ago, swede said:

Jesus Christ, I thought the Glasto forum was bad wanting Nick Cave or Radiohead there every year. KOL lost it years ago, thank fuck Foals are no KOL sort of band ! Foals deserve the leg up to headliner, by far the best live band in this country atm,  and anyone who doesn't see it as deserved and wants the same recycled cycle of headliners every few years is very foolish IMO.

 

Yeah but Radiohead and Nick Cave are good.

[thewayiam]

1 hour ago, swede said:

You watched it live at Glasto or on tv ? I had family at Glasto who saw them who said they smashed it, I also saw them live at Leeds Arena in February and they were incredible, we'll have to agree to disagree that a band that have been around for 11 years and are 4 albums in don't deserve to headline lol

This is an absolute ridiculous statement to make! Just because a band is 4 albums in over 11 years does not make them headliners. Do you know literally how many bands over that period have produced 4 or more albums that aren't even close?

[Stuielooie]

28 minutes ago, thewayiam said:

This is an absolute ridiculous statement to make! Just because a band is 4 albums in over 11 years does not make them headliners. Do you know literally how many bands over that period have produced 4 or more albums that aren't even close?

Although, the progress from album to album and how well received they've been is what makes it the arguing point

[thewayiam]

2 minutes ago, Stuielooie said:

Although, the progress from album to album and how well received they've been is what makes it the arguing point

That wasn't the point though, if that had been said then I can see it but headliner level was never going to happen on previous albums and this latest sloped away, not saying even because I dislike them but the facts are there.

For a start, The Libertines were questioned, I was a bit surprised when they did Hyde Park, they didn't sell out days at Reading or Leeds and their arena tour didn't really fly out. Fair to them, 3 nights at Ally Pally on top of HP is a lot, they can pull it beings it's virtually homecoming gigs, but can you honestly say you could see the above being booked for their own outdoor show, let alone selling it enough?

[Stuielooie]

3 minutes ago, thewayiam said:

That wasn't the point though, if that had been said then I can see it but headliner level was never going to happen on previous albums and this latest sloped away, not saying even because I dislike them but the facts are there.

For a start, The Libertines were questioned, I was a bit surprised when they did Hyde Park, they didn't sell out days at Reading or Leeds and their arena tour didn't really fly out. Fair to them, 3 nights at Ally Pally on top of HP is a lot, they can pull it beings it's virtually homecoming gigs, but can you honestly say you could see the above being booked for their own outdoor show, let alone selling it enough?

I don't think most of the headliners this year would sell out a headline outdoor show. I think if they did Barclaycard hyde park it would be quite close to selling out fully. (Mumford didn't sell out this year)

Foals' arena tour did sell well though

[AndrewSmith]

1 minute ago, thewayiam said:

That wasn't the point though, if that had been said then I can see it but headliner level was never going to happen on previous albums and this latest sloped away, not saying even because I dislike them but the facts are there.

For a start, The Libertines were questioned, I was a bit surprised when they did Hyde Park, they didn't sell out days at Reading or Leeds and their arena tour didn't really fly out. Fair to them, 3 nights at Ally Pally on top of HP is a lot, they can pull it beings it's virtually homecoming gigs, but can you honestly say you could see the above being booked for their own outdoor show, let alone selling it enough?

Spot on.

I'm a big Foals fan and a huge Biffy fan but this set of headliners are extremely weak. Foals would probably get away with 1 night at Finsbury Park or similar but I couldn't see them selling out a stadium show or Hyde Park. Based on the general reaction to Biffy's latest album, I think the same could be said for them. Both bands would sell a few nights at The O2 but this is something The 1975 and BMTH are also pushing towards. For me, personally, FOB and Disclosure don't do too much to strengthen this line up either and RHCP have flopped wit their latest album and still selling tickets from previously 'legendary' (as some have said) status.

I've been going since 2011 and this is the weakest set of headliners and the worst for potential clashes that I've had.

[thewayiam]

1 minute ago, Stuielooie said:

I don't think most of the headliners this year would sell out a headline outdoor show. I think if they did Barclaycard hyde park it would be quite close to selling out fully. (Mumford didn't sell out this year)

Foals' arena tour did sell well though

That's fair, Mumford's are shit now though lol. The angles where Reading can get round that is the price tag they now charge, Chili's wouldn't sell out at £100, no chance. I'll wait for a full Biffy show.

I'll still maintain, that was a small arena tour.

[thewayiam]

3 minutes ago, AndrewSmith said:

Spot on.

I'm a big Foals fan and a huge Biffy fan but this set of headliners are extremely weak. Foals would probably get away with 1 night at Finsbury Park or similar but I couldn't see them selling out a stadium show or Hyde Park. Based on the general reaction to Biffy's latest album, I think the same could be said for them. Both bands would sell a few nights at The O2 but this is something The 1975 and BMTH are also pushing towards. For me, personally, FOB and Disclosure don't do too much to strengthen this line up either and RHCP have flopped wit their latest album and still selling tickets from previously 'legendary' (as some have said) status.

I've been going since 2011 and this is the weakest set of headliners and the worst for potential clashes that I've had.

Tbf dude, I don't think either could sell a few nights at The 02 out, Foals only did Wembley Arena on one night last time.....never was going to be an outright headline set. Finsbury would be hard for Biffy atm I think too.

I agree with Biffy and RHCP haven't produced anything good in years but their catalogue is enough for classics.

[swede]

19 minutes ago, Stuielooie said:

Although, the progress from album to album and how well received they've been is what makes it the arguing point

Nice to see theres people on here who can actually read between the lines of what I was saying and don't have to have everything spelled out for them.

Foals have progressed steadily to a well deserved headline slot.

[Stuielooie]

28 minutes ago, thewayiam said:

That's fair, Mumford's are shit now though lol. The angles where Reading can get round that is the price tag they now charge, Chili's wouldn't sell out at £100, no chance. I'll wait for a full Biffy show.

I'll still maintain, that was a small arena tour.

Mumford was fantastic live last month.

[dentalplan]

I know peeps were hoping Good Charlotte wouldn't clash with the first coheadliner but it looks likely that'll happen now as there seems to be too many acts on the Lock Up for it not to happen. The Futuresound winners, Fighting Caravans, are opening the Lock Up for whatever reason instead of the advertised FR slot prize. They're not a punk band either. Weird. Oh well.

[thewayiam]

5 hours ago, swede said:

Nice to see theres people on here who can actually read between the lines of what I was saying and don't have to have everything spelled out for them.

Foals have progressed steadily to a well deserved headline slot.

You say that but many have been called up for not stating exactly what they mean, and it's not necessarily a case of that because it could be looked at as belittle other bands that have been going maybe upto 15 years with 6 albums or something that didn't make it. 

[Jud8]

9 hours ago, thewayiam said:

KOL from old, KOL post Reading 09 was shit tbh and while I like Foo's, Sonic Highways was awful compared to Wasting Light. I don't think my Foals view needs giving lol.  The let down with Biffy is that it'll be a shorter set.....but the new album is shite so if you can't produce the good on album you shouldn't be given a headline set to back it up.

Yes that what I mean. Would've loved to see KoL at reading in 2009. Didn't mean a headline set from them now...

[Jud8]

9 hours ago, swede said:

Jesus Christ, I thought the Glasto forum was bad wanting Nick Cave or Radiohead there every year. KOL lost it years ago, thank fuck Foals are no KOL sort of band ! Foals deserve the leg up to headliner, by far the best live band in this country atm,  and anyone who doesn't see it as deserved and wants the same recycled cycle of headliners every few years is very foolish IMO.

 

Never said KoL to headline now. The stature of them in 2009 was much greater than foals are now. That's what I'm trying to say. 

[Jud8]

8 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Best live band in the country atm? I will raise you one Creeper. 

Saw creeper with neck deep at Southampton. Very good and can't wait to see them at reading. Although I would question being the best live band. For me catfish and the bottlemen set last year at reading was the best festival set/gig I've been to live. 

[dentalplan]

29 minutes ago, Jud8 said:

Never said KoL to headline now. The stature of them in 2009 was much greater than foals are now. That's what I'm trying to say. 

Well yeah, of course. They were just about the biggest band on the planet. 

Do you value seeing big name bands headlining over smaller bands you like/prefer though?

[rawaudioinput]

Frankly, Reading has had very little competition from the other major UK festivals this year; Isle of Wight sold horrendously and V have decided to fully embrace their own separate demographic

If you live in the south of England, couldn't get a Glastonbury ticket and want to see big bands in a field then Reading is really your only option this summer

On the other hand the competition/headliner sharing with T coupled with the expansion of Kendal Calling and Y-Not might mean Leeds is a bit of a different story

[swede]

9 hours ago, Jud8 said:

Never said KoL to headline now. The stature of them in 2009 was much greater than foals are now. That's what I'm trying to say.

They partly got that stature by Glasto being the first uk festival to take a punt on them headlining in 2008, 3 albums in, just about to release their 4th, what im trying to say is festivals have to take a chance on giving bands their first crack at headlining, like foals this year, if they smash it then other festivals take note in subsequent years and consider these bands headliner material. This in turn stops the recycling of the same bands every few years as there's more bands considered to be at headline status to chose from.

Reading/Leeds has always had a rich history of giving bands a first shot at headlining a big festival in this country, so I don't see why people are surprised when a band like Foals gets a shot and call in a weak booking, they years I went religiously 2003-2008 they had bloody Razorlight and Franz Ferdinand headline !

Edited August 3, 2016 by swede

[jackarmy]

So looks like I'm working for one of the coach companies, repping a bus there and back Thursday/Monday (got the rest of the festival free)

Last went in 2012, as a punter - has much changed since then? Got to admit, I'm looking forward to having use of the staff campsite facilities, even though it'll probably be miles away from the arena...

BTW, if Foals are as good as they were at Glastonbury then they'll probably be the act of the weekend. 

[dentalplan]

8 hours ago, rawaudioinput said:

On the other hand the competition/headliner sharing with T coupled with the expansion of Kendal Calling and Y-Not might mean Leeds is a bit of a different story

Parklife as well. That seems to be a much bigger, trendier deal than Leeds for young people up north, I reckon.

45 minutes ago, jackarmy said:

So looks like I'm working for one of the coach companies, repping a bus there and back Thursday/Monday (got the rest of the festival free)

Last went in 2012, as a punter - has much changed since then? Got to admit, I'm looking forward to having use of the staff campsite facilities, even though it'll probably be miles away from the arena...

BTW, if Foals are as good as they were at Glastonbury then they'll probably be the act of the weekend. 

That seems a pretty sweet gig. Enjoy.

I found Foals to be okay at Glastonbury but a little underwhelming by their standards. Crowd was way huge and obviously when you get a crowd that big the atmosphere drops off a bit. R+L should be better though because they're headlining and people are less likely to be rocking up to kill time and satisfy curiosity.

[Gucci Piggy]

Yeah I know way more people who went to/were interested in Parklife than Leeds this year. Though I guess at 20 most people my age who previously held any interest in R&L have moved on.

A few people I know floated the idea of going to Leeds this year but when exploring other ideas for a second festival after Glastonbury I don't think anyone felt that Leeds was worth it. Somewhere abroad/Latitude/one day events such as BST/Citadel held much more appeal to us all. And in terms of music taste we used to be exactly in the R&L demographic.