Sound City 2018

[Rose-Colored Boy]

First headliner Peace, with support from The Slow Readers Club 

 

Looks like they're downsizing by quite a bit, presumably because of that god awful-looking Neighbourhood Weekender thing

[jyoung]

It's going back to the city and different venues (like Great Escape) rather than on one site at the docks. I'm looking forward to it but gonna wait for more bands to be announced before shelling out £50.

[AAlex]

I've been the last two years on the docks, think the 2016 location was a lot better than this years, but Everton building their new stadium on the land ruled that out I believe. Had every intention of returning, already have the hotel room booked but I think it will depend on the line up, the prospect of queueing up for venues and making sure we get there early for the bigger acts takes something away from it for me though.

Will be interesting to see what route they take with the line up I thought 2016 seemed a lot busier than this years, the Saturday this year was very quiet. Thought Wombats would be a shoo-in for a headline slot after they missed Liverpool on their tour, they've since announced an 'Album Launch Show' at Hangar 34 but that's only a 750 capacity so may still be in with a shout.

[dirty_dog]

The docks was absolutely shite, great news they are back in the city.

[popcornmaster]

Peace aren't confirmed as headliners, are they? I just thought they were just kind of drip feeding the lineup rather than announcing them as headliners. I don't dislike them but I'm not blown away by the idea of Peace headlining. 

Haven't been since it moved to the docks but I bought super early tickets on account of the switch back to the old multi-venue format. I hope its new location isn't the death knell to Threshold Fest in the Baltic though. That was a great little weekend. 

[AAlex]

3 hours ago, popcornmaster said:

Peace aren't confirmed as headliners, are they? I just thought they were just kind of drip feeding the lineup rather than announcing them as headliners. I don't dislike them but I'm not blown away by the idea of Peace headlining. 

Haven't been since it moved to the docks but I bought super early tickets on account of the switch back to the old multi-venue format. I hope its new location isn't the death knell to Threshold Fest in the Baltic though. That was a great little weekend. 

I didn't think they were until I saw Peace's tweet. They've just been announced as headliners for Live at Leeds as well so I guess they are doing.

I do like them but I'd have expected a subheadline slot at most. 

[dentalplan]

24 minutes ago, alexlloyd said:

I didn't think they were until I saw Peace's tweet. They've just been announced as headliners for Live at Leeds as well so I guess they are doing.

I do like them but I'd have expected a subheadline slot at most. 

Live at Leeds has a bunch of headliners though because of all the venues, and that's just one day. I would think it similar for Peace at this; they'll headline the venue but there'll be a bigger name on at a bigger venue or something. Would hope so anyway.

[popcornmaster]

On 11/30/2017 at 6:35 PM, alexlloyd said:

I didn't think they were until I saw Peace's tweet. They've just been announced as headliners for Live at Leeds as well so I guess they are doing.

I do like them but I'd have expected a subheadline slot at most. 

Hard to argue with that, I guess.

Hopefully, it's more like what @dentalplan says. 

[AAlex]

More coming tomorrow, I'd say Peace are headliners beyond any doubt after this. Wombats added another date today and still no full Liverpool date on the tour (did/doing an album launch show), can't see past them. 

[AAlex]

I think the Sound City streak may end at two years 

[SemiSweet]

Shite compared to last year and even that wasn't good.

[eFestivals]

just cos it's not mentioned anywhere else (and i have double-checked this)...

Ibibio Sound Machine were announced in the first announcement, but are no longer playing.

[popcornmaster]

1 hour ago, SemiSweet said:

Shite compared to last year and even that wasn't good.

True. Personally, I don't think it has had a good line up since it left the city centre. I've been re-looking over past line-ups and they were so good.

Tempted to try and shift my tickets (if ever it sells out) and go to Threshold instead or go to just check out complete unknowns. 


 

[FloorFiller]

Christ that's embarrassingly bad. Wonder what's caused them to downsize so much. Did it sell particularly poorly last year? And have tickets gone down to like a fiver or something?

[eFestivals]

8 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

Christ that's embarrassingly bad. Wonder what's caused them to downsize so much. Did it sell particularly poorly last year? And have tickets gone down to like a fiver or something?

If you care to notice, it's moved weekends (from the late May Bank Holiday to the early one).

Someone once told me that it's been very difficult to book acts for the late May bank holiday weekend because no band wanted to commit itself as it was hoping for a call from the beeb for Big Weekend.

So that probably explains the change of weekends. It might also have had an impact in them lowering their sights.

And if I'm remembering rightly (I might be confused with another fest) someone i know was at Sound City last year and said it was very quiet, so that's probably in the mix too.

[dentalplan]

3 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

If you care to notice, it's moved weekends (from the late May Bank Holiday to the early one).

Someone once told me that it's been very difficult to book acts for the late May bank holiday weekend because no band wanted to commit itself as it was hoping for a call from the beeb for Big Weekend.

So that probably explains the change of weekends. It might also have had an impact in them lowering their sights.

And if I'm remembering rightly (I might be confused with another fest) someone i know was at Sound City last year and said it was very quiet, so that's probably in the mix too.

Still the sights seem significantly lower than inner city festivals that share the same weekend, and Sound City is arguably the most established of them.

[AAlex]

I was there last year, the Saturday was basically a wasteland, embarrassingly small crowds for Metronomy and The Kills. The Sunday was fairly busy but putting Kooks, White Lies, Cribs, Milburn, Sherlocks and The Amazons on the same day probably made a lot of people just get a day ticket. 

If I remember rightly it was right after the Manchester Arena attack as well because there were armed police at the gates and in the city centre. That might've played a role in people avoiding it. 

Either way I can't see me returning, if you compare it to last year DMA's would probably be half way up the main stage if that, with Peace a bit higher. 

[eFestivals]

22 minutes ago, alexlloyd said:

If I remember rightly it was right after the Manchester Arena attack as well because there were armed police at the gates and in the city centre. That might've played a role in people avoiding it.

ah, of course. That weekend was the first real 'events' weekend after the attack(s?), and people's worries were high.

[SemiSweet]

5 hours ago, eFestivals said:

ah, of course. That weekend was the first real 'events' weekend after the attack(s?), and people's worries were high.

Yah. Armed police were actually lingering around at the back of the crowd as The Kooks played.

[MMC]

Already bought my tickets for this before the last announcement possibly the weakest sound city ever so far but has anyone got any recommendations from the new announced bands? Cheers

[AAlex]

54 minutes ago, MMC said:

Already bought my tickets for this before the last announcement possibly the weakest sound city ever so far but has anyone got any recommendations from the new announced bands? Cheers

If I were going it would be for DMA's, Peace, Sunset Sons, Jaws, Neon Waltz and The Blinders, so I'd recommend any of them if you haven't heard of them! I don't know much else, but Sound City's been nominated for Best Festival for Emerging talent the last three years, winning in 2016, so it's definitely worth checking out the lower acts, there's normally a few hidden gems

[dirty_dog]

the biggest appeal for this year's is the venues.

they are using the best area of liverpool with some cracking venues which compared to the building sites of the past 3 years.

 

but ye lineup is dogshit

[Swanmob]

Very poor line-up imo. Idles, orielles, Carmody, husky loops, Billie marten and plaza are the only interesting ones I've come across so far. 

[popcornmaster]

On 2/24/2018 at 1:43 PM, Swanmob said:

Very poor line-up imo. Idles, orielles, Carmody, husky loops, Billie marten and plaza are the only interesting ones I've come across so far. 

Aye. Inclined to agree. I genuinely think Smithdown Festival on the same weekend has a better line up. 

The only real star of the show is the festival site. 




I have an early bird ticket and it doesn't look like it'll sell out so I'll probably pop down. 

As said above, if anyone has any unknowns worth checking out throw them in the mix. 

[MMC]

What are the chances of Blossoms being added they are on tour from the Friday before sound city but do have the Saturday and Sunday of sound city free.