Download 2019

[R Shah]

Very big stab in the dark - but Royal Blood? Reckon they'd be a less hated booking than BMTH overall for like the more modern band although BMTH I reckon are much more likely.

Could defo see smashing pumpkins playing next year.

Metallica confirmed European stadium dates will be announced in september so looks like they'll be playing stadiums maybe not download. 

If they keep up the muse/biffy type of booking (rock band but not too heavy) reckon we could see someone like foo fighters playing if they're still touring.

[Chavmeisterdeluxe]

17 hours ago, dentalplan said:

Don Broco should've had a bigger crowd than A, reunited or not.

Disturbed, that's the fellas. Teach me for not proofreading.

[Andre91]

If Architects have an album out in time then I think they’re a strong candidate to sub the main stage next year or play third down. They had by far the most merch on display at the weekend. It felt like I was never out of sight of their logo. Lots of people I chatted to were speaking about them too. 

With Parkway Drive moving into arenas, I think that is the same size tour that Architects will be going for. 

BMTH / Deftones / Architects. 

or 

BMTH / Architects 

Book it. 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Andre91

[Jericode]

Not sure who I'd think for headliner if Metallica are out, they were one of my lead choices.

I think they've got to promote someone new, the headliner pool is too thin. If BMTH have an album it's 100% their time.

Way too early for them to come back again since they just subbed but are BFMV in headline contention now? The festival clearly like them enough to sub and I think it's worked out poorly for them that the album is out in three weeks. If it's a commercial success they've got to be in with a shout but can they justify promoting them to headline off it when they've just played half of it as a sub?

[ryanbryans]

.

Edited June 11, 2018 by ryanbryans

[thewayiam]

1 hour ago, Andre91 said:

If Architects have an album out in time then I think they’re a strong candidate to sub the main stage next year or play third down. They had by far the most merch on display at the weekend. It felt like I was never out of sight of their logo. Lots of people I chatted to were speaking about them too. 

With Parkway Drive moving into arenas, I think that is the same size tour that Architects will be going for. 

BMTH / Deftones / Architects. 

or 

BMTH / Architects 

Book it. 

I can't see you getting the bottom one but the top is possible, still think BMTH will be at Reading though.

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, Jericode said:

Not sure who I'd think for headliner if Metallica are out, they were one of my lead choices.

I think they've got to promote someone new, the headliner pool is too thin. If BMTH have an album it's 100% their time.

Way too early for them to come back again since they just subbed but are BFMV in headline contention now? The festival clearly like them enough to sub and I think it's worked out poorly for them that the album is out in three weeks. If it's a commercial success they've got to be in with a shout but can they justify promoting them to headline off it when they've just played half of it as a sub?

Not a chance. I loudly laughed when Matt Tuck said ‘Who knows, maybe in 2 or 3 years we will be headlining’ whilst on stage. They’re irrelevant. They played a good set but there just a nostalgia band now who should be nowhere near subbing.   The did nothing to suggest otherwise. 

[Jericode]

I'm by no means suggesting they deserve it, but they've got to get more headliners from somewhere. The festival has only had something like 25 headliners in the 15 years they've been going and half of them either aren't going any more or wouldn't be anywhere near it.

If you had to pick five new headliners, who would you go for? Just curious.

[FloorFiller]

It's a sad state of affairs that bands often only get one shot at the big time, but BFMV had their shot and fucked it and I can't see them ever recovering from it properly. Best days are definitely behind them, and they were never that good to begin with.

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, Jericode said:

I'm by no means suggesting they deserve it, but they've got to get more headliners from somewhere. The festival has only had something like 25 headliners in the 15 years they've been going and half of them either aren't going any more or wouldn't be anywhere near it.

If you had to pick five new headliners, who would you go for? Just curious.

New headliners as in bands being bumped up to headline Download for the first time (so not bands like Blink, Paramore etc. who have already headlined other U.K. festivals) ? If that’s the case, then the following within the next few years:

Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, KoRn. 

Looking beyond that: 

Parkway Drive, Architects, Ghost. 

 

BFMV are just too irrelevant I think and do not warrant that headline slot. 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Andre91

[Jericode]

1 minute ago, Andre91 said:

New headliners as in bands being bumped up to headline Download for the first time (so not bands like Blink, Paramore etc. who have already headlined other U.K. festivals) ? If that’s the case, then the following within the next few years:

Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, KoRn. 

Looking beyond that: 

Parkway Drive and Architects. 

 

That was the intended question, yes, should have been clearer.

Can't say I disagree with anyone you've picked, although I admittedly know nothing about Volbeat. I listened to Parkway Drive for the first time earlier after they announced more dates and can definitely see that happening. Huge sound on Reverence.

I'm not going to pretend to know the logic behind booking festivals but do you think there's a reason they don't promote some bands? Deftones have subbed three times, Korn and Marilyn Manson has done subbed four times each, at what point do you just give them full headline status?

It just confuses me that they seem to have so few options already in their pool and yet so many names are thrown around as 'future' headliners. 

[FloorFiller]

17 minutes ago, Jericode said:

I'm not going to pretend to know the logic behind booking festivals but do you think there's a reason they don't promote some bands? Deftones have subbed three times, Korn and Marilyn Manson has done subbed four times each, at what point do you just give them full headline status?

All of those acts have been hovering around second/third down the main stage for years now so suddenly promoting them to headliners without much reason might seem weak/a bit of a last resort. They're all doing just fine, even pretty good, but none of them are particularly bigger than they have been in the past so why are they now headlining? At least that's my theory - others on here seem to disagree and think that some of them may well headline in the near future.

[Steve1000]

3 hours ago, Jericode said:

The festival clearly like them enough to sub and I think it's worked out poorly for them that the album is out in three weeks. If it's a commercial success they've got to be in with a shout but can they justify promoting them to headline off it when they've just played half of it as a sub?

This will not happen as the album will almost definitely be completely terrible.

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, Jericode said:

That was the intended question, yes, should have been clearer.

Can't say I disagree with anyone you've picked, although I admittedly know nothing about Volbeat. I listened to Parkway Drive for the first time earlier after they announced more dates and can definitely see that happening. Huge sound on Reverence.

I'm not going to pretend to know the logic behind booking festivals but do you think there's a reason they don't promote some bands? Deftones have subbed three times, Korn and Marilyn Manson has done subbed four times each, at what point do you just give them full headline status?

It just confuses me that they seem to have so few options already in their pool and yet so many names are thrown around as 'future' headliners. 

 Volbeat are absolutely massive all over Europe and are a festival headliner and a stadium band. Playing to such a big crowd at Download this year will have done them wonders in the UK. They were really great. 

I decided to run a bit of a poll over the weekend and I was asking people whether they think Five Finger Death Punch are now ready to headline Download and the response was very mixed. I must have asked 60 odd different people and it was pretty even. A lot of people said no because they haven’t consistently sold out arenas and that is what a headliner needs to do, whilst a lot of people said that they are ready for the push and would welcome a new headliner. They weren’t even there this year and so many people were wearing their merch. Architects and them had more people wearing their merch than half of the bigger bands on the lineup. 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Andre91

[thewayiam]

9 hours ago, Andre91 said:

 Volbeat are absolutely massive all over Europe and are a festival headliner and a stadium band. Playing to such a big crowd at Download this year will have done them wonders in the UK. They were really great. 

I decided to run a bit of a poll over the weekend and I was asking people whether they think Five Finger Death Punch are now ready to headline Download and the response was very mixed. I must have asked 60 odd different people and it was pretty even. A lot of people said no because they haven’t consistently sold out arenas and that is what a headliner needs to do, whilst a lot of people said that they are ready for the push and would welcome a new headliner. They weren’t even there this year and so many people were wearing their merch. Architects and them had more people wearing their merch than half of the bigger bands on the lineup. 

I'm not sure people who wear a bands arch though is indicative of whether bands should get the bump up. I do think however that you would need more than half the people to agree on FFDP but they are correct at needing more new headliners. If they have stopped themselves giving BMTH it then FFDP won't get it yet.

[huntyyy]

What you've also got to remember is that Architects haven't played Download since Lost Forever came out (Mental init, but they were due to play back in 2016 don't forget), so that'll work in their favour.

[dentalplan]

15 hours ago, FloorFiller said:

All of those acts have been hovering around second/third down the main stage for years now so suddenly promoting them to headliners without much reason might seem weak/a bit of a last resort. They're all doing just fine, even pretty good, but none of them are particularly bigger than they have been in the past so why are they now headlining? At least that's my theory - others on here seem to disagree and think that some of them may well headline in the near future.

Having the likes of Maiden and Rammstein back every few years is also weak and a last resort though, right? I don't think they're in a position above obvious barrel scraping - the scene just isn't creating headliners. Even the likes of FFDP who have a big following have been milked relentlessly by the fests in lower slots.

I think the recognised names of Korn and Deftones are more likely to be the new Metallicas and Iron Maidens in ten to fifteen years' time than the likes of Five Finger Death Punch and A Day to Remember. I mean, it's even happening with Avenged Sevenfold now where they aren't as big as when they first headlined so pushing up lesser known but fresher artists isn't necessarily the solution.

[punknotdrunk]

Yo! Been at the last 4 DLs and can date myself back to Monsters of Rock in the 80s. Can't help thinking that all these line-ups are VERY metal. The whole point of DL is that it's a rock festival with metal, classic, southern, punk and a few other sub genres.

I reckon a Friday night main stage headliner to really shake things up would be the Pistols. They wouldn't be a crazy amount of money - thus freeing up resources for Saturday and Sunday.

Just a thought!

[Jericode]

As in the Sex Pistols tribute band? The last thing Download needs is tribute bands headlining.

[dentalplan]

2 minutes ago, battleborn said:

Where's everybody got that Metallica are out from? I get they're in the middle of a stadium tour next year but that didn't stop GNR.

It did last year.

[dentalplan]

3 minutes ago, battleborn said:

Fair point, might depend more on their dates than anything though. I don't think them touring automatically means they won't headline. If it does then I guess we can expect Iron Maiden; I'm pretty sure Copping will want one or the other to be the big lead for ticket sales next year.

Yeah there's a slim possibility that they do stadiums and festivals but the way they've gone about it and announced (paraphrasing) that they'll be back next year to play stadiums and the details would be announced in September, it doesn't really suggest anything else and that's a while before most festivals announce their headliners. They spent the best part of a decade doing festivals constantly so I'm not surprised if they're delaying that a bit to do something else for the fans.

Maiden seem very soon to return given that they've barely gone away since they last played and will have done two proper UK arena tours in the two years off Download. Still wouldn't surprise me.

[punknotdrunk]

Not sure where the Sex Pistols 'tribute' comment comes from?!? Last time they were out it was with the classic Lydon/Jones/Cook/Matlock line-up. FFS did anyone see Ozzy on Sunday - that's about as cartoon caricature as it comes. And don't get me started on Avenged Sevenfold, a pretty boy pub band with a very average singer! How did they become a headline act?

[Jericode]

33 minutes ago, battleborn said:

Anyway possible headliners:

Five Finger Death Punch / Metallica or Iron Maiden / Slipknot /

Looking beyond headliners (in no particular order):

Reel Big Fish / Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes / Five Finger Death Punch / Alestorm / Cannibal Corpse / Of Mice & Men / Biffy Clyro / System of a Down / 

I don't understand the second list, are you saying they should play in the future, be future headliners, or a mix of both?

I can't see Reel Big Fish headlining but at the same time I can't see them demoting Biffy and SOAD to further shrink their headliner pool, so I'm not sure 

[Jericode]

3 minutes ago, punknotdrunk said:

Not sure where the Sex Pistols 'tribute' comment comes from?!? Last time they were out it was with the classic Lydon/Jones/Cook/Matlock line-up. FFS did anyone see Ozzy on Sunday - that's about as cartoon caricature as it comes. And don't get me started on Avenged Sevenfold, a pretty boy pub band with a very average singer! How did they become a headline act?

You said The Pistols, I put the name into google and it came up with a tribute act as the top hit.

I don't see the original Sex Pistols headlining either given they haven't performed for 10 years.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Jericode

[punknotdrunk]

That's my point, 10 years away gives them a novelty attraction that revolving Slipknot etc every other year is missing! They all still gig with side projects and they have a rip-roaring 90 minutes of classic songs. I saw them 10 years ago and they were epic. Lydon is one of the great front men.

Anyway, a more general point is that I'd like to see them thinking outside the box a little.

I think the fact that there seemed to be a fraction of the people watching the main stage on Friday night compared to Saturday night, kinda makes my point for me. Obviously GNR are a bit of an exception to most rules but bringing in an act that nobody's seen for a while is bound to refresh.

Same goes for the other stages. This was the first year I've been when, despite the weather, I found things – GNR apart – a little predictable.

Still had a great time, mind! An will no doubt be back next year!