2020 Line-up Thread

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

2 hours ago, xxialac said:

Any gems from this little lot?

Anteloper, Apollo Ghosts, Billy Nomates, Bingo Fury, Charley Crockett, Divide and Dissolve, Fortitude Valley, Frances Quinlan, The Goon Sax, Julianna Barwick, Kate Bollinger, Les Filles De Illighadad, Marie Davidson & L’œil Nu, Mike Polizze, Modern Nature, Modern Woman, Skullcrusher, Star Feminine Band, Yard Act.

From those, I've seen Frances Quinlan, Modern Nature and Modern Woman. Quinlan (formally of Hop Along) is indie-folk and could be great early afternoon on Garden. Modern Nature are the new band of the songwriter from Ultimate Painting and are very enjoyable psych. Modern Woman have supported a lot of the post-punk Speedy Wunderground artists - I some them supporting Scottibrains - and fit that bill to some degree, with some home-made instruments and a fair bit of experimentation.

I've heard great things about Billy Nomates, The Goon Sax, Julianna Barwick and Skullcrusher too.

[xxialac]

Just now, JHad said:

From those, I've seen Frances Quinlan, Modern Nature and Modern Woman. Quinlan (formally of Hop Along) is indie-folk and could be great early afternoon on Garden. Modern Nature are the new band of the songwriter from Ultimate Painting and are very enjoyable psych. Modern Woman have supported a lot of the post-punk Speedy Wunderground artists - I some them supporting Scottibrains - and fit that bill to some degree, with some home-made instruments and a fair bit of experimentation.

I've heard great things about Billy Nomates, The Goon Sax, Julianna Barwick and Skullcrusher too.

brilliant, thanks

[xxialac]

1 hour ago, SweepingTheNation said:

Billy Nomates recorded her album with Geoff Barrow and has collaborated with Sleaford Mods, which is a decent comparison - kind of laptop-aided speak-singing acute poetry.

The Goon Sax are an Australian trio, one of whose dads is Robert Forster of the Go-Betweens, who make quirkily angular, wordy indie. They've just signed to Matador for their third album.

Yard Act are a Northern version of one of those post-punk with spoken vocals bands around at the moment (Do Nothing, Dry Cleaning, Sinead O'Brien)

Fortitude Valley are the project of one of EOTR alumni Tigercats with half of Martha backing.

Great insights.

[mario man]

This is such a great line-up. I’m gutted about losing Angel Olsen but the additions more than make up for that. Just seen Creep Show on there, were they on there for this year? Apart from AO every other act I wanted to see has remained and the additions are superb. Great news and fingers crossed! 

[SweepingTheNation]

Mailout says Perfume Genius is Thursday headliner.

[Mackem]

How likely do we think this is to sell out before Xmas? I know it's only £40 deposit but as I'd not thought of going til I saw the line up this morning, I'd prefer to mull it over before mentally committing myself 

 

Edited December 10, 2020 by Mackem

[WM Hall]

45 minutes ago, SweepingTheNation said:

Mailout says Perfume Genius is Thursday headliner.

An extremely weak headliner if that's the case - same can be said for Big Thief. Used to have Sufjan, Flaming Lips, David Byrne headlining and that exciting live show, substantial back catalogue, special factor seems to have gone a bit...

[WM Hall]

5 hours ago, xxialac said:

Any gems from this little lot?

Anteloper, Apollo Ghosts, Billy Nomates, Bingo Fury, Charley Crockett, Divide and Dissolve, Fortitude Valley, Frances Quinlan, The Goon Sax, Julianna Barwick, Kate Bollinger, Les Filles De Illighadad, Marie Davidson & L’œil Nu, Mike Polizze, Modern Nature, Modern Woman, Skullcrusher, Star Feminine Band, Yard Act.

Les Filles De Illighadad and Julianna Barwick

Former, definitely - very good live. Latter, not sure how it'd be live but she's great on record

[xxialac]

15 minutes ago, WM Hall said:

An extremely weak headliner if that's the case - same can be said for Big Thief. Used to have Sufjan, Flaming Lips, David Byrne headlining and that exciting live show, substantial back catalogue, special factor seems to have gone a bit...

Agree completely. Has been a couple of years now of weakish headliners.

HOWEVER! The undercard just seems to get better and better and crazy strength in depth again this year.

[Gilgamesh69]

16 hours ago, WM Hall said:

An extremely weak headliner if that's the case - same can be said for Big Thief. Used to have Sufjan, Flaming Lips, David Byrne headlining and that exciting live show, substantial back catalogue, special factor seems to have gone a bit...

I dunno, for a Thursday headliner it seems pretty good. Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is one of the best albums of this year, so it's not like they've just picked some random nobody. It's more exciting than Green Man having Little Dragon headline the Thursday

[Guy Incognito]

17 hours ago, WM Hall said:

An extremely weak headliner if that's the case - same can be said for Big Thief. Used to have Sufjan, Flaming Lips, David Byrne headlining and that exciting live show, substantial back catalogue, special factor seems to have gone a bit...

I agree up to a point, this year's headliners have less of a WOW factor but last year's trio was also quite poor. Perfume Genius is an excellent Thursday headliner, his set on the Garden Stage in 2017 was incredible.

Thing is that Sufjan booking really was an outlier, they will never pull of something like that again. I do think David Byrne should come back with the American Utopia tour but seemingly he isnt doing UK festivals. Personally I think the Flaming Lips are crap but understand your point.

Big Thief are very deserving of the slot. If you ask me then the weak booking is King Krule. Can't really argue with Pixies, despite it not being the most exciting booking.

[Guy Incognito]

Girl Band post-headliner Big Top slot please 🤞

[shoebox]

I think the WOW headliners at EOTR have always been outliers. It's what I love about the festival, that they're willing to give the potential next big thing that first headline slot. It's such a strong bill that a focus on the headliners has always been a bit of an oddity to me. It will sell out regardless of the headliners.

Personally I'm very excited about Perfume Genius, Big Thief and Pixies. Sure, King Krule is not my cuppa, but then neither was Mac Demarco and I still went to see him.

[Guy Incognito]

1 minute ago, shoebox said:

I think the WOW headliners at EOTR have always been outliers. It's what I love about the festival, that they're willing to give the potential next big thing that first headline slot. It's such a strong bill that a focus on the headliners has always been a bit of an oddity to me. It will sell out regardless of the headliners.

 

Yeh agreed. I've only ever seen three headliners in my three years at EOTR. Who do we reckon will headline the Garden Stage apart from Bright Eyes?

[xxialac]

Seems to be an unpopular opinion but I'm not a fan of Perfume Genius.

There's something about his voice that irritates me, has sort of a whiny quality, plus a lot of the songs seem emotionally overblown

Don't like the falsetto either.

Edited December 11, 2020 by xxialac

[SweepingTheNation]

1 hour ago, Guy Incognito said:

Big Thief are very deserving of the slot. If you ask me then the weak booking is King Krule. Can't really argue with Pixies, despite it not being the most exciting booking.

I get the feeling they were expecting King Krule's album to kick him up a notch in the way Big Thief's (and Perfume Genius') most recent albums have but instead it seemed to drift by - and it definitely didn't help that it came out in February so got completely lost in the rest of the year's rush and the loss of a year's live scene. Maybe he's promising a follow-up before September, who can say.

[Gilgamesh69]

Hoping someone can start working on a theoretical clashfinder, or at least day splits! 

[bobbyperu]

19 hours ago, WM Hall said:

An extremely weak headliner if that's the case - same can be said for Big Thief. Used to have Sufjan, Flaming Lips, David Byrne headlining and that exciting live show, substantial back catalogue, special factor seems to have gone a bit...

Do you just mean that you don't like Perfume Genius? Don't see either Perfume Genius or Big Thief as unusual headliners for EOTR, other than the Thursday headliners have tended to be more of a "heritage" act slot since they opened the Woods stage on that night.

There has always been a part of EOTR's booking policy which is about band's progressing through the bill and "coming of age" for want of a better expression with a headline slot. The one's you mention are probably more outlier's than this year's headliners. I don't think anyone would have blinked an eye if Bright Eyes headlined the Woods Stage but EOTR do seem to like to give acts a leg up. 

Anyway, great line up. I assumed it was more or less a given that Angel Olsen wouldn't be playing given the original post-postponement announcement. The majority of must sees from last year are still playing and there are some great new additions and some of the ones i don't know sound very promising.

Predicting the Garden Stage headliners? Bright Eyes, Aldous Harding, Comet Is Coming. although the ones i predict usually end up subbing the main stage instead!

Also hoping the Talking Heads stage returns. Really nice way of seeing some of the quieter acts away from the chatterers. 

[bobbyperu]

This year was probably particularly difficult as i'm sure they would offer everyone on the original bill the chance to play again but then you have a whole other year of new releases etc that would probably have played in 2021, i'm sure Simon has said they are always thinking 2 years ahead now. Financially they were probably not likely to go our and book a massively expensive headliner either given all that has gone on.

Also given there are more "TBC" there does seem to be an awful lot of names on the announcement? I wonder if they will do a bit more with the Thursday this year? Maybe open up an extra stage and/or a slightly earlier start?

 

 

[WM Hall]

4 hours ago, bobbyperu said:

Do you just mean that you don't like Perfume Genius? Don't see either Perfume Genius or Big Thief as unusual headliners for EOTR, other than the Thursday headliners have tended to be more of a "heritage" act slot since they opened the Woods stage on that night.

I suppose I never considered them as being big enough to headline, but maybe my indie knowledge has dropped off somewhat

 

4 hours ago, bobbyperu said:

There has always been a part of EOTR's booking policy which is about band's progressing through the bill and "coming of age" for want of a better expression with a headline slot. 

This is a good point and I like that about EOTR. Maybe it is just true that I don't care for either act particularly.

I would also say, though, that you won't have big spectacles, stage shows, surprises or sing-alongs with these bands. I know this isn't the Pyramid Stage we're talking about, but those things are what - to me - makes a headliner a headliner rather than just another act. I don't really care for Vampire Weekend but they really fuckin headlined when they played. Can't say anything about last year's headliners cuz I didn't see em...

Edited December 11, 2020 by WM Hall

[Guy Incognito]

It's very much just a case of who's around isn't it. Angel Olsen, Pixies and King Krule was an excellent trio by modern standards, especially when you think that Green Man had Mac Demarco, Michael Kiwanuka and Caribou. 

It's a shame that Angel Olsen isn't available as her at EOTR is bucket list stuff but I think they've done very well to manage to salvage what they have from the 2020 line up. Irrespective of their size/sing along potential Big Thief are one of the most critically acclaimed bands around and are excellent live. Of the three acts that are headlining 2021, Big Thief are the ones I think will put on the best show. 

I do agree that spectacles and sing alongs are what often defines headliners but this is EOTR we're talking about, a festival which has always revelled in the alternative.

[SweepingTheNation]

I don't get how EOTR headliners now have to be "spectacles and singalongs" when the vast majority haven't been either - you can cite St Vincent or Flaming Lips but they're clear outliers for all live music. It wasn't like people automatically wrote off Sufjan playing a Carrie & Lowell set or Animal Collective hunched behind workstations for that.

[dentalplan]

13 hours ago, SweepingTheNation said:

I don't get how EOTR headliners now have to be "spectacles and singalongs" when the vast majority haven't been either - you can cite St Vincent or Flaming Lips but they're clear outliers for all live music. It wasn't like people automatically wrote off Sufjan playing a Carrie & Lowell set or Animal Collective hunched behind workstations for that.

I agree. This is surely the least 'spectacle/singalong' festival out there. It's mostly a home for lo-fi types that are just cranking out good music without frills. I would think anyone going to the fest prioritises good bands over popular bands.

Despite that, I think Pixies are a huge coup and are being played down because everyone who's wanted to see them since the 80's has done. One of the most influential alternative rock bands ever and still one of the biggest ticket sellers (for their own shows) the fest has booked. Even if folks aren't interested, it gives the fest license to promote first-ever headline slots by critically acclaimed bands - which has always been a mission of the fest.

Edited December 12, 2020 by dentalplan

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

18 hours ago, WM Hall said:

I would also say, though, that you won't have big spectacles, stage shows, surprises or sing-alongs with these bands. I know this isn't the Pyramid Stage we're talking about, but those things are what - to me - makes a headliner a headliner rather than just another act. I don't really care for Vampire Weekend but they really fuckin headlined when they played. Can't say anything about last year's headliners cuz I didn't see em...

I first read this sentence without the 'won't' and thought you were about to lay into a full Partridge rant. Quite disappointed by the genuine contribution that followed! 

[Gilgamesh69]

Les Filles de Illighadad are really fucking good. I could definitely vibe out to them