All Points East Festival 2021

[stereodista]

29 minutes ago, xxialac said:

RIP All Points East.

Sure, their only run thus far that’s almost certain to sell out...

I’d much sooner they’d revived the Kraftwerk rundown, or the MA one, or booked mbv, but you can only get what’s available to you. And let’s be honest: the former two were heading for more £0 tickets, anyway...

APE have done as good a job as any UK festival to have revealed their lineup in my book, even if the representational discrepancies still aren’t where they should be. 

[xxialac]

The problem for me is the headliners and subs are very MOR and that sets the tone for next year.

[Superunknown]

13 minutes ago, xxialac said:

The problem for me is the headliners and subs are very MOR and that sets the tone for next year.

It doesn't though. The headliners are relatively smaller this year due to having a smaller pool to choose from but given the circumstances they've done remarkably well imo. I don't see how this sets the tone for next year though when they'll have a much larger pool of acts to choose from and most likely an increase in international bands touring over here to recoup losses from the pandemic. 

We get you don't like the line up and I'll admit it's not for everyone but don't pretend it's the end of APE because you don't like this lower key line up. 

[xxialac]

10 minutes ago, Superunknown said:

It doesn't though. The headliners are relatively smaller this year due to having a smaller pool to choose from but given the circumstances they've done remarkably well imo. I don't see how this sets the tone for next year though when they'll have a much larger pool of acts to choose from and most likely an increase in international bands touring over here to recoup losses from the pandemic. 

We get you don't like the line up and I'll admit it's not for everyone but don't pretend it's the end of APE because you don't like this lower key line up. 

I don't think it's the end of APE at all and I should have worded better. I suspect it's the RIP of APE for my tastes. Similarly Field Day and even Reading used to be festivals with lineups I liked before they changed direction...

[FloorFiller]

49 minutes ago, ArcticMonkees said:

Think I'll wait for next year. Foals/BBY is tempting but I just don't think it's worth the asking price 

APE gets their headliners from acts who are currently on the touring circuit. Who’s gonna be on the touring circuit this year? Mostly British acts because we’re one of the very few places actually opening up and having festivals. Next year will be a whole other kettle of fish, with (hopefully) a ridiculous wealth of acts touring and looking for festivals to play. This really isn’t a sign of things to come; it’s a sign of the U.K. being further along than other places worldwide and so having a touring circuit ready to go.

[FloorFiller]

Just now, xxialac said:

I don't think it's the end of APE at all and I should have worded better. I suspect it's the RIP of APE for my tastes. Similarly Field Day and even Reading used to be festivals with lineups I liked before they changed direction...

I think you may be right in the sense of APE no longer being six days of awesome lineups like in their first year, but unfortunately 1. That well dries up pretty quickly and 2. They want to make money, which those types of lineups aren’t the best at. Best we can hope for is a 50/50 split of Primavera-type headliners/acts and then other days that go more down the British indie route, and judging by their 2020 lineups, that’s what they’ll book in coming years. 

[xxialac]

Guess a large part of my disappointment is that I thought the Tame Impala/Caribou, Kraftwerk/Iggy Pop and Massive Attack/Thom Yorke days were all outstanding and they've all gone...

[FloorFiller]

1 minute ago, xxialac said:

Guess a large part of my disappointment is that I thought the Tame Impala/Caribou, Kraftwerk/Iggy Pop and Massive Attack/Thom Yorke days were all outstanding and they've all gone...

I think they’ll try and pull some of those back next year when those acts are back on the road and playing other festivals. I imagine Tame Impala are a lock, and wouldn’t be surprised to see most of the rest picking up their tours where they left off either.

[stereodista]

6 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

APE gets their headliners from acts who are currently on the touring circuit. Who’s gonna be on the touring circuit this year? Mostly British acts because we’re one of the very few places actually opening up and having festivals. Next year will be a whole other kettle of fish, with (hopefully) a ridiculous wealth of acts touring and looking for festivals to play. This really isn’t a sign of things to come; it’s a sign of the U.K. being further along than other places worldwide and so having a touring circuit ready to go.

This.

And sure, when you think APE, you automatically think to the more internationally renowned acts they’ve previously booked — whether that be Björk, or the Bad Seeds, or The Strokes. But they’ve also had Catfish, Mumford, and had The Wombats set for last summer, so it’s always been something of a mixed bag. And as had been suggested above, subjectively ‘bigger’ names don’t necessarily equate to better ticket sales. (See ATP, etc.)

The names are — inevitably — smaller this year, making the whole lot seem less impressive, but it’s no more MOR than previous editions in my opinion. Plus, besides the Sunday, Friday definitely has a throwback ‘Field Day’ feel to me, anyway. 

[lighthouse]

For me that's the best one out of the 4 days. 

[xxialac]

2018: LCD SS, The XX,  Bjork, Catfish (!), Nick Cave, National

2019: Chemical Brothers, Bon Iver, Strokes, Christine + Q, Bring Me The Horizon, Mumford

2020: Massive Attack, Tame Impala, Kraftwerk, Kooks, BBC

2021: Jamie XX, London Grammar, Foals

They've had some very strong subs on the better days too. Beck, Justice, War on Drugs, YYYs etc. Maybe in the end I just favour non-UK acts...

[ArcticMonkees]

26 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

APE gets their headliners from acts who are currently on the touring circuit. Who’s gonna be on the touring circuit this year? Mostly British acts because we’re one of the very few places actually opening up and having festivals. Next year will be a whole other kettle of fish, with (hopefully) a ridiculous wealth of acts touring and looking for festivals to play. This really isn’t a sign of things to come; it’s a sign of the U.K. being further along than other places worldwide and so having a touring circuit ready to go.

Oh I totally get the reasoning behind it all but I'm not paying the same price I paid for the strokes for acts not on that level. If the prices reflected a smaller year I'd be on board

[ArcticMonkees]

2 minutes ago, xxialac said:

2018: LCD SS, The XX,  Bjork, Catfish (!), Nick Cave, National

2019: Chemical Brothers, Bon Iver, Strokes, Christine + Q, Bring Me The Horizon, Mumford

2020: Massive Attack, Tame Impala, Kraftwerk, Kooks, BBC

2021: Jamie XX, London Grammar, Foals

They've had some very strong subs on the better days too. Beck, Justice, War on Drugs, YYYs etc. Maybe in the end I just favour non-UK acts...

Strokes had an amazing supporting line up Raconteurs, interpol, Johnny Marr, Jarvis Cocker I'd take a headline set from any of them over the current options

[lighthouse]

5 minutes ago, xxialac said:

2018: LCD SS, The XX,  Bjork, Catfish (!), Nick Cave, National

2019: Chemical Brothers, Bon Iver, Strokes, Christine + Q, Bring Me The Horizon, Mumford

2020: Massive Attack, Tame Impala, Kraftwerk, Kooks, BBC

2021: Jamie XX, London Grammar, Foals

They've had some very strong subs on the better days too. Beck, Justice, War on Drugs, YYYs etc. Maybe in the end I just favour non-UK acts...

Out of that list, only Nick Cave and Strokes sold out quickly isn't it? 

Given the fact that all of these days are going to sell out instantly, I don't think 'RIP APE' is the case here. 

[deadpheasant]

Wait has London Grammar actually been confirmed or are we just spitballing here?

[ArcticMonkees]

I think giving the Sunday to field day has thrown me off as well. Fair play if that's the sort of music you are in too but feels a bit off to advertise a weekend of APE and then one of those days is essentially an entirely different festival 

[xxialac]

Just now, lighthouse said:

Out of that list, only Nick Cave and Strokes sold out quickly isn't it? 

Given the fact that all of these days are going to sell out instantly, I don't think 'RIP APE' is the case here. 

As I've said, it was my entirely my fault for writing that. It was a lazy shorthand for saying that I didn't think I would return.

And of course these days that now sell out could well be selling out just because of pent-up demand not because of punter preference. It's a massive site and hard to sell out.

[ArcticMonkees]

3 minutes ago, deadpheasant said:

Wait has London Grammar actually been confirmed or are we just spitballing here?

Not officially officially but a very official looking poster has leaked a few hours ahead of the announcement 

[deadpheasant]

5 minutes ago, ArcticMonkees said:

Not officially officially but a very official looking poster has leaked a few hours ahead of the announcement 

Pretty weak that imo...

Daphni & Celeste making a return it seems 🤣

Edited March 30, 2021 by deadpheasant

[FloorFiller]

Well I’m a big fan of London Jorja but could take or leave Grammar Smith.

[dentalplan]

London Grammar have just sold out a tour same size as LCD Soundsystem did prior to headlining. I’m not actually a fan but even in a normal year they should have been getting their go.

[The Crimson King]

Well... I did call it....

just sayin’

With Wide Awake happening the week after I think the indie acts we might have expected will likely emigrate there. 
 

I’m pretty into this APE line up. The Friday is the day I’d go now. 

Edited March 30, 2021 by The Crimson King

[FloorFiller]

18 minutes ago, ArcticMonkees said:

Oh I totally get the reasoning behind it all but I'm not paying the same price I paid for the strokes for acts not on that level. If the prices reflected a smaller year I'd be on board

Eh, what with a year off, pent up demand + general inflation, I think the prices are about right. If they’re not to your taste then that’s fair enough, but people are gonna pay it and they’re gonna sell out, and tbh they probably could’ve gone higher with the prices if they’d wanted to and had the same result.

11 minutes ago, ArcticMonkees said:

I think giving the Sunday to field day has thrown me off as well. Fair play if that's the sort of music you are in too but feels a bit off to advertise a weekend of APE and then one of those days is essentially an entirely different festival 

I kind of agree with you on this one as it does stick out like a sore thumb and clearly isn’t an APE lineup, but I’m all for one festival helping out another etc if it means those two festivals can continue to go ahead in coming years.

[xxialac]

In fairness to APE calling it an APE weekend despite including FD, they've still got 3 days of their stuff. That's a weekend in my book.

[stereodista]

The FD day is also quite weak, but take nothing away from Bicep, who are already big and will only get bigger with the release of Isles. Wide demographic, with three nights at Brixton pencilled in, I’d say it’s a really solid booking, even though it’s not really APE’s doing.