2023 Festival

[NorthernSoul52]

I'd be fascinated to know what a 2023 nostalgia version of R+L would look like.

Mind you, The Killers do help it skew that way a tad.

[Benj]

6 hours ago, BenG92 said:

See I look at 2013 and it's largely got nothing to do with being "interesting" outside of NIN - maybe Phoenix - it's just a quality fucking lineup. Deftones > SOAD > Green Day was an outrageous run even by 2013 standards. Nobody fascinating, just some really quality names. Which RnL23 still has, I just personally am not fussed this time. Bet I'll be back for a day next year. It's fine to have some off years, I certainly have. 

The intersting stuff them is prob stuff that would now be quite mainstream

A$AP Rocky, Earlwolf, Charli XCX etc was pretty out there stuff for Reading back then

…and that before you just look at the sheer scale of how many bands are on there, it was interesting as there was so much to discover outside of the ‘quality’

Stacked FR, Pit and one of the first years of the One Xtra, they were adding stages back then not removing them

 

 

[Benj]

6 hours ago, gfa said:

I am wholeheartedly shocked that a festival aimed at 16-22 year olds is boring aged 40+

I was 40 plus in 2019 and not bored!

You’re correct though in that it can only appeal to a very tight demographic now, that is completely what it’s lost - The ability to entertain beyond the surface

It is no longer a quality music festival, it’s a party for 16-22 year olds

Edited February 15, 2023 by Benj

[gfa]

3 minutes ago, Benj said:

I was 40 plus in 2019 and not bored!

Seriously Anyone who tries to suggest the new format is not massively inferior either never went or is still of their tits on Ket from this year!

never said that

just this thread is going round in circles as usual lol

[wro_lap]

On 2/14/2023 at 8:51 PM, Chad888 said:

Foals are an "oh shit I forgot about them, they did that song...oh wait, that was Mumford and Sons"

I'm not convinced you've ever heard either of their music

[Benj]

Just now, gfa said:

never said that

just this thread is going round in circles as usual lol

Yup, I edited what I wrote as you replied. 

It’s the same old story as there is no story! No one is interested on here as most are not 16-22 year olds!

[stanh]

4 minutes ago, Benj said:

No one is interested on here as most are not 16-22 year olds!

Dunno really, I'm 21 and I'd say a fair bit of my music taste is relatively mainstream, but as much as there are some decent names on the lineup, it really isn't anything great. Majority of mine (20-24) and my younger brothers mates (17-19) have zero interest in the festival this year. Think my brother and his friends are heading down to Boardmasters as their 'big' festival of the year, then mine are heading to either Creamfields, Wireless or Boomtown as their major one (excluding Glastonbury). Obviously I'm not a representation of everyone, but as someone who listens to mainly Rap, Dance, Pop and Indie - the lineup really isn't great in it's current state. 

[Benj]

5 minutes ago, stanh said:

Dunno really, I'm 21 and I'd say a fair bit of my music taste is relatively mainstream, but as much as there are some decent names on the lineup, it really isn't anything great. Majority of mine (20-24) and my younger brothers mates (17-19) have zero interest in the festival this year. Think my brother and his friends are heading down to Boardmasters as their 'big' festival of the year, then mine are heading to either Creamfields, Wireless or Boomtown as their major one (excluding Glastonbury). Obviously I'm not a representation of everyone, but as someone who listens to mainly Rap, Dance, Pop and Indie - the lineup really isn't great in its current state. 

Well if they can’t make it interesting for the yunguns or the fogues, then they are truly fucked

[stanh]

2 minutes ago, Benj said:

Well if they can’t make it interesting for the yunguns or the fogues, then they are truly fucked

I'm sure there are some people out there that liked it, for example the initial lineup the comments were mainly positive on TikTok, but not sure how many of those positive comments turned into hard sales. But yeah, not too sure really, possibly the 16-18 year olds may be more interested, or those who missed some of this year's headliners on the touring/festival circuit last year.

[NorthernSoul52]

At Leeds last year, was quietly staggered how young the audience appeared to be by and large. Didn't realise I had grown so old so fast.

[gfa]

There's plenty of people who did like it. Without the covid 2 year gaps / AM it had never been selling out instantly

Think its too early to judge now, a festival selling out instantly just means they have overspent on the lineup. IF it was really bad we'll be able to tell when the next announcement is (with heaps of big acts added)

[NorthernSoul52]

Will admit, if the fonted names below the headliners are indeed the rest of the top three per main stage, there's some intriguing segues in there.

[Benj]

1 hour ago, gfa said:

There's plenty of people who did like it. Without the covid 2 year gaps / AM it had never been selling out instantly

Think its too early to judge now, a festival selling out instantly just means they have overspent on the lineup. IF it was really bad we'll be able to tell when the next announcement is (with heaps of big acts added)

I imagine it’s way too late for them to pull a couple of ticket shifting, big names of the hat, to come in and save the day.

There may be some appearing at other FR events they could crowbar in though, any obvious candidates, who otherwise aren’t engaged that weekend?

[gfa]

1 minute ago, Benj said:

I imagine it’s way too late for them to pull a couple of ticket shifting, big names of the hat, to come in and save the day.

There may be some appearing at other FR events they could crowbar in though, any obvious candidates, who otherwise aren’t engaged that weekend?

No chance

Throw some money at acts doing their other festivals as you said. Could get a big dj maybe from creamfields to do a 3 day weekend. Also got acts at electric picnic - no doubt Fred Again will shift some tickets. He is only meant to be doing Connect, Parklife and Glasto this year so would actually make sense to draw in as it wouldn't cannibalise other sales too much

[Benj]

21 minutes ago, gfa said:

No chance

Throw some money at acts doing their other festivals as you said. Could get a big dj maybe from creamfields to do a 3 day weekend. Also got acts at electric picnic - no doubt Fred Again will shift some tickets. He is only meant to be doing Connect, Parklife and Glasto this year so would actually make sense to draw in as it wouldn't cannibalise other sales too much

Where would he go on the bill, Dance headliner, push down an MSE sub?

One other concern for them is who’s going to be pulling out to do the VMAs!

Who’s got the AJ Tracey bat phone?

[nathanh]

In other news- Billie Eilish is looking set to make the new album cycle announcement shortly if the rebrand on her store and the removal of a profile picture on instagram is anything to go by

[gfa]

39 minutes ago, Benj said:

Where would he go on the bill, Dance headliner, push down an MSE sub?

One other concern for them is who’s going to be pulling out to do the VMAs!

Who’s got the AJ Tracey bat phone?

Would need to be slotted at MSE or MSW sub i think yeah

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, Benj said:

I imagine it’s way too late for them to pull a couple of ticket shifting, big names of the hat, to come in and save the day.

There may be some appearing at other FR events they could crowbar in though, any obvious candidates, who otherwise aren’t engaged that weekend?

Maybe not a massive draw for some of us but Yungblud has been touted to be on the lineup. He’d immediately knock someone like Chase Atlantic out of a logo slot.

We’re once again at the point of being hopefully of some big late additions but deep down we all know it won’t happen. When did R&L last give us a welcome surprise (not The 1975 last year)

[Benj]

13 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Maybe not a massive draw for some of us but Yungblud has been touted to be on the lineup. He’d immediately knock someone like Chase Atlantic out of a logo slot.

We’re once again at the point of being hopefully of some big late additions but deep down we all know it won’t happen. When did R&L last give us a welcome surprise (not The 1975 last year)

Think they’d rather keep the Yungblud powder dry for a MSW headline slot post next LP.

Their hands are completely tied really.
As covered it’s a shit year in the main for touring bands, there is so much competition in the UK now though, there is very little they can do

Once there was V. Now there is Victorious on the same weekend, Truck, Trees, Ynot, Kendal Calling all competing for the talent that would’ve filled out a strong mid bill and big tent at Reading.

It genuinely is hard to see where they can go

[andyrhodes24]

5 minutes ago, Benj said:

Think they’d rather keep the Yungblud powder dry for a MSW headline slot post next LP.

Their hands are completely tied really.
As covered it’s a shit year in the main for touring bands, there is so much competition in the UK now though, there is very little they can do

Once there was V. Now there is Victorious on the same weekend, Truck, Trees, Ynot, Kendal Calling all competing for the talent that would’ve filled out a strong mid bill and big tent at Reading.

It genuinely is hard to see where they can go

You could do two of Truck, Y Not, Kenda, Trees, Tramlines for the same price as R&L this year and get so much more value for money. I’ll probably give R&L the benefit of the doubt this year and still go full weekend but if it’s poor again in 2024 that’ll be it. Would’ve packed it in by now if I didn’t live so close.

Then again, I’ll see what the Download lineup holds in store tonight.

[gfa]

4 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Maybe not a massive draw for some of us but Yungblud has been touted to be on the lineup. He’d immediately knock someone like Chase Atlantic out of a logo slot.

We’re once again at the point of being hopefully of some big late additions but deep down we all know it won’t happen. When did R&L last give us a welcome surprise (not The 1975 last year)

Pendulum last year?

[NorthernSoul52]

Do the kids know who Pendulum are? Bit like asking Gen-Z if they've heard of Chase and Status. (Maybe they have! Maybe I'm really out of the loop!)

[andyrhodes24]

21 minutes ago, gfa said:

Pendulum last year?

Yeah good one. I just remember the negatives like acts turning up at Reading only or Need turning up as a ‘massive’ secret set. Plus the RATM day turning into a pop day last year.

[NorthernSoul52]

2 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Yeah good one. I just remember the negatives like acts turning up at Reading only or Need turning up as a ‘massive’ secret set. Plus the RATM day turning into a pop day last year.

I think for a fair few weekenders, The 1975 was a pleasant surprise for many after RATM had to pull out.

For those heading on the strength of RATM's booking however, understand the frustrations.

[WhoOdyssey]

14 hours ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Do the kids know who Pendulum are? Bit like asking Gen-Z if they've heard of Chase and Status. (Maybe they have! Maybe I'm really out of the loop!)

Possibly… they did have their first big-ish song in years last year with ‘Mixed Emotions’!