2023 Festival

[gfa]

1 hour ago, andyrhodes24 said:

They’ve made a rod for their own back if they do want to revert to the old style, it’d look like a massive step backwards.

Problem though is that people have been fooled by a marketing trick as Benj says. We all know the lineup is no stronger than it was pre-change.

I’d argue that, in the old format, having Foals, Capaldi and Imagine Dragons as Main Stage subs and the MSW acts in the R1 tent would look stronger. Realistically that’s where most of those acts should be playing.

Foals and ID would be co-heads. it would look really strong regardless. stronger than glastonbury i think

8 minutes ago, charlierc said:

 

I think it helps Werchter doesn't have the same issue as UK festival promoters have where dozens of people are all chasing the same acts to come play events.

And I say this even noting RW looks to have more going for it if I was gonna attend either.

definitely a factor

uk festival market is stupidly competitive vs any other country (yet we still end up with this shite!)

Edited March 5, 2023 by gfa

[gfa]

Old format for R&L 2023 (roughly)

Friday: Sam Fender / Foals co-head, Loyle Carner sub. Bicep R1

Sat: Killers, lewis capaldi, central cee. Slowthai R1

Sun: Billie Eilish / Imagine Dragons co-head, becky hill. Steve Lacy R1

fuck me the sunday is abysmal isn't it

[Benj]

14 hours ago, gfa said:

Old format for R&L 2023 (roughly)

Friday: Sam Fender / Foals co-head, Loyle Carner sub. Bicep R1

Sat: Killers, lewis capaldi, central cee. Slowthai R1

Sun: Billie Eilish / Imagine Dragons co-head, becky hill. Steve Lacy R1

fuck me the sunday is abysmal isn't it

Cough cough

[gfa]

34 minutes ago, Benj said:

Cough cough

Fair (you did forget a day though, was it accidentally cut off?)

[Benj]

4 hours ago, gfa said:

Fair (you did forget a day though, was it accidentally cut off?)

I just got bored! And thought it proved the point

May do the rest if I can be arsed

[nathanh]

girl in red special guest slot? 

[Andre91]

15 minutes ago, nathanh said:

girl in red special guest slot? 

That would be great. 
 

Different topic but Slowthai’s new album is absolutely brilliant. 

[DomDom1984]

Slowthai would have been an excellent tea time act. Maybe a bit big for that sort of spot though. I'm not sure where I'd fit him in today's Reading, because I'd have had him as an NME/R1 headliner. And there really isn't a spot for a lot of those acts anymore.

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, DomDom1984 said:

Slowthai would have been an excellent tea time act. Maybe a bit big for that sort of spot though. I'm not sure where I'd fit him in today's Reading, because I'd have had him as an NME/R1 headliner. And there really isn't a spot for a lot of those acts anymore.

He played third down that stage last time and got a good crowd at Leeds. As much as I love it (and since listening to it I quite fancy a day ticket for that day as well), I don’t know how that new record will go down with the R&L crowd though, it’s not full of bangers. It’s really experimental, oppressive (for the most part) and quite ‘artsy’ (for lack of a better word) than the type of thing that goes down well at R&L these days. I absolutely agree that he would have made an excellent NME headliner if that stage was still going. 

[DomDom1984]

Third down sounds kinda perfect. Could imagine myself chilling away while he's on in the early evening sun.

[Benj]

34 minutes ago, DomDom1984 said:

Third down sounds kinda perfect. Could imagine myself chilling away while he's on in the early evening sun.

He’s 4th so you just have to imagine it 50 mins or so earlier

[stanh]

Yeah agreed, between Ugly and Quest For Fire as my current AOTY, Slowthai smashed it out of the park once again.

[Andre91]

53 minutes ago, stanh said:

Yeah agreed, between Ugly and Quest For Fire as my current AOTY, Slowthai smashed it out of the park once again.

YUM is the best song I’ve heard this year. 

[stanh]

2 hours ago, Andre91 said:

YUM is the best song I’ve heard this year. 

Yeah, it's fantastic. I love how he keeps his sound fresh and exciting for each release, whilst daring to experiment a bit, but not forgetting the roots of how he started. Really solid album, and deserves all the success. 

[VCK]

On 3/5/2023 at 9:07 PM, gfa said:

Old format for R&L 2023 (roughly)

Friday: Sam Fender / Foals co-head, Loyle Carner sub. Bicep R1

Sat: Killers, lewis capaldi, central cee. Slowthai R1

Sun: Billie Eilish / Imagine Dragons co-head, becky hill. Steve Lacy R1

fuck me the sunday is abysmal isn't it

Billie wouldn't co-headline with anyone. She's arguably the biggest artist in the world right now.

[Benj]

1 minute ago, VCK said:

Billie wouldn't co-headline with anyone. She's arguably the biggest artist in the world right now.

Don’t want to have to break it to you this way VCK…but she is co-headlining this year!

There are two main stages and the big tent is gone!

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, Benj said:

Don’t want to have to break it to you this way VCK…but she is co-headlining this year!

There are two main stages and the big tent is gone!

Yes and no, if they’re co-headliners they’re equally interchangeable but there’s no way Billie would’ve been an MSW headliner. It’s laughable that Imagine Dragons have headliner status

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, Benj said:

Don’t want to have to break it to you this way VCK…but she is co-headlining this year!

There are two main stages and the big tent is gone!

Yes and no, if they’re co-headliners they’re equally interchangeable but there’s no way Billie would’ve been an MSW headliner. It’s laughable that Imagine Dragons have headliner status

[Benj]

6 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Yes and no, if they’re co-headliners they’re equally interchangeable but there’s no way Billie would’ve been an MSW headliner. It’s laughable that Imagine Dragons have headliner status

And yet here we are….

To be fair there were a fair few ‘co-heads’ in the old days that were similarly billed with similar status gaps.

[WhoOdyssey]

Eh, I know it was their first UK date in years, but with ID playing (and likely selling out?) the MK stadium, I couldn't see them any lower than headliners.

[VCK]

7 hours ago, Benj said:

Don’t want to have to break it to you this way VCK…but she is co-headlining this year!

There are two main stages and the big tent is gone!

Everyone knows MSE headliners are the actual headliners.

But more to the point, no way she would have co-headlined with anyone if the festival had kept the old format.

Edited March 11, 2023 by VCK

[andyrhodes24]

Just now, WhoOdyssey said:

Eh, I know it was their first UK date in years, but with ID playing (and likely selling out?) the MK stadium, I couldn't see them any lower than headliners.

I just find it wild that they’re considered big enough in this country to play either a stadium gig or headline R&L. Okay, maybe one stadium date in a central location but they’re not good, let alone popular with the R&L demographic

[gfa]

8 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Yes and no, if they’re co-headliners they’re equally interchangeable but there’s no way Billie would’ve been an MSW headliner. It’s laughable that Imagine Dragons have headliner status

Imagine Dragons 100% would still co-head in the old format rather than sub.

2 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

I just find it wild that they’re considered big enough in this country to play either a stadium gig or headline R&L. Okay, maybe one stadium date in a central location but they’re not good, let alone popular with the R&L demographic

Arguably just doing a london stadium is better, MK is awful for attracting casual fans

[Benj]

3 hours ago, VCK said:

Everyone knows MSE headliners are the actual headliners.

But more to the point, no way she would have co-headlined with anyone if the festival had kept the old format.

Yup, as everyone also new in the old days when there was co-heads with an obviously larger band playing last.

Agree that ID would’ve unlikely been booked to play beneath her

[charlierc]

16 hours ago, gfa said:

Arguably just doing a london stadium is better, MK is awful for attracting casual fans

As someone local-ish to Milton Keynes I found it kinda funny. It was also oddly less bad for traffic, but then it had the advantage of being on a Saturday. I went to the first of the 3 MCR dates, which saw rush-hour and gig traffic coincide on the roads around the stadium and fuck me it was awful.

Maybe it's also why there's still a decent number of tickets available for Muse in Milton Keynes by the look of it.