2023 Festival

[Benj]

7 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

There was nothing better than a headline or secret set in the R1, always got proper atmosphere. At the very least it was a decent place to shelter from the rain. Standouts for me have been BMTH, 21 Pilots, Courteeners, The Wombats, Two Door.

Been some great tent busting shoes of bands on the  who’ve gone on to headline

21P

CATM

Mumfords

1975

plus many many more headline sites by upcoming stars, proper events, where as now they’ll be playing in daylight, in what is just another show

 

sad times

 

[Andre91]

Me and my mate have had many beers and are watching The Strokes’ set from 2011. An all-timer. They would never get that reception these days. It’s a shame because The Strokes should be an R&L staple even now. 

[andyrhodes24]

27 minutes ago, Benj said:

Been some great tent busting shoes of bands on the  who’ve gone on to headline

21P

CATM

Mumfords

1975

plus many many more headline sites by upcoming stars, proper events, where as now they’ll be playing in daylight, in what is just another show

 

sad times

 

It’s like they’ve lost their ability to book up and coming acts from various genres in the new format, or they just can’t be arsed. Main stage bookings now are either headliners, chart stuff, safe indie bands or flavour of the month Tik Tok which, when there aren’t many slots to go round, is a poor offering.

Don Broco should be subbing the R1 stage not playing 3pm MSW.

[Benj]

1 hour ago, andyrhodes24 said:

It’s like they’ve lost their ability to book up and coming acts from various genres in the new format, or they just can’t be arsed. Main stage bookings now are either headliners, chart stuff, safe indie bands or flavour of the month Tik Tok which, when there aren’t many slots to go round, is a poor offering.

Don Broco should be subbing the R1 stage not playing 3pm MSW.

The slots just don't exist anymore

Eilish was originally booked to play the tent in 2019, would Postie have been booked to play in 2018 with less slots, or do NBT or Wombats get that slot with only 14 acts as opposed to 20 being booked?

They may well have been booked,  at some point the equivalent won't though and that moment will be lost.

Not only for the moment that kids and the media talk about which promo the festival big style but to help boost the artist to the point they could headline the next year

Anyway glad everyone else is finally fully onboard the #bringbackthenigtent train 👍

As VCK says, it's simply not the same festival anymore

 

[Benj]

1 hour ago, Andre91 said:

Me and my mate have had many beers and are watching The Strokes’ set from 2011. An all-timer. They would never get that reception these days. It’s a shame because The Strokes should be an R&L staple even now. 

gonna watch that myslef now, only 1 beer in

Edit 15 mins in - 

Crowd even belting out Machu Pichu!

Edited July 28, 2023 by Benj

[VCK]

14 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

There was nothing better than a headline or secret set in the R1, always got proper atmosphere. At the very least it was a decent place to shelter from the rain. Standouts for me have been BMTH, 21 Pilots, Courteeners, The Wombats, Two Door.

Manics way, way back in 2008.

Also you look at certain line ups such as 2013 where so many acts on that stage went on to big things.

The thing is, who are the promoters more likely to listen to - a bunch of 30somethings on a message board who lament how the festival just ain't what it is compared to the '00s, or the Gen Zers who flood their social media replies with constant "good vibes" about every announcement the festival makes?

Edited July 29, 2023 by VCK

[VCK]

13 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Me and my mate have had many beers and are watching The Strokes’ set from 2011. An all-timer. They would never get that reception these days. It’s a shame because The Strokes should be an R&L staple even now. 

They seemed a bit lifeless, but then anyone would do having followed that Pulp set.

I actually think they're one of the few traditional R&L headliners that the festival would have back in this day and age. They rarely ever come to the UK nowadays though.

Edited July 29, 2023 by VCK

[Benj]

32 minutes ago, VCK said:

Manics way, way back in 2008.

Also you look at certain line ups such as 2013 where so many acts on that stage went on to big things.

The thing is, who are the promoters more likely to listen to - a bunch of 30somethings on a message board who lament how the festival just ain't what it is compared to the '00s, or the Gen Zers who flood their social media replies with constant "good vibes" about every announcement the festival makes?

They won’t listen to anything bar the accountants

The new format clearly saves them a tonne of cash, no way they change back unless ticket sales get truly dire

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, VCK said:

Manics way, way back in 2008.

Also you look at certain line ups such as 2013 where so many acts on that stage went on to big things.

The thing is, who are the promoters more likely to listen to - a bunch of 30somethings on a message board who lament how the festival just ain't what it is compared to the '00s, or the Gen Zers who flood their social media replies with constant "good vibes" about every announcement the festival makes?

Even if you ignore the genre changes over the years the logo slots this year are dire: Central Cee and Steve Lacy subbing, Knucks, Lil TJay, Trippie Redd, Chase Atlantic.  

That said, subs have been weak for years, totally forgot Blossoms and ADTR subbed in 2019!

49 minutes ago, Benj said:

They won’t listen to anything bar the accountants

The new format clearly saves them a tonne of cash, no way they change back unless ticket sales get truly dire

They must be loving it, managed cut the lineup by 30% and get little to no stick because people are dazzled by three more acts in headline slots.

There’s no going back, in a couple of years only a fraction of the core audience will have even attended when it was a one main stage festival so they’d see it as a massive downgrade.

[Andre91]

It was only 4 years and 3 festivals ago but ADTR subbing feels like a fever dream. Who the hell from that world is ever going to play that highly now!?

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, Andre91 said:

It was only 4 years and 3 festivals ago but ADTR subbing feels like a fever dream. Who the hell from that world is ever going to play that highly now!?

There’ll never be another day as good day that.

Whole weekend was top drawer looking back. 21P in the Sunday evening sun an an all timer .

[she bangs the drums]

On 7/28/2023 at 4:07 PM, wro_lap said:

I'm keeping an eye on the Early Entry tickets and I reckon they'll drop to somewhere around £150-175, which is a hell of a price to see a load of my favourite artists. Can't wait

My friend bought a weekend ticket for £110 last year on the Thursday via Twickets. He didn't bother coming along until Saturday as originally he was looking for a day ticket for Arctic Monkeys day, however made sense to get two days in the bank for that price given it's the same price as a day ticket. 

[VCK]

23 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Even if you ignore the genre changes over the years the logo slots this year are dire: Central Cee and Steve Lacy subbing, Knucks, Lil TJay, Trippie Redd, Chase Atlantic.  

That said, subs have been weak for years, totally forgot Blossoms and ADTR subbed in 2019!

They must be loving it, managed cut the lineup by 30% and get little to no stick because people are dazzled by three more acts in headline slots.

There’s no going back, in a couple of years only a fraction of the core audience will have even attended when it was a one main stage festival so they’d see it as a massive downgrade.

Blossoms were 3rd even with the co-headline thing, especially as Twenty One Pilots closed neither site. You're right about subs in recent years being weak though. Certainly no one on the level of The Prodigy, SOAD, The Libertines or NIN, and also co-headline acts who for all intents and purposes subbed one of the two sites such as Pulp, The Strokes, Paramore or QOTSA. The only strong ones I can think of in recent years were Royal Blood and arguably Liam Gallagher.

ADTR are one of the weakest subs I can think of, but I remember getting shot down at the time whenever I said as such. I think every act on that day barring the Foos was one slot too high.

Edited July 30, 2023 by VCK

[VCK]

22 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

There’ll never be another day as good day that.

Whole weekend was top drawer looking back. 21P in the Sunday evening sun an an all timer .

Foos day in 2012 was better IMO.

[thetime]

23 hours ago, andyrhodes24 said:

There’ll never be another day as good day that.

Whole weekend was top drawer looking back. 21P in the Sunday evening sun an an all timer .

I raise you year 2000

 

[On The Blend]

50 minutes ago, thetime said:

I raise you year 2000

 

Stereophonics topping that bill is like a fever dream 

[charlierc]

22 minutes ago, On The Blend said:

Stereophonics topping that bill is like a fever dream 

They must've been a big band in 2000 but yeah, that's a headliner very much out of step with what lies beneath.

[charlierc]

On 7/28/2023 at 10:06 PM, Andre91 said:

Me and my mate have had many beers and are watching The Strokes’ set from 2011. An all-timer. They would never get that reception these days. It’s a shame because The Strokes should be an R&L staple even now. 

 

On 7/29/2023 at 11:58 AM, VCK said:

They seemed a bit lifeless, but then anyone would do having followed that Pulp set.

I actually think they're one of the few traditional R&L headliners that the festival would have back in this day and age. They rarely ever come to the UK nowadays though.

I wondered tbf which of Strokes or Pulp went down better at Reading 2011. Think an NME review at the time said Strokes by a nose-hair but the YouTube videos do seem to have more fun with the Pulp set. Imo.

Tbf I went for a day trip to Muse doing Origin of Symmetry in full at Reading the day after, but regret not doing the whole weekend like many of friends did as there was a lot of stuff scattered on the first two days to my tastes. Even if I think I would've been awful with trying to adjust to camping.

[thetime]

14 minutes ago, charlierc said:

They must've been a big band in 2000 but yeah, that's a headliner very much out of step with what lies beneath.

They were huge at that time, headlining Glastonbury/reading/v/titp. Although at the time the festivals were obsessed getting British guitar bands as headliners. Even the likes of Travis headlined glastonbury and reading.

Edited July 30, 2023 by thetime

[Benj]

On 7/29/2023 at 10:26 AM, andyrhodes24 said:

Whole weekend was top drawer looking back. 21P in the Sunday evening sun an an all timer .

Ah the good ol days when they had 2 headliners AND an actual, actual second stage

[gfa]

On 7/29/2023 at 1:27 PM, andyrhodes24 said:

Even if you ignore the genre changes over the years the logo slots this year are dire: Central Cee and Steve Lacy subbing, Knucks, Lil TJay, Trippie Redd, Chase Atlantic.  

That said, subs have been weak for years, totally forgot Blossoms and ADTR subbed in 2019!

They must be loving it, managed cut the lineup by 30% and get little to no stick because people are dazzled by three more acts in headline slots.

There’s no going back, in a couple of years only a fraction of the core audience will have even attended when it was a one main stage festival so they’d see it as a massive downgrade.

It was probably only a fraction in 2022 (after 2021 rollovers), let alone this year

 

[andyrhodes24]

2 hours ago, gfa said:

It was probably only a fraction in 2022 (after 2021 rollovers), let alone this year

 

Even new attendees with a bit of sense would see how much of a loss it is, all that competition lost for the sake of three weak headliners. 

R&L must be the only UK festival that doesn’t have a decent sized second stage that competes with its main stage.

[Benj]

49 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Even new attendees with a bit of sense would see how much of a loss it is, all that competition lost for the sake of three weak headliners. 

R&L must be the only UK festival that doesn’t have a decent sized second stage that competes with its main stage.

I imagine most of the one and done types will sadly have no idea that a different format ever existed

I think the number of one and down types is hugely overestimated or rather the number of repeat visitors are underestimated

I suspect the shortfall in ticket sales has been mainly brought forward by people not going back, no longer seeing value in the festival

Its clear from the numbers on here that tonnes of once regulars have packed it in, not because they think the lineup is awful but because they know they have nothing else to watch when there is something awful on on the mainstage(s)

 

With regulars jibbing it and less first timers becoming repeat attendees, as they find themselves spending half the day with no one to see, I’d assume they’ll have to make some changes.

Sadly I suspect it will be just investing more in the current format to get in bigger names, rather than actually making the festival a proper festival again

Edited July 31, 2023 by Benj

[gfa]

1 hour ago, Benj said:

Sadly I suspect it will be just investing more in the current format to get in bigger names, rather than actually making the festival a proper festival again

Tons of fests use the two main stage format

pretty ridiculous to suggest its not a proper festival 😂 - that kind of accusation is usually reserved for day fests (or - not that i agree with it - arena festivals, of which theres tons in the uk)

[Benj]

Just now, gfa said:

Tons of fests use the two main stage format

pretty ridiculous to suggest its not a proper festival 😂 - that kind of accusation is usually reserved for day fests (or - not that i agree with it - arena festivals, of which theres tons in the uk)

How many without a proper second stage?

Reading is basically now worse than a day fest as half the crowd eff off back to their tents for half the day given there is nothing to see

The migration of the kids in and out of the arena last year was as epic as the Wilderbeasts of the sereghetti 🤣

I may be being hyperbolic though. Let’s just say it’s pretty much unanimous with people on here now that it is not close to the festival it once was. How can it be with less choice and 20-30% less acts booked?