2023 Festival

[northernangel]

36 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I mean they sold out Wembley in 2013 and were the only one to sell out BST Hyde Park 2017, in a concert series that also featured Green Day, Kings of Leon and Justin Bieber. So they still were a band of some repute then.

But I did note their shows in 2018 were a step lower in the UK than I expected - one-off stadium dates in Bolton and Swansea plus doing Isle of Wight, Latitude and TRNSMT, when I thought they might at least do another London gig.

Yes they went through a random bit. Those festivals were definitely have under major headline level headliners then too. I'm certainly not saying they were small and maybe Latitude was a package deal but I bet they couldn't believe their luck that year. 

[SweetJesus]

Just watched Mr. Brightside from Reading. Amazing sing-along 👌

[charlierc]

54 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Yes they went through a random bit. Those festivals were definitely have under major headline level headliners then too. I'm certainly not saying they were small and maybe Latitude was a package deal but I bet they couldn't believe their luck that year. 

Feels like when they toured Wonderful Wonderful that they kinda were at a loss with Dave and Mark deciding to step back from doing every show for a bit. Though obviously they've done that more often than not now and the line-up they do use has it honed down. Caught the show in Coventry last year and thought it was great.

[gfa]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

I mean they sold out Wembley in 2013 and were the only one to sell out BST Hyde Park 2017, in a concert series that also featured Green Day, Kings of Leon and Justin Bieber. So they still were a band of some repute then.

But I did note their shows in 2018 were a step lower in the UK than I expected - one-off stadium dates in Bolton and Swansea plus doing Isle of Wight, Latitude and TRNSMT, when I thought they might at least do another London gig.

London would significantly eat into IOW's sales due to how much easier it is for almost anybody in the south - i imagine they try to prevent acts also doing a London date

[charlierc]

20 minutes ago, gfa said:

London would significantly eat into IOW's sales due to how much easier it is for almost anybody in the south - i imagine they try to prevent acts also doing a London date

Hence why I thought they might do London instead of IOW. Unless the 2017 HP gig and doing 2 London O2 dates that November meant they or their management decided to go for more of a roadshow vibe.

[northernangel]

43 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Feels like when they toured Wonderful Wonderful that they kinda were at a loss with Dave and Mark deciding to step back from doing every show for a bit. Though obviously they've done that more often than not now and the line-up they do use has it honed down. Caught the show in Coventry last year and thought it was great.

Yes Coventry was superb!, one or my favourite gigs that. MSP before them as well. To be that close at a stadium gig which was very unintended is kinda my The Killer's moment. They waved me through the pit section and I did not move. Had a pint in hand and was driving so all I could have anyway. Plus I've found the free parking spot for the Ricoh

[VCK]

Where next for Billie Eilish? She looked really good on iPlayer last night and now she's headlined the big two in this country.

Edited August 28, 2023 by VCK

[FrogLobster]

22 minutes ago, VCK said:

Where next for Billie Eilish? She looked really good on iPlayer last night and now she's headlined the big two in this country.

Probably a break in 2024 for her to work on her new album and then I guess a BST when she comes back. Not sure if she would suit a stadium like Twickenham or Wembley; although would probably sell one out.

Edited August 28, 2023 by FrogLobster

[andyrhodes24]

56 minutes ago, VCK said:

Where next for Billie Eilish? She looked really good on iPlayer last night and now she's headlined the big two in this country.

She was flawless at Leeds, so polished and effortless. One of my top headliner performances that

[she bangs the drums]

It shows how this festival has distanced itself from the punters who post on here as it's really quiet post festival.

There are usually lots of messages about which bands were good, experiences from the weekend. Apart from one or two messages it's really quiet. 

[northernangel]

4 hours ago, FrogLobster said:

Probably a break in 2024 for her to work on her new album and then I guess a BST when she comes back. Not sure if she would suit a stadium like Twickenham or Wembley; although would probably sell one out.

I think she would be fine at Wembley with a centet stage and from what I saw she looked really good. I'd see her for the right price.

37 minutes ago, she bangs the drums said:

It shows how this festival has distanced itself from the punters who post on here as it's really quiet post festival.

There are usually lots of messages about which bands were good, experiences from the weekend. Apart from one or two messages it's really quiet. 

I saw a video of easylife and honestly that festival is so past me. It really has gone to a festival full of school amd college leavers. 

[Crews1]

What a weekend. I think my final count is 36-37 sets? Really glad the weather didn’t f**k with our plans too much overall. 
 

Weird note about the Sigma set last night, went to pick up some headphones yesterday and was told £70 for 2 (£40 back for returning) so decided against it since we don’t camp but still wanted to have a quick look after Billie. And it was just…playing on the speakers? Pretty quietly, but I reckon loud enough that if we went to the front pen we could’ve just done it from there. Not sure if that’s typical for silent discos or an odd quirk of this one. Shame it wasn’t £5 for the headphones as it was it Leeds tbh

[activean]

What is the average age there? Watching BBC videos and looks like youngsters mostly

[gfa]

3 minutes ago, activean said:

What is the average age there? Watching BBC videos and looks like youngsters mostly

no different to usual then - been like that for years

older people are generally much further back so don't get captured

[Hirstys 12th Pint]

55 minutes ago, activean said:

What is the average age there? Watching BBC videos and looks like youngsters mostly

Picked my Son up from Leeds this morning and would say 95% I saw were the 16 to 20 age bracket.

I was one of many 40/50 somethings collecting Offspring probably reminiscing about V98. 

[VCK]

1 hour ago, gfa said:

no different to usual then - been like that for years

older people are generally much further back so don't get captured

It always has been a young person's festival. It was the same in the '00s golden age we look back on with misty eyes.

[charlierc]

2 hours ago, northernangel said:

I saw a video of easylife and honestly that festival is so past me. It really has gone to a festival full of school amd college leavers. 

When was that not the case? My friends went to Reading for the first time when we were 16, while I turned up at age 18 on a day trip for Muse doing Origin of Symmetry in full (and indeed have regrets about not being able to do the whole weekend due to a lack of funds despite my dislike of camping), and it was always coming across to me as a vibe of wanting the young and their ticket pocket money. Same on a 2017 day trip, where I felt old even then at 24.

I saw a Telegraph editorial calling Reading "Magaluf by the M4" this morning, but I feel like that was always the case to a degree.

[andyrhodes24]

Okay so Leeds thoughts 2023.

1. It was really quiet. There was so much space even in red and blue camps, no one camping next to the path by the shops. The arena was also quiet for the headliners. Plenty of space last night for the Killers. I left at about 22:10 and there weren’t many people hanging round the campsites either, just no one about.

2. Nice to see five solid bands headline. Imagine Dragons weren’t as shite as expected.

3. Stop putting acts like Muna, Mimi Webb, Baby Queen on the main stage, they’re all the same and all shite. Pathetic crowds.

4. Give the FR tent some love, especially when clashing with pop/rap main stage acts. It was packed for Soft Play and Sleep Token and more decent bands would bring it back to life.

5. Banning disposable vapes was pointless. Instead people just chucked the packaging of the reusable ones all over the place alongside the disposables that got through. There was tonnes of it.

6. Way too many people happily paid £10.50 a Four Loko.

2024:

Travis Scott, Liam Gallagher, Dua Lipa, Machine Gun Kelly, Kasabian, Olivia Rodrigo.

[jj200]

7 hours ago, VCK said:

Where next for Billie Eilish? She looked really good on iPlayer last night and now she's headlined the big two in this country.

Maybe a big weekend headline appearance and maybe trnmst 

[northernangel]

35 minutes ago, charlierc said:

When was that not the case? My friends went to Reading for the first time when we were 16, while I turned up at age 18 on a day trip for Muse doing Origin of Symmetry in full (and indeed have regrets about not being able to do the whole weekend due to a lack of funds despite my dislike of camping), and it was always coming across to me as a vibe of wanting the young and their ticket pocket money. Same on a 2017 day trip, where I felt old even then at 24.

I saw a Telegraph editorial calling Reading "Magaluf by the M4" this morning, but I feel like that was always the case to a degree.

Well it was quite as bad when I stopped going for the weekend at 24 and that was 2012. Even in 2018 I didn't fins it as bad.

[Benj]

2 hours ago, Hirstys 12th Pint said:

Picked my Son up from Leeds this morning and would say 95% I saw were the 16 to 20 age bracket.

I was one of many 40/50 somethings collecting Offspring probably reminiscing about V98. 

Those being picked up are naturally gonna be kids…

No one who doesn’t live with their parents is gonna be picked up, they’ll be driving / training themselves, unless your dad would still pick you up from a festival 🤣

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Benj

[FrogLobster]

I don't think Reading has always been a leavers-focused young-people thing? I first went in 2007 and vast majority of the people around us camping and in band crowds were easily in the 25 to 35 range. It was around 2015ish it started to shift to 16 to 20.

In fact, most dangerous time i've seen the campsite was 2008 Sunday and that was a heavier-music lineup with RATM and Metallica, etc. Saw alot of people's tents set on fire that night.

Edited August 28, 2023 by FrogLobster

[Benj]

1 hour ago, VCK said:

It always has been a young person's festival. It was the same in the '00s golden age we look back on with misty eyes.

Festivals as a whole always used to be young peoples events. 

Reading has remained relatively young, while Glasto, Isle of Whote etc have “grown up” with their audience since the 2000s.

There’s still loads of oldies at Reading, as in you see people in their 60s, there’s loads and loads of 30+ers too, if you walk back beyond the barriers, or stand at the bars for a bit

[Benj]

6 minutes ago, FrogLobster said:

I don't think Reading has always been a leavers-focused young-people thing? I first went in 2007 and vast majority of the people around us camping and in band crowds were easily in the 25 to 35 range. It was around 2015ish it started to shift to 16 to 20.

In fact, most dangerous time i've seen the campsite was 2008 Sunday and that was a heavier-music lineup with RATM and Metallica, etc. Saw alot of people's tents set on fire that night.

I dunno. It’s always aimed at the young end I’d say, at least since I first started going as a teen in the late 90s

I think it became THE THING for the GCSE mob in the mid 2010s, when those not even into the music much, had to go as a rite of passage thing, as opposed to a music thing…

[Guest]

4 hours ago, she bangs the drums said:

It shows how this festival has distanced itself from the punters who post on here as it's really quiet post festival.

There are usually lots of messages about which bands were good, experiences from the weekend. Apart from one or two messages it's really quiet. 

That's a reflection of the clientele of this forum.