2023 Festival

[FloorFiller]

33 minutes ago, Benj said:

No issue with how people start their careers/ what else they do etc... only that if they're headlining a music festival they have the music of sufficient quality and quantity to do so.

Would KSI be headlining off his music alone?

How he got there may not be in the traditional musician working their way up sense, but his music has certainly caught enough young peoples attention that he’s bringing in huge crowds and topping charts with his albums and so that’s all that’s gonna matter to the bookers.

Edited October 4, 2022 by FloorFiller

[WhoOdyssey]

He has a great hit rate too. By the end of this week he’ll have had 12 Top 20 singles in the last 3 years, with most of those being Top 10 singles.

[NoBuses]

13 hours ago, WhoOdyssey said:

Sports Team’s upcoming UK tour has had some pretty serious venue downgrades. Southampton has gone down from the Guildhall (1750 cap) to The Loft (300 cap). That’s the same venue they played here in 2019, not good at all!

Yeah it's an interesting one, tbf they've been everywhere and this new album didn't generate the hype of Deep Down Happy. Still a fantastic live band though, and had a huge crowd at truck on the main stage 

[Benj]

1 hour ago, BenG92 said:

Yep. He didn't sell out Wembley with a boxing match. It looked like a right party for the people that enjoy him.

Well he kind of did that’s the point.

if he has 10-15 songs that justify him headlining Reading festival the fair enough.

If he has 4-5 decent songs and a boxing match and a YouTube channel. Then no. 
 

selling out Wembley off the back of celebrity is not enough

[Benj]

45 minutes ago, WhoOdyssey said:

He has a great hit rate too. By the end of this week he’ll have had 12 Top 20 singles in the last 3 years, with most of those being Top 10 singles.

If this is so, if he’s a genuine musical draw then fair enough. 

[BenG92]

2 minutes ago, Benj said:

Well he kind of did that’s the point.

if he has 10-15 songs that justify him headlining Reading festival the fair enough.

If he has 4-5 decent songs and a boxing match and a YouTube channel. Then no. 

selling out Wembley off the back of celebrity is not enough

People didn't go to KSI's Wembley date to watch him perform 22 songs because they like it when he boxes. They went to hear his music and they got a full stage show with lights, pyro, dancers, confetti, and guest spots from Anne-Marie and Craig David.

Look at the Leeds '21 video on the last page, that's at 3 in the afternoon. 

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, Lawsie said:

 

Speaking as an old man who enjoys yelling at clouds, the backing track doing the work on this doesn’t exactly strengthen his case. Can’t deny that the crowd aren’t lapping it up though

[Benj]

24 minutes ago, BenG92 said:

People didn't go to KSI's Wembley date to watch him perform 22 songs because they like it when he boxes. They went to hear his music and they got a full stage show with lights, pyro, dancers, confetti, and guest spots from Anne-Marie and Craig David.

Look at the Leeds '21 video on the last page, that's at 3 in the afternoon. 

I’m not doubting celebrity sells, I’m doubting he is a credible, serious music festival headliner.

It’s not like Reading doesn’t have previous though, Darkness and Jack Blacks vehicle (forgotten what’s that’s called) have both equivalent slots in the past.

 

[Benj]

26 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

Speaking as an old man who enjoys yelling at clouds, the backing track doing the work on this doesn’t exactly strengthen his case. Can’t deny that the crowd aren’t lapping it up though

Proper arl boomers us. 

actually expecting Reading festival acts to actually, you know, make some music and stuff

[BenG92]

2 minutes ago, Benj said:

I’m not doubting celebrity sells, I’m doubting he is a credible, serious music festival headliner.

Again, watch the video of him at L&R last year at 3pm, on the previous page, and tell me with a straight face that's not big enough to do MSW. It's a bigger crowd than BMTH got at Leeds this year. 

Not for us, but will be a smash hit with the young laddy lads. 

[Adam_B]

I was in the crowd at Reading for KSI in 2021 as my mates were desperate to see him. I was 21 at the time and still think its the worst set/gig ive ever seen. 😂

[Benj]

1 minute ago, BenG92 said:

Again, watch the video of him at L&R last year at 3pm, on the previous page, and tell me with a straight face that's not big enough to do MSW. It's a bigger crowd than BMTH got at Leeds this year. 

Not for us, but will be a smash hit with the young laddy lads. 

I’m not doubting that he’d draw in a load of teens to see him semi-rap over a backing track, as they’ve seen him on YouTube and doing some boxing

I’m doubting that he’s a credible headliner that will sell and maintain the festivals credibility to the larger audience it needs to maintain over time  

Maybe culture has changed that much that celebrity trumps and will continue to trump all for good. I suspect it may have

…or it maybe his music is generally that good that it would sell and attract thousands without the celebrity

[BenG92]

1 minute ago, Benj said:

I’m not doubting that he’d draw in a load of teens to see him semi-rap over a backing track, as they’ve seen him on YouTube and doing some boxing

I’m doubting that he’s a credible headliner that will sell and maintain the festivals credibility to the larger audience it needs to maintain over time  

Maybe culture has changed that much that celebrity trumps and will continue to trump all for good. I suspect it may have

…or it maybe his music is generally that good that it would sell and attract thousands without the celebrity

Never mind.

[Benj]

Given the scarcity of alternatives at the ‘festival’ these days, for those who have no idea who he is as they don’t watch his you tube, are they not all gonna go WTF? 

Again his music could be far more popular and generation spanning than I imagine and as 1 in 6 top acts, it may be a very clever booking l, if they have the likes of Foals and Green Day booked that are likely to going to get a similar reaction from the kids!

As ever my main issue is with no decent alternative offerings on on other stages, what are people who aren’t interested whatsoever gonna do when these people are on?

[Benj]

5 minutes ago, BenG92 said:

Never mind.

I get he’s popular with the kids. I don’t think that’s enough to headline a proper music festival. 

if you think it is then great. Like when the Darkness headlined in 2004, I’m like WTF?!

Edited October 4, 2022 by Benj

[BenG92]

5 minutes ago, Benj said:

I get he’s popular with the kids. I don’t think that’s enough to headline a proper music festival. 

if you think it is then great. Like when the Darkness headlined in 2004, I’m like WTF?!

Melvin Benn wasn't like WTF when L&R sold out in 2004. The Darkness is one of the most finger-on-the-pulse bookings L&R ever made. KSI may well prove to be another. 

[Benj]

6 minutes ago, BenG92 said:

Melvin Benn wasn't like WTF when L&R sold out in 2004. The Darkness is one of the most finger-on-the-pulse bookings L&R ever made. KSI may well prove to be another. 

It sold out in late July…

People weren’t falling over themselves for Darkness tickets. The crowd was nothing like KSI’s!

[Andre91]

KSI headlining will cause young’uns to buy weekend tickets. 

[Chad888]

KSI does not deserve the spot in the Main Stage as a headliner. 

 

His music isn't good or enjoyable, his fans are fans of his celebrity status and not what he puts out. His tracks are only known because they are ear worms used in Tik Tok clips, and he is known for being the shit talking YouTube vlogger that fought Logan Paul.

 

However - the kids care about celebrity status rather than music. They want to post to their socials that they are seeing a person perform that everybody else knows.

Wes Nelson packed out the tent last month at 2pm, my wife and her mates couldn't wait to see him because he had been on Love Island. Joel Corry was a sub par DJ for years after appearing on Geordie Shore, but he was pulling in sell out crowds.

They did that because teenagers want to see the person they know from the tele over anything seeing talent as we'd call it.

 

But the crux is, this is a massive fucking slap in the face to R&L and music in general. They are overlooking actual talented artists and legendary line ups that will be looked at for the next 20 years as an "I was there" moment, in favour of these flavour of the month, viral tenders who will be a "who?" In 5 years.

If you put Kim Kardashian on the stage she'd draw record crowds and no matter how bad the music is, it would be number 1 world wide. Its the same argument here.

[LazyDavid]

I don't think KSI would have ever headlined if it was the old 3 headliner format, now with 6 it opens it up for those sorts of acts who are obviously popular to be called 'headliners' to have their shout at the day.

I remember watching his Fifa Career Mode series while I was at uni, seeing him at Reading in 2021 was almost nostalgic in a sense because of that, probably the same for a few others who were there and now he's made himself a lot more relevant with the various things he's been doing. He's clearly dedicated to the things he does as he still does all the YouTube stuff alongside the music, boxing, Prime etc etc.

Fair play to him, he's popular, he's got a few ok songs and I'd probably watch him if there wasn't anything else on at the same time. He'll pull a big crowd on the day! That being said, I'm not sure how many tickets he'd shift by himself so sticking him with a Billie Eilish or a Green Day would make sense.

 

[Chad888]

6 minutes ago, LazyDavid said:

Fair play to him, he's popular, he's got a few ok songs and I'd probably watch him if there wasn't anything else on at the same time. He'll pull a big crowd on the day! That being said, I'm not sure how many tickets he'd shift by himself so sticking him with a Billie Eilish or a Green Day would make sense.

 

I'd 100% wager he will be on the Saturday, the traditional r&b day, and he was chosen because every person at the festival will be camping out to watch Billie and they don't see any point wasting money on him an act nobody cares for 

[Andre91]

Gentlemen: stop talking about a young person’s act. You sound really old and grumpy. Talk about something else. 

[BenG92]

10 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

I'd 100% wager he will be on the Saturday, the traditional r&b day, and he was chosen because every person at the festival will be camping out to watch Billie and they don't see any point wasting money on him an act nobody cares for 

Like how everyone was camped at AM so nobody watch BMTH? 

[Benj]

3 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Gentlemen: stop talking about a young person’s act. You sound really old and grumpy. Talk about something else. 

We are really old and grumpy!

bloody kids with their Tickedy Tok  👴🏻🤬

 

[gfa]

If MTS who can't sell out brixton ands biggest songs are all features can do it, theres no reason why KSI cannot...