Rock Werchter 2023

[ParanoidTourist]

I still think moving Iggy Pop to main stage is the most realistic solution (assuming they can´t get a new headliner). In that way they won´t change day for any of the acts. 

[MrTobs]

Do we think acts that are playing Dour are ruled out?

If not, Damso would be a possibility for a smaller, but still quite big act (for example: he played Palais 12 two times in december, Stromae three times and he sold roughly 70.-80.000 tickets in Paris). He's subbing/co-headlining Dour and subbing Lollapalooza Paris. He should be available and could play before Stormzy. 

Aya Nakamura would also be a shout. Admitedly both names wouldn't sell tickets to the international crowd tho and are smaller than Stromae, but better than no replacement.

They are both also co-headlining Main Square in France on friday and saturday,

[Archi]

Both Dour and Les Ardentes are not soldout (not even 1 day) so I think both Damso and Aya Nakamura are out.

[tmolvik]

3 hours ago, Dietediet said:

Then you're pissing off all the people who bought Friday tickets to see Editors, on top of the Thursday ticket holders who don't care about Editors. You'd just make it worse instead of mending things.

Fair point (although I won't rule it out)

[Nicklord]

QOTSA has a new song out, album in June. Sounds good to me, I like the production way more than for the last one

 

[ST78]

What about The Offspring? Any chance they would headline Thursday?

[matrainertje]

5 minutes ago, ST78 said:

What about The Offspring? Any chance they would headline Thursday?

*Insert Michael Scott meme of him yelling 'NOOOOOOO'.*

[Archi]

5 minutes ago, ST78 said:

What about The Offspring? Any chance they would headline Thursday?

The Offspring above acts like The 1975 or Stormzy at a mainstream festival like RW? Zero chance. Even if their show in Brussels is already soldout (not sure if they use the whole capacity of Forest National tbh).

[ParanoidTourist]

43 minutes ago, Archi said:

The Offspring above acts like The 1975 or Stormzy at a mainstream festival like RW? Zero chance. Even if their show in Brussels is already soldout (not sure if they use the whole capacity of Forest National tbh).

I wouldn't rule it out for that reason. The Offspring has more listeners on Spotify than those 2 artists so clearly they are still popular. 

[tmolvik]

3 hours ago, ParanoidTourist said:

I wouldn't rule it out for that reason. The Offspring has more listeners on Spotify than those 2 artists so clearly they are still popular. 

I'd take them in a heartbeat, and don't care if they put them on top or way down.

[Muppetmark]

Would Lana be a suitable replacement?

[tmolvik]

29 minutes ago, Muppetmark said:

Would Lana be a suitable replacement?

Probably more than suitable enough given the circumstances, but realistic? Depends if RW wants to spend the money..

[matrainertje]

2 hours ago, tmolvik said:

Probably more than suitable enough given the circumstances, but realistic? Depends if RW wants to spend the money..

She's playing before RW at Glastonbury and after RW at Hyde Park. Should fit perfectly.

And as of money: I think Rock Werchter can afford an act like Lana Del Rey... 

[ParanoidTourist]

3 hours ago, Muppetmark said:

Would Lana be a suitable replacement?

Hell yeah! Thursday would be saved.

[tmolvik]

4 hours ago, matrainertje said:

She's playing before RW at Glastonbury and after RW at Hyde Park. Should fit perfectly.

And as of money: I think Rock Werchter can afford an act like Lana Del Rey... 

They can, but doesn't mean they will... If nothing else is planned and there no exclusive deals or other logistic issues, she should definitely be an option. She's not my cup of tea really, but I would say they have done a good job if they get her. I'm still a bit uncertain to whether they will spend money on a "real" headliner though.. Probably depends a bit on how tickets sales on that Thursday have actually gone also... 

[Ohad]

1 hour ago, tmolvik said:

They can, but doesn't mean they will... If nothing else is planned and there no exclusive deals or other logistic issues, she should definitely be an option. She's not my cup of tea really, but I would say they have done a good job if they get her. I'm still a bit uncertain to whether they will spend money on a "real" headliner though.. Probably depends a bit on how tickets sales on that Thursday have actually gone also... 

Well, it's mid May, 2 days and combies are sold out / almost. I'd say thursdays ticket sales aren't super great

[matrainertje]

2 hours ago, tmolvik said:

They can, but doesn't mean they will... If nothing else is planned and there no exclusive deals or other logistic issues, she should definitely be an option. She's not my cup of tea really, but I would say they have done a good job if they get her. I'm still a bit uncertain to whether they will spend money on a "real" headliner though.. Probably depends a bit on how tickets sales on that Thursday have actually gone also... 

Well, it's Rock Werchter. They'll definitely want to put a big fitting headliner on that lineup poster next to Stormzy. 

 

[Floyd_Ams]

I 'm not sure that selling more day tickets for Thursday is the main incentive here (at least not anymore since it's not easy to book a big ticket seller with just 1 month to go) but rather to maintain the prestige of the festival and not piss off existing customers. The distribution per day is 68k combis (already sold out) and 20k day tickets. The lineup, even with Stromae present, was already a bit problematic for a Thursday for RW standards. On a Saturday it would 've made more sense. I assume that not many people are willing to pay 127 EUR and commute to Werchter on a Thursday for Stormzy and Stromae (as popular as he might be there were plenty of opportunities to see him in the recent past).

Imo...At this point it would make more sense to put Iggy on the main stage to co-headline with a band like Foals, Placebo, Ghost, etc. (whichever they can book) and move Stormzy to the Barn as a headliner after Charlotte DW. A capacity of 20k should be more than enough for Stormzy (at Werchter that is) and the overall setup would look more RW like.

All that can change of course if they manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat...There are many acts they could potentially share with sister festivals.

[matrainertje]

8 hours ago, Floyd_Ams said:

I 'm not sure that selling more day tickets for Thursday is the main incentive here (at least not anymore since it's not easy to book a big ticket seller with just 1 month to go) but rather to maintain the prestige of the festival and not piss off existing customers. The distribution per day is 68k combis (already sold out) and 20k day tickets. The lineup, even with Stromae present, was already a bit problematic for a Thursday for RW standards. On a Saturday it would 've made more sense. I assume that not many people are willing to pay 127 EUR and commute to Werchter on a Thursday for Stormzy and Stromae (as popular as he might be there were plenty of opportunities to see him in the recent past).

Imo...At this point it would make more sense to put Iggy on the main stage to co-headline with a band like Foals, Placebo, Ghost, etc. (whichever they can book) and move Stormzy to the Barn as a headliner after Charlotte DW. A capacity of 20k should be more than enough for Stormzy (at Werchter that is) and the overall setup would look more RW like.

All that can change of course if they manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat...There are many acts they could potentially share with sister festivals.

Iggy Pop played an afternoon slot last time he was at RW (to a rather smallish audience). Closing the Barn was already a huge stretch but letting the man headline the main stage? 

Plus: booking a headliner act only to place that act onto a second stage in the process seems like a no-go. And I'm not even talking about the face that Stormzy's production (pyro, fireworks, huge rig) will never fit into the Barn.

[Kaboom Boxer]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsTSK60INUp/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
 

They’re pushing the Thursday and Friday day tickets hard. Hopefully incentive enough to pull a rabbit out of the hat for Thursday headliner. 

[Dietediet]

2 minutes ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsTSK60INUp/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
 

They’re pushing the Thursday and Friday day tickets hard. Hopefully incentive enough to pull a rabbit out of the hat for Thursday headliner. 

How is this pushing hard? They're announcing that weekend tickets are sold out but Thursday and Friday are still available. Seems like a rather normal communication to me...

[Floyd_Ams]

4 hours ago, matrainertje said:

Iggy Pop played an afternoon slot last time he was at RW (to a rather smallish audience). Closing the Barn was already a huge stretch but letting the man headline the main stage? 

Plus: booking a headliner act only to place that act onto a second stage in the process seems like a no-go. And I'm not even talking about the face that Stormzy's production (pyro, fireworks, huge rig) will never fit into the Barn.

For Iggy...Different times, different circumstances. It always depends on who else in on the lineup on a certain day. Nothing that hasn't been done before 😉 (in my previous example he would be the co/sub headliner)

For Stormzy you are probably right. I have no idea how his show looks like or the size of his production. If he has to stay on the main stage they'll probably replace Stromae with a pop or dance act aiming at the same audience group.

Edited May 16, 2023 by Floyd_Ams

[Kaboom Boxer]

1 hour ago, Dietediet said:

How is this pushing hard? They're announcing that weekend tickets are sold out but Thursday and Friday are still available. Seems like a rather normal communication to me...

Pushing hard was probably an exaggeration to be fair, just wishful thinking on them actively advertising the Thursday day tickets and that maybe meaning we get some good 🤷🏻 

[Newjem]

53 minutes ago, Kaboom Boxer said:

Pushing hard was probably an exaggeration to be fair, just wishful thinking on them actively advertising the Thursday day tickets and that maybe meaning we get some good 🤷🏻 

If anything it means the exact opposite. Buy the tickets now before we reveal the replacement is shite or none (and Stormzy is headlining).

[matrainertje]

2 hours ago, Floyd_Ams said:

For Iggy...Different times, different circumstances. It always depends on who else in on the lineup on a certain day. Nothing that hasn't been done before 😉 (in my previous example he would be the co/sub headliner)

Iggy would feel a funnily out of place on the main with The 1975, Zwangere Guy, Sam Fender and Stormzy on the main stage though.