2024 Festival

[Benj]

13 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

He’s the kind of imaginative, exciting act I’m talking about. Problem with so few US acts on the lineup is they have to rotate between the same British acts of which there simply aren’t enough.

It’s fine bumping people like Fender up but lower down the main stages what kind of pull do Declan’s McKenna, Sea Girls, The Snuts, The Lathums, Inhaler have when they play the same slot every year.

Yup. Didn’t someone say that over 50% of the lineup this year had played in the last two years?

Why are people going to go back to see what they saw last time they went?

Esp when your alternative options for when they’re on have been slashed…

I guess that’s why they’ve given them a 1/3rd off this year…

 

[andyrhodes24]

16 minutes ago, Benj said:

Yup. Didn’t someone say that over 50% of the lineup this year had played in the last two years?

Why are people going to go back to see what they saw last time they went?

Esp when your alternative options for when they’re on have been slashed…

I guess that’s why they’ve given them a 1/3rd off this year…

 

Yeah can’t remember who (sorry) but it was an excellent breakdown of just how many of the 2021/22/23 acts were repeats. It was noted that 2023 was generally a poor year for act availability and overhead cost increases though.

The festival wasn’t broken to start with with the big tent, why try to fix it?

[omarara]

How can you be so sure that Blink-182 are coming to R&L from what i read on the past pages you? I think that Live Nations has got the exclusivity for them for bookings...

Edited October 24, 2023 by omarara

[Benj]

12 minutes ago, omarara said:

How can you be so sure that Blink-182 are coming to R&L from what i read on the past pages you? I think that Live Nations has got the exclusivity for them for bookings...

 

[Chad888]

Do we really think Fred Again is enough to "put bums in seats"?

It's a very good point being raised, the festival last year didn't book headline acts that get people through the gates.

 

Bland Fender,

BBC R2 presents The Killers,

That Billie Eilish girl your little sister loves.

Add to that the band that barely anybody remembered from the 2010s, f**king Imagine Dragons, and the 1975 for the 3rd time in 4 years.

 

Eminem is a known sell out. In 2017 the campsite half went home after he finished the Saturday. Everybody was blasting his music all weekend in the tents.

Blink-182 have the FOMO hype train from everybody who has seen them mote and more through rose tinted glasses over the past 20 years.

 

Who the hell does Fred Again attract? What demographic that has the money and will be splashing out on weekend tickets and arena spend?

Perhaps headlining the dance tent...

 

[Andre91]

Chad with a bunch of weird generalisations absolutely no other person would ever think of? Never! 

[andyrhodes24]

1 hour ago, Chad888 said:

Who the hell does Fred Again attract? What demographic that has the money and will be splashing out on weekend tickets and arena spend?

Perhaps headlining the dance tent...

 

While he’d be a genuinely exciting act for a number of age groups Fred Again will help attract a lot kids who spend all day in the camp site supping because they aren’t old enough in the arena.

If you build a lineup with current fads, one hit wonders and Tik Tok acts it’s not only dreadful for people who actually like music but the 17 year olds it’s built for can’t afford the £300 entry fee. There’s no wonder ticket sales fallen through.

Edited October 24, 2023 by andyrhodes24

[wghennessy]

I wouldnt want him there personally but can anyone see them trying for Capaldi again?

[nathanh]

16 minutes ago, wghennessy said:

I wouldnt want him there personally but can anyone see them trying for Capaldi again?

Melvin said to NME this year they wont try for him until hes back to full health

“I think there will always be an open offer, but at the same time the only thing that needs to be thought about is Lewis’ health. We certainly wouldn’t be having a discussion prior to Lewis’ health being right.”

So yeah maybe one year but cant see it being this year.

[Benj]

1 hour ago, andyrhodes24 said:

While he’d be a genuinely exciting act for a number of age groups Fred Again will help attract a lot kids who spend all day in the camp site supping because they aren’t old enough in the arena.

If you build a lineup with current fads, one hit wonders and Tik Tok acts it’s not only dreadful for people who actually like music but the 17 year olds it’s built for can’t afford the £300 entry fee. There’s no wonder ticket sales fallen through.

To be fair to them, around all the talk of saving costs with the new format, this  definitely a struggle they have now.

The arse has fallen out of the traditional ‘alternative’ scene. 

The kids are now into songs as opposed to artists. One off moments as opposed to scenes.

Smaller artists with an actual following would seemingly rather sell their own tours or do a series of smaller festivals rather than play one off big festivals.

There’s simply not enough out there to fill the bill with the necessary quality or even simply quantity to please anyone… hence we are where we are.

 

 

 

 

 

[Aromaticmusic1]

What are the chances of a big rock headliner like muse or Foo fighters

[RandomEnglishPerson]

46 minutes ago, Aromaticmusic1 said:

What are the chances of a big rock headliner like muse or Foo fighters

2025 for foos most likely

[northernangel]

Myself, i find the new Green Day song very dull.

[NorthernSoul52]

I've been half-convinced Fred Again. would be nailed on after seeing the Glastonbury set on the box. Very much feels like a zeitgeist booking.

Billie Eilish's sluggish sales in regards to R+L fascinate me, given her own shows weren't necessarily cheap, and she's obviously still nabbing hits - but I'm starting to wonder if she could, post Glastonbury, have a significant drop-off a la Stormzy in terms of commercial hyper-power. Still obviously a draw, of course, but perhaps less than would have been expected.

Of course, the next album could promptly do a Harry's House and take her even more stratospheric. Who knows.

[Chad888]

2 hours ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Billie Eilish's sluggish sales in regards to R+L fascinate me, given her own shows weren't necessarily cheap, and she's obviously still nabbing hits - but I'm starting to wonder if she could, post Glastonbury, have a significant drop-off a la Stormzy in terms of commercial hyper-power. Still obviously a draw, of course, but perhaps less than would have been expected.

Does Billie have the fanbase that buy tickets to festivals? That is the big question to me, and the same with Stormzy (does he sell tickets, not whether Billie does).

All I see is industry plant, nepo-babies that make white bread music based on consumer trials and algorithms. 

They are inoffensive, and non partisan enough to listen to on Radio 1's drive time, and let little kids listen/hang posters up on their wall. But I really don't see a dedicated fanbase for them, because they are so family friendly they don't illicit any sort of emotional response in fans.

I think they are perfect acts for the Coachella/Glastonbury types, the silicon valley millionaires that like to act like they are 'down with the youth' by consuming the latest mainstream machined culture movements.

I think the same of Sam Fender.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Chad888

[northernangel]

12 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Chad with a bunch of weird generalisations absolutely no other person would ever think of? Never! 

Chad is right about the festival booking acts to sell tickets. There is a major difference between selling arena/stadium tickets for a band where there are tons of seats too and acts where their parents take them for Christmas and Birthdays etc to standing outside at Reading for example.

The Killers are a band who I wouldn't put in the Reading barrier anymore, I wouldn't even attend Reading to see them due to the crowd. The majority of 2022 headliners are present, current and feed directly into the crowd. They hit that range mid age range of people, it also comes off of covid. I think Reading sales after a couple of years were always going to slow down too.

At Glastonbury, it sells out anyway and you have families that go. It is generally a very different setup where you can camp up close to a pyramid or the other stage and watch it from your tent etc.

[gfa]

Chad your really living under a rock if you don't think Fred Again is a home run for the festival demographic wise

Kind of act that will get people who might be about to sack it off as they get to the end of uni to do another year too i think

He just sold 50k in London without doing any northern dates - there will be huge demand for him at Leeds and the demand will have recouperated for Reading by then too

also teasing an album 

[Andre91]

18 minutes ago, northernangel said:

Chad is right about the festival booking acts to sell tickets. There is a major difference between selling arena/stadium tickets for a band where there are tons of seats too and acts where their parents take them for Christmas and Birthdays etc to standing outside at Reading for example.

The Killers are a band who I wouldn't put in the Reading barrier anymore, I wouldn't even attend Reading to see them due to the crowd. The majority of 2022 headliners are present, current and feed directly into the crowd. They hit that range mid age range of people, it also comes off of covid. I think Reading sales after a couple of years were always going to slow down too.

At Glastonbury, it sells out anyway and you have families that go. It is generally a very different setup where you can camp up close to a pyramid or the other stage and watch it from your tent etc.

I’m sure he can say that without constantly making statements like:

‘x artist makes music for teenage boys who like Christmas pudding’ 

or

‘x artist appeals to 27 year old girls who’s names begin with R and have at least two wax melts burning in their homes at any one time’ 

I find his generalisations genuinely peculiar. 

[Nobby's Old Boots]

1 hour ago, Chad888 said:

Does Billie have the fanbase that buy tickets to festivals? That is the big question to me, and the same with Stormzy (does he sell tickets, not whether Billie does).

All I see is industry plant, nepo-babies that make white bread music based on consumer trials and algorithms. 

They are inoffensive, and non partisan enough to listen to on Radio 1's drive time, and let little kids listen/hang posters up on their wall. But I really don't see a dedicated fanbase for them, because they are so family friendly they don't illicit any sort of emotional response in fans.

I think they are perfect acts for the Coachella/Glastonbury types, the silicon valley millionaires that like to act like they are 'down with the youth' by consuming the latest mainstream machined culture movements.

I think the same of Sam Fender.

Stormzy the famous nepo-baby.

Someone thinks they're way more intelligent than they actually are.

[northernangel]

7 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

I’m sure he can say that without constantly making statements like:

‘x artist makes music for teenage boys who like Christmas pudding’ 

or

‘x artist appeals to 27 year old girls who’s names begin with R and have at least two wax melts burning in their homes at any one time’ 

I find his generalisations genuinely peculiar. 

Fred Again... meanwhile is absolutely a fit for Reading and they would be mad not to book him. You would put him on surely before Eminem on East.

[Andre91]

Just now, northernangel said:

Fred Again... meanwhile is absolutely a fit for Reading and they would be mad not to book him. You would put him on surely before Eminem on East.

Fred would be a slam dunk booking for R&L and I agree, they should be doing everything they can to get him for 2024. 

[gfa]

1 hour ago, northernangel said:

Fred Again... meanwhile is absolutely a fit for Reading and they would be mad not to book him. You would put him on surely before Eminem on East.

You'd put him on before your weakest headliner as he'd shift a good chunk of tickets alone - so probably not before Eminem

[northernangel]

54 minutes ago, gfa said:

You'd put him on before your weakest headliner as he'd shift a good chunk of tickets alone - so probably not before Eminem

neither Em, Blink or Paramore are weak.

[Chad888]

2 hours ago, gfa said:

Chad your really living under a rock if you don't think Fred Again is a home run for the festival demographic wise

This is why I asked whether he would, and not dismissed him. I'm certain his music is all dance with featured artists, so struggle to understand how that works as a headliner, just a guy up top pressing play on his laptop?

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

just a guy up top pressing play on his laptop?

yeh that's it pal!