2024 Festival

[gfa]

8 minutes ago, Benj said:

Not as much as you it seems🤣

Although they are clearly bricking it given the fact they discounted it by 30% in a desperate attempt to get those who f**ked it off as the new format is sh*t back!

He’ll also be bricking it that you and your peers now discount it as “a festival for 16 year olds” as it never was and again that perception is something that they’ll have to change to keep viable

Its been considered a festival for 16 year olds in the UK for years ... definitely since about 2016-17

[Benj]

2 minutes ago, gfa said:

Its been considered a festival for 16 year olds in the UK for years ... definitely since about 2016-17

Have you considered that your consideration of it may not have reflected the actual, full reality of who attended?

It’s abundantly clear they lost a huge chunk of their audience. You just have to check out videos from Leeds.

They said themselves in the PR for the loyalty scheme that their data showed they previously had many repeat attendees.

I’d be very much surprised if they’re not bricking themselves if the MASSIVE discount they offered to get those people back has not had the take up they hoped.

…Judging by anecdotal evidence on here it didn’t.

They can’t afford another turnout like last years Leeds…

 

 

[Benj]

40 minutes ago, gfa said:

Its been considered a festival for 16 year olds in the UK for years ... definitely since about 2016-17

Also as an actual document to 2016 on, I managed to dig up some some actual crowd pics from those very years which show the absolute abundance of solely school aged kids... or not maybe (inc one in the big tent obv)

Actually being there as opposed to assuming who was there may have allowed you to have a more accurate viewpoint...

[Chad888]

1 hour ago, gfa said:

https://kingsofleon.com/

uh oh

"There are no upcoming events"

 

Well that means they're free in August...

[Chad888]

1 hour ago, Benj said:

Have you considered that your consideration of it may not have reflected the actual, full reality of who attended?

It’s abundantly clear they lost a huge chunk of their audience. You just have to check out videos from Leeds.

They said themselves in the PR for the loyalty scheme that their data showed they previously had many repeat attendees.

I’d be very much surprised if they’re not bricking themselves if the MASSIVE discount they offered to get those people back has not had the take up they hoped.

…Judging by anecdotal evidence on here it didn’t.

They can’t afford another turnout like last years Leeds…

 

 

In fairness to GFA he was 16 in those years, and that's the beauty of the zeitgeist, it plays what is current and popular and therefore every person consuming the mainstream thinks its made for their generation.

I was 26 in 2017 and felt Eminem, Kasabian, J Hus, Giggs, Muse, Liam Gallagher, Bastille, Blossoms, Migos etc were tailored for my age...

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, gfa said:

Its been considered a festival for 16 year olds in the UK for years ... definitely since about 2016-17

It was a festival for GCSE leavers when I started going in 2010… Leeds was ALWAYS the festival everyone went to with their mates at the end of the summer. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by Andre91

[gfa]

1 minute ago, Andre91 said:

It was a festival for GCSE leavers when I started going in 2010… Leeds was ALWAYS the festival everyone went to with their mates at the end of the summer. 

I had typed out brackets after what you quoted and put (possibly even earlier, but I wasn't about then) and then deleted it.

But yeah - that doesn't surprise me.

---

@Benj - I never said it was 100% 16 year olds off their nut, I just stated how the british public views the festival. Multiple people have agreed with what i have said.

[Benj]

10 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

In fairness to GFA he was 16 in those years, and that's the beauty of the zeitgeist, it plays what is current and popular and therefore every person consuming the mainstream thinks its made for their generation.

I was 26 in 2017 and felt Eminem, Kasabian, J Hus, Giggs, Muse, Liam Gallagher, Bastille, Blossoms, Migos etc were tailored for my age...

He didn’t go until 2019 but you prove my point exactly. 2017 appealed to more than just 16 year old kids…

When you’re 16 and everyone is paying  let’s go to Reading, it’s probably easy to assume that it’s a festival aimed at 16 year olds…and it is. It’s also aimed at 27, 37,47 and judging by the pics some 57 year olds too!

 

[Chad888]

The issue with the 2 main stages and cutting down other tents -

Lil Tjay didn't show up this year at Leeds, the other acts people could have seen?

Harriet Jaxxon on the Dance Stage

Grandma's House on the Introducing

Dylan Moran on the Alternative

The entire 5-6 slot was left empty on 1xtra and the FR was in between acts too.

 

Now look at 2019, who were we able to watch 5-6pm when Frank Carter doesn't show?

The Amazon's on the R1 stage

Anti Up on the Dance Stage

Palaye Royale on the Pit

Cavetown on the FR stage

Tommy Genesis on the 1xtra

Balcony on the Introducing

 

 

 

[gfa]

19 minutes ago, Benj said:

He didn’t go until 2019 but you prove my point exactly. 2017 appealed to more than just 16 year old kids…

When you’re 16 and everyone is paying  let’s go to Reading, it’s probably easy to assume that it’s a festival aimed at 16 year olds…and it is. It’s also aimed at 27, 37,47 and judging by the pics some 57 year olds too!

 

"I never said it was 100% 16 year olds off their nut, I just stated how the british public views the festival. Multiple people have agreed with what i have said."

Everyone knows its not actually just 16 year olds ffs - but for several years thats what all the marketing has been targeted at even if the lineup hasn't fully been. I'm sure plenty of 57 year olds are excited about the tiktok sponsorship etc

11 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

Now look at 2019, who were we able to watch 5-6pm when Frank Carter doesn't show?

The Amazon's on the R1 stage

Anti Up on the Dance Stage

Palaye Royale on the Pit

Cavetown on the FR stage

Tommy Genesis on the 1xtra

Balcony on the Introducing

 

 

 

If you didn't like indie / rock that 5-6 Frank Carter slot is shocking tbf

[Benj]

5 minutes ago, gfa said:

I had typed out brackets after what you quoted and put (possibly even earlier, but I wasn't about then) and then deleted it.

But yeah - that doesn't surprise me.

---

@Benj - I never said it was 100% 16 year olds off their nut, I just stated how the british public views the festival. Multiple people have agreed with what i have said.

Yup. The point is (was maybe (didn’t go in 2023 obv)) the perception is and always has been largely wrong.

A festival that lots of kids go to doesn’t mean that it’s a festival solely for kids…

As Chad says it’s Zeitgeist, Zeitgeist isn’t limited to teens.

The changes post pandemic have clearly (judging by the loyalty scheme, drop is sales and anecdotally off here) put off a lot of people going back. 

Whether that’s a 17 year old going for a second time, or a 40 year old going for the 20th, they went in record low numbers last year. 

That is what they need to address, either by lineup, overall festival experience, or price (a lever they have already pulled)

[gfa]

Price and lineup are directly connected.

They are f**ked for atmosphere really - Reading can't go late so cannot complete with any other major camping festival really and Leeds maybe can go later but is still quite restricted i think? Even if Leeds could go later, if they make it too good late night it could eat into Reading's sales, sell out - and then northerners won't want to trek down to the worse Reading fest.

Tough spot eh - not helped by the fact a lot of younger people want to go to dance fests now too. I guess thats why they try and get the 15/16/17 year olds as they can't go to these fests yet.

[Benj]

28 minutes ago, gfa said:

 

@Benj - I never said it was 100% 16 year olds off their nut, I just stated how the british public views the festival. Multiple people have agreed with what i have said.

2 hours ago, gfa said:

…a festival for 16 year olds

…Is what you said. The context being that the organisers shouldn’t worry about what non-16 year olds think about their festival as they’re not the market  

My point is that, while public perception may be that it’s a festival for 16 year olds. That perception is wrong and to try and perpetuate it here, where people should know better, just makes you look daft - Esp in the face of a load of evidence that the festival failed last year because this other audience have binned it off!)

 

 

[Benj]

28 minutes ago, gfa said:

Price and lineup are directly connected.

To a certain extent, profit is the goal there though…

Selling out at 250 quid is probably more profitable than selling 75% at £300 (…certainly is assuming they can’t make savings on the lower attendance)

Reading are hugely lucky in that they have a built in first visitor demographic. It’s probably different for music and festivals but getting that first bite is what businesses usually spend most trying to achieve. If you offer a good product repeat business is easy from there.

Reading have lost that repeat business and will now have to work very hard to get it back, given that they clearly can’t just rely on 16 year olds who never come back to sell it out 

Also what does it say to other 16 year olds, when their 17 old brother doesn’t want to go back a year later…

 

Edited November 9, 2023 by Benj

[Chad888]

You can say it about anything. It's based on your perception and what you're exposed to.

Ibiza is a place for kids to party. Thailand is for frat boy backpackers. R/L is for GCSE leavers.

If you watch sun sex and suspicious parents, and your 18 year old mates Instagram stories blackout drunk in Ocean Beach, you will think Ibiza is for drunken promiscuous idiots. 

If you go there and stay out of San Antonio, and Ocean Beach then you'll think its a stunning jewel in the Mediterranean ocean.

 

[Benj]

7 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

You can say it about anything. It's based on your perception and what you're exposed to.

Exactly

GFA is not wrong about the perception of Reading

He’s very wrong about that being the only demographic the organisers need to cater to at there festival, if they want it to be a financial success

 

[Andre91]

f**king hell, this thread is poo. 

[Guest]

Just now, Andre91 said:

f**king hell, this thread is poo. 

Losing brain cells

[Benj]

I think GFA as an anti-big tenter is simply trying to distract away from how much better that predicted lineup looked better in Big Tent format 

[stanh]

Threads going in circles once again, so I'll just chuck yet another prediction poster in to change the convo up again; does look like a pretty typical R&L lineup to me - reckon it'd sell better than this year.

[Benj]

4 minutes ago, stanh said:

Threads going in circles once again, so I'll just chuck yet another prediction poster in to change the convo up again; does look like a pretty typical R&L lineup to me - reckon it'd sell better than this year.

Decent job but this is the circle now

Poster guess > criticisms > wait till someone else can be arsed to do a poster > criti… 

To try and add some value though, I have never ever heard a song by Jorja Smith and also believe that Avril Lavigne is as likely a 2nd stage headliner as Courteeners

[stanh]

4 minutes ago, Benj said:

Decent job but this is the circle now

Poster guess > criticisms > wait till someone else can be arsed to do a poster > criti… 

To try and add some value though, I have never ever heard a song by Jorja Smith and also believe that Avril Lavigne is as likely a 2nd stage headliner as Courteeners

Really? She's had a pretty big year again this year in the UK with the success of Try Me and Little Things (plus the TikTok remix). On an intimate tour at the moment which sold out instantly. Did a good job at headlining Boardmasters a couple of years back, and would make a decent choice (imo) as a cheaper headliner if they give Eminem a big pay day. But surely you have heard On My Mind at least! 

Not sure if I can see Avril Lavigne being a second stage headliner, maybe a slot higher, or 2nd sub on the Main Stage.

[Benj]

7 minutes ago, stanh said:

Really? She's had a pretty big year again this year in the UK with the success of Try Me and Little Things (plus the TikTok remix). On an intimate tour at the moment which sold out instantly. Did a good job at headlining Boardmasters a couple of years back, and would make a decent choice (imo) as a cheaper headliner if they give Eminem a big pay day. But surely you have heard On My Mind at least! 

Not sure if I can see Avril Lavigne being a second stage headliner, maybe a slot higher, or 2nd sub on the Main Stage.

I’m not in the U.K. and a boomer. I’ve also just listened to her and she’s not my bag whatsoever, so wouldn’t have made the algorithms.

Avril Lavigne was a gag from an earlier, I would prob put her on the same level as Courteeners though

[stanh]

3 minutes ago, Benj said:

I’m not in the U.K. and a boomer. I’ve also just listened to her and she’s not my bag whatsoever, so wouldn’t have made the algorithms.

Avril Lavigne was a gag from an earlier, I would prob put her on the same level as Courteeners though

I'd say Courteeners are bigger for sure, especially up north. Think she could do a range of slots an not look out of place, even if they just whack her as a special guest. 

[Chad888]

57 minutes ago, stanh said:

Threads going in circles once again, so I'll just chuck yet another prediction poster in to change the convo up again; does look like a pretty typical R&L lineup to me - reckon it'd sell better than this year.

12/16