2024 Headliners

[Wooderson]

18 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Yip. Unless they've managed to nab the Boss or Stevie or something, which at this point seems unlikely.

Both of those are really precarious bookings imo.

[Neville Street]

9 minutes ago, MEGABOWL said:

I saw their 2011 set and if they fill that field with a similar overwhelmingly happy and positive vibe you’d have to work really hard not to have a great time. Thats what sticks in my head from that set, not any particular song but one of my favourite atmospheres ever at WF.

It’s always interesting to see how the same thing is experienced differently by us all. I know that’s obvious from the discussions in here.

My memory of 2011 was that Coldplay were poor, they were preceded by the most amazing collective experience of Elbow in the fading sunshine (I think!), Guy downing pints, reverse Mexican waves, singalongs, etc., and then Coldplay blanded the evening to a disappointing conclusion. I’d walked away from U2 the night before due to the barracking from Bono (Brit Floyd were immense in Acoustic) and didn’t go to Beyoncé (Kool & The Gang on WH were great, but perhaps Beyoncé would have been a good one to have seen). Left that year thinking that the Pyramid headliners had been underwhelming.

After that, I almost had to be dragged to Coldplay in 2016 which was the polar opposite of 2011. Absolutely incredible moving engaging 2 hour party. We were a long way back, but the atmosphere was stunning.

Enjoyed 2016 so much I went to the current tour in Glasgow (feels like a decade ago, but was actually August 2022). Will be there again at WF if they are there this year.

[clarkete]

2 minutes ago, Neville Street said:

My memory of 2011 was that Coldplay were poor, they were preceded by the most amazing collective experience of Elbow in the fading sunshine (I think!), Guy downing pints, reverse Mexican waves, singalongs, etc., and then Coldplay blanded the evening to a disappointing conclusion. I’d walked away from U2 the night before due to the barracking from Bono (Brit Floyd were immense in Acoustic) and didn’t go to Beyoncé (Kool & The Gang on WH were great, but perhaps Beyoncé would have been a good one to have seen). Left that year thinking that the Pyramid headliners had been underwhelming.

If you missed the most overwhelming headliner that year you did yourself a disservice. 

[matrainertje]

46 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Even if Coldplay don't sit anywhere in my all-time list of favourites, there are very few artists who will likely pull me away that evening from them.

The Smile! 

[Superscally]

4 hours ago, Quark said:

You've met him, right?

I found him quite delightful 🤣

[Superscally]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Even some very early initial murmurings among our team about checking them out, after swerving in 2011 and 2016. Whatever else is on at the same time depending, of course.

You won't regret it

[Superscally]

6 minutes ago, clarkete said:

If you missed the most overwhelming headliner that year you did yourself a disservice. 

...unless they chose QOTSA...

[SalviaPlath]

Coldplay, Dua/Olivia Rodrigo and Madonna means two heritage acts and a first time headliner. Would rather they took a punt on a newer or leftfield act than Coldplay and risked a less than full field but the festival is increasingly risk averse and TV camera minded, so I could live with those headliners and would be keen to see bits of all three but couldn't see any keeping my attention for a full set, maybe Madonna, but that would be setlist dependent. 

[Wooderson]

Got caught in 2005 in the lowest part of the Mid field (down by Mandela Bar) with a loada heads singing "i will try to fix you".

Not for me Clive.

 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Just now, Wooderson said:

Got caught in 2005 in the lowest part of the Mid field (down by Mandela Bar) with a loada heads singing "i will try to fix you".

Not for me Clive.

 

Terrible tune. Ghastly.

[Neville Street]

6 minutes ago, clarkete said:

If you missed the most overwhelming headliner that year you did yourself a disservice. 

Yes, friends that were at Beyoncé were smug, but we had fun. I think we went to The Low Anthem in Avalon, a bit of Comedy then most of Kool and the Gang. TBH it was 12.5 years ago, I had to look at the Clashfinder online to piece that together, for some reason it hasn’t got my actual in it for that year. I might have been using a printed version and a highlighter pen then 🙂

 

[Wooderson]

1 minute ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Terrible tune. Ghastly.

Youve met my Mrs right, Cally? Goes feral at the thought of this pish.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Just now, Wooderson said:

Youve met my Mrs right, Cally? Goes feral at the thought of this pish.

Hahaha. Snap with Mrs CG.

[clarkete]

1 minute ago, Neville Street said:

Yes, friends that were at Beyoncé were smug, but we had fun. I think we went to The Low Anthem in Avalon, a bit of Comedy then most of Kool and the Gang. TBH it was 12.5 years ago, I had to look at the Clashfinder online to piece that together, for some reason it hasn’t got my actual in it for that year. I might have been using a printed version and a highlighter pen then 🙂

 

I've had times I've needed to look at photo timestamps and glimpses of stages to fill in details on clashfinder, that year I've got so many gaps 🙄

[Superscally]

9 minutes ago, Neville Street said:

Yes, friends that were at Beyoncé were smug, but we had fun. I think we went to The Low Anthem in Avalon, a bit of Comedy then most of Kool and the Gang. TBH it was 12.5 years ago, I had to look at the Clashfinder online to piece that together, for some reason it hasn’t got my actual in it for that year. I might have been using a printed version and a highlighter pen then 🙂

 

Low Anthem were GREAT

[CaledonianGonzo]

28 minutes ago, SalviaPlath said:

Would rather they took a punt on a newer or leftfield act than Coldplay and risked a less than full field but the festival is increasingly risk averse and TV camera minded,

Doubt it's anything to do with 'TV cameras'. 

Coldplay are one of the biggest bands on the planet and don't do other festivals. They play for free and seem to bend over backwards to help the festival and to make their sets on the farm special. For want of a better term, they get it.

And there isn't a promoter on the planet that would cut their nose off to spite their face by knocking them back.

[Wooderson]

3 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Doubt it's anything to do with 'TV cameras'. 

Coldplay are one of the biggest bands on the planet and don't do other festivals. They play for free and seem to bend over backwards to help the festival and to make their sets on the farm special. For want of a better term, they get it.

And there isn't a promoter on the planet that would cut their nose off to spite their face by knocking them back.

/thread

 

[SalviaPlath]

6 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Doubt it's anything to do with 'TV cameras'. 

Coldplay are one of the biggest bands on the planet and don't do other festivals. They play for free and seem to bend over backwards to help the festival and to make their sets on the farm special. For want of a better term, they get it.

And there isn't a promoter on the planet that would cut their nose off to spite their face by knocking them back.

TV footage definitely plays a part. It is in the interests of the festival to have footage of a full as possible field of people.   

Agreed they have a good relationship with the festival, which proves my point, they're a safe booking. That need not be read necessarily as a pejorative and for many punters won't be. 

[Neville Street]

27 minutes ago, Superscally said:

Low Anthem were GREAT

I am actually going to have to check with Mrs NS now. I absolutely know I saw TLA that morning on Pyramid as it was hot and we were right at the front and it stank of piss because it had been wet a lot that weekend. it was all spongy and stank and although it was kind of baked almost dry there was no way I was sitting down!!

I also know I saw Paul Simon because he was rubbish. I know he was ill, etc., but such a disappointment.

I think it would have been John Grant in The Park, I think tiny crowd from very vague possibly not real memory, then TLA, then comedy then K&TG (sounds plausible and like it would have been a fun day (even with the Paul Simon stink patch in it)

[CaledonianGonzo]

3 minutes ago, SalviaPlath said:

TV footage definitely plays a part. It is in the interests of the festival to have footage of a full as possible field of people.   

Agreed they have a good relationship with the festival, which proves my point, they're a safe booking. That need not be read necessarily as a pejorative and for many punters won't be. 

Yeah.  No doubt it's safe - but if they have failed with Madonna and are bringing in O-Rod as a ringer then Coldplay are a fairly effective counter-balance to two fairly untested debutantes.

On the TV cameras, come headline time the field always looks full regardless. Noone is playing ro tumbleweeds come headline time anyway, but even quieter recent headliners (Kendrick, GnR, Arcade Fire, etc) it's not noticeable in the footage. They'll just keep the drones on the ground.

[Hugh Jass II]

The festival are going to book the biggest acts they possibly can. Coldplay are one of the biggest acts around and an easy get.

The festival are realistically never not going to have at least one headliner comprising of blokes with guitars, again Coldplay tick that box.

On a personal note it's the most dull, uninspiring booking imaginable, but that doesn't mean I don't get why they do it.

[westholtschic]

1 hour ago, Neville Street said:

It’s always interesting to see how the same thing is experienced differently by us all. I know that’s obvious from the discussions in here.

My memory of 2011 was that Coldplay were poor, they were preceded by the most amazing collective experience of Elbow in the fading sunshine (I think!), Guy downing pints, reverse Mexican waves, singalongs, etc., and then Coldplay blanded the evening to a disappointing conclusion. I’d walked away from U2 the night before due to the barracking from Bono (Brit Floyd were immense in Acoustic) and didn’t go to Beyoncé (Kool & The Gang on WH were great, but perhaps Beyoncé would have been a good one to have seen). Left that year thinking that the Pyramid headliners had been underwhelming.

After that, I almost had to be dragged to Coldplay in 2016 which was the polar opposite of 2011. Absolutely incredible moving engaging 2 hour party. We were a long way back, but the atmosphere was stunning.

Enjoyed 2016 so much I went to the current tour in Glasgow (feels like a decade ago, but was actually August 2022). Will be there again at WF if they are there this year.

Elbows set in 2011 literally changed my life for the better as it made me realise that there was more to life than I had then. Can’t wait to see them again live in May.

[CaledonianGonzo]

1 minute ago, Hugh Jass II said:

The festival are realistically never not going to have at least one headliner comprising of blokes with guitars, again Coldplay tick that box.

I reckon we could easily see that within the next 5 years or so. It's inevitable.

[Hugh Jass II]

1 minute ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I reckon we could easily see that within the next 5 years or so. It's inevitable.

The pool is certainly getting more and more shallow without doubt, but I reckon they'll be able to eek out one guitar-y headliner a year for the foreseeable.

[CaledonianGonzo]

2 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:

The pool is certainly getting more and more shallow without doubt, but I reckon they'll be able to eek out one guitar-y headliner a year for the foreseeable.

Maybe they will, but there'll come a point when they feel they don't have to. If they've got e.g. a The Weeknd, a Hazza Styles and a Taylor or a reformed Daft Punk on their books for 2027 they're not going to lose sleep over wishing they could find a spot for The 1975.