Headliners 2023

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

Are the 1975 really big enough to be a headliners?

Music's all personal taste obviously but they're so shit, maybe I'm listening to the wrong band but they sound like a 90s boyband to me

[Beaver89]

3 minutes ago, CJB said:

I can’t speak for them personally and obviously don’t know their thought process on it… but I don’t really understand the logic of being a band of that status and refusing to play Glastonbury just because you’re not headlining the Pyramid. They’re a big band yes, but they’re not absolutely huge. Don’t see why they wouldn’t take Other headliner if they were offered it - it’s still a big slot - just my 2 cents!

But maybe I’m just being overly positive about it because I’d absolutely love for them to be there 

It's a fair view. From a business perspective though bands get to a point where it would only make sense to headline not only for the money (they could earn more elsewhere) but mainly the prestige. Landing that top spot at Glastonbury not only equates to enormous uplifts in record sales but also publicity and credibility.

There is also something to be said for the approach. Fo example I somewhat think Foals may have screwed themselves over from dreams of the top spot by accepting Other headline / Pyramid sub positions recently (I see them as positions of equal standing) and so may have barred themselves from making that last jump to the top spot. Of course this is just an idea, could be wrong.

[scaryclaireyfairy]

Kasabian made that jump so it can be done.  Can’t remember if they were always in the running or a swap-in tho. 

[Beaver89]

1 minute ago, BBC7BBCHEAVEN said:

Are the 1975 really big enough to be a headliners?

Music's all personal taste obviously but they're so shit, maybe I'm listening to the wrong band but they sound like a 90s boyband to me

They've headlined Reading twice. Reading isn't exactly known for getting smaller / lesser headliners. They absolutely can headline. Whether our boots are in that field or another one is another matter entirely! 

I do agree with the idea that booking both AM and 1975 is unlikely though.

(I'm actually OK with them, if there was nothing else I fancied it would be a fun evening)

[Avalon_Fields]

2 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Ahhh, come on, there's only so many times you can hear that keyboard joke. Or the Coldplay "Yellow" one...

I have a low bar of being entertained.

Surely the classic of the urinals being so posh in their dressing room they even have hot and cold taps is worth repeating, ad nauseum.

[Beaver89]

1 minute ago, scaryclaireyfairy said:

Kasabian made that jump so it can be done.  Can’t remember if they were always in the running or a swap-in tho. 

They were always in the running the year they did it. Did they ever headline Other? My understanding was they held out for the top spot after a couple of Saturday sub slots. (again could be typing out my arse)

[CJB]

1 minute ago, Beaver89 said:

It's a fair view. From a business perspective though bands get to a point where it would only make sense to headline not only for the money (they could earn more elsewhere) but mainly the prestige. Landing that top spot at Glastonbury not only equates to enormous uplifts in record sales but also publicity and credibility.

There is also something to be said for the approach. Fo example I somewhat think Foals may have screwed themselves over from dreams of the top spot by accepting Other headline / Pyramid sub positions recently (I see them as positions of equal standing) and so may have barred themselves from making that last jump to the top spot. Of course this is just an idea, could be wrong.

Yeah, I get this. However if they haven’t been offered to headline the Pyramid, then from the organisers point of view there’s a reason for that - and that’s just how it is. I’d personally take Other headline over nothing if it were me! 
 

Re Foals - has there never been Other headliners who eventually went on to headline the fest? I don’t really keep on top of info like that - however coming from someone who has adored Foals for about 10 years - i do agree their chance has probably passed for various reasons. 

[gfa]

10 minutes ago, CJB said:

Yeah, I get this. However if they haven’t been offered to headline the Pyramid, then from the organisers point of view there’s a reason for that - and that’s just how it is. I’d personally take Other headline over nothing if it were me! 
 

Re Foals - has there never been Other headliners who eventually went on to headline the fest? I don’t really keep on top of info like that - however coming from someone who has adored Foals for about 10 years - i do agree their chance has probably passed for various reasons. 

Basement Jaxx is the only one i can see from a check back to around 1990 😂

[Beaver89]

2 minutes ago, CJB said:

Yeah, I get this. However if they haven’t been offered to headline the Pyramid, then from the organisers point of view there’s a reason for that - and that’s just how it is. I’d personally take Other headline over nothing if it were me! 
 

Re Foals - has there never been Other headliners who eventually went on to headline the fest? I don’t really keep on top of info like that - however coming from someone who has adored Foals for about 10 years - i do agree their chance has probably passed for various reasons. 

That is an excellent question... I can't think of any off the top of my head. Going to get the book out and have a look.

[Beaver89]

1 minute ago, gfa said:

Basement Jaxx is the only one i can see from a check back to around 1990 😂

Doing the lords / geeks work (saved me a job - thanks!). And let's not forget they were a last minute bump up for Kylie having to pull out.

I'll put here what I removed from my last post. They do tend to be a slightly different vibe overall - edgier, newer, indie, electronic. Where Pyramid tend to be properly mass market / broader appeal. Obviously this is a gross blanket statement and not universal but it would take a remarkable act to make that move across and up - especially if you consider the status they need to be to headline Other in the first place.

Let's be honest, most festivals would give a limb to have Glasto Other headliners at the top of their main stage. We are very lucky and splitting hairs when it comes to it.

[wro_lap]

18 minutes ago, CJB said:

Re Foals - has there never been Other headliners who eventually went on to headline the fest? I don’t really keep on top of info like that - however coming from someone who has adored Foals for about 10 years - i do agree their chance has probably passed for various reasons. 

You can almost guarantee they were teeing up Dua Lipa to be the first to do that in 2020. Shame that set never happened

edit: first to do it in recent years even

Edited November 7, 2022 by wro_lap

[CJB]

5 minutes ago, gfa said:

Basement Jaxx is the only one i can see from a check back to around 1990 😂

This is really surprising! I would have assumed there’d be a fair few 

[gfa]

1 minute ago, CJB said:

This is really surprising! I would have assumed there’d be a fair few 

Most years one of the other headliners is a 90s dance act doing it for the 5th time e.g. chems, prodigy, orbital - so that takes up some potential candidates!

[4AssedMonkey]

31 minutes ago, BBC7BBCHEAVEN said:

Are the 1975 really big enough to be a headliners?

Music's all personal taste obviously but they're so shit, maybe I'm listening to the wrong band but they sound like a 90s boyband to me

And not even one of the good ones.

Fair point on the Other/Pyramid lack of cross over.  Never really given it much thought, but they don't seem ascend or cross over much do they?  Fair point about these acts having a different "vibe", think that's a good way of putting it.  Thinking of the headliners I've seen on the Other (Prodigy, Chems x 2, Skrillex, Pet Shop Boys) there's definitely a theme!

[gfa]

Dua Lipa had 2020 of happened and these other headline slot rumblings been true would likely have been the first headliner to do other then the pyramid since basement jaxx

[Crazyfool01]

1 hour ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Ahhh, come on, there's only so many times you can hear that keyboard joke. Or the Coldplay "Yellow" one...

You just need to be inebriated or old enough to forget it … so it’s original each time 

[SpencerF]

Christ, please not The 1975 - I don't think they're even big enough to headline? Maybe it's just music preference and me not really being into them outside of a few songs, but I cannot imagine them pulling in a huge crowd. Megan Thee Stallion has almost double the amount of monthly listeners on Spotify and headlined the Other last year, for comparison. SZA has over double the amount at almost 33m monthly listeners and a new project coming out, would much prefer to see her headline after doing Wireless this year but I doubt that'll happen either - it doesn't matter if they've headlined other festivals before, I think the general view is that certain artists are just not really 'headliners'? 

 

Could be wrong. Probably am. Am most of the time. 

Edited November 7, 2022 by SpencerF

[ClementsMike]

Other to Pyramid Headliners also include Mumford and the lads?

[gfa]

21 minutes ago, SpencerF said:

Christ, please not The 1975 - I don't think they're even big enough to headline? Maybe it's just music preference and me not really being into them outside of a few songs, but I cannot imagine them pulling in a huge crowd. Megan Thee Stallion has almost double the amount of monthly listeners on Spotify and headlined the Other last year, for comparison. SZA has over double the amount at almost 33m monthly listeners and a new project coming out, would much prefer to see her headline after doing Wireless this year but I doubt that'll happen either - it doesn't matter if they've headlined other festivals before, I think the general view is that certain artists are just not really 'headliners'? 

 

Could be wrong. Probably am. Am most of the time. 

Streaming arguments never add up

Megan has the same amount of streams as the beatles.

1975 have headlined Reading twice?

She did it once in the second headliner position and was considered pretty weak for it too.

[Xeph1995]

Music is subjective I know but most bands I don't like I can see why maybe someone else would like them ect, The 1975 just have me scratching my head. 

That being said they are big enough, much to my dismay. 

Edited November 7, 2022 by Xeph1995

[SpencerF]

3 minutes ago, gfa said:

Streaming arguments never add up

Megan has the same amount of streams as the beatles.

1975 have headlined Reading twice?

She did it once in the second headliner position and was considered pretty weak for it too.

Was just using streaming numbers as an example, I'd say The Beatles having as many streams as one of the biggest female artists about right now, despite them not having released an album in 52 years and only semi-recently coming to streaming only shows how massive they were/continue to be, despite everything.

 

Catfish and the Bottlemen also headlined Reading only last year and they're nowhere near Glastonbury headliners, I don't get the whole 'They've headlined Reading!' argument personally - I get they get big acts every year, but the two festivals aren't really comparable in terms of appeal and draw for artists imho.

[thrillhouse188]

Re: The 1975, looks like their tour has two dates at the O2, that seems pyramid headliner-y to me? Although Kendrick is doing three and people seemed to think he wasn’t big enough…

[Xeph1995]

Some bands headline Glastonbury before they do Reading and Leeds, it's not really a good measuring post tbh. 

Edited November 7, 2022 by Xeph1995

[CaledonianGonzo]

8 minutes ago, SpencerF said:

 Catfish and the Bottlemen also headlined Reading only last year

Wait - did this actually happen?

[SpencerF]

6 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Wait - did this actually happen?

Yup - ever since Reading and Leeds decided to move from the 3 headliner setup the the '3 co-headliner' set up, the quality of headliners has declined (imo anyway). Obviously it makes sense, you have a budget that can only go so far and you're trying to book six 'headline' acts. 

 

Here's the NME review - https://www.nme.com/reviews/live/catfish-the-bottlemen-reading-festival-2021-3031483 

 

'Not for the first time in their career, Catfish and the Bottlemen are closely followed by rumours of their demise' is just a funny opening sentence and I can't even explain why.