“Returning to the fields…”

[Matt42]

Noticed that “returning to the desert” has become a new feature / forum meme in relation to Coachella. Looks like a ‘clever’ way to give a non-headlining act a headline style billing on the poster. Probably to soften artist/agent egos and broaden the definition of what is defined as a “headliner”.

I can’t help but think whether Glastonbury might follow suit with this? They’ve engaged in some poster trickery with Janet Jackson in 2019 before, then switched to an A-Z format, and for a while have billed the tea time legend as a 4th headliner. Back in the day, some older festival posters have had non-headlining acts billed as if they are headliners. So while it’s a concept that can easily be memed I don’t think Glastonbury is above this poster trickery and wizardry. They’ve already done similar things before.

Do you think we could see a “Returning to the fields” at the bottom of a poster one day? Or something similar.

I’d like to think if they managed to secure Pulp this year or the next time they book the Chemical Brothers we could see it.

I can also see the merit in decentralising what is meant by a “headliner”. Glastonbury and many other festivals have moved away from the 3 people at the top approach. So much so that a 3 day festival with only three names at the top strangely feels a bit “old hat”.

Tldr- While it is dumb, easy to meme, and very transparent why festivals do it - I can see Glasto dabbling in it if they want to promote female talent on the lineup amongst an all male headliner trio or mark a glastonbury legacy act as a key booking of the year.

Thoughts?

[Johnnyseven]

Wouldn't 'Returning to the Farm' be more apt?

[stuie]

I’m not sure that this is any different to the ‘I’m playing at…’ graphics we’ve had for year tbh. 

Unless I’m missing the point? 

Also, wasn’t the Janet poster trickery done by her own team? 

 

[Ayrshire Chris]

Back to the cow shed 

[marathonsteve]

Once More into the long drops My friends. Once More.

[moogster]

It looks like a "with xxx actor"  at the end of a movie or series title. Not a headliner but gets a special mention.

[Hugh Jass II]

Problem there is if you give one non-headlining act little extra attention then suddenly more will want it. Coachella pays enough to keep people happy, Glastonbury doesn’t.

Headliners then everyone else A-Z is the least contentious way of doing it.

[Matt42]

46 minutes ago, stuie said:

I’m not sure that this is any different to the ‘I’m playing at…’ graphics we’ve had for year tbh. 

Unless I’m missing the point? 

 

You are.

Look at Calvin’s billing on the Coachella poster. That’s what I mean.

[Matt42]

19 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:

Problem there is if you give one non-headlining act little extra attention then suddenly more will want it. Coachella pays enough to keep people happy, Glastonbury doesn’t.

Headliners then everyone else A-Z is the least contentious way of doing it.

Well they have started putting non headline acts in headline style positions - some may want it but not all have enough leverage to get it.

If it gets a just below headline sized act to agree to play, I can’t see the harm.

I’m always curious about what their plan was for the Aerosmith bookings. Surely it would have been labelled as something similar to this.

[Matt42]

56 minutes ago, Johnnyseven said:

Wouldn't 'Returning to the Farm' be more apt?

Probably yeah!

[stuie]

14 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

You are.

Look at Calvin’s billing on the Coachella poster. That’s what I mean.

Ah I see what you mean.  Maybe it helped secure him at a better rate? 

[Matt42]

2 minutes ago, stuie said:

Ah I see what you mean.  Maybe it helped secure him at a better rate? 

Yeah, my point is that more festivals are using poster trickery to get acts who consider themselves headliners to not headline.

Something akin to Returning to the Farm could work…

[kingbadger]

If you're playing Glastonbury for a pittance you're probably not fussed about poster positioning. Unless you're Janet Jackson.

[Matt42]

Just now, kingbadger said:

If you're playing Glastonbury for a pittance you're probably not fussed about poster positioning. Unless you're Janet Jackson.

Sorry but I think this just can’t be true. Artists arguing about their billings is a big thing and happens at every festival. Glastonbury isn’t immune from macro trends.

[kingbadger]

8 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

Sorry but I think this just can’t be true. Artists arguing about their billings is a big thing and happens at every festival. Glastonbury isn’t immune from macro trends.

Except for the objective fact that Glastonbury has moved away from that the last two announcements which have been in alphabetical order. 

[Hugh Jass II]

2 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

Well they have started putting non headline acts in headline style positions - some may want it but not all have enough leverage to get it.

If it gets a just below headline sized act to agree to play, I can’t see the harm.

I’m always curious about what their plan was for the Aerosmith bookings. Surely it would have been labelled as something similar to this.

They can get the likes of Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus to play third down with no additional fanfare. The only acts beyond the headliners that get any special treatment is the legend.

[Hugh Jass II]

Even before the alphabetical ordering the poster was done on a meritocracy, if you were playing a higher slot you got a slightly bigger font size.

That was a pretty much it.

 

[Hugh Jass II]

If anything the fact that Janet Jackson tried to pull such a stunt and was widely mocked for it probably stands as a warning to others.

[Crazyfool01]

how long until we get all the upcoming bands creating names beginning with A 🙂 

[jannybruck]

Their hand will inevitably be forced to do this sort of thing over the coming years as artists' fees/demands go up and Glastonbury continue to pay a pittance. Plenty of regional UK festivals are already doing "and special guests" sections on their poster to appease agents and acts.

It's a nice way for festivals to bill acts that maybe don't fit in on the traditional bill heirarchy as well.

[kingbadger]

1 hour ago, Hugh Jass II said:

Even before the alphabetical ordering the poster was done on a meritocracy, if you were playing a higher slot you got a slightly bigger font size.

That was a pretty much it.

 

I heard the Syrians were real divas and insisted on being in bigger font than Muse

[gigpusher]

Yep I am fairly sure the alphabetical thing is to reduce these demands. 

[Freddyflintstonree]

This is pretty much the way the legend slot works isn't it? Not necessarily returning, but a slot for a big name that isn't a headliner. 

[kalifire]

I expect Coachella does this because Calvin Harris’s people demanded something that set him apart from the undercard. Or maybe they did it in lieu of a higher payout? Either way it’ll all be part of the maddening negotiations between festival and artist management. I doubt it’s a direction Glastonbury will want to go down, purely because of the added complexity that brings and the opportunity for demands.  

[nikkic]

It’s ego stroking BS. Avoid.