2025 R&L Festival

[Benj]

6 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Stop with this ‘in a field in the middle of nowhere thing’ too. That’s what a festival is. That’s what a festival always has been. 

 

Yes exactly, which fans of pop music have not traditionally attended.…

 

It’s what ultimately killed v festival…if now nearly 10 years ago

 

It may well be a different world now, if it is though, it’s most certainly not what it’s always been.

 

Like with Del Rey, if the demand is there the day will sell like hot cakes, she’s not going to single handedly sell out the weekend like Arctic Monkeys did though

 

 

Edited July 30 by Benj

[BenG92]

6 hours ago, Benj said:

So the actual booked bands aren’t responsible for selling tickets to the festival 🤔?!

 

She is, but not alone - the festival has between 3 and 6 headliners depending on how you personally wanna look at it and it's down to all of them (and the rest). 

 

As you say, Chems would work well if they're keeping Chevron. If they can get Foo Fighters it's a no-brainer but I reckon those days might be behind them now that they can seemingly sell even more stadiums than before

[Andre91]

Foos have done stadiums this summer; you know they will want their first official festival show back over here to be at R&L. I think they’ll always make time for the festival for as long as they’re still active. 
 

I think we’re going to get Foo Fighters and Doja Cat as two of the headliners. Not sure who the other could be. Someone more indie, I would assume. 

[Benj]

2 hours ago, BenG92 said:

 

She is, but not alone - the festival has between 3 and 6 headliners depending on how you personally wanna look at it and it's down to all of them (and the rest). 

A fair point, I think this is THE though problem with the much cut back lineup offering though and why they aren’t selling out the weekend anymore, who are the kids seeing while the boomer headliners are on?

 

The Sunday night (Reading), is potentially a horror show for the leavers element.

 

Two of my nieces went to Reading as leavers, neither particularly enjoyed the experience, neither have any intention of ever going back.
 

As expected they were rarely in the arena, as there was little they wanted to see. Would this have been different pre 2020? Who knows? You’d assume with 50% more acts they’d have been a good chance they’d have been in 50% more of the time…

 

I think this is reflected in the Lana/ Fred day selling so well but it not translating to weekend tickets.

 

Two scarce, high demand artists are enough to drag people out to a field in the middle of nowhere. The same people desperate to see them aren’t much thrilled by seeing 50 year old plus men playing guitars.
 

Who are the alternatives while those men are playing? On the Sunday Skrillex and Japanese house? My nieces are long home

Blink or the Prodigy? Both at their peak before these kids were born…  There is no one else schedule to play.  Perhaps it’s not a leavers fest after all…

 

Edit - And this is before you obv take into account the anti-social camping experience, which is clearly another huge aspect that is being fed down from leaver to leaver.  My nephew (sibling of my nieces has no plans to go to Reading next year when he finishes his GCSEs)

 

 

 

Edited July 30 by Benj

[tomarchbold]

9 hours ago, Andre91 said:

I think we’re going to get Foo Fighters and Doja Cat as two of the headliners. Not sure who the other could be. Someone more indie, I would assume. 

i agree with this for sure

 

i see posty being back with a more country set (assuming he adds a europe section of his tour) 

 

 

[Andre91]

22 minutes ago, tomarchbold said:

i agree with this for sure

 

i see posty being back with a more country set (assuming he adds a europe section of his tour) 

 

 

God, I really hope not. This whole country tinge that’s worked its way into pop music this year is DIRE. I absolutely hate it. 

[Benj]

34 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

God, I really hope not. This whole country tinge that’s worked its way into pop music this year is DIRE. I absolutely hate it. 

Hopefully his new LP will flop in the UK

 

I am very fearful of this trend though

[Andre91]

1 hour ago, Benj said:

Hopefully his new LP will flop in the UK

 

I am very fearful of this trend though

I can’t think of another song in recent years I’ve found as abrasive as I Had Some Help. It’s like nails down a chalkboard for me. 

[foolee]

13 hours ago, Andre91 said:

Foos have done stadiums this summer; you know they will want their first official festival show back over here to be at R&L. I think they’ll always make time for the festival for as long as they’re still active. 
 

I think we’re going to get Foo Fighters and Doja Cat as two of the headliners. Not sure who the other could be. Someone more indie, I would assume. 

Apparently Pinkpop organiser has hinted he’s booked Foos so can see them doing Downlod, IOW or Glasto if they’re coming back in June for festivals. Think Green Day, BMTH or KOL as one of the more rockier acts. 

[northernangel]

21 hours ago, BenG92 said:

 

She is, but not alone - the festival has between 3 and 6 headliners depending on how you personally wanna look at it and it's down to all of them (and the rest). 

 

As you say, Chems would work well if they're keeping Chevron. If they can get Foo Fighters it's a no-brainer but I reckon those days might be behind them now that they can seemingly sell even more stadiums than before

I think Foo Fighter's are very likely. I wouldn't say nailed on but I've put then there for ages and they are 100% doing it over any other festival for me unless BST chuck crazy amounts at them. IOW like Green Day isn't even likely as they've done that the same year as bigger shows. 

Download won't be happening and nor will Glastonbury. 

 

But i do think to get Foos it'll mean on one of the days not having essentially two co-headliners as Foos won't play the set lengths the headliners are this year. The actual closing main stage bands, a couple of them according to clashfinder are playing less than the band under and Chevron acts have longer time, Blink being the only exception. Most of the top acts are 1hr 15/20. So I think two days with be similar with Foos getting that whole double slot to make it around 2.5 hours.

 

 

[Lawsie]

Still think we might get Eminem next year. 

 

Unless he does his own arena tour, I really can't see him at Glastonbury or any other big UK festivals really - would love to see him back for the first time since 2017. 

[Chad888]

On 7/30/2024 at 11:17 AM, Benj said:

A fair point, I think this is THE though problem with the much cut back lineup offering though and why they aren’t selling out the weekend anymore, who are the kids seeing while the boomer headliners are on?

 

The Sunday night (Reading), is potentially a horror show for the leavers element.

 

Two of my nieces went to Reading as leavers, neither particularly enjoyed the experience, neither have any intention of ever going back.
 

As expected they were rarely in the arena, as there was little they wanted to see. Would this have been different pre 2020? Who knows? You’d assume with 50% more acts they’d have been a good chance they’d have been in 50% more of the time…

 

 

 

 

I think we're ignoring the wildly different experience growing up now is, compared to when all of us in this thread was going to the festival, hell even before Covid 5 festivals ago.

 

Music was enjoyed through cd's that we had to go out of our way to purchase in store, so when you got a band CD, that was going to be your most played for the next month. The festival could book based on sales figures, and know that they had 100,000 fans that were obsessed with that band and wanted to hear their favourite album live.

 

Now we have every song ever uploaded at the touch of a screen, we swipe past a song after 30 seconds because we are consumers now, we enjoy then dispose immediately. Every artist becomes a one hit wonder, look at Polo G and Glass Animals subbing just 2 years ago. One song and gone. How is that attitude to music and a roster full of one hit wonders really going to drive people in the gate?

 

And then there is the social media element, we are bombarded with sexy people all over the tv in Marbella, Ibiza etc, all the girls are plastic surgery models with fillers and botox, all the guys are gym and tan obsessed. Kids want to be influencers now, rather than artists. They're not growing up obsessed with music, they grow up obsessed with posing and getting likes and followers. You aren't getting that media interaction at a festival so why go, when the same price you can do a season in Ibiza with the beautiful people you aspire to be? Creamfields is still huge in that age group, entirely because they get to listen to the same music they did in Ibiza and enjoy the same pills. 

 

I hate to say, but the concept of Reading catering for our generation is going to kill it, because we are so vastly removed from the kids and the completely commercialised consume/dispose world theyre being brought up in with permanent entertainment a touch away, R&L must cater for one or the other, and if it is to survive it has to be us that it lets go.

[Andre91]

56 minutes ago, Chad888 said:

I think we're ignoring the wildly different experience growing up now is, compared to when all of us in this thread was going to the festival, hell even before Covid 5 festivals ago.

 

Music was enjoyed through cd's that we had to go out of our way to purchase in store, so when you got a band CD, that was going to be your most played for the next month. The festival could book based on sales figures, and know that they had 100,000 fans that were obsessed with that band and wanted to hear their favourite album live.

 

Now we have every song ever uploaded at the touch of a screen, we swipe past a song after 30 seconds because we are consumers now, we enjoy then dispose immediately. Every artist becomes a one hit wonder, look at Polo G and Glass Animals subbing just 2 years ago. One song and gone. How is that attitude to music and a roster full of one hit wonders really going to drive people in the gate?

 

And then there is the social media element, we are bombarded with sexy people all over the tv in Marbella, Ibiza etc, all the girls are plastic surgery models with fillers and botox, all the guys are gym and tan obsessed. Kids want to be influencers now, rather than artists. They're not growing up obsessed with music, they grow up obsessed with posing and getting likes and followers. You aren't getting that media interaction at a festival so why go, when the same price you can do a season in Ibiza with the beautiful people you aspire to be? Creamfields is still huge in that age group, entirely because they get to listen to the same music they did in Ibiza and enjoy the same pills. 

 

I hate to say, but the concept of Reading catering for our generation is going to kill it, because we are so vastly removed from the kids and the completely commercialised consume/dispose world theyre being brought up in with permanent entertainment a touch away, R&L must cater for one or the other, and if it is to survive it has to be us that it lets go.

I… I don’t disagree with you, Chad. 

[foolee]

4 hours ago, Chad888 said:

I think we're ignoring the wildly different experience growing up now is, compared to when all of us in this thread was going to the festival, hell even before Covid 5 festivals ago.

 

Music was enjoyed through cd's that we had to go out of our way to purchase in store, so when you got a band CD, that was going to be your most played for the next month. The festival could book based on sales figures, and know that they had 100,000 fans that were obsessed with that band and wanted to hear their favourite album live.

 

Now we have every song ever uploaded at the touch of a screen, we swipe past a song after 30 seconds because we are consumers now, we enjoy then dispose immediately. Every artist becomes a one hit wonder, look at Polo G and Glass Animals subbing just 2 years ago. One song and gone. How is that attitude to music and a roster full of one hit wonders really going to drive people in the gate?

 

And then there is the social media element, we are bombarded with sexy people all over the tv in Marbella, Ibiza etc, all the girls are plastic surgery models with fillers and botox, all the guys are gym and tan obsessed. Kids want to be influencers now, rather than artists. They're not growing up obsessed with music, they grow up obsessed with posing and getting likes and followers. You aren't getting that media interaction at a festival so why go, when the same price you can do a season in Ibiza with the beautiful people you aspire to be? Creamfields is still huge in that age group, entirely because they get to listen to the same music they did in Ibiza and enjoy the same pills. 

 

I hate to say, but the concept of Reading catering for our generation is going to kill it, because we are so vastly removed from the kids and the completely commercialised consume/dispose world theyre being brought up in with permanent entertainment a touch away, R&L must cater for one or the other, and if it is to survive it has to be us that it lets go.

Sad but true. 

[Andre91]

MAIN: Tyler, the Creator / Little Simz / The Streets 

 

CHEVRON: Chase & Status 

 

R1: The Vaccines 

 

FR: Creeper 

 

 

MAIN: Doja Cat / Burna Boy / Chappell Roan 

 

CHEVRON: Jamie xx 

 

R1: Enter Shikari 

 

FR: Soccer Mommy 

 

 

MAIN: Foo Fighters / YUNGBLUD / IDLES 

 

CHEVRON: Bicep Live 

 

R1: girl in red 

 

FR: Boston Manor 

 

 

I was pretty stuck for a Doja Cat sub tbh so I went with Burna Boy. Not sure if he really fits the festival but he pulled a big, passionate crowd at Glasto and has played a stadium show here now so I figured he would probably go down well. 
 

I did think as well that we might get an indie headliner but I can’t really think of any aside from Kasabian who I think will play a big slot at Glastonbury after their secret set this year. The Killers played too recently, Liam is headlining this year and I can’t see them booking KoL now.
 

I went with Tyler because I think if he comes back with new material next year, R&L will snap him up as he’s a massive name and he already played Parklife and Wireless last time out. 
 

I think Charli xcx will headline the Other Stage at Glastonbury so that’s why I’ve not included her. 

[Benj]

12 hours ago, Chad888 said:

I think we're ignoring the wildly different experience growing up now is, compared to when all of us in this thread was going to the festival, hell even before Covid 5 festivals ago.

 

Music was enjoyed through cd's that we had to go out of our way to purchase in store, so when you got a band CD, that was going to be your most played for the next month. The festival could book based on sales figures, and know that they had 100,000 fans that were obsessed with that band and wanted to hear their favourite album live.

 

Now we have every song ever uploaded at the touch of a screen, we swipe past a song after 30 seconds because we are consumers now, we enjoy then dispose immediately. Every artist becomes a one hit wonder, look at Polo G and Glass Animals subbing just 2 years ago. One song and gone. How is that attitude to music and a roster full of one hit wonders really going to drive people in the gate?

 

And then there is the social media element, we are bombarded with sexy people all over the tv in Marbella, Ibiza etc, all the girls are plastic surgery models with fillers and botox, all the guys are gym and tan obsessed. Kids want to be influencers now, rather than artists. They're not growing up obsessed with music, they grow up obsessed with posing and getting likes and followers. You aren't getting that media interaction at a festival so why go, when the same price you can do a season in Ibiza with the beautiful people you aspire to be? Creamfields is still huge in that age group, entirely because they get to listen to the same music they did in Ibiza and enjoy the same pills. 

 

I hate to say, but the concept of Reading catering for our generation is going to kill it, because we are so vastly removed from the kids and the completely commercialised consume/dispose world theyre being brought up in with permanent entertainment a touch away, R&L must cater for one or the other, and if it is to survive it has to be us that it lets go.

We’re not ignoring it, it’s pretty much exactly what’s being said.
 

You can’t have a night where the only end of night options are Liam Gallagher and Skrillex 

 

It doesn’t appeal to me, it certainly doesn’t appeal to the kids. 

 

Reading’s strength was always its diversity. It COULD appeal to all. Generations and genres

 

You cut 50% of the lineup that ability is lost

 

 

 

 
 

 

[Benj]

The question then is what can they do?

 

Cater just for the kids? As Chad covers, are there the acts there to fill the current, much smaller bill? All one hit wonders but are those hits known outside of their viral bubble

 

Potentially but will it be worth £350 (pre spends) to 16-20 year olds?

 

 

Can they make it more of a retro alternative fest?

 

No chance selling 90,000 tickets

 

 

If they’re only able to schedule ~80 acts in the modern age, they most certainly need to make a choice. 

Edited August 1 by Benj

[gfa]

On 7/30/2024 at 9:14 AM, BenG92 said:

 

She is, but not alone - the festival has between 3 and 6 headliners depending on how you personally wanna look at it and it's down to all of them (and the rest). 

 

As you say, Chems would work well if they're keeping Chevron. If they can get Foo Fighters it's a no-brainer but I reckon those days might be behind them now that they can seemingly sell even more stadiums than before

Chems show won't fit in Chevron pretty sure (hard to say till there's proper photos, but it really does need a full main stage i think)

[nathanh]

2 hours ago, gfa said:

Chems show won't fit in Chevron pretty sure (hard to say till there's proper photos, but it really does need a full main stage i think)

40,000 capacity open air, surely the Chevron is MSW rebranded

[cinnamoncola]

8 hours ago, Benj said:

We’re not ignoring it, it’s pretty much exactly what’s being said.
 

You can’t have a night where the only end of night options are Liam Gallagher and Skrillex 

 

It doesn’t appeal to me, it certainly doesn’t appeal to the kids. 

 

Reading’s strength was always its diversity. It COULD appeal to all. Generations and genres

 

You cut 50% of the lineup that ability is lost

 

 

 

 
 

 

Just because you don't like Liam you don't have to keep saying he doesn't appeal to the kids. Aren't you an older guy who lives in the US, so how do you know anyway? His shows are full of very young people and he has captured the new generation more than any of his contemporaries and most of the indie bands who debuted after him in the 2000s. His fanbase is full of Tumblr girls who worship his face on their blogs and socials and Lemon boys on TikTok who base themselves on his image.

 

On 7/31/2024 at 1:44 PM, Lawsie said:

Still think we might get Eminem next year. 

 

Unless he does his own arena tour, I really can't see him at Glastonbury or any other big UK festivals really - would love to see him back for the first time since 2017. 

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but Eminem plays a festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this December. That's surely A LOT of money he will get for that gig. Don't know if he only plays festivals for this amount of money these days, but at least R&L pay more than Glasto.

[Andre91]

The Chemical Brothers aren’t going to play R&L. They’re crusty and old and the only people on site that would have heard of them are some of the booking team and probably some older folk working in the food vendors. 

[Andre91]

Liam Gallagher is a god to your average R&L attendee. They’ve been brought up with their parents playing Oasis all the time. He’ll get one of the biggest crowds of the weekend and would no matter who he played against. 

[tomarchbold]

10 hours ago, Andre91 said:

I did think as well that we might get an indie headliner

i know this isnt exactly indie but i can see either noah kahan or hozier going and somewhat scratching that missing itch in your prediction whilst still keeping to the tiktok music the organisers have liked booking

[Benj]

I’m sure there’s plenty of kids at Liam Gallagher concerts, he’s by no means “a god” to your average R and L goer though 🤣

 

Well Reading anyway, can’t talk for Leeds
 

Massive in the dark fruits segment of teens, a novelty for most not into it.

 

He’ll bring in a load of middle aged types on day tickets like he did last time he played, it’s clear from the ticket sales, still at tier one in Reading that he hasn’t got the kids flooding in to see him

Edited August 1 by Benj

[Andre91]

36 minutes ago, Benj said:

I’m sure there’s plenty of kids at Liam Gallagher concerts, he’s by no means “a god” to your average R and L goer though 🤣

 

Well Reading anyway, can’t talk for Leeds
 

Massive in the dark fruits segment of teens, a novelty for most not into it.

 

He’ll bring in a load of middle aged types on day tickets like he did last time he played, it’s clear from the ticket sales, still at tier one in Reading that he hasn’t got the kids flooding in to see him

I work with teenagers every day. Oasis are absolutely one of the most popular bands imaginable with teenagers and he’s a household name to them, even after all these years. Trust me, it isn’t just kids who like indie music who like him; he’s universally loved by kids who like all kinds of music.