Boardmasters 2025

[FeverDream]

46 minutes ago, gfa said:

agreed - i did reading and nobody cared from my lot aged 17

 

it did piss it down tbf and we all left sunday night though

 

Boardmasters while it does have a lot of 16 year olds has a fair amount more older people than Reading does i think, they also book generally a bit older too. Lots of acts for more like 25-35 year olds than R&L

If I didn’t live in the complete opposite end of the country to Cornwall I’d definitely consider Boardmasters over R&L. Boardmasters always seems to have a stacked undercard for me compared to R&L, plus the headliners tend to be stuff R&L book anyway. But so long as I live in Newcastle I’m chained to Leeds Fest for now 😕

[FeverDream]

1 hour ago, BlackFoxx said:

A lot of discussion by the 2000 Trees booker, James, on his podcast (2 promoters, 1 pod) on just this with Biffy. They'd be a perfect fit at 2000 Trees but they're still too big their agents think it'll damage their chances of getting rebooked at one of the big fests (more likely Download than R&L maybe these days). Simon has played Trees before and said he'd love to do it but I imagine the finances and optics just don't quite work. Think it's probably similar with the Trucks and Y Not sized festivals too - albeit a slightly better chance maybe of getting it done through the booking power of Superstruct. 

I think Biffy as a band will want to put out another album and try for another decent sized arena run to see how well they do before they’d take slots at 2000Trees and Truck etc. So yeah, what their agents have supposedly said does make sense. Victorious, whilst a step down from Download and R&L in terms of status, is still a very respectable gig capacity wise.

[NorthernSoul52]

Biffy remain one of the great "could've, should've" acts for Glastonbury. If Metallica had not stepped in for Prince, they would have been prime contenders for 2014 - and if they'd not taken the year off touring themselves, they would have been prime contenders to replace Foo Fighters (and, again, by legend, Prince.)

[northernangel]

22 hours ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Biffy remain one of the great "could've, should've" acts for Glastonbury. If Metallica had not stepped in for Prince, they would have been prime contenders for 2014 - and if they'd not taken the year off touring themselves, they would have been prime contenders to replace Foo Fighters (and, again, by legend, Prince.)

There has been opportunities over the years that Glastonbury could have got Biffy if they wanted them. 2014 for example, year off or not I imagine Biffy jumping at it. It was very much a time though when Glastonbury got the band before others did and you could almost guarantee a Glastonbury headliner went on to do Reading until recently times. Prince was also the reason Beyonce headlined Glastonbury 2011 instead of subbing Coldplay. 

 

I don't think they were ever in the conversation for 2015 though and if they hadn't done it by then they weren't. They returned to sub in 2017 and chose to bump up Florence and get The Libs in on a quick in and out instead. A band who hadn't played for 4 years and then 6 years later still weren't given it and we know Simon Neil would bite the hand off for it.

[FeverDream]

7 minutes ago, northernangel said:

There has been opportunities over the years that Glastonbury could have got Biffy if they wanted them. 2014 for example, year off or not I imagine Biffy jumping at it. It was very much a time though when Glastonbury got the band before others did and you could almost guarantee a Glastonbury headliner went on to do Reading until recently times. Prince was also the reason Beyonce headlined Glastonbury 2011 instead of subbing Coldplay. 

 

I don't think they were ever in the conversation for 2015 though and if they hadn't done it by then they weren't. They returned to sub in 2017 and chose to bump up Florence and get The Libs in on a quick in and out instead. A band who hadn't played for 4 years and then 6 years later still weren't given it and we know Simon Neil would bite the hand off for it.

That seems to be it in a nutshell. I think Biffy’s problem is that they never quite reached global status. I don’t really know if that plays a part on whether or not you can headline Glastonbury, but all the acts I think that have headlined Glastonbury over the years headline wherever they play. Maybe if Glasto had taken a punt and had them at the top between 2014-2017 they may well have reached that global status.

[northernangel]

7 minutes ago, FeverDream said:

That seems to be it in a nutshell. I think Biffy’s problem is that they never quite reached global status. I don’t really know if that plays a part on whether or not you can headline Glastonbury, but all the acts I think that have headlined Glastonbury over the years headline wherever they play. Maybe if Glasto had taken a punt and had them at the top between 2014-2017 they may well have reached that global status.

I've always thought if it wasn't done by 2017 when they played and subbed that was it. They only played 3rd down in 2011 and they'd released their most commercially successful album by then. Going by the average most listened to songs, there is only one song after Elipsis in the top 17 tracks....it's telling. Bands will still sell tickets to their fans of course but a festival is a much wide group of music fans.

[NorthernSoul52]

Biffy's live draw was at its peak in 2013 and 2014 though, I'd argue, which is just as big a factor. I don't think global appeal factors into it either, given they gave Kasabian the gig that year too, a band whose only international success of note was a top-ten single in Italy. (Goodbye Kiss, weirdly enough.)

 

But yeah, they were never going to do it after Ellipsis. Think, had there been a moment where Radiohead, Foo Fighters or Ed Sheeran bailed in 2017, they would have been given the leg up - they were more obviously proven as headliner material than The xx and The National at that juncture. But the time was gone.

[nathanh]

Is Shawn Mendes in with a shout? Apparently hes at Sziget

[NorthernSoul52]

I'd assume not, but interesting to know he's on the festival circuit.

[Will b]

I had a dream it was pulp, Calvin Harris, and hozier, and then today it’s revealed that pulp are headlining tramlines. Coincidence 😂?

Edited yesterday at 12:39 PM by Will b

[nathanh]

1 hour ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

I'd assume not, but interesting to know he's on the festival circuit.

That new album he put out, whilst it hasnt done incredibly well, is incredible. 
 

I'm struggling to place him at a UK Festival but to me Boardies felt the most likely place for him. 

[NorthernSoul52]

Third down at R+L maybe? 

[nathanh]

29 minutes ago, NorthernSoul52 said:

Third down at R+L maybe? 

Hes headline or bust I think. He recently played to over 100,000 people at Rock In Rio and is headlining every festival he is announced for so far and supposedly headlining Sziget. He just doesnt feel R&L to me especially with his new album being less pop and more singer songwritery/folk/ country sounding.

 

He can sell a lot of tickets but I dont think we have a festival here that will book him.