Rose-Colored Boy

That damned trumpet riff is going to be stuck in my head all night now

Mr Mumford was spotted next to his wife at the Oscars last weekend so clearly isn’t giving up the high life just yet. Give it another decade and they’ll be playing mid-afternoon slots on the Other but it’s a bit soon yet. Apart from secret sets, no Pyramid headliner since the fence went up has come back in a non-headlining slot. Not even Basement Jaxx or Stereophonics, who’d make perfect sense as Woodsies headliners these days. Fair enough really.

Their last couple of albums have been baaaaad. Like, bad enough to even alienate people like me who previously kept defending them long after they stopped being ‘cool’. If they promised to play the hits I’d see them again but the current tour setlist has a bit too much new stuff on considering most of what they’ve released since 2015 has been crap. Sure they’ll get it right on the Pyramid though.

Reckon the fest are struggling with how to fit Mumfords on the lineup these days - clearly not headline size any more, but also peaked recently enough that asking them to play a lower slot might be a bit insulting. And from the band’s perspective, accepting it would mean accepting that their best days are behind them too, which is an awkward conversation to have. Same with how none of Florence/Kasabian/Aracde Fire have been back since they did it either.

That was my point earlier. Who did people want instead? Major artists plan their world tours years in advance. With the possible exception of The 1975, all of the options left on the table by the time Emily’s third or fourth choice had fallen through would likely have been either on the smaller side or a bland repeat booking - and it’s surely better that they went with the former rather than the latter. IMO they’ve done well to at least get a critically acclaimed artist from overseas, rather than idk bumping up Keane or something. In previous years we’ve criticised the fest for not giving the likes of Florence and Lizzo the headline spot, and going for a ‘safe but uninspiring’ option instead. This year they’ve done the opposite. Good for the fest to expand the headliner pool a bit if she smashes it, and if it doesn’t work out like that then no harm done and it was worth a try.

Fair enough

Noah Kahan is a biggie. Did think Luke Combs might have appeared too.

Doesn’t feel like Wet Leg’s next album is imminent so maybe they’re holding off to give them a big slot next year.

Another one which depends on clashes. If there’s an overlap with Shania it’ll be fine.

The placement of several acts in 2023 - and Keane this year - would suggest the rap on the knuckles they get from the authorities for 2022 had an effect, so not sure how the ‘Babes slipped through the net. Can only assume they’re going to clash with someone big on the P.

Kacey Musgraves Paolo Nutini (again) Everything Everytbing Vampire Weekend

Sugababes as well if it’s a situation like TLC in 2022 where the competition is Robert Plant and Supergrass.

Justice is the obvious one, given the competition.

In terms of likely crowd size, yes. She doesn’t have a single song your average person on the street would be able to name. But in terms of prestige, booking SZA blows Kasabian, Mumfords and The Who out of the water, so it could be worse.

Think you’re underestimating how much the Great British Public loves Dua Lipa and Coldplay. It won’t do Elton-level viewing figures for the BBC but it’ll be plenty healthy enough.

It does but when your first, second, third and maybe even fourth choices fall through you kind of have to take what you can get. It was probably either SZA or Liam Gallagher at that stage, and adding the latter to a bill already stacked with MOR acts would’ve been a step too far.

Indeed. Coldplay alone will see to that.

*Mogwai tbh

Getting them that low on the Pyramid is pretty mad. Hopefully they get a big crowd to convince Emily it’s worth taking the plunge on Blackpink/BTS.

The Saturday was arguably worse. God that year took the piss.

Agree with the logic but not sure who they’d have gone for if not applying that criteria who would have been so much better. They clearly spent too much time and effort on the Madge pipe dream without having a solid backup locked in.

Kind of thing that would have been on the Avalon and Acoustic - and held back until those individual stage posters dropped - until Crowd Gate in 2022 made them think twice about novelty act placements . Surprised Sophie Ellis Bextor hasn’t popped up too.

LCD, Kiwanuka, Janelle Monae, Avril, Jungle, Jessie Ware, Justice, Brittany Howard, James Blake, Confidence Man and London Grammar. Happily bop along to Keane, Olivia Dean, Two Door Cinema Club, Bonobo, Romy and Steel Pulse too. That’s plenty for a weekend without having even dived into the stuff I haven’t heard of.

True 😞

Those Roundhouse dates sold out in a heartbeat but yeah you can still get tickets for Wolverhampton which is pretty damning. The new album sounds like it’s correcting everything that fell a bit flat on star-crossed - would’ve made for a dream Park headliner. But alas.