Headliner predictions 2017

[DeanoL]

10 hours ago, mjsell said:

Sorry for being slow with this, had let this thread get away from me over the weekend. And you are right, saw him last week and there is more of a flow and story that links the first half to the second half of his show for this tour, which ultimately builds to quite a sentimental ending for his standards. There is no chance he would perform at G - well at least not with that show.

His show is fantastic btw, in case that didnt come across in the above. Never seen anyone with such mastery of comedy as him.

Just listening to an interview with him and he briefly mentioned how much he liked the Glastonbury comedy tent in the 90s, in a "don't care for it much now" sort of way.

[BlackZeppelin]

10 hours ago, DGrant261 said:

Foals performed a collection of their biggest songs to their typical live intensity, though yes it was far from the best show on their tour I wouldn't be so quick to describe it s 'sub par'. It may have failed to fully on the grand scale of the slot they were playing but when compared to Muse, they stood out as being the band that performed by far the most below par of the two. Poor setlist choices didnt help Muse's cause one bit, but I think it was their performance that let it down. With Foals, it was more factors beyond their control imo. 

Muse being more used to big slots like that I guess you expect better as well. Also if Foals 'failed to translate to wide spaces' whats the logic behind it being better as a headline set and not a sub headliner set? 

Wow, we thought Foals were fantastic in 2016. In fact, none of our crew had heard them, and have been switched onto their albums since seeing them live. Muse on the other hand, while obviously technically brilliant, seemed to have no real balls to their music, and not listened to them since.

 

[CaledonianGonzo]

4 hours ago, Zac Quinn said:

Of course that is a good thing in theory, apart from the caveats about previous headliners being rebooked in years when potential 'bump ups' could have headlined instead, but what if you can't?  

Let's take the examples of Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar. If - as seems to be the case - those two are telling festivals 'main stage headline slot or nothing', Glastonbury's apparent hesitation to book 'new headliners' (unless they're among the top ten most famous musicians in the world) means the festival is robbing itself of two of the most important artists of this generation and therefore shooting itself in the foot for no good reason whatsoever. That's just silly.

I think this relies on assumptions about the availability of the acts and the motivations of both parties that we just can't substantiate at the minute. Maybe it's a timing thing, maybe it's a money thing. As US acts both of them are maybe less likely to take the pay cut.

You'd also have to be on the festival's side if it's due to the fact that the headliners they've actually got in the last couple of years are proven safe hands at the widescreen, big gesture entertainment that pleases the Pyramid crowd, particularly post Ye.

If Frank Ocean is demanding a lot of money and is insisting that he is a headliner or nothing - then it's a hell of a risk given the various factors that work against a subtle, fairly slow paced performance by an act with no real big UK hit singles and little recognition at the household name level of Ed Sheeran or Foo Fighters.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I think this relies on assumptions about the availability of the acts and the motivations of both parties that we just can't substantiate at the minute. Maybe it's a timing thing, maybe it's a money thing. As US acts both of them are maybe less likely to take the pay cut.

You'd also have to be on the festival's side if it's due to the fact that the headliners they've actually got in the last couple of years are proven safe hands at the widescreen, big gesture entertainment that pleases the Pyramid crowd, particularly post Ye.

If Frank Ocean is demanding a lot of money and is insisting that he is a headliner or nothing - then it's a hell of a risk given the various factors that work against a subtle, fairly slow paced performance by an act with no real big UK hit singles and little recognition at the household name level of Ed Sheeran or Foo Fighters.

Very valid points 

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

I think what people need to accept (wether they agree with it or not, and wether its right or wrong is another matter entirely) is that a big part of how the festival retains its popularity and sells out each year, is putting on a good show for the people sitting in their armchairs at home in front of the BBC. The way the festival remains popular is by scooping up a large amount of people who see it on TV and think 'I really must go next year'. So the headline acts are always going to be stellar, household names and it's very unlikely they'll take a punt on an up and comer, although of course there is room for these acts just slightly lower down the bill.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Deaf Nobby Burton

[CaledonianGonzo]

I'd say their first responsibility is still to entertain the 100 thousand people actually gathered there, whilst trying to mix it up at least a little - to whatever extent is reasonable.

This year their hands might have been tied to an extent regarding giving Foo another crack at it, and Radiohead and Ed might have been spit and a handshake agreements dating back a couple of years.

[FuzzyDunlop]

Regardless of how bland last years headliners were to me (though Adele looked good on Iplayer) - you didn't hear that many disgruntled voices at large.

The same this year will be the case.... though Im very happy with Radiohead. Radiohead will be the headliner the general public are least happy with.

Edited March 14, 2017 by FuzzyDunlop

[kalifire]

Last year's headliners were only bland on here.

To the vast majority, Adele absolutely killed it and Coldplay delivered one of the all time headline sets.

[FuzzyDunlop]

I suspect joe and joanne Bloggs will think Red Ed smashes it too 

[FloorFiller]

I think they've done a good job this year of having a pretty varied set of headliners, and in young Edward they've got both a brand new headliner and the biggest current act in the world, whereas the long established Radiohead are the ones who will undoubtedly pull the smallest crowd.

And aye, on here you couldn't go a couple of posts without somebody voicing how shite the headliner trio was but that definitely wasn't the overall opinion elsewhere.

Glastonbury probably could do a bit more to push newer acts up to headline status, but they also seem to mostly do a good job of getting both a possible push-up act AND an established headliner one after the other. Maybe it's not the same thing and is a poor booking strategy to only let an act headline when they're a fully established nothing-to-lose act, but as an attendee of the festival I know which one I'd rather have.

[CaledonianGonzo]

In terms of expectation and as a bellwether for 2017 as a whole, Ed is the gig of the year.

[FuzzyDunlop]

Has Edward ever headlined a festival before?

For Glastonbury in successive years to pop the headline cherry so to speak of Adele & Ed Sheeran is very impressive. No matter what I think of their music.

[FloorFiller]

Just now, FuzzyDunlop said:

Has Edward ever headlined a festival before?

For Glastonbury in successive years to pop the headline cherry so to speak of Adele & Ed Sheeran is very impressive. No matter what I think of their music.

Nope I don't think he has - last time he was touring I think the highest position he got was subbing the likes of V Festival, so yeah, Glastonbury getting him not only as a headliner debut but for his only festival headline show at all this year is ace (although unlike Adele I'm sure there's far more chance of him doing a bunch more as the years go by, not that that takes anything away from him doing Glastonbury first). As much as many on here aren't happy with his booking, Glastonbury's place in the festival world really comes to light when British acts become as big as he is and choose Glastonbury's measly pay over anywhere else (who no doubt offered him a lot).

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

6 minutes ago, kalifire said:

To the vast majority, Adele absolutely killed it and Coldplay delivered one of the all time headline sets.

I wouldn't ever In a million years go to a Coldplay or Adele gig, not my cup of tea at all. I was even relctuant to see them at Glastonbury but the rest of the group wanted to so I went along. Both were amazing, I'm glad to say I was at Adele for something that may never happen again in her career, and Coldplay was something special (and I generally dislike Coldplay)

So even though they are both well established acts, they changed my opinion of both of them, they basically had the same effect as a new up and coming band might have had on me that I'd never really heard of, so is that really so bad? I think not.

The thing is the headliners are what we all speculate on the most, and spend page upon page debating on here for the best part of a year, yet a lot of people on here will tell you that they stay away from the pyramid as much as possible and haven't seen a headliner for X amount of year etc etc. The pyramid headliners are box office for the BBC. if there is a good band on that you like then fantastic, I was entertained by Coldplay and so was everybody else at home, so it was a win win, but if they continue to stick with the big acts to headline and that's not your cup of tea, then we all know the best stuff is elsewhere anyway.

[SwedgeAntilles]

I'm not a fan of Ed and I'm fairly ambivalent towards the Foos but looking at it objectively I think they're an amazing trio for the festival, certainly an improvement on last year. If you look to compare each act:

Radiohead > Coldplay - personal preference clouds judgement here but even leaving that aside the length of time passed since Radiohead headlined combined with the success of their live shows last year makes it a great booking

Ed = Adele - score draw on this one. Both as popular as the other. Really just substituting like for like with both being massive bookings for the fest

Foos > Muse - A bigger band, a bigger deal, a bigger booking. Foos win this hands down. 

Despite only like one of the three acts this year I find it very difficult to criticise the booking. If you were to through Gaga into the mix too it really would be one of the biggest ever this time.

[russycarps]

20 minutes ago, FuzzyDunlop said:

I suspect joe and joanne Bloggs will think Red Ed smashes it too 

You mean Rupert and Cressida Mandeville-Smythe.

This is glastonbury after all.

 

[thewayiam]

30 minutes ago, kalifire said:

Last year's headliners were only bland on here.

To the vast majority, Adele absolutely killed it and Coldplay delivered one of the all time headline sets.

She did, based on Coldplay, setlist wise for me 2011 was better for me. Think there is only one song I'd have chosen to hear last time but not over others necessarily and them not doing the Heroes cover made the decision for me correct.

Coldplay are always going to out on a defining set though as they love it and it's their favorite so the passion will be there.

[CaledonianGonzo]

As with Adele, his is the kind of success that transcends any notional class boundaries.  Last year, maybe Stormzy asise, hers was the most raucous and diverse crowd I found myself in.

[FloorFiller]

Just now, CaledonianGonzo said:

As with Adele, his is the kind of success that transcends any notional class boundaries.  Last year, maybe Stormzy asise, hers was the most raucous and diverse crowd I found myself in.

All of those people predicting that it'd be a bunch of middle aged women standing still for an hour and a half forgot about the deadly combo of a days worth of alcohol + ridiculous overblown ballads/choruses. I doubt she'll ever play to a crowd that mental again.

[elias]

9 minutes ago, russycarps said:

You mean Rupert and Cressida Mandeville-Smythe.

This is glastonbury after all.

 

Rupert and Cressida got married? I didn't know that.
Still, they'll be able to watch Ed Sheeran together this year.

[CaledonianGonzo]

16 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

All of those people predicting that it'd be a bunch of middle aged women standing still for an hour and a half forgot about the deadly combo of a days worth of alcohol + ridiculous overblown ballads/choruses. I doubt she'll ever play to a crowd that mental again.

It was a hoot.

True (though very w*nky) story.  Last September we were hanging out with some Uzbekistani models at a yurt in the Kyzylkum Desert and, later on sat round the campfire passing round the vodka, the only music that really got all the Uzbeks going was Adele.  They were going bananas for Someone Like You.  Wouldn't shut up with it.

[kalifire]

1 hour ago, russycarps said:

You mean Rupert and Cressida Mandeville-Smythe.

This is glastonbury after all.

 

Is there any particular reason why you persist in going? Genuine question. The amount of negativity you vomit onto these forums means there's surely somewhere more suitable for you to visit. 

[FloorFiller]

8 minutes ago, kalifire said:

Is there any particular reason why you persist in going? Genuine question. The amount of negativity you vomit onto these forums means there's surely somewhere more suitable for you to visit. 

Much like a lot of people I'm sure the moment he's actually there any negative feelings towards the festival are dispelled immediately upon remembering how fucking great it really is. We all like to have a little moan sometimes - it's just russy's autopilot  

[russycarps]

23 minutes ago, kalifire said:

Is there any particular reason why you persist in going? Genuine question. The amount of negativity you vomit onto these forums means there's surely somewhere more suitable for you to visit. 

What a peculiar thing to type.

 

[Franky]

58 minutes ago, kalifire said:

Is there any particular reason why you persist in going? Genuine question. The amount of negativity you vomit onto these forums means there's surely somewhere more suitable for you to visit. 

lol finally