49Lawson

Blimey, bad day at the office for any sort of interesting name. Not my first choice but would have taken him any day over Stromae or OATW.

Of course I don’t; it was more a comment on I can’t believe a band like Blur are playing a festival so small. The annoying thing is that based on all the backlash and the comments, if Blur are still on tour next year they’ll be booked up now for then; but it’ll be a bit too little too late

Don’t know if I fully buy that as I’m sure Blur already had dates announced when Ken popped up mentioning the possibility of Foos. Instead Blur end up playing a festival with 15k capacity, I’m sure the Barn holds 20k; they could have just put them in there! Feel a bit defeated this morning, very let down. We were all set to buy tickets next week as no other festival comes close to my tastes; but I can only afford one festival abroad these days so we’re going to wait now and see how the land lies and other things take shape

Gutted; but at least we have our answer now. Very interested to see what happens with the Thursday now. @Ken19 I don’t suppose you could reveal how/why they chose not to go for Blur? Feels like a very big miss

Managed to screen shot it last night; had them on the Thursday. was also on my way to post the Muse poster and say it pretty much confirms two big names still to come. I am not fluent in Dutch by any stretch; but I think on Festileaks the reliable leaker has alluded to Kendrick being at Les Ardentes. So, if we are to assume that’s him ruled out, it sounds like someone with an unannounced tour for the Friday that hasn’t played before (RATM? AC/DC? Billie Eilish? The Strokes?) (they all might have, I’ve done little research) and it’s probably a straight shoot out between Blur and Robbie Williams for the Thursday now looking at who is around. Please do the right thing, Werchter…

But there should still be a festival for the “middle aged man” demographic on this scale. I’m only 28, but grew up too late to do these sorts of festivals when they were the “norm” if you like, so it’s good that there’s somewhere like Werchter that can still put on these line ups for people like me who like this sort of music. Aware it’s all sometimes a bit middle of the road, and the repeat bookings can be vexing (hence why they majority of us keep asking for the “special” names in these genres to appear this year like Blur) They shouldn’t be booking acts like the ones you’ve mentioned just to tick boxes, despite the fact they are very relevant artists. Gender diversity is fantastic and should be implemented for line ups if a festival can pull it off; but I don’t think musical diversity is important at all really. I know I made a point on here before about how we don’t really hang around Wireless, Tomorrowland forums etc screaming for Metallica etc to be booked; and nor should we. These festivals cater to a specific crowd and the people that go there want to hear that, and that’s amazing for them. But I can only speak for myself and my group’s experience of festivals like this, and I know that they would be far more likely to buy a ticket for a festival that has say (for eg) Arctics, RHCP and Muse then a festival with Arctics, Lizzo and Robbie Williams just because a festival wants to try and cater for every type of audience. Imho, I think trying to over diversify your target audience can actually have a detrimental effect on ticket sales. It is unfortunate that the bigger bands that can sell festivals like Werchter at the minute happen to be mostly male; but they can only book whoever is on tour in any given year, and if that’s bands like RHCP and Arctics etc as opposed to Florence and the Machine, Paramore, Evanescence etc then it is unfortunate but not really the festival’s fault

This is true, but it’s just the first full announcement. It’s highly likely that this will be addressed in some fashion across the next few months as they flesh the line up out

I can see the point you’re trying to make when you put it like that; but for me it begins to devalue their contribution to the band when people start pulling at threads. Just my take, of course

Not as strange as saying you wouldn’t consider them to be female acts despite the fact they have female members in my book, but to each their own

Haven’t we been confirmed that we’re missing a Friday headliner too? Thursday is tricky to work out, Fender was meant to be on at tea time in the Barn this year, and yet he currently looks like the second biggest name on his day this year?

That’s a very solid announcement!

Something nice would be alright by me! Time will tell, but they must be confident it will deliver it they’re teasing it though…

At my peril, I’m more optimistic now. The only time I think I’ve ever known Werchter to tease/hype an announcement was The Strokes in 2020 and Radiohead in 2016 (for 2017) Suggests we might get something big…

Just having a look at last year’s pre-Christmas bigger announcements. There was one on 03/12 of 5 names (TWOD, Greta Van Fleet, Yungblud, Royal Blood and Lewis Capaldi) and one on 24/11 with 16 names (including people like QOTSA and high Barn/Klub C slots). Hoping that we get something closer to the 24/11 announcement, with a bigger amount of names of a similar ilk. Looking around at other festivals and assuming that we already know The Lumineers and Tamino; I’m hoping something along the lines of the Thursday co-head (Blur) with Liam Gallagher, Franz Ferdinand, Placebo, Interpol, The Black Keys, Christine & The Queens, My Morning Jacket, Sigur Ros, The 1975, Puscifer and then it’s punctuated with some good dance acts for Klub C. Appreciate that’s probably far too heavy in one genre, but looking at what is around I don’t see why they can’t all be there in some capacity

I would love for all of those to be there! Sadly, I think Graspop rules Ghost out, but if we were to get The Prodigy or Placebo in their place that wouldn’t go amiss…

Interesting. Imagine this could make or break a lot of people’s interest in Werchter so let’s see what they come back with

Very unusual rhythm to the announcements this year, definitely. I must admit that I’m now a Blur confirmation away from buying a ticket after the last two days, but appreciate it I’ll be in the minority. With that being said I’ve wrote off Blur because if they had them they’d have surely been announced them by now since the last 3 announcements just seen to have been inundated with comments about them on the socials (and not by me, despite sounding like a broken record here haha) so it’s got me thinking about who they might have. Youd imagine they don’t have Queen, as it looks like they’re announcing today and they wouldn’t have announced Editors if so. The fact Editors are headlining The Barn makes me think it’s someone a bit poppier (Billie Eilish perhaps? Maybe even Lizzo?) or someone a quite heavy (AC/DC? If RHCP have replaced Foos at both here and Pinkpop would it be someone like that to tick the rock box?) Still feel that there’s a big co-headliner coming for the Thursday though. On the website with the way the bands are laid out, AM, RHCP and Muse are at the top, and then QOTSA are placed before Stromae which makes me think something else is coming for that day. I know what my preference is, but unsure as to who could fill in there. More confident about the undercard now having looked at what’s around near the time too, but I suppose time will tell

Editors on Friday confirmed! Two of my favourite bands locked in for that day now, hope they don’t clash with RHCP

I had a look out of interest before and even without the Santander presale the prices work out at about £170, which when you look around at other line ups/prices of them it’s got to be considered value for money if nothing else. All of the headliners on any of the given days would cost you that alone probably

Ah that would make sense, sure that The Lumineers have been unofficially confirmed for weeks now

I did think that this might be the final announcement of the year and they wanted a big name to try and boost ticket sales for Christmas, but looking at the reactions on social media they might have to put a batch of names out very soon as this seems to be a very common reaction

Just having a look out of interest; in 2018 Gorillaz played Werchter on the Thursday, Opener on the Friday and then Roskilde on the Saturday. Wasn’t too long ago so the back to back dates might not be a problem. It’s only an hour and a half flight from Brussels to Denmark and then less than an hours drive from there. I’m basically just in denial until we have something concrete completely ruling Blur out hahah. A confirmation this side of Christmas would be absolutely magical

Sorry, quick line up question. Who or what are The Rose?

Sorry @Archi, I was referring to if Blur would be there or not. With regards to the Friday, I have absolutely no idea but it’s certainly interesting

Yeah, this is my feeling too, although I like to think he wouldn’t be sat watching us squirm trying to do the mental gymnastics of working out how they fit into the line up if there wasn’t at least a chance…