MEGATRONICMEATWAGON

Perhaps there's little appetite on the Pyramid during the day, but Nova Twins, the Hu, Skindred, GnR were all well-attended across other stages when I saw them. They're all too big not to be on the main stages though, but with Earache's Truth Stage takeover, for example, there could be a dedicated hard rock/metal stage the entire weekend and not affect anything too much. It wouldn't even have to be all day, just say in the 9pm-3pm window each night. I didn't end up staying for Ho99o9 or Alt Blk Era to see if there were big crowds, but I think there's enough people interested in general.

I thought the crowds were quite well spread this year. Obviously, I wasn't all over site to witness this. The only thing that struck me as odd the whole time I was onsite was the decision to have Truth Stage and Now/Here stage ending within ten minutes of each other. The crowd surge from NW trying to get past TS was insane, and then shortly after that half the TS crowd tried to leave at the same time. I'm all in for a silent disco though if they can find a place. Still don't know why they can't set it up in the Acoustic Tent - it's not likely to cause any extra noise on the Wed/Thurs night, is it?

If they rejigged the no access area and the hospitality areas a bit, there could be space to expand it into the actual field called Woodsies, albeit with a hedgerow cutting right through the area. I think it would be something that evolves over time. Each year, new things will be added or changed. But as ever, the hospitality needs to go somewhere, I guess.

First off, overall, I thought this year's festival was brilliantly planned out. Big acts on the big stages, packed Secret Sets despite not having the WOW factor of yore, the great Churn Ups ruse, wonderful additions to the site like the Levels, the solid DJ line-up, no flood of complaints RE overcrowding or worrying pinch-points after the festival, an attempt at creating a new and exciting area for Woodsies... BUT... there will be changes made inevitably. Any ideas? This isn't intended as a dumping ground for oft-repeated complaints, e.g. having less people on site, or gripes about the removal of the William's Green tent, more as a place for constructive thoughts on how to improve on what's already on offer. Here's my two-cents anyhoo: - I think Woodsies will be expanded and things added to become a bigger rival to the Park. - How successful was CarHenge? Perhaps a bigger stage there or perhaps an actual line-up designed specifically for that area. - More veggies offerings and a clearer effort to advertise the 'Food for a 5ver' initiative. - It's a bit late now, but I read an idea for adding your top 3 departure locations to tickets so you can only buy coach tickets from those places in the sale in an effort to stop people travelling pre-fest to places hundreds of miles away from where they live just to secure a ticket. - Ramping up the number of coaches on offer in general. - Bringing back the pathway from the coaches through Pylon to the western camping areas. Felt like it was a major disadvantage for people who had taken the time out to reduce their carbon footprint. - More hard rock/metal on offer than just what's on the Truth Stage on a Thursday night. If a thread is already open like this, then please ignore! What's everyone else thinking about for 2024? It's hard to improve on what is already the greatest, most magical festival on Earth, but tweaks, anyone?

Sure, there's an element of being in the right place at the right time. Stormzy, for example. He'd only had one studio album at the time but he'd come to the fore in popular opinion at that time and when he took to the stage he seemed to fit like a glove and put on a great show. Having said that, IF a massive act like ACDC said they were free, perhaps Stormzy would have had to make do with a sub himself... or wait it out to see if his stock continued to rise. My point was more like, if there are bigger artists/bands on offer, it's no sleight on Pink, Dave, O-Rod, Fender to take a sub spot when other huge names have taken a sub or even third-down (Lizzo, LDR, LNX, Lorde, Katy Perry). I'm sure Fender wouldn't take that slot again for fear of being pigeon-holed in that position - like, always the bridesmaid, never the bride. O-Rod still has a long way to go before she's up for a possible headline slot, in my opinion anyway. Pink still feels too cult somehow, too leftfield, like I wouldn't expect them to ask Spice Girls to headline either. Dave is the most obvious "punt" for want of a better word, and he prob wouldn't not take a sub slot if it meant he'd miss out potentially headlining a year after if they couldn't give it to him this year. If that makes sense. I think this year could be filled up with two female acts tho, Dua, Rhianna or Madonna, plus a Blur or Coldplay. Which would leave the door open for Dave headlining in 2025 alongside who ever misses out from Blur or Coldplay, and then finally Taylor Swift. I think that would give everyone a good mix while allowing acts like O-Rod and Fender time to stake their own claim further down the line. 2024 - Rhianna/Blur/Madonna 2025 - Dave/Coldplay/Taylor Swift 2026 - Fender/Dua Lipa/ACDC And before anyone wants to start firing off shots - this is only a theoretical idea/prediction... 😛

But even then, Lana Del Rey's albums have gone platinum multiple times in UK and other countries. Even then, albums don't attest to everything it seems. Dave to headline the Other in 2024? Lol. Just joking, he won't be doing that. But maybe you're right, Dave will get the bump because of his genre and he's British, qualities that aren't quantifiable in stats. If it was two of Coldplay/Madonna/Rhianna/Eminem/Blur/the 1975 and Dave, that'd be pretty decent. My prediction was only a prediction anyway, I didn't expect all this toing and froing, ha!

Perhaps, but for my money, he's not bigger than Lil Nas X or Lizzo. He's got a fair few months to change that mind you, but as I said to MEGABOWL, I still think if Glasto were offered the chance to bag Coldplay/Madonna/Rhianna/Dua Lipa/Taylor Swift, Dave would be a nailed on for a sub and it wouldn't be a sleight at him as an artist, just that there's bigger options available. Out of the four I said before (Fender/Dave/O-Rod/Pink), I'd prefer they gave him the chance over the others.

Thanks for at least giving me some info about Dave I didn't know instead of talking down to me 😁 I do agree though that out of Dave, O-Rod, Pink, Fender, I think Dave will be given his punt first. I just can't see the others in their current careers headlining the Pyramid. Pink feels too kitsch, O-Rod just seems to be a darling of eFesters, Fender perhaps in a couple of years if he continues his trajectory. But again, if Lil Nas X and Lizzo have to take sub slots, Dave could well sub a titan of music like Madonna or someone like that.

It took about 20 seconds to google Sprinter. Still no explaining how O-Rod, Dave, Pink all deserve headliner status when bigger acts have taken sub slots or lower though?

I mean, I kinda get what you mean, but at the same time there are a bunch of criteria to consider. The line-up isn't produced based on the feels and intution, especially the headliners. It's a dreamy idea, but obviously there is a science involved to some degree. Back-catalogue, legendary status, status internationally, status in the UK, how wide is their appeal etc etc. It absolutely does not come down to whether Emily thinks they're a headliner or not. All of the last two dozen headliners are/were either international megastars or were at the very peak of their powers and no one else was around to invite. Case in point for the latter Mumford in Sons, who wouldn't headline again.

So, Dave is bigger than Lizzo, Noel/Oasis Karaoke, Lorde, Katy Perry, Shakira, Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, George Ezra? Because he's had a popular song this summer. A song he co-wrote with four other people. Okay... You could at least try and make me understand instead of just calling me ignorant 🤷‍♂️ Plus, I never said that Dave would play lower than sub, all I said bigger acts have played lower, so it's not unrealistic that he plays as sub.

I agree that potentially one could step up if there's no other options, but any from Dave, O-Rod, LDR, Fender, Pink would be firmly in the Foals category of "Are they big enough or have enough of a wide appeal?" You could argue that bands like Metallica/GnR don't have wide appeal, but they're in that God-tier of bands where it doesn't really matter if they have wide enough appeal because they're just so big. My other point was refuting the idea that while Dave, O-Rod, Fender, Pink are being touted as potential headliners, there's a lot of examples of similar acts, or even bigger acts, accepting sub or lower slots. Can you explain why O-Rod, Dave, Fender, Pink couldn't be subs or lower, when this year we had Lil Nas X (who is huge), Lizzo (also huge), last year we had Lorde (previously touted as a potential headliner), Noel/Oasis Karaoke (massive in UK), Doja Cat (who dropped out but was huge), and in 2019 there was George Ezra who has been touted as a potential headliner, not to mention Shakira and Katy Perry - two massive pop stars who were at the height of their popularity yet only played third down. But for some reason, O-Rod, Dave, Fender, Pink are too big to sub the Pyramid? Bigger than all the acts I just mentioned? With all due respect, ... Also FWIW, on the LDR vs O-Rod thing, I never said it's based on only having albums out. Go back and read my comment again. LDR has had six NUMBER ONE albums in the UK compared to O-Rod having one. The Spotters plays thing was the only thing I could find in a 5-minute search that supported O-Rod being near LDR in terms of stature.

That's why I threw it in there at the end of my comment as it's the only thing thing O-Rod seems to beat LDR at. Who do you think is bigger then, and why? I can't make out if you're agreeing or not.

Well maybe she isn't even as big. A quick google shows me that Lana's had six number one albums in the UK compared to O-Rod's one. Lana's been on the circuit for far longer, had way more tours across more continents. They have near identical monthly listens on Spotters tho...

Sounds like an absolute bin FIRE. 👀

Except, a headline trio out of Dave, Fender, Pink, O-Rod would be pretty poor any way you look at it. Just as it would have been if it had been Lizzo, RB, Lorde, Noel etc.

I dunno. O-Rod/Dave are only being touted as a headliner because they're fresh faces and appease the "relevancy" contingent, but they're actually not that big. O-Rod is about as big as Lana and she only headlined the Other which is equivalent to subbing the Pyramid. Dave is easily smaller than Lil Nas X/Lizzo. RB is on par or thereabouts with Dave. 2022 with Sam Fender, Noel/Oasis Karaoke, and Lorde have all been touted as potential headliners in the past (or in the case of Oasis, have been)... Katie Perry played third down one year. Shakira too. Don't know why Pink/O-Rod/Dave suddenly get an e-Fests bump.

Feel like Pink has a very strong/committed fan base, how well she'd translate to headlining Glasto, I don't know. A strong sub maybe, but can't see her having wide enough appeal. Pink > Coldplay O-Rod > Dua Lipa Dave > Rhianna

Confirmed reg details last night. Ready for an assault in Oct and the following 5 months of torturing myself about whether to go or not.

Nice one Neil, donation on the way.

The biggest upside of this, is that it makes you look sexy as hell.

I'm adamant about re-registering and trying for tickets in October this year. IF I manage to get tickets, then that would at least give me another few months to consider where to go from there.

Yeah, I don't really get it either. 10/1 here seems to be the new "Not a cat in hell's chance" of playing. From their odds, there's gonna be like seven headliners.

I'm happy you clarified what you meant by whack, because it's one of those words I never know if it means something positive or not 😆

Sky Bet's top 3 wouldn't be so bad, would it? Festival heritage band, female superstar, up and coming British star?