Underworld.

[strummer77]

Are people overstating the whole 'U2' factor?

I appreciate they're a massive name and band but of the 40 odd people (all of different ages and gender) I know that are going only 4 have said they have intentions of going to see them. For them to get 100k as being bounded around they'd have to have 2 out of every 3 people at the festival and personally I can't see that happening.

[eFestivals]

A huge crowd, sure. The biggest ever regardless? I don't wanna get into an arguement with you Neil, but there are a huge list of other bands that would capture the imagination of people more than Underworld. On a notoreity level alone Lady Ga Ga would encourage a very different tranche of festival goer over to the OS.

While I'm no expert at programming stages to take the load off another, I personally doubt that having one pop act against another much bigger pop act would have much of an effect in doing that.

U2 will draw such a big crowd not because they're a 'rock' act but because they're (also) a 'pop' act. If another 'pop' act - but one with much lower levels of appeal (such as Gaga) - is put up against them, then those 'pop' fans are likely to hugely side with the bigger 'pop' act of the two, which is U2.

That's my take on it, anyway.

Really? Bands actively refusing to go up against them?

What is the biggest head to head in the festival's history? Blur Vs Prodigy from 2009 springs to mind. Some bands need to grow a pair. U2's recent tour hasnt exactly blown people away - and their most recent material less so.

To use your example, the reason that Blur vs Prodigy worked will be because they are fundamentally very different acts, with a very different appeal. The big fans of one aren't hugely likely to be big fans of the other.

Edited February 14, 2011 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

To the person that said 2/3 of the festival could go see them, I would ask to go have a look at the crowd for Stevie. It was immense. I think Scottie said there was an estimated 100,000 in attendance. U2 concievably could blitz that total.

there was a much lower proportion of people on-site watching Stevie last year than watched Macca or Bowie.

During all three, I wandered around the site for a while, and while it was a ghost town for Macca and Bowie, it wasn't much different to when other headliners have played during Stevie. There were also bigger crowds at some of the other stages during Stevie.

[Atterz123]

if people are concerned about Underworlds status as a dance act, wouldn't it simply make more sense to put Chemical Brothers on Friday and Underworld at Saturday? I assume chems would have a better crowd pulling ability and would entice nearly all who would watch underworld and then some? I'm guessing good things can be expected at the top of park and jp alongside jimmy at west holts

[Mardy]

Underworld are another band, like so many others mentioned on these boards, who were fntastic back in the day, haven't done anything approaching their early glories for many many years. Surely anyone who wanted to see them would have done so already.

Dubnobasswithmyhead man is one of my favourite albums ever. It's a f**kign beautiful, stunning piece of work, but despite that, I probably won't go and see them. 2 reasons, firstly, they've done a lot of mediocre stuff too and secondly I've seen them probably 4 or 5 times already. Back when they were good, back when they had the fire, the energy. It's always better to see a band on their way up, when it's all happening for them rather than when they're making the mortgage payments and going through the motions cos they don't know what else to do.

[jimmyt]

There's going to be the biggest crowd ever there whoever they put against them.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

This isn't true (Neil, do you read these forums thoroughly?) because if Arcade Fire played on The Other Stage the issue would be reversed - are U2 big enough to pull anyone away from seeing AF? If AF headline The Other then I would expect them to have a crowd of at least 350-400k. Judging by the forum, that is.

[Wooderson]

Surely you mean 350m?

[eFestivals]

This isn't true (Neil, do you read these forums thoroughly?) because if Arcade Fire played on The Other Stage the issue would be reversed - are U2 big enough to pull anyone away from seeing AF? If AF headline The Other then I would expect them to have a crowd of at least 350-400k. Judging by the forum, that is.

PMSL

The reality would actually be not hugely different to when they played R/L last year - a sizable number of people going "who?".

[In transit]

I think Arcade Fire are definitely the wrong band to put opposite U2.

[MEGABOWL]

This isn't true (Neil, do you read these forums thoroughly?) because if Arcade Fire played on The Other Stage the issue would be reversed - are U2 big enough to pull anyone away from seeing AF? If AF headline The Other then I would expect them to have a crowd of at least 350-400k. Judging by the forum, that is.

[LusciousLucy]

Hmm, a reasonable if little bit surprising announcement. A bit strange as a headliner as they haven't played the festival since 1999, 8pm Saturday at the Pyramid and definitely havent been a monster crowd puller for some time. Will probably be a similar feel to the Orbital headline last year where there was no more than 35-40k of people watching. Which made for a good time as you could move and dance easily (unlike the horror and shite that was the Prodigy show in 08). It will be nice to be surrounded by an audience mostly made up of 30+ year old men NO complaints there!

Might actually go and check out U2 for a bit and then head over for the second half of the UW set.

This does mean though that I WILL be going ahead with a ticket purchase.

[rubenz]

What about libertines up against u2?

I think I might just go and sit under a tree in the glade for a bit on Friday night and drink some wine out of a plastic bottle..

[Wooderson]

What about libertines up against u2?

I think I might just go and sit under a tree in the glade for a bit on Friday night and drink some wine out of a plastic bottle..

[HurrahBrother]

Yeah and Jimmy Cliff on the West Holts is another option. That'll be rammed too.

[MEGABOWL]

I caught him last time and he was brilliant, anyone catch him this year will have a real treat.

[kpins]

Anyway back to Underworld. This is great news; the new album is a belter; their best since dubnobasswithmyheadman in my opinion. Saw them live last year at Rock en Seine, the new songs Scribble and Always Loved a Film were brilliant!

They may have gone out of the mainstream a little since Born Slippy and its slipstream but they'll definitely be worth seeing trust me.

In case anyone is not au fait with their new stuff check this song out;

[Roonwilldo]

Anyway back to Underworld. This is great news; the new album is a belter; their best since dubnobasswithmyheadman in my opinion. Saw them live last year at Rock en Seine, the new songs Scribble and Always Loved a Film were brilliant!

They may have gone out of the mainstream a little since Born Slippy and its slipstream but they'll definitely be worth seeing trust me.

In case anyone is not au fait with their new stuff check this song out;

[pinback]

Anyway back to Underworld. This is great news; the new album is a belter; their best since dubnobasswithmyheadman in my opinion. Saw them live last year at Rock en Seine, the new songs Scribble and Always Loved a Film were brilliant!

They may have gone out of the mainstream a little since Born Slippy and its slipstream but they'll definitely be worth seeing trust me.

In case anyone is not au fait with their new stuff check this song out;

[idontgetoutmuch]

and FINALLY the dancing boy comes home!

I've been waiting nine years for this,

see you down the front................................

[Partyofspecialthingstodo]

My step-uncle used to play guitar in Underworld. #lametofame (I am 99% sure)

[pinback]

For me, this is the best Underworld track of the last five years:

Imagine listening to this whilst watching a Glastonbury sunset.

Edited February 18, 2011 by pinback

[zeppelin]

eh?

...neil?

Underworld have been confirmed to headline the first night of London's South West Four Weekender.

The dance duo join Pendulum as headliners of the festival, which is in its second year and takes place on August 27–28 on Clapham Common.

The show will be Underworld’s only UK festival appearance of the summer.

For more information about SW4, head to Southwestfour.com.

[eFestivals]

eh?

...neil?

The press release says "London exclusive", not UK exclusive. NME have obviously done their story with their normal attention to detail.

Karl from Underworld told scottie they were lining up a number of fests for this summer including glastonbury when he interviewed him for eGigs a few weeks ago.

We also were told by another source that they were definitely playing the Other Stage, but we've had a recent update to that which has suggested that someone somewhere might have been confused about what they were saying - which is why the Underworld Glastorumour has been downgraded from a tbc to a 'strong rumour' in the last few days.

But it does seem very likely that they're doing Glastonbury. In fact, I'd put money on it.

[5co77ie]

eh?

...neil?

http://www.nme.com/news/underworld/55142