Bestival 2011

[edfirth]

Is nowhere near big enough though. Not even close.

Edited June 6, 2011 by edfirth

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Is nowhere near big enough though. Not even close.

[farny12]

We all have massive aspirations and yet we forget it's still a relatively small festival. I don't expect anybody bigger than Gary Numan's status mainly because if I did, I know that come July 1st I'd be incredibly disappointed. You look at the bands that headlined and appeared throughout the festival last year, take into account there's going to be a lot more this year (not just in terms of bands either), the audience size is going to stay the same, and the ticket prices are roughly the same... budgetary constraints would dictate to me at least that it won't be a huge band or artist and one that Rob won't be too fussed about if the tickets are already sold. Grace Jones, Gary Numan - both same sort of beast except of two completely different breeds.

[fairyinboots]

Being a massive Numan fan, I actually said a few weeks back I thought he would play, especially when he released his new tour dates. I put this on my facebook page, and I am sure nobody agreed with me. I am probably going to sell my ticket, but if Numan is there, then I will be re-thinking selling it. His 2 UK gigs so far this year have been amazing.

[edfirth]

I don't think anyone would have an issue with him playing but he's not even close to headliner material. He's not particularly popular in the mainstream and doesn't have a huge cult audience either. He has his fans, but all the previous headliners in the last 5 years have been Glasto sub headliner size (basically since the year Gogol headlined) and Numan isn't, for lack of a better comparison

Edited June 6, 2011 by edfirth

[Prawnofthedead]

I think its Madonna

[Prawnofthedead]

Prince is a definite no no, Rob debunked it on twitter on 3rd June

[farny12]

Prince is a definite no no, Rob debunked it on twitter on 3rd June

[Banana Co]

If it was Kate Bush that would be amazing. It would make my year.

[farny12]

i think kate bush would be as disappointing as numan to many people

[davidames100]

i think kate bush would be as disappointing as numan to many people

[lee_rocks]

Hole..

[farny12]

Hole..

[Dave The Hedgehog]

the suggestions get more and more depressing

Edited June 7, 2011 by Dave The Hedgehog

[farny12]

I'm not particularly a fan of either but Kate Bush would be a MUCH bigger booking than Gary Numan and would certainly generate more excitement, if only because she is so enigmatic and hasn't played live for so many years. Gary Numan's second on the bill behind Maximo Park at the Ben & Jerry's Sundae festival for God's sake, a festival that costs about £10 a day and finishes at 8pm. There's surely no way he could possibly be big enough to headline Bestival on that basis, let alone when he'd be 'above' acts like Brian Wilson on the bill? Kate Bush would be a much more popular booking. Personally speaking if it's either I'll be finding someone else to go and watch.

[HurrahBrother]

While Kate Bush would be wonderful as a booking (due to teh fact she just does not play live any more), there is frankly as much chance as XTC (lead singe has crippling stage fright).

With Gary Numan being 2nd on the bill at Ben and Gerrys's sundae (under Maximo Park), somehow I cannot quite see it.

[Joe-]

Someone said on the forum about No doubt, I kinda think it's possible.

[farny12]

Someone said on the forum about No doubt, I kinda think it's possible.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Agreed, Kate Bush would be a much bigger booking. She'd be a pretty massive booking really, but i still think she would disappoint a large amount of the punters. As you say, we can just go somewhere else, but it's always good to have a great festival closer and I think rob has got something special up his sleeve. something that he thinks will please more people than kate bush would. not that I am slagging her off though before i get abuse.

[edfirth]

I find the reactions to some of the suggestions more depressing.

Edited June 7, 2011 by edfirth

[farny12]

I think the Bestival crowd would be massively in favour of Kate Bush. It would probably be the best festival booking in the world this year, and one of the best bookings Bestival will ever make, that would please everyone.

That's why it won't happen.

Speaking of No Doubt, Gwen reaffirmed her committment to the band today, away from her solo stuff.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Why? People have a right of opinion, especially regarding headliners for an event which is pretty expensive, small festival or not. I'm not particularly fussed but if it was someone I know for a fact is fairly cheap to book i.e. Gary Numan I'd be pretty miffed

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

clearly Kate Bush wouldn't please everyone, nobody would. i think that around half of the crowd would be two young to really know her, and some would not even know any of her songs apart from wuthering heights.

[farny12]

I think you're massively underestimating the Bestival crowd.

[farny12]

The thing that gets my goat is that people look at the suggestions with a glass half empty rather than a glass half full. On July the 1st, we may very well get what we all sort of agree will be a headliner that isn't exactly suited to our tastes (like Pendulum is to a lot of people) but then even if we do, we'll still have 4 or 5 other places to go that will no doubt have somebody else on that's more to our tastes. That's diversity; that's Bestival. On the other hand, we may get a great headliner and be faced with a clash.

We shouldn't be looking at it as 'Grace Jones headlining' (for example) or 'how shit Pendulum is going to be' - rather, how great the other bands on the other stages at the exact same time are going to be, and from looking at the line-up there are many.