All headliners are Exclusives

[lucastang]

But it's still not really 'news' as such, is it? I mean, telling us that the bands are exclusive headliners to Reading & Leeds means absolutely bugger all when most of the bands that are playing at other festivals are bands most of us didn't see playing at Reading & Leeds this year anyway.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

this year seems dyer in comparsion if the rumours are to be true

[loscfestivals]

Doubt MCR will be headlining.

Their album flopped and they have failed to sell out a single date on their tour.

Wembley is close admittedly, but thousands of seats left everywhere else and it ain't cos it is expensive (by arena gig standards)

Their time was 3/4 years ago, it would be a very weak booking sales wise if they did given the interest in their comeback so far.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Their album flopped and they have failed to sell out a single date on their tour.

[Porcelina]

The Strokes' new album will likely sort of flop. I can see the lead single getting a lot of radio play and the album selling well in the first couple of weeks, but by the time the second single is out the interest will be gone.

Is This It? was just a great album that came along at the perfect time and they've had to live off the back of it since. The only reason they haven't done anything in five years is because taking a break was the only way they were going to maintain their status. Pulp would be a fair comparative.

MCR may have completely bombed over the past few months but they're still a huge name and I'd say they'd pull a strong crowd. There'd be far less criticism from the average Reading/Leeds goer than for Arcade Fire.

Edited January 24, 2011 by Porcelina

[RichieParf]

Of course its all just to build up the hype, but he's not in the business of keeping us informed he's in the business of building up the hype. He says they're exclusive, its not news we all knew they would be, but it gets the festivals a mention. Its an advert, not a news story, but you can't blame him for doing it.

[loscfestivals]

The Strokes' new album will likely sort of flop. I can see the lead single getting a lot of radio play and the album selling well in the first couple of weeks, but by the time the second single is out the interest will be gone.

Is This It? was just a great album that came along at the perfect time and they've had to live off the back of it since. The only reason they haven't done anything in five years is because taking a break was the only way they were going to maintain their status. Pulp would be a fair comparative.

MCR may have completely bombed over the past few months but they're still a huge name and I'd say they'd pull a strong crowd. There'd be far less criticism from the average Reading/Leeds goer than for Arcade Fire.

[Porcelina]

But there's the difference between festival popular and gig popular; many festival goers may be passive fans and/or simply unable to afford to go to see them at their own gig. Just because you would choose to see a band at a festival doesn't mean you'd be prepared to stump up the cash to see them.

Snoop Dogg had a crowd of at least 100,000 at Glastonbury last year, yet he couldn't even sell out Shephards Bush. I know that's an extreme example, but the underlying principle remains.

A lot of MCR's fans are young as well, so they may simply be unaware of the tour and the older fans may simply not care for nostalgia enough.

[Stylo92]

Really don't want it being Muse! Seen them twice in two years not lookin for another really.

Also i doubt it will be muse anyway, sounds like they are having a break and with Kate Hudson being pregnant and all

[Yellow_Fellow]

Also i doubt it will be muse anyway, sounds like they are having a break and with Kate Hudson being pregnant and all

[jonwl89]

I'd normally jump on the "MCR aren't very good bandwagon" but personally I really enjoyed their last album, fast paced, colourful, comic-booky fun. Still don't think they're big enough to headline mind.

[Joe-]

Really don't want it being Muse! Seen them twice in two years not lookin for another really.

[SOAD]

TBH out of the rumoured headliners I'm easily the most excited bout MCR. Produced one of the best albums of last year, their live shows seem to have improved tons and they have a very decent back catalogue. Plus they will be a new headliner for the festival. Muse are on the back of their worst album and The Strokes are over hyped. I like both those bands alot but the thought of them playing doesn't excite me anywhere near as much as MCR.

[Chavmeisterdeluxe]

I remember last year everyone saying it was the worst set of headliners ever until G'n'R were revealed to be headlining and not MCR when in reality I'm sure MCR would've been a hell of a lot better than Axl and co were.

Whilst their new album hasn't done as well as the last one I'd hardly say they've 'bombed so badly'.

[SOAD]

Plus I'd like to add Black Parade sold better in the UK than any Strokes album.. and Danger Days has gone gold like First Impressions of Earth... Plus it looks like they are getting there with selling out their arena tour (standing at Manchester Evening News Arena is sold out, Nottingham seems to be sold out, Cardiff seems pretty much there and apparently Wembley standing is nearly gone). It's not like they are a small band or anything. Cert much bigger than some previous sub headliners and are comparable to some previous headliners.

Edited January 24, 2011 by SOAD

[scottt]

Blur, Pearl Jam, Kanye.

[mrtourette]

I can't see how this is news, we've been working on the fact that the headliners will be exclusive for months because they usually are. That's why Foos, Arctic Monkeys, Eminem etc. have been dismissed as soon as they've been brought up.

[rexclark]

Jeeso, It's the same every year. Melvin makes statement, everyone goes wild trying to figure out what he means, the same acts we've been talking about for months get announced and occasionaly he throws a curveball and we get an act that we've not guessed. He builds up a frenzy and everyone gets over excited and ulimately dissapoited.

Festival organisers will always do their upmost to big up their festival. What next? Micheal Eavis saying he's got the biggest acts in the world headlining? Never.

[roadrunner66]

Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ozzy Osbourne. Don't have a clue about the other one.

[Sparticus]

Just me that's thinking they're touting every headliner as exclusive as there is no wow factor this year? Last year was somewhat similar, although having "legends" (g'n'r, where there's always the chance they'll bomb live) and two reformed bands (one specifically for reading and leeds) cancels out the lack of wow factor.

If it is muse, strokes, mcr; then none of them can be called legends (All very contempory). Muse, have already toured extensively and off an album that has divided their fanbase (Although still undoubtedly huge fanbase). The strokes have been away for five years, and whilst I love them, are still living off is this it. MCR don't seem to be as huge as they were circa black parade, but are capeable headliners, and let's face it can't really argue about ticket sales when bands such as razorlight have headlined.

[Dunney77]

Blur seems a good shout

[rexclark]

There is absolutely nothing exciting about any of the rumoured acts. If it's Muse, MCR and The Strokes, every one of them have played in this country in the last year. I think you should have at least one act that hasn't played in a few years. Blur or daft Punk would both do me fine.

[joe1990 fresh account]

There is absolutely nothing exciting about any of the rumoured acts. If it's Muse, MCR and The Strokes, every one of them have played in this country in the last year. I think you should have at least one act that hasn't played in a few years. Blur or daft Punk would both do me fine.

[Atterz123]

This is completely expected. Last year blink and g'n'r were exclusive and arcade only headlining in Ireland at Oxegen. Muse and Strokes seem like good shouts. MCR may have been in the works but be pulled due to negative reaction? it certainly seems almost too heavy for your typical reading and leeds, i think blur is a very good shout and is possible. As is Green Day. R&L simply isn't the same, the change from 2008 to 2009 was shocking

[jump]

This is completely expected. Last year blink and g'n'r were exclusive and arcade only headlining in Ireland at Oxegen. Muse and Strokes seem like good shouts. MCR may have been in the works but be pulled due to negative reaction? it certainly seems almost too heavy for your typical reading and leeds, i think blur is a very good shout and is possible. As is Green Day. R&L simply isn't the same, the change from 2008 to 2009 was shocking