Deliberately alienating line-up choice?

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Do you think that Melvin Benn announced the line-up this year as a conscious decision to attract more new punters to the festival and alienate the older ones who have been attending the festival for years?

[DaveElNino]

I don't think he's gone for a particularly alienating line-up. He's gone for one which is attractive to the R/L demographic, it just so happens that many people who've been going for years have progressed with their tastes and so aren't in that demographic any more.

[Role Model]

Seems a cynical way of looking at it, but it does seem to certainly of had that effect. Plenty of long time goers seem to finally be giving up on the festival.

Edited March 22, 2011 by Role Model

[jump]

Isn't this working on the basis that older fans don't listen to new music or have an open mind?

Edited March 22, 2011 by jump

[Hart Attack]

Seems to be a lot like 2009 in it's style - a good heavier/rock day on Friday main, but very lighter/indie oriented from there on out. Overall, disappointing and alienating to the rock/metal/punk crowd.

[chappiepunk]

Personally I feel hes just gone for cheaper options.

[DaveElNino]

With Sonisphere now in existence I think Reading's been forced to go in a more indie direction. It'll still get the heavier acts when it can, but acts such as BFMV, A7X, Slipknot, Mastodon, Airbourne, Funeral For A Friend, Korn, Alter Bridge, etc. now have the choice of two festivals where they probably get a better slot than they would at R&L.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Isn't this working on the basis that older fans don't listen to new music or have an open mind?

[jump]

With Sonisphere now in existence I think Reading's been forced to go in a more indie direction. It'll still get the heavier acts when it can, but acts such as BFMV, A7X, Slipknot, Mastodon, Airbourne, Funeral For A Friend, Korn, Alter Bridge, etc. now have the choice of two festivals where they probably get a better slot than they would at R&L.

[DaveElNino]

From a buisness view that would be a bad decesion to play the same 2 fests over and over again as R&L has the potential to reach fans the other 2 wouldn't be able to.

[pink_triangle]

Isn't this working on the basis that older fans don't listen to new music or have an open mind?

[Poppington]

I've been going Reading since 2001 and back then i guess i was abit of a metal head, but now my music taste have expanded abit and i really can't wait for the likes of Pulp, The National,Interpol etc along with Janes, Deftones and Offspring.

[Clemo]

I think people are reading what they like from the line up, the Strokes have been going since the turn of the Millenium so they aren't exactly a band for 16-18 year olds, there are plenty of older bands on the the line up, its just a matter of whether or not you like the particular bands that have been booked.

But as Melvin has said Reading does pride itself on being ahead of the curve (or at least trying) Like giving Arcade Fire & Blink headline opportunities last year, so I assume Reading will always be looking at new music and pushing newer bands into the spotlight, does that come at the cost of losing older bands? Only time will tell.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

I do listen to new music but for some reason rarely feel as passionate about the newer bands I here.

[mattl]

Seems to be a lot like 2009 in it's style - a good heavier/rock day on Friday main, but very lighter/indie oriented from there on out. Overall, disappointing and alienating to the rock/metal/punk crowd.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

However, this could be due to the negativity from the "mainstream" punters about the heavier main-stage last year, and the sheer volume of people packing out the NME tent throughout the three days.

[5co77ie]

Do you think that Melvin Benn announced the line-up this year as a conscious decision to attract more new punters to the festival and alienate the older ones who have been attending the festival for years?

[jump]

Thing is 2009/2011 which have been seen as indie/mainstream friendly tixs have sold very slowly.

[Hart Attack]

Has anyone else noticed the pattern of alternating between heavier* and lighter line-ups each year?

2008 = Heavy

2009 = Light

2010 = Heavy

2011 = Light

*Well, not heavy in the true sense of the word... but more rock-oriented.

[Clemo]

I think it's more a case of who's available at the time and not making some pattern with an nth term.

[Mega Ross]

I reckon he f**ked up then tried to make it seem like he did it on purpose, couldn't get as many massive bands as in previous years. For whatever reason, maybe some were silently protesting the ticket price rises, or he got into the game too late.

Or he's deliberately putting a dodgey lineup in because he knows it'll still sell out and make next years lineup look better.

I don't think it's been thought out as well as it could have been to be honest, that or compared to last years lineup it was always going to look a little weak.

Edited March 22, 2011 by Mega Ross

[swede]

I havent been for the last two years and had decided to go this year no matter what the lineup was, and to say the lineup is alienating older fans is bull. How are the likes of NFG, JEW, Offspring, Deftones, Strokes, and Pulp going to alienate older fans when these are some of the bands we grew up with. Mixed in with some newer bands and although the lineup isnt perfect I think theres a good mix of stuff. People have to remember that the festival can only book bands that :

A, Havent already been exclusively booked by other festivals

B, Actually want play the festival.

[Chas]

How does that work? - my first was 1978 and the line-up hasn't put me off, there's even a fair few acts I've not seen before, and the new ones are acts I'm familiar with and have been known to tap my foot along to.

[RichieParf]

Has anyone else noticed the pattern of alternating between heavier* and lighter line-ups each year?

2008 = Heavy

2009 = Light

2010 = Heavy

2011 = Light

*Well, not heavy in the true sense of the word... but more rock-oriented.

[mrtourette]

If he's going for a younger crowd then there's no way he'd book The Offspring, Pulp and Jane's Addiction to prominent slots. Even The Strokes would be alien to most under 21. Sure there are newer bands who seem to have prominent slots but I don't think putting The National or Friendly Fires higher up the bill than expected is pandering to younger audience because those bands will appeal to older fans as well. Having MCR headline is clearly an effort to inject some new blood into the festival, both on stage and off, and I can only assume the same about 30STM since there seems to be no other logical reason that they're doing anything other than cleaning out the long-drops but that doesn't mean that the whole festival is being shifted towards the young-uns.