Right...Who will headline?

[she bangs the drums]

Like you say everyone is entitled to have an opinion, I'm not alone in my thoughts thinking that Rammstein > Kiss.

http://thequietus.com/articles/03683-rammstein-live-review-in-manchester-the-best-show-out-on-the-road-this-year

I'm still hoping for bands like FNM, Soundgarden and Rage being announced.

[kaosmark2]

One man's dream is another man's nightmare, I really cannot stand Kiss or Motley Crue, Motley Crue even more so, they were everything wrong with rock music in the 80s until thrash metal came along, as for Kiss, there shows are just a poor man's Rammstein.

[kipper64]

The set wasn't cut short at all. They misprinted 2 hours on the lanyard, but the set at soni was the full intended set, it was the same set they played at every festival they did that Summer.

They cut a few songs cause they didn't have the walkway like they had on their arena shows.

[spitfireman]

Rush have decided not to play Sonisphere - I am gutted!

Most likely liheadliners will be Faith no more (Fri), Queen (Sat) and Kiss/Van Halen/Bon Jovi (Sunday)

Bon Jovi are being suggested by a few people and are a surprise to me.

If we do get FNM, Q and BJ then they'd all be good festival, feel-good bands but i'd be surprised at Sonisphere not having at least one heavy headliner.

Tbh i had everything crossed for Kiss, Rush and Rammstein

Lets hope they announce and put us out of our collective miseries soon!

[jump]

I'd be surprisded if it's 3 oldies like Faith No More, Queen & KISS. A few interviews with the orgainsers I've read have suggested before they don't want it to be too niche and want it to have to a broader appeal.

[5co77ie]

Rush have decided not to play Sonisphere - I am gutted!

[she bangs the drums]

What do people think of Queen as headliners? I just don't seem them being able to playing front of 50,000 + people as headliners anymore without Mercury?

I could see them playing at Glastonbury in the afternoon legends slot or in the same position Madness played at Reading and Leeds last year but I just don't see them as headliners of Sonisphere?

[5co77ie]

What do people think of Queen as headliners? I just don't seem them being able to playing front of 50,000 + people as headliners anymore without Mercury?

I could see them playing at Glastonbury in the afternoon legends slot or in the same position Madness played at Reading and Leeds last year but I just don't see them as headliners of Sonisphere?

[biffoire]

I don't see them as a headline act or a large ticket selling draw.

[jump]

What do people think of Queen as headliners? I just don't seem them being able to playing front of 50,000 + people as headliners anymore without Mercury?

I could see them playing at Glastonbury in the afternoon legends slot or in the same position Madness played at Reading and Leeds last year but I just don't see them as headliners of Sonisphere?

[spitfireman]

I saw Queen a number of times with Mercury and fully agree with 5co77ie's comments about sullying the memory of such a superb live band. However a festival headline act should be about spectacle, fun and engaging with the audience ..... in which case Queen would be a great choice.

Everyone will know the words to most of the songs they'll play because , let's face it, they will play a 'greatest hits' set and who doesn't own at least one of their greatest hits albums?

Also, having seen them at their peak, i would expect a huge set with lots of lights and pyro. Good festival headline fodder.

So Queen would certainly get my vote as a festival headliner and as their only UK gig in 2012 i think they'd be a big draw.

Tbh i'd be keener on them than either FNM or Bon Jovi

We just need to wait and see now and hope that Sabbath don't pull out of Download because of Tony's health .... if they do then the whole thing could be up in the air again!

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

I'll take an educated guess at it looking something like this:

Fri:

FNM

Smashing Pumpkins (maybe as co-headliners)

Saturn: Korn

Sat:

TOOL

Marilyn Manson

Saturn: At The Drive In

Sun:

KISS

Motley Crue

Saturn: Lostprophets

[she bangs the drums]

All good points though I think there is a difference in selling out arenas to headlining festivals for classic rock bands, I always think of how many of those same people who would attend those gigs watching Queen (and I am making the assumption that the majoirty of people who went to watch Queen with Paul Rogers were aged around 40-50s) would be willing to pay out £175 + and camp out in what could potentially be a wet and muddy weekend?

If we working on the basis of that 2/3 classic rock headliners will be announced then would Sonisphere be able to attract the younger generation to sell tickets?

[kipper64]

Oh come on, Queen aren't a headlining act? Seriously? Okay I get that without Freddy, they lose a lot of draw, but that's a lot of draw from arguably the biggest rock band in the world. Even with Paul Rodgers (Someone massively different to Freddy), they still sold out arenas and stadiums worldwide with ease.

As for the age they'd attract, Queen are pretty universal in appeal, basically everybody I know likes Queen to some degree, and considering Adam Lambert is a much more current and youthful musician, I think that line up would appeal more to a younger audience than Paul Rodgers would have, because I'd imagine most younger people wouldn't be a fan of Free/Bad Company, or even know of them. Adam, vocally is a lot closer to Freddy too, and is clearly heavily inspired by him, so I think he'd pull it off great, and as said, the atmosphere and the singalong would make it.

[jump]

Oh come on, Queen aren't a headlining act? Seriously? Okay I get that without Freddy, they lose a lot of draw, but that's a lot of draw from arguably the biggest rock band in the world. Even with Paul Rodgers (Someone massively different to Freddy), they still sold out arenas and stadiums worldwide with ease.

As for the age they'd attract, Queen are pretty universal in appeal, basically everybody I know likes Queen to some degree, and considering Adam Lambert is a much more current and youthful musician, I think that line up would appeal more to a younger audience than Paul Rodgers would have, because I'd imagine most younger people wouldn't be a fan of Free/Bad Company, or even know of them. Adam, vocally is a lot closer to Freddy too, and is clearly heavily inspired by him, so I think he'd pull it off great, and as said, the atmosphere and the singalong would make it.

Edited January 11, 2012 by jump

[thejimbola]

I do agree Queen in any form would have to be a headliner but I don't think the line up matters at all as long as it has Queen's name attached and Brain May to give it some credibility to it. I don't think Adam Lambert is even that big in the UK either.

[she bangs the drums]

I've never heard of Adam Lambert, who is he?

[she bangs the drums]

Just googled him and it says he was on American Idol?

What next Will Young to step in for Howard in Killswitch Engage?

Edited January 11, 2012 by she bangs the drums

[jump]

I've never heard of Adam Lambert, who is he?

[kipper64]

Yeah he was on American Idol, but so what? Listen to the Queen Medley he did with Brian May and Roger Taylor at the MTV EMA's last November, he's got a cracking voice that fits the music very well. Don't think you should write him off purely because he was on American Idol!

[spitfireman]

Sorry 'she bangs the drum' but i'm 100% with 'Kipper64' on the issue of Queen. I have a teenage son who listens to little except lamb of god, machine head, periphery and all manner of really heavy stuff - but he and his friends love Queen and all went to see Brian May play at RAH last year. He's really excited about seeing Queen at Sonisphere ... so it's not just us 40+ rock fans who'll know their back catalogue!

As Kipper said, their appeal is universal. Ok they'll be very singalong and more than a tad cheesey - but everyone will be having a whale of a time and will know most of the words.

I really hope Queen headline but do hope that there is at least one heavy band as a headliner as well. The rumours i've heard include Faith no more and bon jovi, but for me these three together would be just a bit too 'classic' and i'd welcome Soni giving a newer band a chance to headline like they did with Biffy last year. Not a huge fan of A7X but Bullet would be a good call.

[5co77ie]

spitfireman you didn't say where your Rush say no came from.

Edited January 11, 2012 by 5co77ie

[kipper64]

Well to be fair I wouldn't really say Faith No More are a light rock band, but I guess they aren't really heavy metal either, more so alternative. That being said, Download will have the Heavy Metal market catered for with Sabbath (if they play) and Metallica, so maybe Sonisphere is deliberately avoiding that market, at least headliner wise and going for a more broad rock market?

[5co77ie]

Well to be fair I wouldn't really say Faith No More are a light rock band, but I guess they aren't really heavy metal either, more so alternative. That being said, Download will have the Heavy Metal market catered for with Sabbath (if they play) and Metallica, so maybe Sonisphere is deliberately avoiding that market, at least headliner wise and going for a more broad rock market?

[spitfireman]

5co77ie - i have a couple of friends who work for a large company 'in the business', they both told me early on that they'd heard that Soni were after Rush and that the band were ready to sign on a couple of occassions. I got VERY excited believe me!

Over the last couple of days i've heard negative reports from both of them hence my posting ..... not sure why they have pulled out but they were being very indecisive. The first news i heard about them playing Soni was well before Download announced so they've obviously been in negotiations for some time now.

I truly hope that these rumours are wrong but strongly suspect they're correct.