Announcement before Wednesday 25th January

[she bangs the drums]

Yeah but Its hardly Adam Lamberts fault is it? Queen ask him we want you to be our new frontman for a tour, hardly gunna say no is he?

[t8yman]

Would you want them at Download headlining?

[luckysalt]

Hmmm im not sure, I know absolutely nothing about the guy and how his voice sounds, but if the other two headliners were strong I wouldn't mind probably. Never seen Queen in any variation, so would enjoy it if he wasn't half bad.

[kipper64]

I dont give a fuck who brian and roger want in their band, just dont tell me its queen, because its not. queen was ALL about freddie mercury, no one could imagine nirvana playing without kurt, or the experience playing without jimi, I dont mind queen, but at the expense of a proper, big rock or metal act? no thanks.

if, and i mean if, the leak is accurate - the sonisphere experience will be very very different from previous years, and not necessarily in a good way.

[t8yman]

You really think Queen (and any singer) aren't a worthy headliner, one of the biggest bands playing some of the biggest and most well known songs in the world? Like I said, I can understand if you didn't like Adam L and therefore didn't want to see them personally, but to attack them for "destroying their legacy" or to say it's undeserved is just wrong imo.

[t8yman]

besides that, what kind of crowd do you think will be at soni if they have been booked? it will be full of clarksons, particulalry if its their only uk date this year. do you want that?

people can argue semantics all they like, its a metal festival, its a rock festival, its both. but i think the one thing we can all agree on is that soni (and download) is a festival for alternative, non mainstream music. and queen are about as mainstream as it gets.

[kipper64]

I agree they are very mainstream, universal appeal, but they'd easily fit into a rock festival and I wouldn't be surprised if they did Soni France, Soni UK and TITP on the same weekend, TITP attracting your more casual music fans. As for saying they wouldn't headline, that was in regards to SBTD's post, where he was saying they don't deserve to headline and listed examples that weren't really equal, as I said, if Slash had the appeal of Queen with a guest singer, he'd easily headline, but he doesn't so he won't.

The way I see it, there isn't always a lot of choice for headliners each year for the likes of Sonisphere and Download if they try to stick to strictly heavy rock/metal only, and it leads to countless repeat headliners year in year out, which is just boring and something a lot of people on here would moan about. If Queen are available and a viable booking, why not let them play? Better them than getting Linkin Park back again just because they are more 'rock'/alternative, or Metallica to play a rock festival for the umpteenth time in however many years. People moan about repeat headliners, then moan about someone a bit different...can't really win.

[zahidf]

I think queen already pissed away their legacy when we will rock you opened and when they worked with 5ive.

[5co77ie]

anyone fancy making up a line-up? You can add any old slightly believable acts. Add in a line about how someone sounding official emailed it to you, or perhaps left it on a train.....

Then I'll read it and publish it, saying look someone says they've leaked the line-up and it can be tomorrow's news.

- it's the modern journalistic approach

[luckysalt]

Who's done that then? NME?

[5co77ie]

so far there's been quite a few who have done it.

[luckysalt]

Ah... should've know, VF

[lharris92]

the fact that there has been no word from soni makes me think its untrue, as otherwise they would be trying to deny it & would have tried to get that twitter account removed etc.

time will tell, if they ever announce anyone

[t8yman]

the fact that there has been no word from soni makes me think its untrue, as otherwise they would be trying to deny it & would have tried to get that twitter account removed etc.

time will tell, if they ever announce anyone

[t8yman]

If Queen are available and a viable booking, why not let them play? Better them than getting Linkin Park back again just because they are more 'rock'/alternative, or Metallica to play a rock festival for the umpteenth time in however many years. People moan about repeat headliners, then moan about someone a bit different...can't really win.

[she bangs the drums]

I'd rather Linkin Park than Queen any day of the week. If you are happy for the crowd to change from a load of younger people all going crazy and having a mental time, to a load of middle aged blokes with foldy chairs, who are gonna moan when just about any of the "normal soni/download type bands" come on - go for it.

I'm not.

[spitfireman]

I was pretty ambivalent about Queen playing Sonisphere, but having read such bigotted and ill-informed views i am now rooting for them 100%.

Sonisphere is a really friendly and enjoyable event and needs to promote accessibility and tolerance. The last thing it needs is for the crowd simply being 'a load of younger people all going crazy and having a mental time' - if that's what you want then go to R&L!

Queen in themselves will not be a problem as long as the rest of the bill has a strong rock/punk/metal contingent. If you are so pissed off with this potential booking then go elsewhere, but don't clog forums with your views on the subject

[she bangs the drums]

I was pretty ambivalent about Queen playing Sonisphere, but having read such bigotted and ill-informed views i am now rooting for them 100%.

Sonisphere is a really friendly and enjoyable event and needs to promote accessibility and tolerance. The last thing it needs is for the crowd simply being 'a load of younger people all going crazy and having a mental time' - if that's what you want then go to R&L!

Queen in themselves will not be a problem as long as the rest of the bill has a strong rock/punk/metal contingent. If you are so pissed off with this potential booking then go elsewhere, but don't clog forums with your views on the subject

[biffoire]

To be fair, the Who played T the demographic of the crowd didn't change a lot.

[spitfireman]

Ok, 'shebangsthedrum' ....i think there is a separate issue here between Queen fans and Adam Lambert fans and in this case i 100% agree with you.

Queen will put on a superb show and it will be a tremendous sing-along .....but lots of adam lambert fans i do not want.

Anyway fingers crossed for suitable bands and an announcement soon

[she bangs the drums]

Ok, 'shebangsthedrum' ....i think there is a separate issue here between Queen fans and Adam Lambert fans and in this case i 100% agree with you.

Queen will put on a superb show and it will be a tremendous sing-along .....but lots of adam lambert fans i do not want.

Anyway fingers crossed for suitable bands and an announcement soon

Edited January 26, 2012 by she bangs the drums

[jump]

I was pretty ambivalent about Queen playing Sonisphere, but having read such bigotted and ill-informed views i am now rooting for them 100%.

Sonisphere is a really friendly and enjoyable event and needs to promote accessibility and tolerance. The last thing it needs is for the crowd simply being 'a load of younger people all going crazy and having a mental time' - if that's what you want then go to R&L!

Queen in themselves will not be a problem as long as the rest of the bill has a strong rock/punk/metal contingent. If you are so pissed off with this potential booking then go elsewhere, but don't clog forums with your views on the subject

[Justiceforcedave]

As an event which markets itself as a "Rock" and not exclusively "Metal" festival it seems like a no brainer to me.

Queen are a booking which would not only appeal to most (not all) of the regular punters but also pull in looooads of new people and why would any festival now want that?

Add to the mix that Download have got a very strong lineup so far and Queen become a great booking to the festival. Appealing to a broader audience with acts that cross over is just good business sense (see Prodigy/Chase and Status)

If it is true then I think for all of the outraged people that decide not to buy their tickets, there will be 10 new bodies who will gladly take their place. Freddie or no Freddie they will be an awesomely fun sing along festival band.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Justiceforcedave

[zahidf]

What sort of accessibilty & tolerance does it need to promote?

[jump]

As an event which markets itself as a "Rock" and not exclusively "Metal" festival it seems like a no brainer to me.

Queen with Adam Lambert are a booking which would not only appeal to most (not all) of the regular punters but also pull in looooads of new people and why would any festival now want that?

Add to the mix that Download have got a very strong lineup so far and Queen with Adam Lambert become a great booking to the festival. Appealing to a broader audience with acts that cross over is just good business sense (see Prodigy/Chase and Status)

If it is true then I think for all of the outraged people that decide not to buy their tickets, there will be 10 new bodies who will gladly take their place. Freddie or no Freddie they will be an awesomely fun sing along festival band.

And that's all I have to say about that.