Heavier bands at Reading

[Hart Attack]

How would people feel about more heavier bands playing at Reading? Or rather, different types of heavier bands (hard rock, alternative metal, classic rock) instead of the 'Radio 1 rock' like Biffy Clyro, Enter Shikari, Lostprophets and so on that generally make up the heavier side of the festival (not that I dislike that stuff, but it would be nice to expand and diversify).

I'm not talking about turning Reading into Download or Sonisphere by having these acts dominate the whole line-up, but I think it would be cool to see more bands like Alter Bridge, Stone Sour, Disturbed, Evanescence, HIM, Black Stone Cherry, Alice In Chains, Motorhead, Slash etc. included on the bill.

[quilani]

But Sonisphere and Download exist for a reason. Not enough of the Reading demographic would enjoy those bands enough for it to warrant the fee that they'd command.

Not ruling the idea out completely. Maybe one or two acts a little further down the bill on main stage, yes. But Reading isn't going to sell tickets based on the fact that Evanescence are playing

Edited March 10, 2012 by quilani

[Yellow_Fellow]

We have heavier bands than the ones you outlined playing every single year! Rolo Tomassi, Architects, Hatebreed, Metallica, Gallows, glassjaw, letlive! These are all pretty recent acts.

[thetime]

10-15 years to late.

[Hart Attack]

We have heavier bands than the ones you outlined playing every single year! Rolo Tomassi, Architects, Hatebreed, Metallica, Gallows, glassjaw, letlive! These are all pretty recent acts.

[RichieParf]

Sonisphere and download are already stretching the market. There's a reason they're swapping Metallica and Linkin Park every other year. One of them will go out of business before too long unless metal makes a major comeback (not gonna happen). R&L would have no interest in trying to be a metal festival.

[lightning1000]

Sonisphere and download are already stretching the market. There's a reason they're swapping Metallica and Linkin Park every other year. One of them will go out of business before too long unless metal makes a major comeback (not gonna happen). R&L would have no interest in trying to be a metal festival.

[Lithium05]

I'd say it's to do with the size of these bands, take Alter Bridge for example - played arenas on their last tour, which should qualify them for second or third on the bill, but their lack of radio play means if they were to be booked the ignorant fuckers that flock to Reading/Leeds in their droves to catch whatever is considered "in", wouldn't have a fucking clue who they were.

I think there are tiers to it, you've got your top tier of bands capable of headlining or there abouts such as Metallica, NIN, Maiden, RATM, Slipknot, SOAD... That Reading/Leeds will book, then you've got the lower tier bands who wouldn't command a high slot so can be slotted in low on the bill without bothering anyone - Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, Mastodon, Skindred etc.

But it's the middle tier likes of Alter Bridge, Stone Sour and the others mentioned that would probably expect to play 4th or higher that represent more of a gamble due to their lack of mainstream attention.

Or I could just be talking out my arse

[lightning1000]

I'd say it's to do with the size of these bands, take Alter Bridge for example - played arenas on their last tour, which should qualify them for second or third on the bill, but their lack of radio play means if they were to be booked the ignorant fuckers that flock to Reading/Leeds in their droves to catch whatever is considered "in", wouldn't have a fucking clue who they were.

I think there are tiers to it, you've got your top tier of bands capable of headlining or there abouts such as Metallica, NIN, Maiden, RATM, Slipknot, SOAD... That Reading/Leeds will book, then you've got the lower tier bands who wouldn't command a high slot so can be slotted in low on the bill without bothering anyone - Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, Mastodon, Skindred etc.

But it's the middle tier likes of Alter Bridge, Stone Sour and the others mentioned that would probably expect to play 4th or higher that represent more of a gamble due to their lack of mainstream attention.

Or I could just be talking out my arse

[TYLER_4]

just one day of alot heavier stuff would do me fine

[rug568]

just one day of alot heavier stuff would do me fine

[Vieuphoria]

[mrtourette]

Evanescence are a heavy band? To me they're just as dull and limited as the 'Radio 1 rock' mentioned in the OP.

[lightning1000]

Evanescence are a heavy band? To me they're just as dull and limited as the 'Radio 1 rock' mentioned in the OP.

[mrtourette]

As well as R&L finding it's niche and not competing too much with Download and Soni I think that a lot of bands would rather play higher up at more specialist festivals to a crowd that they know would be more appreciative rather than play lower at R&L. The two situations feed each other.

Edited March 10, 2012 by mrtourette

[Calzum]

disregard this

Edited March 10, 2012 by Calzum

[thetime]

lost prophets heavy?

[lightning1000]

In relation to Leeds fest, yes they are one of the "heavier" bands that play. Doesn't mean they're neccessarily heavy in comparison to slayer or machine head though. It's all relative.

[Lewis Cato]

Booking bands such as Alter Bridge for Reading would be like booking The Vaccines for Download/Sonisphere; it's inconsistent with the image of bands that are booked and although they garner a large following is appealing to an audience which by and large isn't there, sacrificing either a high spot or at the very least a large amount of money on an act which the majority of the audience has no interest in.

[lightning1000]

Booking bands such as Alter Bridge for Reading would be like booking The Vaccines for Download/Sonisphere; it's inconsistent with the image of bands that are booked and although they garner a large following is appealing to an audience which by and large isn't there, sacrificing either a high spot or at the very least a large amount of money on an act which the majority of the audience has no interest in.

Edited March 11, 2012 by lightning1000

[Hawky]

Would be cool if Machine Head played

[Lewis Cato]

So what would booking Metallica, Rage or slayer for Leeds be comparable to download booking? The prodigy? Chase & Status? Pendulem? Terrorvision? Biffy Clyro?

All festivals need to keep an open mind with bookings these days. The day Leeds stops booking at least some heavy bands is the day I stop attending. The audience for these bands at R+L is far bigger than you seem to be thinking.

Edited March 11, 2012 by Lewis Cato

[lightning1000]

I don't think alterbridge are that heavy. Surely avenged sevenfold are heavier?

Leeds has always booked some of the lesser known heavier bands lower down the line up.

I'm not saying Melvin should book more heavy acts, just change up the heavy bands he does book more often.

[Lewis Cato]

Yeah I'd agree that Avenged Sevenfold are heavier but they have far more crossover appeal with a Reading audience; it's not really a case of whether a band is too heavy for Reading or not (as Yellow_Fellow mentioned earlier, Rolo Tomassi, Architects, etc.) but it's much more about the scenes they come from. Hardcore, math and very high-profile metal bands all appeal to and crossover to at least some factions of the Reading audience while bands such as Alter Bridge usually have fans whose entire tastes will be surrounded in hard rock/metal and so are far more suited towards a Download/Sonisphere line-up. To put simply, the vast majority of the audience who would want to see Alter Bridge go to Download/Sonisphere and the vast majority of the audience who go to Reading and Leeds won't, and a general rule of thumb is that if you put a band on which 98% of the crowd have no interest in seeing it's a bad booking.

[lightning1000]

The majority of people who want to see alterbridge will go to where alterbridge are playing. This is my point, with download reaching out to new markets, taking some reading and Leeds punters with prodigy, biffy etc. so if a band like alterbridge are on the line up with a few other bands that are simalar, there's a chance a few download or soni punters would go to Leeds instead/or both.

And I think the same people who like Metallica and avenged would probably like alterbridge if they give them a chance. They won't be able to do this if they aren't there.