'Contemporary' Performing Arts

[Porcelina]

Another year, another bunch of rumoured artists that hold no relevance in 2014.

Please can Glastonbury HQ take note of the key word 'Contemporary' in the festival's name and acknowledge that just because a band may still be releasing music, they don't hold a representational place.

AC/DC, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Depeche Mode, Oasis, The Stones Roses, Prince, Manic Street Preachers, Pixies, Fleetwood Mac?

Some of these bands may have released defining music during their careers, but not a single one has released a record in the last decade that has had any lasting impact - with the exception of Journal For Plague Lovers by MSP, but that album didn't perform and was written in the mid-90s anyway.

Loathe them as I do, Mumford & Sons at least had a place as headliners having been the largest new British band in the last five years.

I love Glastonbury for its diversity and being the only place in the world where you can see some acts in non-exclusive shows, but it also needs to be recreating those opportunities for new acts, as it did for Muse, Coldplay, Kings of Leon, The Killers etc. It's in danger of becoming a box-ticking exercise for the largest outdated acts, a'la U2/Rolling Stones.

So please, let's not get bogged down too heavily in the nostalgia in 2014, because we'll enjoy those reflective moments all the more when they're not so widespread.

Friday - *a new act who has never headlined a major festival*

Saturday - Arcade Fire

Sunday - David Bowie/Fleetwood Mac/another long-term established act that have been recently re-lauded.

Sorted.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Porcelina

[Yesiamaduck]

I'm just going to say it now

Sit back for a moment and think to yourself what new band could come out and headline Glastonbury without any criticism, that's the problem these days, all the credible talents have such a small slice of the audience because ever since the internet has become the powerhouse it is today this is becoming harder and harder to achieve because people can find music tailored to their taste whereas before the few 'alternative' acts to surface during the FM/AM Top of The Pops days would capture an audiences imagination and snowball into a headline slot within a year.

If Arcade Fire came about when this was the case they would've headlined the festival already but even as it stands I don't think they're quite big enough to headline the pyramid.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Yesiamaduck

[Hunterface]

If you want more bands like Mumford and Sons I suggest you head down to V Festival. Far more suited to your types.

[Porcelina]

I'd love to see Sigur Ros given a go, even if they have been around for a lot longer than what I had in mind.

Elsewise, it'd be completely ridiculous on paper but Foals have really come on in the last twelve months and had a brilliant reception.

Fleet Foxes' last album only consolidated their status, but everybody knows the name.

Then there's bands like Phoenix, Bon Iver, The National.

Or if you wanted something 'for the kids' the Tinie Tempah or Taylor Swift can certainly fill arenas.

There's no element of risk with the headliners since 2008 and these bands need propelling to the top level, or else in ten years time all we'll have is Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys and Muse trawling on and on and on and on as the only stadium-sized acts.

If you want more bands like Mumford and Sons I suggest you head down to V Festival. Far more suited to your types.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Porcelina

[frostypaw]

You're right, but it's always chosen a more mature sort of act than the Taylor Swifts/Tinee Temper sort of act - if anything the charts are more full of flash-in-the-pan karaoke acts than it used to be and that doesn't give them an awful lot of choice

those that have turned up - say mumfords and florence as examples - have now played a slew of times. They end up getting hammered and we end up sick of them before they really get to headliner stuff

[grumpyhack]

Surely there are lots of contemporary/new bands playing all over the festival - though not necessarily on The Pyramid.

Not every new band would be able to work or pull a crowd of 30,000 or more on The Pyramid. Isn't that why bands work their way up through the smaller stages?

[Amy Lawn]

If you want more bands like Mumford and Sons I suggest you head down to V Festival. Far more suited to your types.

Edited October 20, 2013 by GETOFFAMYLAWN

[dentalplan]

At the end of the day, they're just rumours that, bar maybe one or two, won't result in anything - the same rumours from past years at that. Glastonbury will continue (apart from 2009) booking contemporary headliners and older headliners together.

But people do need reminding of this and bringing back down to Earth; the amount of predictions for older acts or even extinct acts to fill all of the Pyramid headline slots while recently proven UK festival headliners such as Elbow, Florence, Biffy Clyro, Arcade Fire are deemed 'not yet big enough' and 'more likely for Pyramid sub/Other headliner' is a bit much, considering it's much more often the case that Glastonbury headliners sub other festivals. Not like predictions affect the festival too much but people may just be setting themselves up to be disappointed.

[TheSeventhOne]

Perhaps wait and see who actually gets booked to headline first, eh?

[DJL]

I'd say the chances of one 'contemporary' headliner (which we've tended to have in the past) are very high. Ideally you need a balance (in terms of genre, era etc) between the three which i think they have generally achieved in the past.

Arcade fire, Elbow, biffy or florence (all of which you could argue are contemporary even though they're all a few albums in) could fit the bill for a newish headliner over the next few years but i'd expect two very well known names alongside

them, probably including a heritage act. I'm a big fan of hot chip and foals but i think i'd rather see them headlining the other first.

It's good for them to push new headliners when they are ready (in terms of popularity, back catalogue and talent) where possible but if they already had say fleetwood mac booked i wouldn't want them to then turn down Bowie and prince if they became available (we can dream). I would expect them to provide balance with their pyramid subs and other stage headliners instead, which they generally do.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Please can Glastonbury HQ take note of the key word 'Contemporary' in the festival's name and acknowledge that just because a band may still be releasing music, they don't hold a representational place.

[Buff124]

The OP is an intresting take on it, i tend to think of Mumford & Sons as a throwback to an earlier era. They gotta banjo player ferchissakes. You could argue that a lot of 'contemporary' musical styles are conciously retro, whether its The Black Keys, La Roux, or Fleet Foxes. Dunno about lyrics though, any bands singing about contemporary events ?

On the other hand, good music's timeless, I'm still discovering stuff from years ago that sounds fresh to my ears anyway. This week, Andy Pratt, 1973. I'd book him for next year.

　

[Guest]

bring back the good ol' days, when Coldplay, The Killers, Kings Of Leon etc were cutting edge contemporary blah blah blah

[Wooderson]

If yer knickers are in such a bunch over Pyramid headliners you've got the wrong festival.

[ian the worm]

Perhaps wait and see who actually gets booked to headline first, eh?

[LondonTom]

Don't get your complaint, most of the lower stage acts are "Contemporary" ...Foals and Pheonix who you mentioned both got pretty high slots this year...

I think Glastonbury tries to get the balance right most years, bearing in mind you've only got 3 slots a year for Pyramid headliners....but the general/ideal formula seems to be Legend, Current Massive act with a few albums and Newish act to headlining... (Some years it's slightly out but that's just due to whose available to book in any year).

[Andy0808 v3.0]

I stopped reading this thread when I saw the name Taylor Swift.

[5co77ie]

Performing arts are art forms in which artists use their body or voice to convey artistic expression

[jeffie]

Is that all?

Calls itself a festival, it's gone downhill you know..

Edited October 21, 2013 by jeffie

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Is that all?

Calls itself a festival, it's gone downhill you know..

[5co77ie]

Calls itself a festival, it's gone downhill you know..

[jeffie]

Still doesn't have a MacDonalds or a Starbucks! It just not contemporary enough!

[5co77ie]

True, and they don't have X-Factor Live on the Pyramid on Saturday night

Edited October 21, 2013 by 5co77ie

[Andy0808 v3.0]

Still doesn't have a MacDonalds or a Starbucks! It just not contemporary enough!

[Buff124]

the most contemporary aspect of live musict these days is the technology. mebbe we should just turn round and applaud the sound desk.