Foals

[thewayiam]

Completely agree with this. I think Melvin and crew wanted/thought this album would do big things, it won't live up to it as much but it's probably too late as they've already offered them the headline slot and I don't think there's loads of options for headliners next year.

My only thinking it would be strange seeing Foals and Florence both headlining but I can't see either of those two headlining elsewhere!

I think it could go down as the weakest headline slot in 10 years comfortably if they do headline, it really is that simple. They are not big enough, they will not be big enough to headline next August.

[home to you]

Didn't Alt-J just sub off the back of 2 albums? Bastille played 3rd with 1 album.

Foals may appear a weak booking but it's in keeping with the trend of recent and future Reading lineups

[thewayiam]

Didn't Alt-J just sub off the back of 2 albums? Bastille played 3rd with 1 album.

Foals may appear a weak booking but it's in keeping with the trend of recent and future Reading lineups

Thing is dude, Bastille playing 3rd off one album isn't such a weird thing, they got huge and bar Boardmasters were exclusive.

Alt-J did yes, 3rd elsewhere they played as well. As has been pointed out, Alt-J had already stepped up to a bigger venue before hand, they also had a number 1 album and their last 3 singles have all entered in higher.

I'm not sure they are a great example, furthermore, they might be bigger than Foals themselves lol.

[Yellow_Fellow]

gazza please stop being a contrarian it's very boring to read

[thewayiam]

gazza please stop being a contrarian it's very boring to read

Yellow, do one! I don't care!

[Yellow_Fellow]

great

[Bisque]

Maybe this new Foals album will win a Mercury & the band a few NME awards before they're announced.

[mrtourette]

I'd say that's very likely.

[tyranicide]

Apparently The Libertines had a small crowd this year, well if Foals headline next year theyd get an even smaller crowd. It would be a weak booking and they don't deserve to step up to headline yet. Theyd make a good sub but very weak headline.

[Matt42]

Alt-J and Bastille have both released albums which were popular worldwide

Foals have yet to release a #1 album in their own home country

 

It's not comparable, but when you do compare it Foals are the weaker one anyway.

[home to you]

Alt-J and Bastille have both released albums which were popular worldwide

Foals have yet to release a #1 album in their own home country

It's not comparable, but when you do compare it Foals are the weaker one anyway.

So Foals' rightful place on the next Reading line-up is below 3rd?

[Matt42]

No - what i'm saying is you can't compare Foals with bands like Alt-J and Bastille as they've achieved more than Foals. 

 

Headline bookings and placings are decided on other factors, but some of those factors are considered.

Edited September 8, 2015 by Matt42

[#FreeComTruise]

If Foals don't headline you'll all just be complaining about how gash, outdated, boring and predictable the actual headliners are.

 

And probably won't attend either way. 

 

Who would you Foals naysayers rather have than them, that isn't any of the above, and is actually a realistic possibility? 

 

Inb4 Gazza says Imagine Dragons.

[dentalplan]

oh man did matt just say how worldwide brackets american close brackets popularity affects reading again oh god why wont he stop

[devilman]

Garth Brooks headliner - CONFIRMED!

[justanothername]

My brother told me with a straight face today that he can see Foals and Alt-J co headlining next year

[charley]

I'd imagine if they were paying attention this year then there won't be an 'indie' headliner, as there crowds were well down on the rock and hip hop ones.

Very sad times (for me anyway) but it is fair to say kendrick was way more popular than anyone else on Sunday.

Plus Metallica was easily the busiest of the weekend, and Mumford are hardly a indie band and weren't that busy either.

[Yellow_Fellow]

No - what i'm saying is you can't compare Foals with bands like Alt-J and Bastille as they've achieved more than Foals.

by what possible metric

[Muntz75]

A number 1 album means absolutely naff all.

 

Green Day, Bruce Springstein, The Who, Nirvana. The Smiths, Metallica, Bob Marley, Joy Division, Radiohead have never had a number 1 album in the UK and most of/if not all of them have headlined festivals. 

 

I'm also pretty sure Foals new album has probably sold more than their last at this point but due to the strong competition last week it sadly didn't make number 1. 

 

4 Top 10 albums and being renowned as one of the best live bands in the UK means they will headline a big festival whether you like it or not. 

[devilman]

A number 1 album means absolutely naff all.

 

Green Day, Bruce Springstein, The Who, Nirvana. The Smiths, Metallica, Bob Marley, Joy Division, Radiohead have never had a number 1 album in the UK and most of/if not all of them have headlined festivals. 

 

I'm also pretty sure Foals new album has probably sold more than their last at this point but due to the strong competition last week it sadly didn't make number 1. 

 

4 Top 10 albums and being renowned as one of the best live bands in the UK means they will headline a big festival whether you like it or not. 

 

Thanks for your opinion. Could you please go check some facts. What you have written is absolute bollocks.

[Mouseboy11]

A number 1 album means absolutely naff all.

 

Green Day, Bruce Springstein, The Who, Nirvana. The Smiths, Metallica, Bob Marley, Joy Division, Radiohead have never had a number 1 album in the UK and most of/if not all of them have headlined festivals. 

 

I'm also pretty sure Foals new album has probably sold more than their last at this point but due to the strong competition last week it sadly didn't make number 1. 

 

4 Top 10 albums and being renowned as one of the best live bands in the UK means they will headline a big festival whether you like it or not. 

This is painful

[Yellow_Fellow]

He's right in saying that a number one album means fuck all, it's just an indicator of how well an act is doing generally and has so many variables it's useless metric information

Correlation, not causation

[mrtourette]

I'd imagine if they were paying attention this year then there won't be an 'indie' headliner, as there crowds were well down on the rock and hip hop ones.

Very sad times (for me anyway) but it is fair to say kendrick was way more popular than anyone else on Sunday.

Plus Metallica was easily the busiest of the weekend, and Mumford are hardly a indie band and weren't that busy either.

 

How are you defining indie?

 

Also Metallica getting a bigger crowd than Libertines doesn't mean 'rock' is more popular than 'indie'.

 

Kendrick getting a bigger crowd than Libertines or Jamie T doesn't mean that 'hip hop' is more popular than 'indie'.

 

It means the specific examples of those genres were more popular than the 'indie' on offer, which could be for a number of reasons rather than 'indie' not being popular.

[oneoftherest]

This has been the most painful thing to read through. Honestly, Foals probably aren't there yet however that won't stop them being booked to headline. With a lot of bands, they get doubted and then they deliver and it makes them valid headliners.

I too expected the album to do better but it hasn't done badly by a long shot.

You can't compare Foals to the likes of Green Day, Metallica etc.

Single performance means jack all when it comes to festival line ups the majority of the time.

All in all, if Foals headline, people will cry, those same people are the people who never go to the festivals. People who like Foals will probably go and I'd say a lot of Reading and Leeds go-ers are probably casual Foals fans anyway.

We are a very small percentage and most won't look into their acholades, they'll probably just get on with it

[devilman]

I will cry if Foals headline. I go to 5 festivals a year. Like the old Grolsch advert used to say. Schtop, this ish not ready yet.