Ed Sheeran. Bets are off

[DareToDibble]

On 11/7/2016 at 11:18 AM, CaledonianGonzo said:

If no one at the festival wanted to see them they'd be playing to an empty Pyramid field. 

Adele got a big crowd; Sheeran will get a big crowd. 

 

Hard to disagree with this to be honest.

I don't really like Radiohead () but I understand their merits to be playing at the festival. I'll be elsewhere, but I've no doubt thousands of people will love seeing them.

The same for Ed Sheeran. Granted he is probably being picked for the "BBC Slot" to please the masses but his record sales also speak for themselves. If you don't like the act, there is plenty going on elsewhere. And if not - it's a nice early entry into Shangri La  

[russycarps]

when did record sales become all important? I guess it was the beyonce year.

 

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

Oasis did alright too on the old record sales front

[russycarps]

why didnt robson and jerome headline in 1995 then?

 

[The Nal]

Is the average age of Sheerans fanbase not 12 years old? Do enough 12 year olds go to Glasto to fill the field?

why didnt robson and jerome headline in 1995 then?

Eavis heard a rumour that Jerome had terminal cancer so he turned them down.

Edited November 8, 2016 by The Nal

[fatyeti24]

4 minutes ago, russycarps said:

why didnt robson and jerome headline in 1995 then?

 

they were booked, but Robson broke his arm mountainbiking in San Francisco and Pulp filled in.

[CaledonianGonzo]

32 minutes ago, russycarps said:

when did record sales become all important? I guess it was the beyonce year.

 

Yeah. ...the festival once headlined by Rod Stewart had its critical reputation trashed by booking Beyonce.

30 minutes ago, russycarps said:

why didnt robson and jerome headline in 1995 then?

 

Because it's a lousy comparison?

[russycarps]

Just now, CaledonianGonzo said:

Yeah. ...the festival once headlined by Rod Stewart had its critical reputation trashed by booking Beyonce.

Because it's a lousy comparison?

 

but according to the ed fans he deserves his spot because he sells lots of records.

Why didnt celine dion headline back then? Dido? Take that? boyzone? Westlife? All sold huge amounts.

If the only argument for having someone headline is record sales then it's a pretty flimsy one

 

 

[Little Andy]

6 minutes ago, russycarps said:

 

but according to the ed fans he deserves his spot because he sells lots of records.

Why didnt celine dion headline back then? Dido? Take that? boyzone? Westlife? All sold huge amounts.

If the only argument for having someone headline is record sales then it's a pretty flimsy one

 

 

I think it should be based on 'Top-selling artists amongst adults, who are not manufactured'. That would rule out some of those you list.

[waterfalls212434]

he will get a big crowd no doubt, hed be this years adele, the appealing act to the radio 1 chartshow fans on site. doesnt mean I or anyone else have to like or respect him however. he offers nothing new, hes just another solo guitar bloke playing on the sensitive lad bs like so many before him, generic, boring poppy bollocks.

Still every cloud and all that, when hes on thats a chance to check out headliners on some other stage, beauty and diversity of glastonbury and all that.....

[CaledonianGonzo]

9 minutes ago, russycarps said:

 

but according to the ed fans he deserves his spot because he sells lots of records.

Why didnt celine dion headline back then? Dido? Take that? boyzone? Westlife? All sold huge amounts.

If the only argument for having someone headline is record sales then it's a pretty flimsy one

 

 

I don't want to put words in, er, DareToDibble's mouth - and I suspect he's not even an Ed fan in the first place - but for my own part there's  a "cultural impact" recognition factor that's pretty hard to quantify by things like record sales and streams alone.  It's why it's difficult to compare Sheeran to other acts that might or might not have played as thee's never really been anyone much like him.  He's his own thing.  Unique, even.  And that's pretty rare.

[Matt42]

11 minutes ago, russycarps said:

 

but according to the ed fans he deserves his spot because he sells lots of records.

Why didnt celine dion headline back then? Dido? Take that? boyzone? Westlife? All sold huge amounts.

5

maybe these acts didn't want to play Glastonbury since they could go elsewhere and get a bigger audience / paycheck

Now Glastonbury is the cool thing to do

[russycarps]

9 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I don't want to put words in, er, DareToDibble's mouth - and I suspect he's not even an Ed fan in the first place - but for my own part there's  a "cultural impact" recognition factor that's pretty hard to quantify by things like record sales and streams alone.  It's why it's difficult to compare Sheeran to other acts that might or might not have played as thee's never really been anyone much like him.  He's his own thing.  Unique, even.  And that's pretty rare.

I agree with you and I dont actually have a problem with his booking one bit. Just like I didnt with adele or mumfords, who i see as similar bookings. But it seems to me all people have in his defence when the booking is challenged is to cite his record sales and the fact he sold out wembley, rather than his actual ability. I dont know any of his songs, and nothing I've read in here has convinced me to check him out, because no one ever actually mentions his music!

When kanye was booked people were enthusiastic about his music/shows to the extent I went to see him. This isnt happening with ed.

I do think it would have been a positive thing if dido had headlined back in the day too actually, for the reasons you state. She was huge for a year or 2.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2016 by russycarps

[dentalplan]

15 minutes ago, russycarps said:

but according to the ed fans he deserves his spot because he sells lots of records.

Why didnt celine dion headline back then? Dido? Take that? boyzone? Westlife? All sold huge amounts.

If the only argument for having someone headline is record sales then it's a pretty flimsy one

Doesn't Glastonbury rely on a sell out to stay alive more than it did in the Nineties? And booking huge acts is the way to guarantee that for the next year innit.

[Little Andy]

8 minutes ago, waterfalls212434 said:

he offers nothing new, hes just another solo guitar bloke 

 

7 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

thee's never really been anyone much like him.  He's his own thing.  Unique, even.

 

Different views.

[CaledonianGonzo]

1 minute ago, russycarps said:

I agree with you and I dont actually have a problem with his booking one bit. Just like I didnt with adele or mumfords, who i see as similar bookings. But it seems to me all people have in his defence when the booking is challenged is to cite his record sales and the fact he sold out wembley, rather than his actual ability. I dont know any of his songs, and nothing I've read in here has convinced me to check him out, because no one ever actually mentions his music!

I think the significance of the Wembley thing is that a lot of people expected him to fall on his face and against all expectation he seemed to kick the arse out of it.  The kid has stones.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/12/ed-sheeran-singer-acoustic-guitar-effects-pedal-complete-triumph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/live-music-reviews/11731582/Ed-Sheeran-Wembley-review.html

Also, when Noel Gallagher went for him he came out of it by far the bigger man

[dentalplan]

13 minutes ago, Little Andy said:

Different views.

It's because many see him holding an acoustic guitar and make their judgements of what he is based on that - as opposed to what CG is saying. He has some songs that are just your generic strumming but his actual ability w/ his technique and the looping and managing to pull it off on a huge stage is pretty amazing.

 

Edited November 8, 2016 by dentalplan

[Hotchilidog]

Pretty sure Ed would go down a storm at Glastonbury. I am definitely not a fan but if he can make 90,000 people in a field happy than I don't have a problem with it. As has already been said there will be plenty more on offer when Ed is on stage.

[Little Andy]

4 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

It's because many see him holding an acoustic guitar and make their judgements of what he is based on that - as opposed to what CG is saying. He has some songs that are just your generic strumming but his actual ability w/ his technique and the looping and managing to pull it off on a huge stage is pretty amazing.

 

I agree. Plus, quite simply, I love his songs.

And in regards to people who think he's nothing new ... that is always said about artists in a genre you don't like. Stuff always sounds the same if you don't like it.

Edited November 8, 2016 by Little Andy

[jparx]

I think Ed is perfectly ok. I do think his live show is much less impressive than people give him credit for though. For a song or two it's pretty neat, but for a whole set it just feels a bit gimmicky. If you want to see someone do impressive stuff with loop pedals, check out Russian Circles!

If you remove the album sales and judge him solely on his tunes and the live experience, he's an underwhelming headliner. I don't particularly care what's a good booking and what isn't, because I'm a paying customer and not organising the thing. I'm sure they're happy with it, but I don't have to rejoice at what a huge booking it is.

But with all that, Radiohead are headlining and I've never cared less about the other headliners at a festival 

[DareToDibble]

30 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I don't want to put words in, er, DareToDibble's mouth - and I suspect he's not even an Ed fan in the first place - but for my own part there's  a "cultural impact" recognition factor that's pretty hard to quantify by things like record sales and streams alone.  It's why it's difficult to compare Sheeran to other acts that might or might not have played as thee's never really been anyone much like him.  He's his own thing.  Unique, even.  And that's pretty rare.

I wouldn't say I'm a fan really, no. I do like a few of his songs but don't own any albums and haven't seen his tour. I did see a bit of his set at Glastonbury in 2014 I think it was when he was on fairly early in the day on the Pyramid.

I do agree that album sales aren't the be all and end all of a Glastonbury headliner. But his popularity can't be ignored. I'm sure he is an act that does nothing for a lot of people but I can't think of many who actively dislike him - at least until I read this thread 

He's pretty inoffensive, will definitely be popular for the BBC coverage and is pretty current. I can't think of many British male solo artists that are as popular as him at the moment. Though I do agree that the "British" part seems to have become a bit too important in deciding bookings recently.

[dentalplan]

Just now, jparx said:

I think Ed is perfectly ok. I do think his live show is much less impressive than people give him credit for though. For a song or two it's pretty neat, but for a whole set it just feels a bit gimmicky. If you want to see someone do impressive stuff with loop pedals, check out Russian Circles!

I mean, nobody's saying he invented the loop pedal but it's just impressive that he can carry it off and has chosen to do his live show that way. The fact that you've used a post-metal band to point out he's not all that tells says a lot.

[russycarps]

5 minutes ago, DareToDibble said:

Though I do agree that the "British" part seems to have become a bit too important in deciding bookings recently.

we're just taking our festival back!

 

[Gnomicide]

He's the sort of feel good story the festival likes to promote, isn't he? Started on small stages, played something like 8 times the first year he was there I think, since then he's moved up the bill and could now headline.

I think that is why people see him as being a fit rather than just that he's sold a shed load of records. The festival can lay claim to having nurtured him.

[Gnomicide]

2 minutes ago, russycarps said:

we're just taking our festival back!

 

We're gonna build a fence!