All Points East Festival 2020

[Superunknown]

Get those sexy Welsh shaggers on the East Stage imo

[Superunknown]

Just now, AAlex said:

Out of interest, does anyone know how many of the 12 APE shows so far (2018/19) have actually sold out, if any?

Not sure about 2018, think Nick Cave and The National did or at least came close. 

Strokes did last year and think Chems pretty much did but there were still tickets a few days before.

[emmanuel]

I'm also disappointed it does not align with Kraftwerk+Iggy Pop or Tindersticks (Friday night 22 May in London). I've never seen Massive Attack and it could be have been an importunity (and the only one this year). At least on Sunday it ends at 10:30 so I can go back home... if I decide to go.

At this point I'd be surprised if there is any more indie-rock friendly headliner, but let's see!

Edited January 28, 2020 by emmanuel

[Hugh Jass]

10 minutes ago, AAlex said:

Out of interest, does anyone know how many of the 12 APE shows so far (2018/19) have actually sold out, if any?

Strokes did, Cave did, think Bjork might have done.

[the wonderwhy]

58 minutes ago, Superunknown said:

Not sure about 2018, think Nick Cave and The National did or at least came close. 

Strokes did last year and think Chems pretty much did but there were still tickets a few days before.

I was on the gate for the National and I remember them telling me the expected crowd was some way off capacity (35,000 for that weekend). By the end of the day there was apparently a lot of walk-ups but still quite far off 'selling out' unfortunately. 

I think its only The Strokes and Nick Cave that have had tickets go off sale before the day. 

[MrTobs]

Gorillaz are teasing something, they'd be a perfect fit for APE in my opinion.

But I think Damon Albarn is touring his orchestral project in may, don't know if he could do a one-off gig.

[the wonderwhy]

All of this lot are out (of weekend one at least) 

[xxialac]

1 minute ago, MrTobs said:

Gorillaz are teasing something, they'd be a perfect fit for APE in my opinion.

But I think Damon Albarn is touring his orchestral project in may, don't know if he could do a one-off gig.

Pretty unlikely he'd do both the same week.

[Gilgamesh69]

11 minutes ago, MrTobs said:

Gorillaz are teasing something, they'd be a perfect fit for APE in my opinion.

But I think Damon Albarn is touring his orchestral project in may, don't know if he could do a one-off gig.

Tbh I'm thinking it might just be that Teenage Cancer Trust show at Royal Albert Hall

[retromoz]

could RATM do this?!? 

 

Asking for a friend....

[RUMINE]

Royal Blood would be great - saves me having to go to Newcastle and back that weekend, (not the worst as I'm from there and go to uni in London so the only ball ache is the train travel + prices but got accommodation all sorted), which is what I did to catch both Foals at this is Tomorrow and then the Strokes at APE last year. 

Unfortunately, if they follow Foals' touring pattern from last year it looks like APE might not be on the cards and they'll do truck but I'm optimistic. 

Biffy/RB co-head is interesting and would sell great IMO but to be honest, with them putting on Christine & The Queens last year alone I don't think this is something they'd go for and want to spread them over a couple different days, both with decent subs. The Fontaines/Blossoms/Royal Blood lineup from This is Tomorrow would translate really well to APE I reckon so something along those lines. 

I can see Bombay and Rex Orange County making some high up appearances, similar with Sam Fender, Everything Everything and lower down maybe Oh Wonder & Confidence Man

[DomDom1984]

What's this utter shite about playing the O2 and not being niche? Since fucking when? I get the sense folk don't know the meaning of the word. 

It's possible to be niche and fill stadiums, let alone arenas 

[xxialac]

1 hour ago, DomDom1984 said:

What's this utter shite about playing the O2 and not being niche? Since fucking when? I get the sense folk don't know the meaning of the word. 

It's possible to be niche and fill stadiums, let alone arenas 

Calm yourself down Mr Angry 35 year old.

The word was used in the very context of not having enough fans to sell APE well and it was in that context that I was responding by mentioning the O2.

And the Cambridge English dictionary gives the meaning of niche as:

"interesting to, aimed at or affecting only a small number of people"

I get the sense folk don't know the meaning of the word....

[Dales]

4 minutes ago, xxialac said:

Calm yourself down Mr Angry 35 year old.

The word was used in the very context of not having enough fans to sell APE well and it was in that context that I was responding by mentioning the O2.

And the Cambridge English dictionary gives the meaning of niche as:

"interesting to, aimed at or affecting only a small number of people"

I get the sense folk don't know the meaning of the word....

I may have used the word in the wrong context but my meaning/intention was that Massive Attack are not an act that people casually like/dont mind. There are lots of acts that people will watch/listen to with out calling themselves fans and  so may take a punt and go along to see them beacuse they know a few songs or their mate likes them.

Massive Attack and Kraftwerk for that matter appeal to a limited amount of people in the context of the general population. They will not attract casual punters for want of a  better term. They will only attract a narrow section of the general public who actually know of them and like the music.

Selling out a venue in London is not exactly that hard and acts do play the O2 with huge areas closed off. I have no idea what the crowds were like for the Massive Attack show but I'm sure they don't often include people who went along because they heard a couple of songs on the radio/TV in the way that some acts sell tickets. I bet everyone who goes to their shows love them and have multiple mixes of every track they play.

Maybe my expectations of APE are too high and with bookings like Nick Cave, The Strokes, The Chemicals, Mumford (I know  that one did not sell that well) I thought they were aiming to be a top level festival. The reality is that the sort of acts they are likely to book are a little below The Strokes level headliner and they were probably punching above their weight with that booking.

Massive Attack do not appeal to the general public, so to me they are niche. 

[MarmK]

9 hours ago, xxialac said:

Massive Attack niche? The band who played the O2 arena last year?

One of the most important bands of the last 30 years with several classic albums and enormously influential. Have also been very successful touring.

And they've played around 1,000 gigs but because of 1 gig, you think some people at one Spanish festival once will be put off coming to APE? Plus we only heard one side of the story..

 

I was there at Mad Cool in 2018 and wouldn't risk planning a day around them playing now. If they play at Primavera this year I will see them, unless they clash.

[xxialac]

27 minutes ago, MarmK said:

I was there at Mad Cool in 2018 and wouldn't risk planning a day around them playing now. If they play at Primavera this year I will see them, unless they clash.

Do you stop getting on planes when you read about a plane crash?

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

1 hour ago, Dales said:

 

Massive Attack do not appeal to the general public, so to me they are niche. 

Bit of an odd thing to say about a band when all 5 of their albums hit the top 20 in the UK charts, 4 of them top 10 in fact and 2 of them were number 1's... it seems the general public must have cared at some point, no?

Sure this isn't going to sell out, but they sit in pretty well with the rest of the names APE have offered over the past two years in terms of size/pulling power. So I don't see your point really. 

[xxialac]

1 hour ago, Dales said:

I may have used the word in the wrong context but my meaning/intention was that Massive Attack are not an act that people casually like/dont mind. There are lots of acts that people will watch/listen to with out calling themselves fans and  so may take a punt and go along to see them beacuse they know a few songs or their mate likes them.

Massive Attack and Kraftwerk for that matter appeal to a limited amount of people in the context of the general population. They will not attract casual punters for want of a  better term. They will only attract a narrow section of the general public who actually know of them and like the music.

Selling out a venue in London is not exactly that hard and acts do play the O2 with huge areas closed off. I have no idea what the crowds were like for the Massive Attack show but I'm sure they don't often include people who went along because they heard a couple of songs on the radio/TV in the way that some acts sell tickets. I bet everyone who goes to their shows love them and have multiple mixes of every track they play.

Maybe my expectations of APE are too high and with bookings like Nick Cave, The Strokes, The Chemicals, Mumford (I know  that one did not sell that well) I thought they were aiming to be a top level festival. The reality is that the sort of acts they are likely to book are a little below The Strokes level headliner and they were probably punching above their weight with that booking.

Massive Attack do not appeal to the general public, so to me they are niche. 

I think you're right. Ultimately this is a debate about the then and then.

Massive Attack's first three albums all went double platinum. Protection and Heligoland were top 10. Mezzanine and 100th Window were UK number 1 albums.

Mezzanine sold over 4 million copies. That's a huge number.

So *at the time* they appealed to the general public. And getting number 1 albums was pretty much the definition of appealing to the general public.

With the passing of time, however, their appeal has faded so they are not as big a draw now as they used to be.

[xxialac]

2 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Bit of an odd thing to say about a band when all 5 of their albums hit the top 20 in the UK charts, 4 of them top 10 in fact and 2 of them were number 1's... it seems the general public must have cared at some point, no?

Sure this isn't going to sell out, but they sit in pretty well with the rest of the names APE have offered over the past two years in terms of size/pulling power. So I don't see your point really. 

If I had an upvote left, would be sending it your way!

[Dales]

3 minutes ago, xxialac said:

If I had an upvote left, would be sending it your way!

5 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Bit of an odd thing to say about a band when all 5 of their albums hit the top 20 in the UK charts, 4 of them top 10 in fact and 2 of them were number 1's... it seems the general public must have cared at some point, no?

Sure this isn't going to sell out, but they sit in pretty well with the rest of the names APE have offered over the past two years in terms of size/pulling power. So I don't see your point really. 

I don't dispute that they sold well and back when people paid hard cash for music. I like them, so I dont have any issue with them or their music. I bought loads of their stuff but I just do not see them as a big ticket shifter for a festival now. A festival in London should not find it hard to sell tickets if  it gets its headliner right. APE often does not for some reason and for me part of its because it often books niche headliners. A lot of work must go in to getting acts and they must have confidence in how it will go and how many tickets they will sell.

Obviously, I will have to eat humble pie when Massive Attack becomes APEs biggest seller. Maybe this will be the act to buck the trend and stop all the freebies.

[sadimmock]

1 minute ago, Dales said:

I don't dispute that they sold well and back when people paid hard cash for music. I like them, so I dont have any issue with them or their music. I bought loads of their stuff but I just do not see them as a big ticket shifter for a festival now. A festival in London should not find it hard to sell tickets if  it gets its headliner right. APE often does not for some reason and for me part of its because it often books niche headliners. A lot of work must go in to getting acts and they must have confidence in how it will go and how many tickets they will sell.

Obviously, I will have to eat humble pie when Massive Attack becomes APEs biggest seller. Maybe this will be the act to buck the trend and stop all the freebies.

None of us really know what APEs economic model is though. I would guess that a band like Massive Attack sell far more of the mega-margin VIP/hospitality packages than someone like Royal Blood would (solely due to age of the fans).

We also have no idea what promises have been made to sponsors/partners like Amex regarding demographics and how much money those deals are worth to the festival. 

They could even model the bar take based on likely audience composition etc...

I’m just guessing that actual ticket sales may be only one factor in how profitable the festival is when all is said and done. 

[xxialac]

The funny thing here is that it is in punters' interest that they don't sell out, don't 'get their headliner right' and screw up on promoting it. The last thing punters should be worried about is whether a massive music promoter (Goldenvoice) is making enough profit. Just as I don't worry about an airline's financials when I end up with a half full long haul flight and have more space to myself.

For me APE is an exceptional blend of really good lineups, not too crowded like Hyde Park and £2.50 tickets! 

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

1 minute ago, Dales said:

 

Obviously, I will have to eat humble pie when Massive Attack becomes APEs biggest seller. Maybe this will be the act to buck the trend and stop all the freebies.

Nobody is saying that though, but you can't really say they look out of place on a list that includes Bjork, Christine & the Queens, LCD Soundsystem, Kraftwerk etc...

Are they going to sell it out? Nope, nobody has suggested they will. Are they going to draw in enough punters to make a profit? I guess the organisers think so. After all AEG booked them for the much bigger BST just 4 years ago, so they must have a good idea how many tickets they shift for a large outdoor London show.  

[Dales]

In general I dont  disagree with what everyone is saying and certainly agree what is good for us as festival goers is different to that of promotors. I am never going to say no  to some freebies. Maybe its the Accountant in  me, that I find some of there bookings odd but when spelled out as below yeah they sit quiet well in that company.

6 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

Nobody is saying that though, but you can't really say they look out of place on a list that includes Bjork, Christine & the Queens, LCD Soundsystem, Kraftwerk etc...

Hope you all enjoy the show.

[xxialac]

Incidentally there are some strong names on today's undercard as well as the obvious ones.

Fatoumata Diawara is absolutely brilliant, great guitarist and voice. Rarely plays in the UK.

Sevdaliza I'm expecting to break through in the way FKA Twigs now has. Amazing performer. Played 2 years back I think.

And dub Mezzanine by Mad Professor would be amazing if you're off your head.