Worst line up in the last 10 years?

[CaledonianGonzo]

If all your eggs are in the basket marked "rock" you're going to go without dinner when someone drops it.

[henry bear]

51 minutes ago, Chinaski_ said:

There's just no imagination anymore in the bookings and you're pretty much guaranteed to see the same acts everywhere now. I think we'll lose a few festivals in the next 5/10 years. 

That’s guaranteed - festivals come and go all the time. I think their popularity in the UK has created a demand and there just aren’t enough acts to avoid a lot of repetition. And obviously, you can only book what’s available.

I think the 50th Anniversary has had an impact on the festival this year, and hopefully once 2020 is over it’ll get back to business as usual.

[CaledonianGonzo]

I honestly don't think the issues with the line-up are related to the 50th anniversary.  Previous anniversary years haven't banjaxed the line-up of the previous festivals. 

[chazwwe]

5 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I honestly don't think the issues with the line-up are related to the 50th anniversary.  Previous anniversary years haven't banjaxed the line-up of the previous festivals. 

100% has nothing to do with the 50th, most people could tell you that.

Look at other festivals around Europe, they're all pretty eh, like there's good in them but there's not one festival across Europe (except maybe Lowlands) that goes 'I need to see that line up. Rock Werchter is teribad this year. Gretta Van Fleet as a sub headliner would destroy this forum. 

[Chinaski_]

11 minutes ago, henry bear said:

That’s guaranteed - festivals come and go all the time. I think their popularity in the UK has created a demand and there just aren’t enough acts to avoid a lot of repetition. And obviously, you can only book what’s available.

I think the 50th Anniversary has had an impact on the festival this year, and hopefully once 2020 is over it’ll get back to business as usual.

I was thinking bigger ones though rather than newer ones. Who'd have thought V and T in the Park would no longer exist today back in 2009? 

[chatty]

13 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

If all your eggs are in the basket marked "rock" you're going to go without dinner when someone drops it.

Well for now there isnt much of rock, metal, blues, country, folk, ska, reggae, dance, grunge, punk, jazz, americana, psychedelia or acoustic so its a lot of rocks that have been dropped en route. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Jazz line-up's looking OK at this early stage, but I do agree that the likes of reggae, country, etc look a bit sparse at the minute.  More on those fronts to come I'd imagine.

[chazwwe]

5 minutes ago, Chinaski_ said:

I was thinking bigger ones though rather than newer ones. Who'd have thought V and T in the Park would no longer exist today back in 2009? 

Its crazy, Bestival as well is done. 

Personally I'd much rather smaller festivals (10k - 20k people max) than loads of big festivals, makes the headliners more attractive at the big festivals when they're not playing every other weekend from June - August throughout Europe. 

[Chinaski_]

11 minutes ago, chazwwe said:

Its crazy, Bestival as well is done. 

Personally I'd much rather smaller festivals (10k - 20k people max) than loads of big festivals, makes the headliners more attractive at the big festivals when they're not playing every other weekend from June - August throughout Europe. 

I think 3/4 festivals but catered to a specific market would work better. At least the likes of Download know what their market is, even if it's very repetitive. I'm not sure what Reading is supposed to be anymore. IOW/BST are both 'Dad rock'. Generally not a fan of these big London city "festivals" like BST/APE that crowd the market even further.

[henry bear]

21 minutes ago, chazwwe said:

100% has nothing to do with the 50th, most people could tell you that

But not Emily, who said a while back that some acts were holding back for 2020.

[chatty]

Mad Cool has a far better line up in the same month and its only in Spain. I think most festivals have done better this year tbh, its nowt to do with touring acts, 50th anniversary, acts unaffordable. Theyve just dropped the ball, trying to play to coy with the PC stuff and started booking irrelevant acts like Janet Jackson that people forgot about and dont really care for so they can appear to have a gender balance. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

FloorFiller nailed this over the page.  It's the male acts that are largely over-familiar, obsolete or just plain garbage.  Booking The National again isn't going to improve it any.

[chazwwe]

24 minutes ago, Chinaski_ said:

I think 3/4 festivals but catered to a specific market would work better. At least the likes of Download know what their market is, even if it's very repetitive. I'm not sure what Reading is supposed to be anymore. IOW/BST are both 'Dad rock'. Generally not a fan of these big London city "festivals" like BST/APE that crowd the market even further.

Reading is still for the Radio 1 listeners and what ever sells tickets haha. I like going to single days at APE/BST but wouldn't do a full weekend

 

21 minutes ago, henry bear said:

But not Emily, who said a while back that some acts were holding back for 2020.

Huh, haven't actually seen that, I'd assume some for the bigger names (headlienr/sub headliners) would hold out but with the undercard (which is what I normally go for) I thought it'd just be on touring cycle like normal. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

You can assume the acts potentially holding out for the 50th would be the likes of Coldplay.  I doubt any of the likely heritage headliners plan that afr in advance any more.  Elton John aside, perhaps.

[henry bear]

8 minutes ago, chatty said:

Theyve just dropped the ball, trying to play to coy with the PC stuff and started booking irrelevant acts like Janet Jackson that people forgot about and dont really care for so they can appear to have a gender balance. 

Are the likes of Johnny Marr, The Cure and Wu-Tang any more ‘relevant’ than JJ?

[Chinaski_]

4 minutes ago, chazwwe said:

Reading is still for the Radio 1 listeners and what ever sells tickets haha. I like going to single days at APE/BST but wouldn't do a full weekend

Well Reading was meant to be more catered toward the alternative crowd, these days it's half Wireless and half Radio 1 Big Weekend. Yet then they book acts like The Distillers, who then won't draw a crowd as the majority won't have heard of them. Even the punk stage is full of rap now too. 

[Glastocat]

6 minutes ago, chatty said:

Mad Cool has a far better line up in the same month and its only in Spain. I think most festivals have done better this year tbh, its nowt to do with touring acts, 50th anniversary, acts unaffordable. Theyve just dropped the ball, trying to play to coy with the PC stuff and started booking irrelevant acts like Janet Jackson that people forgot about and dont really care for so they can appear to have a gender balance. 

Tbf mate, Janet Jackson doesn't interest me in the slightest and I feel it's lets say a strange decision to have her on this year of all years. That said I don't mind her being on there but on the top line with the headliners for a big UK festival! No way imo.

 

Just now, henry bear said:

Are the likes of Johnny Marr, The Cure and Wu-Tang any more ‘relevant’ than JJ?

Marr and Wu Tang aren't on the top line though. If she was down next to Sheryl Crow or Johnny Marr it would be a decent booking if not to my taste.

Also without the Cure and Johnny Marr on there the poster would be even more unbalanced than it already is. Basically, no rock heavier acts on there.

[eFestivals]

6 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

You can assume the acts potentially holding out for the 50th would be the likes of Coldplay.  I doubt any of the likely heritage headliners plan that afr in advance any more.  Elton John aside, perhaps.

Emily told me about 2 years ago that she'd had two headliner approaches for 2020 - which I'm guessing are heritage acts.

I can't really see why it would have been something she'd feel the need to tell me if it were 'normal' headliners.

[Chinaski_]

1 minute ago, eFestivals said:

Emily told me about 2 years ago that she'd had two headliner approaches for 2020 - which I'm guessing are heritage acts.

I can't really see why it would have been something she'd feel the need to tell me if it were 'normal' headliners.

Kinks reunion please! 

[Xeph1995]

Who are people must gutted about not playing? I thought for sure The Smashing Pumpkins would be there 

[chatty]

8 minutes ago, henry bear said:

Are the likes of Johnny Marr, The Cure and Wu-Tang any more ‘relevant’ than JJ?

The Cure at least have a new album they are going to drop soon, albeit probably not before the festival and Ive already said my piece on the headliners. 

Wu Tang and Johnny Marr are on smaller stages or the latter will be at least low on the bill on a big stage. 

Bit different. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

The likes of Macca, the Stones etc. only plan about 6 months in advance in this day and age.

My other theory about 2020 is that there'll maybe be one-off reunion shows from Blur, Pulp or both. Acts where there's already an established long-term relationship.

[Hugh Jass]

4 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

Emily told me about 2 years ago that she'd had two headliner approaches for 2020 - which I'm guessing are heritage acts.

I can't really see why it would have been something she'd feel the need to tell me if it were 'normal' headliners.

My guess is Albarn was one of them, you could easily imagine his planner reading

2017/18 - Gorillaz

2019 - The Good The Bad The Queen

2020 - Blur

[henry bear]

1 minute ago, chatty said:

The Cure at least have a new album they are going to drop soon, albeit probably not before the festival and Ive already said my piece on the headliners. 

Wu Tang and Johnny Marr are on smaller stages or the latter will be at least low on the bill on a big stage. 

Bit different. 

What difference does what stages they’re playing make? You claimed that JJ was booked purely because of her gender and that she was otherwise irrelevant. They’re all older acts and people will go to see them to hear the hits. I fail to see how JJ is less relevant, even though I’m not particularly a fan.

[flyingmonkeypigs]

2 hours ago, Chinaski_ said:

Tbh, you could have Daphne & Celeste headlining all three days and the tickets will still be gone in record time. 

I’d be all over a Daphne & Celeste appearance ? (admittedly maybe not at headliner time)