Boomtown 2021 thread

[Sku]

3 minutes ago, TheFullShaboo said:

With the lineup not being released until such short notice, does this tend to suggest that the more commercial big names we've become used to over the last few festivals are no more? 

 

The way it was spun to me, is that without some of the drama and stress that surrounds putting a poster together (DJ billing order, exclusivity deals, etc), they are more free to book acts they couldn't get before.

How that actually will translate in practice remains to be seen.

[TheFullShaboo]

5 minutes ago, Sku said:

The way it was spun to me, is that without some of the drama and stress that surrounds putting a poster together (DJ billing order, exclusivity deals, etc), they are more free to book acts they couldn't get before.

How that actually will translate in practice remains to be seen.

Yeah i presume they can save money by not being the first to announce an act? Definitely something in this which could lead to a stacked lineup, but we will just have to wait to see....

[JBarbour]

5 minutes ago, TheFullShaboo said:

Yeah i presume they can save money by not being the first to announce an act? Definitely something in this which could lead to a stacked lineup, but we will just have to wait to see....

Any acts booked exclusively elsewhere can potential play, they don't have to mess about with agents that dictate when their acts are announced. They can book acts later than normal and last min so that could potential get them some cheap deals. They also dont have people moaning about the line up across soical media and acts moaning that they not billed higher up the poster. 

Th downside would be if people don't take to it, paying £200+ for any event not knowing the line up before the event and unlikely to get money back if its not for them. The upside would be people are there for the event not a few acts.  

Acts will likely leak before the event anyway as they may announce it on their own socials and websites. 

[aidenlangan95]

Not sure about the secret lineups. After the Area 404 last minute lineup announcements for last Halloween being a bit disappointing, I'm a bit apprehensive. 

However, I had a great time that night, so I'm sure I'll have a fun time at this rebooted Boomtown!

[jplgc]

I dont understand the reasoning behind this. This cant be covid related. I think this is financial troubles. If it is then I can understand and im more inclined to support the festival and attend, otherwise I'm afraid its a no from me.

No lions den, nucleus or relic, boomtown have confirmed to me on Facebook.

[Sku]

9 minutes ago, jplgc said:

I dont understand the reasoning behind this. This cant be covid related. I think this is financial troubles. If it is then I can understand and im more inclined to support the festival and attend, otherwise I'm afraid its a no from me.

No lions den, nucleus or relic, boomtown have confirmed to me on Facebook.

Relic and Nucleus were both new stages for 2019, hardly long time additions to the festival. They have always chopped and changed the stages, ever since the beginning.

A lot of work went into building the Nucleus specifically, I think it will be back with a new brand and name... they do tend to redecorate and recycle the sets 

And music wise, nothing has changed. Each of those stages will have a successor. 

Edited October 1, 2020 by Sku

[Old_Johno]

8 minutes ago, jplgc said:

I dont understand the reasoning behind this. This cant be covid related. I think this is financial troubles. If it is then I can understand and im more inclined to support the festival and attend, otherwise I'm afraid its a no from me.

No lions den, nucleus or relic, boomtown have confirmed to me on Facebook.

Festivals don’t really benefit from economies of scale, it’s actually the opposite.  Say you want 1 portaloo, and it’s £10, if you need 1000 they might be more like £12 each because it’s a logistical nightmare getting them all there and set up. 

Looks like no indoor stages which is the same as Reading and Leeds are doing for 2021

[Sku]

4 minutes ago, Old_Johno said:

Looks like no indoor stages which is the same as Reading and Leeds are doing for 2021

Seems to be the opposite.

From the website:
Its streets will be bursting with small venues, sideshows and infinite detail. These mini worlds will be brought to life with more actors and performers than have ever been gathered in our history. There will be grand openings and spectacular closing ceremonies. New roaming rave vehicles will circulate the city for everyone to jump on and off, there will be endless secret party rooms, pop-up soundsystems on every street corner and buskers down every alley. 

The main stages are being downsized a bit, and there is a new focus on the "small venue" aspect of Boomtown.

[jplgc]

19 minutes ago, Sku said:

Relic and Nucleus were both new stages for 2019, hardly long time additions to the festival. They have always chopped and changed the stages, ever since the beginning.

A lot of work went into building the Nucleus specifically, I think it will be back with a new brand and name... they do tend to redecorate and recycle the sets 

And music wise, nothing has changed. Each of those stages will have a successor. 

Relic/bang hai towers/Palace. You know what I mean.

There's no way all those big stages will be in the bowl, sound restrictions alone wouldn't allow it.

I know your a big boomtown fan dude and I respect that, I myself have been attending since 2009 and have literally sang boomtowns praises since day 1... I signed up to their ambassador scheme straight away.... but this is a step back and this is due to financial issues without a doubt (the ambassador program alone suggests that), if boomtown could just be honest then I would be much more inclined to support, why all the cloak and dagger? Everybody is struggling. Such a shame

In the unlikely event this isn't financially related then I would have rather waited a couple of years and had boomtown take an extended break until covid is gone and having boomtown back in full (continuing on with state of emergency etc)

Edited October 1, 2020 by jplgc
Typo

[Metal Monkey]

From the music programmers section... "the rule breakers who continue to rage against the machine". I know its totally missing the point of the announcement but I hope this is a massive hint!

Interested to see how it fits in the bowl. If it works it will be nice having things close together, but sound is always an issue with everything on top of each other. 

[JBarbour]

44 minutes ago, jplgc said:

Relic/bang hai towers/Palace. You know what I mean.

There's no way all those big stages will be in the bowl, sound restrictions alone wouldn't allow it.

In the unlikely event this isn't financially related then I would have rather waited a couple of years and had boomtown take an extended break until covid is gone and having boomtown back in full (continuing on with state of emergency etc)

So you've got Grand Central Plaza (part of the "Main City") that will be at the centre of the new Boomtown with six completely themed district areas. Each district will have a brand new main stage representing a specific collection of music styles. Plus the return of forest parties and micro venues with some of the theatre. A reset on the story that got too complicated for most. They've done what I mentioned a few posts back, dumbed-down.  

I think its the best the festival can do under the current circumstances. Sounds decent to me. 

[dumski]

Initially shocked but now excited!!!   Loved my first ones when it was smaller. 

I do not like calling it chapter 1 though.  

If it's just bowl does tangled roots stay as a venue? hope so, as the sound system is great & don't want to miss out on that hill climb/view.   Bet you a penny the campervans are still up the hill.  

Losing the camping makes that area huge.  I'm sure an outdoor stage can go in to the left of the hidden woods

Love the no line up announcements.  Some will leak and the internet sleuths will be out which will build the excitement.  

There are some gems in the 2020 line up that better still be there. 

Hope the Reggae side of things is still in effect whatever stage.  Barrington Levy is gonna be in Europe for Sunsplash the week after - could this be the year?     Koffee too is a must please

Edited October 1, 2020 by dumski

[Old_Johno]

1 hour ago, Sku said:

Seems to be the opposite.

From the website:
Its streets will be bursting with small venues, sideshows and infinite detail. These mini worlds will be brought to life with more actors and performers than have ever been gathered in our history. There will be grand openings and spectacular closing ceremonies. New roaming rave vehicles will circulate the city for everyone to jump on and off, there will be endless secret party rooms, pop-up soundsystems on every street corner and buskers down every alley. 

The main stages are being downsized a bit, and there is a new focus on the "small venue" aspect of Boomtown.

I’d only watched the video and took it to be nothing indoors from ‘all the actors and characters coming out onto the streets sound systems on the corners, mobile rave units etc. Didn’t sound very indoor friendly to me. I love the micro venues. 

[mr flow]

I actually think this move will secure Boomtown's future for the foreseeable future. It was constantly growing and expectations were always around the line up, which for some didn't warrant the price of the ticket. They've now gone back to smaller numbers, but they would expect to sell out early, like the old days. I always enjoyed it in the bowl, obviously the loss of the Lions Den is sad, but I guess with this reset, they can always upscale in the future if the demand is there.

I think you'll see a lot of festivals downsizing a bit next year. It'll be more about survival than anything.

[jump]

Apparently they are planning to announce the line up later so they can get around exclusives acts at other festivals.

[jplgc]

I'm absolutely gutted. A story and progression ive been a part of since 2009 just wiped out.

 

[Leyrulion]

5 minutes ago, jplgc said:

I'm absolutely gutted. A story and progression ive been a part of since 2009 just wiped out.

 

What was it about the original storyline that was important to you? 

[Leyrulion]

35 minutes ago, mr flow said:

I actually think this move will secure Boomtown's future for the foreseeable future. It was constantly growing and expectations were always around the line up, which for some didn't warrant the price of the ticket. They've now gone back to smaller numbers, but they would expect to sell out early, like the old days. I always enjoyed it in the bowl, obviously the loss of the Lions Den is sad, but I guess with this reset, they can always upscale in the future if the demand is there.

I think you'll see a lot of festivals downsizing a bit next year. It'll be more about survival than anything.

Sounds positive. Moving it away from the line up to being again about the experience will be good in the long run if they pull it off. Obviously the line up can't be completely shit. 

[jplgc]

3 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

What was it about the original storyline that was important to you? 

Its not just that, its the progression of the festival.

I go to boomtown to be wowed by the massive stages, light shows and pyrotechnics, the massive screens with AMI and the masked man etc... if I wanted what they are offering I would just go to the healing fields in glasto, or to bearded theory or spend more time in whistlers green

[mr flow]

2 minutes ago, jplgc said:

Its not just that, its the progression of the festival.

I go to boomtown to be wowed by the massive stages, light shows and pyrotechnics, the massive screens with AMI and the masked man etc... if I wanted what they are offering I would just go to the healing fields in glasto, or to bearded theory or spend more time in whistlers green

Do you know what they are offering? You've made a lot of assumptions based a small bit of information released. It will be just as spectacular and as big a party as it's ever been. If anything, it'll be better, as the people that go, will go there as they love Boomtown and will mean the crowd is much more like minded and up for it.

[mr flow]

10 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

Sounds positive. Moving it away from the line up to being again about the experience will be good in the long run if they pull it off. Obviously the line up can't be completely shit. 

I would imagine the line ups to be similar to what they currently are, but with a little less of the marquee names. However, i would still expect the line to be packed with very good acts from each genre.

[jplgc]

Ok I have just had a conversation with boomtown and maybe I was a little hastey. I didnt realise they planned to utilise all of downtowns space and that all music genres will still be represented with BIG stages (especially for reggae apparently) so yes im going to give it a shot.

Apologies for the stress earlier

[Sku]

I know I probably come across a bit of a "Boomtown Fanboy"... but I'm honestly really excited by the changes. The most I've looked forward to a Boomtown in a long time. I hope they can deliver on the vision being promised.

Even though it's a shame to lose the large scale of the event, the intimate and intense setting in the bowl promises to really be quite something. Filled from one edge to the other, with a giant central beacon, and each themed land radiating off of that core. It's a bit like Disneyland I guess, but actually I really like that aspect of the festival.

It will be so much more joined together, and an actual city.

As for music booking, I used to not care too much. However from years of going to Boomtown, I actually started caring a lot more about who they book. I have met the main music booking duo, and I know they always do a great job, so I guess I've just got to trust they can deliver.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Sku

[aidenlangan95]

https://gigaddict.co.uk/boomtown-interview-reinvent-2021/
 

Over 90% of tickets sold for 2020 have been carried over. More than I expected to be honest!

[eFestivals]

Sounds interesting (I've just read the comments here, not seen any official stuff yet).

Just wanted to say that Homelands used to have 8+ big tented stages around the bowl (without using the woods) without bad sound bleed issues, so should be room enough for plenty of micro venues and some bigger stages.

Such a big downsize, tho, suggests they'd seen a big change in how the tickets were selling before covid was in the mix.