2023 Festival

[andyrhodes24]

4 hours ago, Will b said:

The problem for the rap crowd is lack of a headliner. Someone like playboi carti would have played so much better than imagine dragons or Capaldi. I also think in this demographic r&l has tipped to the tiktok-rap a little too much: Steve Lacy, chase Atlantic, central Cee to a certain extent, bakar, Tion Wayne etc rather than what fans see as ‘serious’ artists with more longevity thay we’ve seen in previous years eg d block, denzel curry, aj tracey and Aitch 

Problem for the indie lot is it’s nothing new. Ok the killers are a welcome addition but Sam fender (as popular as he is) must have played most the major festivals in the last 3 or so years, foals have been knocking about for years, Declan McKenna, sea girls, snuts, easy life, inhaler, and nbt are both names we saw in 2021. If you wanna see these acts you may as well go to y not/truck/tramlines/nbhd weekeender etc where ur ticket costs £100 less and u get to see the same indie acts as reading but also stuff that isn’t just churned up again and again every 2/3 years (like pulp!)

 

They’re definitely pushing the indie crowd to Y Not and Truck, the quality of indie acts is better than R&L never mind the quality. At nearly £200 cheaper as well I’m surprised neither have sold out.

[gfa]

4 hours ago, Will b said:

The problem for the rap crowd is lack of a headliner. Someone like playboi carti would have played so much better than imagine dragons or Capaldi. I also think in this demographic r&l has tipped to the tiktok-rap a little too much: Steve Lacy, chase Atlantic, central Cee to a certain extent, bakar, Tion Wayne etc rather than what fans see as ‘serious’ artists with more longevity thay we’ve seen in previous years eg d block, denzel curry, aj tracey and Aitch 

Problem for the indie lot is it’s nothing new. Ok the killers are a welcome addition but Sam fender (as popular as he is) must have played most the major festivals in the last 3 or so years, foals have been knocking about for years, Declan McKenna, sea girls, snuts, easy life, inhaler, and nbt are both names we saw in 2021. If you wanna see these acts you may as well go to y not/truck/tramlines/nbhd weekeender etc where ur ticket costs £100 less and u get to see the same indie acts as reading but also stuff that isn’t just churned up again and again every 2/3 years (like pulp!)

 

aitch a serious artist ffs

Sam Fender has definitely been about but if you swapped him out for Pulp (who are also absolutely everywhere this year i'll add) then the festival would make even less sense act mix wise as that would be 2 MSE headliners aimed at people who are around 40 and then a sh*t undercard

41 minutes ago, andyrhodes24 said:

They’re definitely pushing the indie crowd to Y Not and Truck, the quality of indie acts is better than R&L never mind the quality. At nearly £200 cheaper as well I’m surprised neither have sold out.

Truck has sold out

[gfa]

Surely George Ezra is the most like for like replacement to Capaldi on the market

and before anyone says ezra has no edge, not cool enough for R&L etc, its not like Capaldi has a drop of edge either

[nathanh]

I still think somebody like Niall Horan might get the call up. His music is very much in the same lane as lewis, is playing FR festivals this summer like EP with his latest number 1 album and would sell tickets for being apart of 1D 

[northernangel]

2 hours ago, gfa said:

Surely George Ezra is the most like for like replacement to Capaldi on the market

and before anyone says ezra has no edge, not cool enough for R&L etc, its not like Capaldi has a drop of edge either

Really? I would not want Ezra to be replacing Capaldi myself.

2 hours ago, nathanh said:

I still think somebody like Niall Horan might get the call up. His music is very much in the same lane as lewis, is playing FR festivals this summer like EP with his latest number 1 album and would sell tickets for being apart of 1D 

Niall isn't going to sell tickets off the back of One Direction from the song he's including.

[nathanh]

1 hour ago, northernangel said:

Really? I would not want Ezra to be replacing Capaldi myself.

Niall isn't going to sell tickets off the back of One Direction from the song he's including.

The 1D fans are still very much alive and profitable along with him having some good commercial success with his new album- He has just sold out a arena tour so there is clearly demand to see him

[wghennessy]

I think Niall Horan is a very good shout to be honest. Dream scenario though for FR...any tickets for Lewis will already have been sold so this gives them another shot.

I do think it will be a British act though...a Niall Horan or Ellie Goulding type booking.

[VCK]

We want QOTSA! We want QOTSA!

[Dukey]

Tom Grennan / Aitch, that’s my bet to replace LC / Slowthai

[chemica]

Fred Again… and Idles. Watch this space. 🔮

(Just guesswork but I like it)

[WhoOdyssey]

36 minutes ago, chemica said:

Fred Again… and Idles. Watch this space. 🔮

(Just guesswork but I like it)

Fred’s in Scotland that night 

[nathanh]

8 hours ago, wghennessy said:

I think Niall Horan is a very good shout to be honest. Dream scenario though for FR...any tickets for Lewis will already have been sold so this gives them another shot.

I do think it will be a British act though...a Niall Horan or Ellie Goulding type booking.

I also think it would limit the amount of people who are coming for lewis (whoever they may be) wanting to resell their tickets

[wghennessy]

45 minutes ago, nathanh said:

I also think it would limit the amount of people who are coming for lewis (whoever they may be) wanting to resell their tickets

Not FRs problem though...the tickets are already sold.

[charlierc]

21 hours ago, gfa said:

Surely George Ezra is the most like for like replacement to Capaldi on the market

and before anyone says ezra has no edge, not cool enough for R&L etc, its not like Capaldi has a drop of edge either

Is Reading and Leeds cool enough for what we see as R&L classic cool anymore given how much it seems to have changed?

[gfa]

20 hours ago, northernangel said:

Really? I would not want Ezra to be replacing Capaldi myself.

I don't want him either but he's the most similar act about i'd say

He did boardmasters last year so not completely ridiculous either - essentially the same crowd (although apparently he's massive in cornwall among young people someone said lol)

55 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Is Reading and Leeds cool enough for what we see as R&L classic cool anymore given how much it seems to have changed?

probably not

----

No way is it Niall Horan - isn't he like the most budget one of the lot! (well when i put it like that, R&L will be all over him)

seriously though he's 3rd down at TRNSMT - very weak headliner that

[nathanh]

6 minutes ago, gfa said:

No way is it Niall Horan - isn't he like the most budget one of the lot! (well when i put it like that, R&L will be all over him)

seriously though he's 3rd down at TRNSMT - very weak headliner that

The set hes playing at Electric Picnic is essentially the same slot playing as a second headliner under Billie. I get its a home crowd but if hes playing that high on a FR lineup, i dont think its unheard of. Especially as its the same billing as Lewis the following day.

Regarding his fees if hes playing that low down at TRNSMT he cant be charging too much. 

Edited July 2, 2023 by nathanh

[gfa]

6 minutes ago, nathanh said:

The set hes playing at Electric Picnic is essentially the same slot playing as a second headliner under Billie. I get its a home crowd but if hes playing that high on a FR lineup, i dont think its unheard of. Especially as its the same billing as Lewis the following day.

Regarding his fees if hes playing that low down at TRNSMT he cant be charging too much. 

 

Home crowd whole different game i think

--

Definitely a cheap option but if they are going to go budget i think they will go for your classic AJ Tracey, Two Door option not a 'joke' act like Niall Horan

[nathanh]

4 minutes ago, gfa said:

Home crowd whole different game i think

--

Definitely a cheap option but if they are going to go budget i think they will go for your classic AJ Tracey, Two Door option not a 'joke' act like Niall Horan

Depends how safe they want to play it and depends how truthful it is that they are trying to pick "tame headliners" to stop issues like last year. If they have made a conscious issue to try and deter the younger more "rebellious" crowd they will look for a like for like replacement for Lewis. However as you have said theres a chance they opt for a rapper as a safe bet.

Edited July 2, 2023 by nathanh

[Benj]

On 7/1/2023 at 7:52 AM, gfa said:

 

Truck has sold out

No doubt many historic Reading goers have chosen that as an alternative

Anecdotally many seemed to have made a conscious choice to try elsewhere

[Benj]

25 minutes ago, nathanh said:

The set hes playing at Electric Picnic is essentially the same slot playing as a second headliner under Billie. I get its a home crowd but if hes playing that high on a FR lineup, i dont think its unheard of. Especially as its the same billing as Lewis the following day.

Regarding his fees if hes playing that low down at TRNSMT he cant be charging too much. 

The fact he’s only second in Ireland says it all…

Bar a few mega fans, no one is buying weekend tickets to Reading festival because Niall Horan is added

[gfa]

14 minutes ago, nathanh said:

Depends how safe they want to play it and depends how truthful it is that they are trying to pick "tame headliners" to stop issues like last year. If they have made a conscious issue to try and deter the younger more "rebellious" crowd they will look for a like for like replacement for Lewis. However as you have said theres a chance they opt for a rapper as a safe bet.

won't be a crowd at all the way they are going

i reckon they'll end up adding a rapper from wireless after next weekend tbh

3 minutes ago, Benj said:

No doubt many historic Reading goers have chosen that as an alternative

Anecdotally many seemed to have made a conscious choice to try elsewhere

sold out like a week ago tbf

i think a lot of people have moved to boardmasters for reading, not so sure for leeds

[gfa]

1 minute ago, Benj said:

The fact he’s only second in Ireland says it all…

Bar a few mega fans, no one is buying weekend tickets to Reading festival because Niall Horan is added

Who would you book for the slot that could realistically happen?

[nathanh]

10 minutes ago, gfa said:

won't be a crowd at all the way they are going

i reckon they'll end up adding a rapper from wireless after next weekend tbh

Could they give twitter what they want and book Carti in that position? Would be interesting to see how much that would boost sales

Edited July 2, 2023 by nathanh

[Benj]

11 minutes ago, gfa said:

Who would you book for the slot that could realistically happen?

For me personally or to help Reading shift weekend tickets?

Personally I think the kids who were going to by tickets to get pissed up in a field at one festival this year have already bought tickets to get pissed up in a field and have committed to elsewhere.

They’re not a market who can afford or will be planning a last minute jaunt because X artists is suddenly added to the bill.

I also think the main demographic who’ve not bought this year are probably repeat Reading people, who have not bought this year, due to the format change and weak general lineup.

Therefore those are probably the ones you want to go after and I think the best available act FR can get, esp as they’ve got them under contract for Latitude is Pulp

For me personally, if I’m being realistic, although it’s probably too big a slot for them, Idles (don’t think they will sell many day or weekend tickets though) or again Pulp, who will certainly shift a fair whack of day tickets 

 

 

 

[thatTFBguy]

6 hours ago, wghennessy said:

Not FRs problem though...the tickets are already sold.

Presumably FR would care as an influx of cheaper resale tickets on the market makes selling the remaining face value tickets much harder.