Headliners 2024

[Matt42]

29 minutes ago, kingbadger said:

Is there any particular reason why they wouldn't want her to headline? She's got the hits and puts on a hell of a show for a live performance by all accounts. And obviously remains vastly popular over here given the ticket sales metric. 

I just think she’s been around for literally ages and they’ve not gone for her before. In terms of gigantic pop stars I just feel like if they saw her as a headliner they’d have tried to grab her by now. I’m not doubting her size I just question whether there’s something more to it. The same way that Elton is around most years and never plays. There has to be a reason, and the reason probably is that the festival doesn’t quite see it as a fit…

I don’t think Pink would be harder to book than some of the other recent headliners they’ve booked.

Edited October 5, 2021 by Matt42

[kingbadger]

22 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

I just think she’s been around for literally ages and they’ve not gone for her before. In terms of gigantic pop stars I just feel like if they saw her as a headliner they’d have tried to grab her by now. I’m not doubting her size I just question whether there’s something more to it. The same way that Elton is around most years and never plays. There has to be a reason, and the reason probably is that the festival doesn’t quite see it as a fit…

I don’t think Pink would be harder to book than some of the other recent headliners they’ve booked.

The same could be said for someone like Lady Gaga though. It's not like Pink has moved on from music like Rihanna either. Just don't think it can be ruled out with the festival aiming to push female headliners across the board. Would be a much more inspired booking than the likes of Muse, Coldplay etc on repeat and the demand is clearly there too as well as a reputation for a great live show. 

[Matt42]

8 minutes ago, kingbadger said:

The same could be said for someone like Lady Gaga though. It's not like Pink has moved on from music like Rihanna either. Just don't think it can be ruled out with the festival aiming to push female headliners across the board. Would be a much more inspired booking than the likes of Muse, Coldplay etc on repeat and the demand is clearly there too as well as a reputation for a great live show. 

Hmm. They did *get* lady gaga though. The issue is getting her back.

Rihanna is a bit of a wild card as she’s not really been available for festivals since 2013. She’s barely toured since then.

[1986]

Just had a look around and Pink has the 9th highest grossing tour of the 2010’s (11th overall) in a top 10 filled with bands who have headlined before or often get talked about on here as future contenders.

She’s totally passed me by and wouldn’t have thought of her either but maybe she should be taken more seriously. 

[priest17]

Pink won't headline Glastonbury festival. And you can quote me on that in 4 years time when she's announced.

[kalifire]

Blimey, I had no idea about Pink’s popularity either. But I find myself agreeing with 42 on this one - in spite of her success, she doesn’t feel current or relevant enough to headline. Feels like a Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry booking - a huge act massively strengthening the undercard. But like others, I fully accept I’m out of the Pink loop. 

[Hutchmaster]

On 10/4/2021 at 5:59 PM, FloorFiller said:

Although I’m sure they’d get her if they could, after Gaga, what female headliners would we have left for future festivals? Obviously Billie came out of nowhere so nothing to say it couldn’t happen again, but outside of rebooking Beyoncé or Adele, I think they’d be pretty stuck for another female headliner for some time. 

I doubt she'd be their first choice and she'd probably need her next album to be a big hit after a quiet few years, but I can see Florence & The Machine as their back pocket option if they're struggling to get a female headliner in.

[FloorFiller]

3 minutes ago, Hutchmaster said:

I doubt she'd be their first choice and she'd probably need her next album to be a big hit after a quiet few years, but I can see Florence & The Machine as their back pocket option if they're struggling to get a female headliner in.

Ehhh I dunno. I go back and forth with her being a viable option, but right now she seems a long way off getting the gig again. Maybe that’ll change come a new (and hopefully bit more successful) album down the line, but tbh I think she’s kind of plateaued.

I’m sure I’ll swiftly have my mind changed or be proven wrong, though. 

[Hutchmaster]

1 minute ago, FloorFiller said:

Ehhh I dunno. I go back and forth with her being a viable option, but right now she seems a long way off getting the gig again. Maybe that’ll change come a new (and hopefully bit more successful) album down the line, but tbh I think she’s kind of plateaued.

I’m sure I’ll swiftly have my mind changed or be proven wrong, though. 

Aye, I think her next album is very make or break to be honest. If it's a hit then I think she's a very solid "safe" option, if it's the same sort of reception as High as Hope (which I quite liked), I reckon that's her chance to headline outright probably gone.

[Haan]

On 10/4/2021 at 5:59 PM, FloorFiller said:

Although I’m sure they’d get her if they could, after Gaga, what female headliners would we have left for future festivals? Obviously Billie came out of nowhere so nothing to say it couldn’t happen again, but outside of rebooking Beyoncé or Adele, I think they’d be pretty stuck for another female headliner for some time. 

little-to-no chance: Kate Bush, Rihanna, Mariah Carey

Good chance: Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Lana Del Ray, St. Vincent

Potential future stars: Doja Cat, Little Simz, Arlo Parks, Lizzo, Lady Leshurr (maybe), Olivia Rodrigo (maybe)

There's also critical darlings who could end up releasing an album that does well commercially like Rina Sawayama (got the Elton co-sign), Phoebe Bridgers, SZA, Jorja Smith, Lianne La Havas

[Hugh Jass]

5 minutes ago, Haan said:

little-to-no chance: Kate Bush, Rihanna, Mariah Carey

Good chance: Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Lana Del Ray, St. Vincent

Potential future stars: Doja Cat, Little Simz, Arlo Parks, Lizzo, Lady Leshurr (maybe), Olivia Rodrigo (maybe)

There's also critical darlings who could end up releasing an album that does well commercially like Rina Sawayama (got the Elton co-sign), Phoebe Bridgers, SZA, Jorja Smith, Lianne La Havas

Wolf Alice?

[kingbadger]

Could well add Janelle Monae to the critical darling list, if the next  album explodes in the mainstream. 

[FloorFiller]

32 minutes ago, Haan said:

little-to-no chance: Kate Bush, Rihanna, Mariah Carey

Good chance: Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Lana Del Ray, St. Vincent

Potential future stars: Doja Cat, Little Simz, Arlo Parks, Lizzo, Lady Leshurr (maybe), Olivia Rodrigo (maybe)

There's also critical darlings who could end up releasing an album that does well commercially like Rina Sawayama (got the Elton co-sign), Phoebe Bridgers, SZA, Jorja Smith, Lianne La Havas

Funny you put Rihanna on the ‘little to no chance’ list as I’d say she has far more of a chance of doing it than almost all of the other stuff you’ve listed (apart from Dua), if she actually ever tours again, that is. 

Not gonna go through the list saying why they each won’t do it, but… I’d be very surprised to see almost any of those acts make it up to Glastonbury headliner, although that’s based purely on their current booking ‘policy/pattern’ which may well need to change as the well dries up so I guess we’ll see.

 

edit: actually, scratch some of that… the likes of Olivia and Rina I could see possibly make that jump at some point, maybe. 

Edited October 6, 2021 by FloorFiller

[blutarsky]

On 10/5/2021 at 12:45 AM, incident said:

You know how you've been frequently banging on about the number of tickets Billie Eilish sold to her British tour next year? And you're right, it is impressive.

On her last tour here, P!nk sold nearly twice as many tickets overall (~350k). At a higher price. That's on fewer shows, in literally some of the largest stadia in the country, all of which sold out effectively instantly meaning (like with BE) the true demand of the market wasn't even met.

Yes, I realise she hasn't been "flavour of the month" for about 20 years and so will be written off by people who care about TikTok and bullshit like that, but she's easily big enough and I'd be infinitely more confident in her ability to actually draw and hold a crowd in the top slot than BE.

P!nk is probably the only act Mrs Blutarsky would climb the super fence for if she was ticketless.

[ghostdancer1]

On 10/5/2021 at 11:17 AM, fraybentos1 said:

I can’t be the only one absolutely shocked by how many tickets Pink shifts?!?

Holy moly I didn’t realise she could play stadiums in the U.K. at all. Don’t even know what her last big hit was or who her fan base are. Maybe I’m out of touch..

Pink is a big LGBTQ icon, basically every lesbian I know went to see her when she toured here last.

[Haan]

5 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:

Wolf Alice?

The only reason I didn't include her is cause I haven't actually listened to any of her stuff before haha, but from all accounts she seems great

[Haan]

5 hours ago, FloorFiller said:

Funny you put Rihanna on the ‘little to no chance’ list as I’d say she has far more of a chance of doing it than almost all of the other stuff you’ve listed (apart from Dua), if she actually ever tours again, that is. 

Not gonna go through the list saying why they each won’t do it, but… I’d be very surprised to see almost any of those acts make it up to Glastonbury headliner, although that’s based purely on their current booking ‘policy/pattern’ which may well need to change as the well dries up so I guess we’ll see.

 

edit: actually, scratch some of that… the likes of Olivia and Rina I could see possibly make that jump at some point, maybe. 

Maybe, I guess this all boils down to "we'll see" cause it's very hard to predict how big or in demand an act can end up in the streaming era. 

[Hugh Jass]

23 minutes ago, Haan said:

The only reason I didn't include her is cause I haven't actually listened to any of her stuff before haha, but from all accounts she seems great

They are a band but the singer/main guitarist is female so they would probably count.

[Matt42]

O Rod is the only one from that maybe list I could see. Can’t see rina being anything more than a niche pop artist. 

[incident]

16 minutes ago, Florian Saucer Attack said:

You reminded me of something that I have been meaning to find out.

Festivals that aim for a 50/50 male/female line up or an all female line up presumably would be cool with Wolf Alice counting as a female act but would it count if the only female is the bass player and doesn't sing?

What if it's a 12 piece brass band and the only female is the second saxophonist would that count?

In the past when people have photo-shopped those Reading/Leeds posters with all the male acts removed, the ones I've seen have generally worked to the principle that one femae member in the band counts as female representation, regardless what their role is or what percentage of the band they make up.

So basically - the broadest possible criteria, which makes it even more ridiculous just how few acts there often have been on some of those posters.

[Hugh Jass]

32 minutes ago, Florian Saucer Attack said:

You reminded me of something that I have been meaning to find out.

Festivals that aim for a 50/50 male/female line up or an all female line up presumably would be cool with Wolf Alice counting as a female act but would it count if the only female is the bass player and doesn't sing?

What if it's a 12 piece brass band and the only female is the second saxophonist would that count?

My take would be women in prominent  roles in a band. So Wolf Alice and Fleetwood Mac for instance would be fine. Second saxophonist less so.

[jump]

I'm all for equality in music but I don't think the way to it is chucking on a big name female act and think the job is done. It needs to be by having the smaller female acts get booked as much as the males on the lower stages/card but more importantly it's by also encouraging a female audience to come and grow in size. A lot of early day gigs for female acts are filled with alot of middle-aged men which can be off putting for their intended audience of like minded young women to come out to. It needs something like a safe space so they want to come out and support those acts but just not a safe space as I fucking hate that term.

[CaledonianGonzo]

You hate to see it, but if Liam Gallagher manages to sell out two nights at Knebworth then it's maybe not ludicrous that he may be in the frame.

I mean it is ludicrous, but then the whole thing is.

[Hugh Jass]

10 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

You hate to see it, but if Liam Gallagher manages to sell out two nights at Knebworth then it's maybe not ludicrous that he may be in the frame.

I mean it is ludicrous, but then the whole thing is.

Looks like the Saturday is already gone… 10 minutes is all it took.

[Baggins7]

.

Edited October 8, 2021 by Baggins7
double post