2024 Festival

[gfa]

9 hours ago, Benj said:

That’s what I meant. Del Rey 2 Uk shows in 5 odd years (one being Glastonbury)

Fred Again one show outside of London (bar Glastonbury) and none down south…

Acts that aren’t hoovering up the dregs of demand

Meanwhile

Even Catfish’s grand comeback is only 3 years since they last played the very same festival 🤣

Gallagher has not stopped touring since he played in 2019 or whenever it was (and has headlined the same damn festival in the meantime

Blink big dates across the country last year  …

Cinnamon, been a couple of years since biggish dates in England but meh, no one really gives much of a toss really

Its no surprise really no other day has seen even the 2nd tier of pricing hit yet

 

 

 

 

they are in such a mad situation where they can't win almost

Your example of Blink, it would be outrage on here if they weren't playing after it looked so 'definite' last year, and now they are there its not even doing well. If they weren't there i think few on here would be buying weekend tickets tho

[Benj]

40 minutes ago, gfa said:

they are in such a mad situation where they can't win almost

Your example of Blink, it would be outrage on here if they weren't playing after it looked so 'definite' last year, and now they are there its not even doing well. If they weren't there i think few on here would be buying weekend tickets tho

I’m probably not the best to judge but there seems to be a real dirth of acts that generate any type of proper excitement at the mo…

Im probably missing some obvious examples but there doesn’t seem to have been a Billie Eilish or Post Malone type, who’d absolutely pack the main stage out of while not headlining.

Im not just talking about Reading but the whole scene in general?

Is it a TikTok thing? Are new acts too diluted now, just a commodity? Are they over exposed, is all the mystique gone?

As said I’m sure I’m missing some, Fred Again is the only one that comes slightly close to mind… why is there such a dirth of new acts that collective masses are excited by?

And to keep it Reading specific which relatively new/ lowish down act on the bill do people think will generate the most collective excitement come August?

[glastorome]

9 hours ago, Benj said:

I’m probably not the best to judge but there seems to be a real dirth of acts that generate any type of proper excitement at the mo…

Im probably missing some obvious examples but there doesn’t seem to have been a Billie Eilish or Post Malone type, who’d absolutely pack the main stage out of while not headlining.

Im not just talking about Reading but the whole scene in general?

Is it a TikTok thing? Are new acts too diluted now, just a commodity? Are they over exposed, is all the mystique gone?

As said I’m sure I’m missing some, Fred Again is the only one that comes slightly close to mind… why is there such a dirth of new acts that collective masses are excited by?

And to keep it Reading specific which relatively new/ lowish down act on the bill do people think will generate the most collective excitement come August?

In my opinion its because music is so easily accessible online. Years ago bands, in the days of going out and buying cds, bands would get large followings as you'd buy a cd/lp and play it relentlessly, that doesn't happen anymore. 

I have music on at work everyday and everyday im playing different music to the day before, apart from a few bands or when a new album drops. 

It takes someone pretty unique now, like Fred Again, to unite the masses, his music does seem to have connected with people in a way I haven't seen for a while. 

I haven't been to Leeds since 2019 but the pull of seeing Fred Again and Lana on the same day has got my coming back, the only other acts that have pulled me back to Leeds have been Kendrick in 2018, and TOP/Billie Eilish in 2019. 

Its months away and I'm already hoping Fred will be an all timer for me. 

[Benj]

24 minutes ago, glastorome said:

In my opinion its because music is so easily accessible online. Years ago bands, in the days of going out and buying cds, bands would get large followings as you'd buy a cd/lp and play it relentlessly, that doesn't happen anymore. 

I have music on at work everyday and everyday im playing different music to the day before, apart from a few bands or when a new album drops. 

It takes someone pretty unique now, like Fred Again, to unite the masses, his music does seem to have connected with people in a way I haven't seen for a while. 

I haven't been to Leeds since 2019 but the pull of seeing Fred Again and Lana on the same day has got my coming back, the only other acts that have pulled me back to Leeds have been Kendrick in 2018, and TOP/Billie Eilish in 2019. 

It’s months away and I'm already hoping Fred will be an all timer for me. 

Yup, deffo makes sense. You no longer have to wait for the artist you like to release something new, you have instant access to algorithm defined alternatives that meet your needs. 

It’s interesting  as part of this that the whole nostalgia thing has kicked off so much too though.

New acts aren’t replacing old ones like they used to, while once bands would go away and slowly die, they now seem to have a second wind.

The discussion earlier re dark fruits and kids still being into the likes of Courteeners, Liam Gallagher etc instead of properly embracing the next new thing, Lathums, Snuts etc. Is it because there is a whole back catalogue there from the discovery?

 

 

[glastorome]

18 minutes ago, Benj said:

Yup, deffo makes sense. You no longer have to wait for the artist you like to release something new, you have instant access to algorithm defined alternatives that meet your needs. 

It’s interesting  as part of this that the whole nostalgia thing has kicked off so much too though.

New acts aren’t replacing old ones like they used to, while once bands would go away and slowly die, they now seem to have a second wind.

The discussion earlier re dark fruits and kids still being into the likes of Courteeners, Liam Gallagher etc instead of properly embracing the next new thing, Lathums, Snuts etc. Is it because there is a whole back catalogue there from the discovery?

 

 

I love a bit of Nostalgia. I havent got many gigs booked this year as I've got a couple of family holidays planned. As well as Leeds for the day I'm off to see Liam in June, Def Maybe is my favorite Oasis album and I missed Knebworth as I already had things booked for my 40th. My other gig is Ocean Colour Scene in my hometown in August, they were the first band I ever saw when I was 15 years old. That being said I've got two friends coming to Leeds this year to see Fred Again who have never been to a festival before. 

I think kids being into Courteeners Liam etc is because they have songs that are massive, Not Nineteen Forever gets played at every indie night I've ever been to since the song came out. 

 

[Benj]

59 minutes ago, glastorome said:

I love a bit of Nostalgia. I havent got many gigs booked this year as I've got a couple of family holidays planned. As well as Leeds for the day I'm off to see Liam in June, Def Maybe is my favorite Oasis album and I missed Knebworth as I already had things booked for my 40th. My other gig is Ocean Colour Scene in my hometown in August, they were the first band I ever saw when I was 15 years old. That being said I've got two friends coming to Leeds this year to see Fred Again who have never been to a festival before. 

I think kids being into Courteeners Liam etc is because they have songs that are massive, Not Nineteen Forever gets played at every indie night I've ever been to since the song came out. 

 

It’s interesting that Courteeners, Kooks etc have managed to maintain a reasonably credible and ongoing live demand, while so many of those bands for our youth OCS, Shed  Seven, Suede, Manics, Travis etc… were all cast adrift, despite many of them being much bigger and better than acts from the 00s that still manage to get a gig.

There was definitely a shift at some point, where kids didn’t chuck away bands when they lost their cool/ initial interest.

I think the cut off was pretty much over night too, it’s mad to think Franz Ferdinand have been completley abandoned in the UK as a credible act while the Courteeners are being touted as a potential big name at Reading by some.

Reckon it was around 2006-2007 things changed

[glastorome]

1 hour ago, Benj said:

It’s interesting that Courteeners, Kooks etc have managed to maintain a reasonably credible and ongoing live demand, while so many of those bands for our youth OCS, Shed  Seven, Suede, Manics, Travis etc… were all cast adrift, despite many of them being much bigger and better than acts from the 00s that still manage to get a gig.

There was definitely a shift at some point, where kids didn’t chuck away bands when they lost their cool/ initial interest.

I think the cut off was pretty much over night too, it’s mad to think Franz Ferdinand have been completley abandoned in the UK as a credible act while the Courteeners are being touted as a potential big name at Reading by some.

Reckon it was around 2006-2007 things changed

The one the baffles me to this day is The Wombats, not a clue how they've managed to stay relevant. 

Franz is a weird one, brilliant live at their peak but just a bit to weird to stay the course. Shed Seven had numerous farewell tours, remember in the early 2000's they had one, yet here they are this year with a number 1 album going on a tour later this year. 

I think the Butlins weekenders and festivals like Tramlines, which I've done for the past 3 years, which is heavy on older bands and then have new and old indie bands headline have rekindled peoples love for those bands, and given them a new audience. 

I saw James for the first time at Tramlines in 2022 and they were incredible, but the bands of the weekend were The Vaccines and Kasabian on the saturday night, Bloc Party were the band of the weekend for me last year. 

[gfa]

4 hours ago, Benj said:

It’s interesting that Courteeners, Kooks etc have managed to maintain a reasonably credible and ongoing live demand, while so many of those bands for our youth OCS, Shed  Seven, Suede, Manics, Travis etc… were all cast adrift, despite many of them being much bigger and better than acts from the 00s that still manage to get a gig.

There was definitely a shift at some point, where kids didn’t chuck away bands when they lost their cool/ initial interest.

I think the cut off was pretty much over night too, it’s mad to think Franz Ferdinand have been completley abandoned in the UK as a credible act while the Courteeners are being touted as a potential big name at Reading by some.

Reckon it was around 2006-2007 things changed

New bands stopped coming through nearly as much more than anything - so people stuck more with what already exists.

People are more than happy to go for new indie acts as they come through - see the 1975 or Sam Fender, but medium sized newer one and smaller ones seem to struggle to reach critical mass perhaps

[Benj]

1 hour ago, gfa said:

New bands stopped coming through nearly as much more than anything - so people stuck more with what already exists.

People are more than happy to go for new indie acts as they come through - see the 1975 or Sam Fender, but medium sized newer one and smaller ones seem to struggle to reach critical mass perhaps

“Bands” as a whole are pretty much dead now, it’s far easier to market an individual in the social media world

Fender would have deffo been a band back in the day, it’s amazing how many “solo” acts feature on the lineup now compared to back in the day

…just 2 out of 30 acts in 2008 were marketed as solo artists

20 out of 39 in 2023…

[Benj]

4 hours ago, glastorome said:

The one the baffles me to this day is The Wombats, not a clue how they've managed to stay relevant. 

Franz is a weird one, brilliant live at their peak but just a bit to weird to stay the course. Shed Seven had numerous farewell tours, remember in the early 2000's they had one, yet here they are this year with a number 1 album going on a tour later this year. 

I think the Butlins weekenders and festivals like Tramlines, which I've done for the past 3 years, which is heavy on older bands and then have new and old indie bands headline have rekindled peoples love for those bands, and given them a new audience. 

I saw James for the first time at Tramlines in 2022 and they were incredible, but the bands of the weekend were The Vaccines and Kasabian on the saturday night, Bloc Party were the band of the weekend for me last year. 

It’s interesting Reading have not got involved in bringing back any of the nostalgia acts, esp if they’re looking to re-establish a more dedicated, returning crowd

[WhoOdyssey]

The mainstage is pretty band-heavy in fairness, taking up 15/22 slots - not quite "dead" yet! 

I know what you mean though, they're definitely less prevalent outside the indie world. A fun fact is that Gerry Cinnamon actually started out in a band called The Cinnamons:

Their guitarist is his main producer now. 

Edited March 28 by WhoOdyssey

[Benj]

2 hours ago, WhoOdyssey said:

The mainstage is pretty band-heavy in fairness, taking up 15/22 slots - not quite "dead" yet! 

I know what you mean though, they're definitely less prevalent outside the indie world. A fun fact is that Gerry Cinnamon actually started out in a band called The Cinnamons:

Their guitarist is his main producer now. 

A lot of them pre-date 2014 though…

I wonder how The Cinnamons would’ve faired vs Gerry Cinnamon, with the same exact songs/ production, given how he was initially marketed 

[gfa]

On 3/28/2024 at 7:02 PM, Benj said:

It’s interesting Reading have not got involved in bringing back any of the nostalgia acts, esp if they’re looking to re-establish a more dedicated, returning crowd

Not sure who your counting as nostalgia acts but theres often a few - two door this year for example

[charlierc]

On 3/28/2024 at 1:37 PM, glastorome said:

Franz is a weird one, brilliant live at their peak but just a bit to weird to stay the course.

They lost momentum with Tonight, which is a shame as I think it's a very strong album but had development hell and by 2009, they seemed to have been overtaken by others.

Saying that I had great fun seeing them at Ally Pally a year and a half ago, so they still have something about them worth seeing.

[charlierc]

On 3/27/2024 at 9:23 AM, nathanh said:

Festivals truly looking dire this year

There once was a time when I thought Sziget would be worth a week trip to Budapest and cross it off a musical bucket list. Think I can say that time has gone.

[Benj]

5 hours ago, gfa said:

Not sure who your counting as nostalgia acts but theres often a few - two door this year for example

Meant Manics, Suede, Travis etc…. Bands that once headlined but have been discarded, despite still making decent records and still being good live.

Two Door, Wombats, Courteeners etc have never left, despite never being as big as them. They just avoided becoming unhip somehow

Edited March 30 by Benj

[Paul ™]

4 hours ago, charlierc said:

There once was a time when I thought Sziget would be worth a week trip to Budapest and cross it off a musical bucket list. Think I can say that time has gone.

We did the same for Exit in Serbia, 2012/13 I think it was, went sh*t not long after

[thetime]

On 3/30/2024 at 2:58 PM, charlierc said:

There once was a time when I thought Sziget would be worth a week trip to Budapest and cross it off a musical bucket list. Think I can say that time has gone.

It is the best festival I've been to though, bit ropey line up wise now though. 

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

It is the best festival I've been to though, bit ropey line up wise now though. 

I've met people who made it sound amazing. But yeah, my interest in it was higher in the days where the line-ups were more to my taste. Same with Werchter.

[nathanh]

Think we should be due some new names at some point this month 

[gfa]

On 3/30/2024 at 7:04 PM, Benj said:

Meant Manics, Suede, Travis etc…. Bands that once headlined but have been discarded, despite still making decent records and still being good live.

Two Door, Wombats, Courteeners etc have never left, despite never being as big as them. They just avoided becoming unhip somehow

those acts are about 15 years older than the three in the second sentence

I doubt TDCC wombats courteeners will be playing in 15 years

[Benj]

24 minutes ago, gfa said:

those acts are about 15 years older than the three in the second sentence

I doubt TDCC wombats courteeners will be playing in 15 years

Same gen as Foo Fighters, Muse, Blink, Gallagher, Green Day etc…

‘Rock’ bands of that era are still about.

‘Indie’ bands of that era are banned (other than maybe Blur/ Oasis and members Is guess)

Even Coldplay were clearly persona non grata at Reading post 2002-3

Manics played for a bit post hype but also obv binned

Placebo hung about for a bit but even as a heavier act have not played in an age

Edited April 2 by Benj

[Andre91]

Hope we get some additions soon. 

[gfa]

6 hours ago, Benj said:

Same gen as Foo Fighters, Muse, Blink, Gallagher, Green Day etc…

‘Rock’ bands of that era are still about.

‘Indie’ bands of that era are banned (other than maybe Blur/ Oasis and members Is guess)

Even Coldplay were clearly persona non grata at Reading post 2002-3

Manics played for a bit post hype but also obv binned

Placebo hung about for a bit but even as a heavier act have not played in an age

Those rock bands you stated are headliners though - headliners of all genres stick around e.g. Eminem too

Acts below headliner level are less solidified and therefore come and go i guess, sure theres no manics but its not like theres really lower main stage older rock acts that stick around either

Kids know Green Day Gallagher etc as they are big names who are headliners and therefore still on the radio a bit etc - very few in comparison know Manics or Placebo, more niche acts (still not very niche but niche enough that very few in the core reading age bracket care)

A lot more of them will know about the courteeners than manics/placebo - thats for sure!

[Benj]

23 minutes ago, gfa said:

Those rock bands you stated are headliners though - headliners of all genres stick around e.g. Eminem too

Acts below headliner level are less solidified and therefore come and go i guess, sure theres no manics but its not like theres really lower main stage older rock acts that stick around either

Kids know Green Day Gallagher etc as they are big names who are headliners and therefore still on the radio a bit etc - very few in comparison know Manics or Placebo, more niche acts (still not very niche but niche enough that very few in the core reading age bracket care)

A lot more of them will know about the courteeners than manics/placebo - thats for sure!

The ones I quoted all headlined. That was the point…