Headliners 2023

[jonday81]

Arctic Monkeys seem a weak booking when they essentially co-headlined Reading this year (with the east/west stage splits).

[topmarksbri]

14 minutes ago, jonday81 said:

Arctic Monkeys seem a weak booking

I'm not sure I'd go and see them now they've morphed into a lounge band but this is a bad take. They're biggest UK guitar band of last 10-15 years. 

[FrancisH]

1 minute ago, topmarksbri said:

I'm not sure I'd go and see them now they've morphed into a lounge band but this is a bad take. They're biggest UK guitar band of last 10-15 years. 

Yeah their stock is definitely falling rapidly but no question Glasto would get them on Pyramid if they could.

[BenG92]

21 minutes ago, jonday81 said:

Arctic Monkeys seem a weak booking when they essentially co-headlined Reading this year (with the east/west stage splits).

That's not the reality of things though. It's still very much 3 headliners and 3 second stage headliners like it was before, but now they don't clash and everyone gets 90 minutes. 

Arctic Monkeys / RATM (1975) / Dave is a no-questions-asked R&L set. Halsey / Megan / BMTH would be laughed out of the park in the old format.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

19 minutes ago, jonday81 said:

Arctic Monkeys seem a weak booking when they essentially co-headlined Reading this year (with the east/west stage splits).

I'm not sure that a band that very quickly sells out over a dozen UK stadium dates is a weak booking. They're not for me either, I might add. I want to criticise their appearance for being another Glastonbury repeat booking but even that doesn't really hold true because it'll be a decade since they last played! 

[WhatADin]

I made a point of listening to their latest album to see what the fuss was about. We saw them headline in 2013, but ended up leaving because we couldn't hear/see very well.

The album...? Well, I thought it sounded somewhere between a David Bowie tribute act, mixed with some Robbie Williams with a dash of Frankie Goes To Hollywood 'Power of Love' on top.

It was not was I was expecting, and sadly while I like many of the aforementioned, it's not for me. Fair play for changing the sound and trying new things but... ehhh, not my cuppa. 

[fraybentos1]

9 minutes ago, FrancisH said:

Yeah their stock is definitely falling rapidly but no question Glasto would get them on Pyramid if they could.

They just sold their biggest ever tour which was like half a million tickets in stadiums

[efcfanwirral]

So I didn't like the new album the first times I listened, but I saw a live version of Body Paint which sounded amazing, and I have Hello You stuck in my head since it came on a playlist yesterday.

It might be a grower. One thing is for sure, as an old school Arctic Monkeys fan I need to go into any headline slot with expectations that it won't be as good as 2013

[FrancisH]

16 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

They just sold their biggest ever tour which was like half a million tickets in stadiums

Hah, I absolutely knew somebody would swoop in with something like this. Yeah fair enough.

They're still an enormous band with a lot of hits so it's no surprise they're still selling out tours, I was kind of suggesting that if the lounge output (which I like!) continues how sustainable that is considering it seems to elicit a sort of a shrug from most reviews you read, and people who I've spoken to about it.

[p.pete]

23 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

So I didn't like the new album the first times I listened, but I saw a live version of Body Paint which sounded amazing, and I have Hello You stuck in my head since it came on a playlist yesterday.

It might be a grower. One thing is for sure, as an old school Arctic Monkeys fan I need to go into any headline slot with expectations that it won't be as good as 2013

Never listened to them much, wasn't fussed in 2013, but I'm hearing them lots on the radio the last few weeks (both in the run up to and after their album release) and the new stuff's starting to grow on me despite lack of effort on my part.  If they've selling out a big tour, top of the charts but for Taylor Swift, and getting played lots on the radio then I'm not sure in what way they're a weak booking or their stock is falling.  I can only imagine they're pretty pleased with themselves.

[fraybentos1]

9 minutes ago, FrancisH said:

Hah, I absolutely knew somebody would swoop in with something like this. Yeah fair enough.

They're still an enormous band with a lot of hits so it's no surprise they're still selling out tours, I was kind of suggesting that if the lounge output (which I like!) continues how sustainable that is considering it seems to elicit a sort of a shrug from most reviews you read, and people who I've spoken to about it.

I agree with what you're saying in the sense that people aren't generally buying these tickets to listen to songs off The Car but for their AM and first couple albums.

[VCK]

Am I really seeing people calling Arctic Monkeys a weak booking and claiming that their stock is falling? 😂

[clasher]

27 minutes ago, VCK said:

Am I really seeing people calling Arctic Monkeys a weak booking and claiming that their stock is falling? 😂

Yes. I disagree with both statements, however the reason is probably the general consensus of their live shows being a major  snoozefest (I agree with that completely).  It's by no means a weak booking, but perhaps rather underwhelming. Somewhat similar to potential bookings of Eminem and GnR. I say somewhat similar because AM are clearly far more current and relevant, but have - unlike the other two - already headlined. All of those would probably leave much to be desired for a big part of the crowd.

[FrancisH]

52 minutes ago, VCK said:

Am I really seeing people calling Arctic Monkeys a weak booking and claiming that their stock is falling? 😂

 

Just to clarify that was probably poor wording on my part. I just meant the last two albums haven't gone down too well and live shows not much better - And I really like AM, I like last two albums, they're massive! I just think this lounge thing, as much as I like it, doesn't seem sustainable for festival headliner status.

[clarkete]

These are pretty lean times compared to some recent years announcement wise. No wonder everyone is in a froth. 

https://theglastonburythingy.weebly.com/the-thingy.html

[castlecaryquery]

40 minutes ago, clasher said:

the general consensus of their live shows being a major  snoozefest (I agree with that completely).  

I understand why people may not like the music, but I'm not sure how people can watch this and call it a "snooze-fest". 

[clasher]

11 minutes ago, castlecaryquery said:

I understand why people may not like the music, but I'm not sure how people can watch this and call it a "snooze-fest". 

Saw them a fortnight later at Mad Cool with a similar setlist, they completely lost the crowd a few songs in. Saw them again this year in Pula, thinking a smaller, more intimate venue would help the new material. It didn't. They looked like an opening act compared to Tame Impala at the same venue the next day. That's my experience and opinion of course, but plenty seem to agree. Fully engaged UK crowd could be a helpful factor I suppose.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Of all the music fans on the planet, indie fans are by some distance the least discerning - so it's no surprise that they'll accept phoned in performances that, in any other genre, would see the act get bottled to kingdom come.

[4AssedMonkey]

Regards AM live, having seen them 4 times including before they were even signed, it’s always been very by the numbers. Great musicians, terrible performers.  And having panned The Car, I do now find a couple of tracks growing on me.  No question they are a headline act, but don’t expect the show of a lifetime.

12 hours ago, RatingsAndMoney said:

With the 4/5 big hits that Lizzo has had, although not a huge fan, she is a perfect sub. Surely no chance she headlines this.  

The more I think about this the more I could see it. 4th album in, still in the ascendancy in my view, and conversely to AM, puts a huge shift in on stage.  I’ll bet the Special tour gets rave reviews. Plus Glasto aren’t averse to giving people a shot. This could happen.

[LoveAndTheft]

Very strong rumours the headliners and 2nd top of the bill will be:

Friday - Artic Monkeys / Pulp

Saturday - Taylor Swift / Peter Kay

Sunday - Paul McCartney / Blur

[4AssedMonkey]

3 minutes ago, LoveAndTheft said:

Very strong rumours the headliners and 2nd top of the bill will be:

Friday - Artic Monkeys / Pulp

Saturday - Taylor Swift / Peter Kay

Sunday - Paul McCartney / Blur

You drunk?

[LoveAndTheft]

1 minute ago, 4AssedMonkey said:

You drunk?

Nope - just in the know!

 

[Matt42]

Lizzo will not headline the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm Somerset.

[Florian Saucer Attack]

58 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Of all the music fans on the planet, indie fans are by some distance the least discerning - so it's no surprise that they'll accept phoned in performances that, in any other genre, would see the act get bottled to kingdom come.

Madonna and Britney Spears do not sing live on stage, indie fans would not accept that of an indie band

[Matt42]

Source on the Inforoo board in the Coachella thread says the headliners for Coachella are Dua Lipa, Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar.

Is this where Dua emerges as an option?