2024 headline speculation

[rwhitehouse13]

24 minutes ago, Jeel said:

James or Ash would be decent Saturday night headliners. I realise they're not the kind of bands EOTR usually go for. 

Think we need less chairs around not more….

[robith]

2 minutes ago, Jeel said:

Pulp have been going longer than both those bands! 

I get your point though, but if they need to cut back on spending I'd rather a band like those two than UMO or Future Islands. 

And I personally don't think it would be worse to watch than say The Pixies. 

I was talking about the distance from their peak rather than how long they have been going for

Pixies were a strange booking, and were poor, but generally speaking EOTR looks for a line up with some level of cultural relevance even if it isn't for me. Ash and James are like 90s weekender bands, to the point I can only assume you're on a wind up lol

[wolfamongwolves]

39 minutes ago, Jeel said:

James or Ash would be decent Saturday night headliners. I realise they're not the kind of bands EOTR usually go for. 

Dear me no , that's like a line up from v festival in the 90s 

If it's nostalgia then Neutral Milk Hotel 

Edited September 5, 2023 by wolfamongwolves

[xxialac]

11 minutes ago, Jeel said:

And I personally don't think it would be worse to watch than say The Pixies. 

The Pixies are one of the most groundbreaking indie bands of all time with three or four perfect albums.

And this is End of the Road, not Middle of the Road.

[jplewes]

If it's a band of that era, maybe more like Suede? I thought Autofiction sounded okay and their 2010s is better than some of the bands of that ilk. I'd struggle to believe after the bit of a backlash initially to the headliners this time, it would be a full on 90s band of blokes but Suede + some more diverse headliners would be enjoyable to me.

I think I'm imagining something more like Osees / Courtney Barnett / Idles / First Aid Kit / Wolf Alice / Alvvays if they're touring at that time or whatever compared to my slightly more, my ideal of

Young Fathers/ Little Simz/ Loyle Carner for one then Big Thief, Sufjan, PJ Harvey, Pavement, LCD, Beach House, Sigur Ros, Mitski whoever as other options where a couple are probably too big!

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by jplewes

[Jeel]

44 minutes ago, jplewes said:

If it's a band of that era, maybe more like Suede? I thought Autofiction sounded okay and their 2010s is better than some of the bands of that ilk. I'd struggle to believe after the bit of a backlash initially to the headliners this time, it would be a full on 90s band of blokes but Suede + some more diverse headliners would be enjoyable to me.

I think I'm imagining something more like Osees / Courtney Barnett / Idles / First Aid Kit / Wolf Alice / Alvvays if they're touring at that time or whatever compared to my slightly more, my ideal of

Young Fathers/ Little Simz/ Loyle Carner for one then Big Thief, Sufjan, PJ Harvey, Pavement, LCD, Beach House, Sigur Ros, Mitski whoever as other options where a couple are probably too big!

 

 

Suede are a decent shout for a cheaper but also popular headliner. 

[shoebox]

As much as I am a fan of James, Ash and Suede, they are not acts that fit the EOTR template. There are places for those bands all over the summer festival season, and none of those places are EOTR.

You've also got to factor in that the line-up is very much curated by Simon. You can almost trace his evolving taste in music over EOTR's lifespan, and you will often get acts given a leg-up to headliner status because he think's they're worthy of it, not necessarily because they have sold the most records.

Finally, I know for a fact, from speaking to someone involved with the festival, that they don't want to book acts with a "following" so to speak. The Mac Demarco year saw a very different demographic descend on the festival who were there purely for him. So the likes of boygenius/Phoebe Bridgers, probably even Mitski now, wouldn't necessarily be booked because of that regardless of cost.

So I often wonder if Nick Cave would be out for a similar sort of reason. A different set of fans, but certainly a very specific set of fans. (again, ignoring the logistics of cost, etc.)

The talk of The National being "too big" because they've sold out two nights at Ally Pally...haven't Future Islands just done the very same thing?

[SweepingTheNation]

2 hours ago, Jeel said:

For the Saturday, someone like Nick Cave or Pulp. Pulp, I assume, might be significantly cheaper.

I mean, if you're really clever you could offer Boy Genius the Saturday headline and give them individually the other ones. 

This summer Pulp sold out at 45,000 capacity park and Boygenius a 25,000 capacity one, while Nick Cave sold out 40,000 on the last Bad Seeds London show. Why would they play a 15,000 capacity festival just because one or more of their constituent parts has been there before?

[ljsawyer]

2 hours ago, Jeel said:

I mean, if you're really clever you could offer Boy Genius the Saturday headline and give them individually the other ones. 

I know you’re only being semi-serious, but still… hard, hard pass on that.

[SweepingTheNation]

9 minutes ago, shoebox said:

The talk of The National being "too big" because they've sold out two nights at Ally Pally...haven't Future Islands just done the very same thing?

One night. And The National's dates are at the end of an arena tour.

10 minutes ago, shoebox said:

You've also got to factor in that the line-up is very much curated by Simon. You can almost trace his evolving taste in music over EOTR's lifespan, and you will often get acts given a leg-up to headliner status because he think's they're worthy of it, not necessarily because they have sold the most records.

I do think next year is going to be fascinating in terms of the full line-up - you could see a lot of stylistic risks being taken down the bill this year and a lot of them paid off, with the likes of Divide & Dissolve, They Hate Change, Biig Piig and Moin reaching entrances blocked off capacity in the Big Top in a way only the bigger acts used to. With it also being the same weekend as Supersonic now I wonder how far from the Americana/US indie template the higher end of the line-up could be allowed to stray.

[Jeel]

5 minutes ago, SweepingTheNation said:

This summer Pulp sold out at 45,000 capacity park and Boygenius a 25,000 capacity one, while Nick Cave sold out 40,000 on the last Bad Seeds London show. Why would they play a 15,000 capacity festival just because one or more of their constituent parts has been there before?

because not everything is based on money?

At least two of the BG trio have a special connection with the festival, for instance. 

but I get the point and it's very tricky to get headliners for a festival this size, especially if they're popular. 

[RustySpanner]

Difficult to pick headliners, as always. Big Thief would seem the obvious booking, moving up from their previous slots. Self Esteem maybe?? Would love Mitski. I think if Pavement were an option they would have done it by now. Maybe a return for Mogwai? Has been a long time and they've released several really good albums since they last played.

Would like to see Daughter return on the strength of their recent album but not sure Elena is up to touring at the moment.

Others I'd like on the line up:

Lanterns on the Lake (garden please)

Hey Colossus

Molly

Nation of Language

Sarabeth Tucek

Humour

Deadletter

Blondshell

Julia Jacklin (been a while)

Bess Atwell

Damefrisor

DITZ

Billie Marten

DIIV

Gaz Coombes? (Not their usual booking but last album was very good indeed)

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by RustySpanner
typos

[Mardy]

The 'special relationship' with the festival thing is, I reckon, often overstated. Decent sized acts might not get a sniff of where's available or where they're playing before it's been through promoters/management etc. If the money isn't there, a  might not even know they've been offered EOTR unless Simon has the lead singer/guitarist/drummer's brother's phone number.

That's why I think the Wet Leg thing was a genuine coup/one off, and also why there was a real lock down on this, with no real leaks right up till the very end. Simply because I think it didn't go through all the normal channels.

 

Also, can I just say f**k Suede/Ash/James, and indeed, The National.

 

 

[xxialac]

12 minutes ago, shoebox said:

As much as I am a fan of James, Ash and Suede, they are not acts that fit the EOTR template. There are places for those bands all over the summer festival season, and none of those places are EOTR.

You've also got to factor in that the line-up is very much curated by Simon. You can almost trace his evolving taste in music over EOTR's lifespan, and you will often get acts given a leg-up to headliner status because he think's they're worthy of it, not necessarily because they have sold the most records.

Finally, I know for a fact, from speaking to someone involved with the festival, that they don't want to book acts with a "following" so to speak. The Mac Demarco year saw a very different demographic descend on the festival who were there purely for him. So the likes of boygenius/Phoebe Bridgers, probably even Mitski now, wouldn't necessarily be booked because of that regardless of cost.

So I often wonder if Nick Cave would be out for a similar sort of reason. A different set of fans, but certainly a very specific set of fans. (again, ignoring the logistics of cost, etc.)

The talk of The National being "too big" because they've sold out two nights at Ally Pally...haven't Future Islands just done the very same thing?

Agree with all your points except I wouldn't put Suede remotely in the same bracket as James and Ash for all sorts of reasons.

[The Nal]

Where has this Suede/Ash/James trio of hell come from?!

[SweepingTheNation]

17 minutes ago, Mardy said:

That's why I think the Wet Leg thing was a genuine coup/one off, and also why there was a real lock down on this, with no real leaks right up till the very end. Simply because I think it didn't go through all the normal channels.

Also Wet Leg's other UK summer dates were Festival Republic events (Reading & Leeds and supporting Pulp at Finsbury Park) and FR usually keep a tight lock on their favoured acts from playing for any other promoter in that festival season, so the band and their people must have been really keen to play - it was essentially the last date of their album promotion, their next gig is the Foo Fighters huge outdoor supports, so there's a nice cyclical element with the initial plans having been made at the festival - and FR struck a deal with EOTR.

[zahidf]

James , Ash and Suede are all great live and have /are about to release really good new music

 

But they aren't ever going to play EOTR for demographic reasons.

[robith]

1 hour ago, shoebox said:

 

The talk of The National being "too big" because they've sold out two nights at Ally Pally...haven't Future Islands just done the very same thing?

No, they only played one night. The National's non London shows are still arenas whereas Future Islands' were club venues. "Too big" is obviously a subjective call that is ultimately as pointless as talking about the stature of football clubs, so lazy use of language on my part - but realistically where The National are operating is at a scale and budget above where EOTR tends not to play (as a National stan slightly guttingly cos i'd die to see them at EOTR and would adore to be wrong)

[robith]

49 minutes ago, Mardy said:

The 'special relationship' with the festival thing is, I reckon, often overstated. Decent sized acts might not get a sniff of where's available or where they're playing before it's been through promoters/management etc. If the money isn't there, a  might not even know they've been offered EOTR unless Simon has the lead singer/guitarist/drummer's brother's phone number.

That's why I think the Wet Leg thing was a genuine coup/one off, and also why there was a real lock down on this, with no real leaks right up till the very end. Simply because I think it didn't go through all the normal channels.

 

Also, can I just say f**k Suede/Ash/James, and indeed, The National.

 

 

I was going to say something nice about it's always a testamount to the professionalism of the set up of EOTR that so little ever leaks out until they want it to. But then you slagged the National so thank your stars I didn't meet you in the campervan park after dark to box yer ears in young man

[Born in the fifties]

2 hours ago, rwhitehouse13 said:

Think we need less chairs around not more….

I understand that one effective way of clearing a lot of the chairs and picnic blankets away from in front of the stage is to put on a set by Nuha Ruby Ra, which apparently worked at Green Man.  Not sure it would at EOTR though.

[Jeel]

13 minutes ago, Born in the fifties said:

I understand that one effective way of clearing a lot of the chairs and picnic blankets away from in front of the stage is to put on a set by Nuha Ruby Ra, which apparently worked at Green Man.  Not sure it would at EOTR though.

I listened to that set from the opposite bank. It has a little angry. 

[Hooskerdoo]

1 hour ago, SweepingTheNation said:

One night. And The National's dates are at the end of an arena tour.

I do think next year is going to be fascinating in terms of the full line-up - you could see a lot of stylistic risks being taken down the bill this year and a lot of them paid off, with the likes of Divide & Dissolve, They Hate Change, Biig Piig and Moin reaching entrances blocked off capacity in the Big Top in a way only the bigger acts used to. With it also being the same weekend as Supersonic now I wonder how far from the Americana/US indie template the higher end of the line-up could be allowed to stray.

The one-in-one-out thing in the Big Top was ridiculously applied this year. I saw D&D and Moin and there was loads of room, no need for it at all.

[shoebox]

1 hour ago, xxialac said:

Agree with all your points except I wouldn't put Suede remotely in the same bracket as James and Ash for all sorts of reasons.

Neither would I, just that I am a fan of all three. But you could, for example, see them on the bill at Victorious or Isle of Wight. 

[Wildhog]

Some of the dominant voices on this forum must have been outraged by the inclusion of Wet Leg this year, but most of the paying punters seemed to enjoy it enough. Just goes to show we've all got different tastes, and what I love about this festival is that no specific genre dominates.

That said, can we have Bonny Prince Billy please, and get Nina Nastasia back to do a longer set. For the rest, I trust the judgement of the organisers - I enjoy finding out about the performers and discovering musical directions i'd never considered.

[Mardy]

2 hours ago, robith said:

I was going to say something nice about it's always a testamount to the professionalism of the set up of EOTR that so little ever leaks out until they want it to. But then you slagged the National so thank your stars I didn't meet you in the campervan park after dark to box yer ears in young man

hehe, fair point. kept an eye out for you over the weekend, but alas to no avail. You enjoy yourself?