Flashback to 2012, the festival showcased artists such as the Foo Fighters, The Cure and the much loved Kasabian. The crowds were filled with sweaty moshers singing along to every lyric in unison.
Back in the 2012 stone age days, there were no phones in sight, not even a camera to take pictures. Electricity didn't exist and we had to use candles as the stage lighting - if you're lucky!
Would you look at that lineup...!
All jokes aside - there has become an eclectic feel of an adjusting fan base and an image shift of Leeds and Reading festival, a weekend that typically hosted rock and indie bands. Dance artists were amongst the minority. It seems now that the festival has become brainwashed into the medium of the music industry, choosing to host artists that are popular in the charts, rather than in the rock and indie fanbase.
Next year, the headliners include Foo Fighters, The 1975 and Post Malone. At what point did rap artists become worthy of having headliner status? I am dreading the potential lineup of 2020, will it gradually begin to turn into a pop festival like V-festival? *please, no*
In response to criticism, the organiser of Leeds and Reading festival, Melvin Benn, said: "The key thing about any festival is that you don't stand still. I'm very clear on that. You can't keep drumming up the same acts and expect people to continue to come and see them. Festivals have to be a reflection of what the public is listening to."
I understand the paradigm that music is constantly evolving and listeners are becoming influenced by other music genres, particularly electronic music. However, the reason this particular festival was so popular in its earlier years was due to its exclusivity and the distinctive image it represents. If you asked anyone what type of music the festival advertises, they would say it was indie and rock. Flashforward to now, I'd struggle to pinpoint what it represents.
Amongst one of the very few festivals that promoted this type of music, it created a unification of similar fans that are all coming to the festival for the same reason. If Leeds and Reading decided to host a range of different music genres, it will be vulnerable to an inevitable tension. Imagine placing a bunch of Oasis fans in the same room as Niki Minaj fans, there would be a clear disparity.
Back in the 2012 stone age days, there were no phones in sight, not even a camera to take pictures. Electricity didn't exist and we had to use candles as the stage lighting - if you're lucky!
Would you look at that lineup...!
All jokes aside - there has become an eclectic feel of an adjusting fan base and an image shift of Leeds and Reading festival, a weekend that typically hosted rock and indie bands. Dance artists were amongst the minority. It seems now that the festival has become brainwashed into the medium of the music industry, choosing to host artists that are popular in the charts, rather than in the rock and indie fanbase.
Next year, the headliners include Foo Fighters, The 1975 and Post Malone. At what point did rap artists become worthy of having headliner status? I am dreading the potential lineup of 2020, will it gradually begin to turn into a pop festival like V-festival? *please, no*
In response to criticism, the organiser of Leeds and Reading festival, Melvin Benn, said: "The key thing about any festival is that you don't stand still. I'm very clear on that. You can't keep drumming up the same acts and expect people to continue to come and see them. Festivals have to be a reflection of what the public is listening to."
I understand the paradigm that music is constantly evolving and listeners are becoming influenced by other music genres, particularly electronic music. However, the reason this particular festival was so popular in its earlier years was due to its exclusivity and the distinctive image it represents. If you asked anyone what type of music the festival advertises, they would say it was indie and rock. Flashforward to now, I'd struggle to pinpoint what it represents.
Amongst one of the very few festivals that promoted this type of music, it created a unification of similar fans that are all coming to the festival for the same reason. If Leeds and Reading decided to host a range of different music genres, it will be vulnerable to an inevitable tension. Imagine placing a bunch of Oasis fans in the same room as Niki Minaj fans, there would be a clear disparity.
Why not keep the festival exclusive to one music genre, so that it can invest in that particular sector, instead of trying to bend a festival that will fit everyone's needs. Isn't it better to be worshipped by the minority than be seen as average to the majority? Doesn't it make sense to have a crowd full of people singing along to ALL of the lyrics, rather than having a selective bunch murmuring to the different artists?
*inserts cringe-worthy quote*: "It's better to be someone's shot of whiskey than everyone's cup of tea."
In comparison to festivals such as Creamfields and We Are, dance music festivals, their identity is obvious and people know what they're going to get.
During the lead up to the announcements, fans are less likely to risk buying a ticket before knowing the lineup. Why would anyone want to play Russian roulette with buying a ticket if they don't know what style Leeds and Reading decide to be that year? When weekend tickets are £200 +, the risk is not worth taking. And for a festival that is sub-average - I think not. Can you imagine if you were expecting the Arctic Monkeys to headline and it becomes released that Post Malone is a headliner?
It's no surprise that The Sun wrote in 2018 that fans are fuming about paying £220 for a ticket, to be hit with a festival that is "full of grime artists".
*inserts cringe-worthy quote*: "It's better to be someone's shot of whiskey than everyone's cup of tea."
In comparison to festivals such as Creamfields and We Are, dance music festivals, their identity is obvious and people know what they're going to get.
During the lead up to the announcements, fans are less likely to risk buying a ticket before knowing the lineup. Why would anyone want to play Russian roulette with buying a ticket if they don't know what style Leeds and Reading decide to be that year? When weekend tickets are £200 +, the risk is not worth taking. And for a festival that is sub-average - I think not. Can you imagine if you were expecting the Arctic Monkeys to headline and it becomes released that Post Malone is a headliner?
It's no surprise that The Sun wrote in 2018 that fans are fuming about paying £220 for a ticket, to be hit with a festival that is "full of grime artists".
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