One of the best reasons in my humble opinion for going to a festival is to get out of your comfort zone, and experiment & take in the different types of music which are out there. Music is always changing and evolving, and so should our tastes as people. Some people are stuck in their ways, but the fact remains that music is there to be enjoyed. By being a bit open to other types of music, you might find an artist you fall in love with, that you'd never have heard of if you had carried on being close minded. And by mixing up your listening habits, you'll have a more productive time in life, as you'll be constantly stimulated and not bored by listening to the same thing over and over.
It's no surprise that bands are using more electronic instruments in their music, just as it's no surprise that hip hop, pop and rap artists are experimenting with guitars and bands, to try to mix things up, and to stay relevant. In the early 2000s Linkin Park came out with Hybrid Theory and completely rewrote the rulebook of what rock and rap should be. And then combining their obvious talent with the juggernaut that is Jay Z took their appeal skywards, and they're still revered as one of the biggest bands on the planet. They were the biggest selling band of the 2000s and are still going strong now.
Enter Shikari are proud to be known as the band who've 'been abusing the boundaries of genres and music for over 10 years now'. Combining rock, punk, hip-hop, metal, dubstep and electronic influences into a unique mixture, and then throwing a political lyric set into things, has made them one of the voices of a generation. This makes them the one of the best festival bands going, they're able to play near enough any festival and be able to draw a crowd. They played T in the Park last year and people who saw them were asking 'Why aren't they headlining?'. This year alone, they've played Download, T in the Park, Glastonbury and are to play Reading & Leeds, before a headline slot at the UK Warped Tour.
Speaking of Reading & Leeds, there has been an outcry at the fact that Eminem is to headline the Main Stage. People forget that Eminem has headlined at these festivals before in 2001. In 2001, when Green Day were below Travis, who've only just announced their return a few weeks ago. Eminem is a staple of pop culture and he has been for the past 15 odd years. Everyone knows at least 3 Eminem songs, and know what he's about. He's the start of a revolution at Reading and Leeds.
They won't be known as the 'rock' festivals for much longer, they'll be known as the 'Alternative' festivals. This year, they've added many electronic stages to give the choice to the punters. But they're still offering acts on a main stage which wouldn't normally be there. There aren't many festivals who would give a band like Don Broco, Hadouken!, We Are The In Crowd, Mallory Knox or While She Sleeps a chance at playing on the main stage. Reading and Leeds are offering bands of this size a chance to cut their teeth in front of a bigger audience. This has happened before, as in 2010, a little known band called Mumford & Sons were given the chance to play the late evening slot of the NME stage, a stage Mumford had no real reason to be that high on at this stage in their career, and yet they smashed it and produced one of the best sets of the weekend. Just 3 years later, Mumford & Sons played the headlining slot at Glastonbury. It was at Reading & Leeds that they were given their chance and they took it with all their hands and are now a massive band.
The main point to take away from this, is that festivals need to diversify, move with the times and keep attracting business. Going to a festival you might not know too many of the acts, but that doesn't mean you can't experiment and try new stuff. New bands are always coming through, 2013 showing the emergence of bands like The 1975, Peace, Palma Violets, The Strypes and Deap Vally to name a few. Go with your mates and have a good weekend, you might just surprise yourself.
Reading & Leeds headliners - My view
Green Day return to Reading for the 2nd time in 2 years, after their not-so-secret set last year, which they played on the NME stage at 11am. Once again, Green Day headlined here in 2004, just before American Idiot was released and sent them back into the stratosphere, 10 years after they first took over the world. Over the years, Green Day have become a hit machine, and a very well tuned live act, driven by Tre Cool & Mike Dirnt's cohesion as a rhythm section, and fronted by quite arguably, the best frontman in the business today, in Billie Joe Armstrong. Once again, Green Day have their detractors, but there is not a single person who has seen them play a show who can say they aren't captivating live, and anyone who says they're not, is lying to you. After releasing 3 albums last year, Reading & Leeds mark the end of their album cycle. Is 2014 the year that they take over the world once again with another game changer of an album? If it is, it'll start at Reading & Leeds.
Going back to Eminem, he will smash his set at both festivals. I don't think there can be any argument, his return to Reading & Leeds, 12 years after he was last there as a headliner, and armed with 12 years worth of songs, he's going to be insane. An Eminem show is a rare thing in the UK these days, and as shown, almost all of the days tickets on both sites have gone for his day. The fact that Eminem has a very rock n roll mentality will serve him well in converting the doubters. Eminem has an hour and a half set, the shortest of the three headliners, but it will be action packed and stuffed full of tunes. Marshall Mathers, Reading & Leeds await the moment that the real Slim Shady stands up and proves the doubters wrong and that you prove, that you've still got it.
Finally, Biffy Clyro are the final & third headliner. The Scots are veterans of this festival, having first played it in 2001 and working their way up through the years, they've reached headliner status. Personally, this is the act I am most looking forward to, and I love Eminem and Green Day are my favourite band ever. But come Sunday night, about 9.30pm, Biffy Clyro will be starting their crowning moment on the main stage. This will be their Kings of Leon headlining Glastonbury moment. Biffy Clyro are about to become Britain's biggest band, and I would not be surprised to see them headlining T in the Park, V Festvial, Isle of Wight or Download next year. People who say they aren't ready will be blown away. The trio have the passion, the tunes and the ability to pull off, in their words, a 'big FUCK OFF rock show'. No gimmicks bar the obligatory pyro, just 3 guys, some guitars, a drum set and the tunes. Take this as a warning, Biffy Clyro will have headlined Glastonbury within the next 5 years. Armed with a new double album, Opposites (that went to Number 1 in the UK charts) and 5 albums before, Biffy Clyro are about to become a household name. Bet on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment