Doesn't matter if it was GnR with or without Slash, Duff, etc. Axl on his own is a HUGE name (despite the lack of credit he gets), no smaller than Metallica are. If anything, Axl is even harder to get because his tours are so rare. And of course people cared about them. I knew loads of people gonig solely for GnR/Axl Solo. I nearly went solely for Axl, but my Mom wanted to see Metallica and Korn, so we did that day instead.
As for Rage, I'd argue they're not bigger than Foos. Back in 2005, they may have been about equal, although Foos were still more well known. Today, Foos are so much bigger in this country that they might as well just eliminate all rock bands and rename the rock genre "Grohl". So yeah, again, I can see Reading and Leeds approaching both bands. 'Tallica have said they're playing European festivals and England treats them too well not to play, and Rage are Melvin Benn (the organiser)'s favourite ever band to have performed there and has wanted them there since at least 2004. Depends how far he is willing to go to get them.
I sound like a Reading sycophant which is weird because I usually condemn them to hell and head down to Download, but pretty much everyone on the Reading boards are in agreement of Killers/Metallica/Rage, more confident than the Downloaders usually are. And it makes the most sense for Tallica and Rage to play (Killers, give or take, don't really care) given the timing.
All we know for sure though is that it's an All-American headliner.
Also, stolen from a Reading forum, self-confirmations:
Frank Turner
The Blackout
Laura Marling
Parka
British Sea Power
The Paddingtons
Less Then Jake
Serj Tankian
Blood Red Shoes
The Grit
Goldfinger
Hadouken!
Manic Street Preachers
The Cribs
Modest Mouse
This Et Al
iLiKETRAiNS
Dizzee Rascal
Foals
Gallows
Set Your Goals
You're right, it is more indie, but Download has the rock market corners so it makes sense to diversify things more, even if I don't like/know half the bands listed there.
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EDIT: Just found this on a respectable news site:
Green Day, I can't see. There has to be at least one indie day, and THAT would be overload since GD are huge right now. Aerosmith... would only play if Metallica don't, but that'd be quite cool. REM are playing other festivals but again, it's stacking the headliners. And is Snoop even allowed in the UK yet?