Download Festival 2008

[Dan]

Can't see Subways playing both Download and Leeds.

[TMJ]

Bullet For My Valentine played both in 2005. It's possible.

[Cactus Drags]

I can't see Metallica and Rage headlining. Rock AM Ring is much, much bigger than anything we do over here, so don't use that as precedent.

[TMJ]

Whilst true, I'm using previous UK festivals as precedent. Metallica and Guns N' Roses at Download in 2006. Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden headlining Carling in 2005. I could very easily see it happening, and not just because I would jump up and down like a little girl in excitement over knowing I'm going to see it.

Plus, who else will they stick on the Sunday (at Reading)? It's always been the rock day and Slipknot won't headline it, nor can I see a bunch of rumoured bands like Slipknot, A7X and Machine Head opening for Rage, who I would still bank the house on playing AND headlining.

Then again, look at the Download rumours on the first page compared to what the announcements ended up being. For all I know, we could end up with Kanye, MCR and K-Fed. But I'm only going if Rage are announced, and I've got my £200 ready to go.

Edited March 23, 2008 by TMJ

[Cactus Drags]

Guns 'N' Roses should be excluded from your argument because that was not the real GNR, it was Axl and his band of merry men. Everyone knew it, no one gave a shit about them all weekend. I'd also argue that Rage are bigger than the Foo Fighters, and the Carling weekend is getting more indie by the year.

[TMJ]

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.

-----------------------------------

EDIT: Just found this on a respectable news site:

The names are likely to be revealed in March when tickets go on sale, and names put forward for this year range from Rage Against the Machine, Green Day and Metallica to Snoop Dogg, R.E.M and possibly Aerosmith.

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?

Edited March 23, 2008 by TMJ

[Dan]

I'm in a state of confusion, Download is my first choice, but it's really soon & I'm poor.

Leeds is looking good on the rumours, but apparently it sells out within hours & I'm poor.

How much do Leeds tickets go up to on ebay?

Do they sell more tickets at a later date?

[METALMAN]

Download always seems to be headlined by old creatively dead bands from what I've seen. When was the last time it was headlined by a band that has put out something decent in the last five years?

Anyway, I'm considering going to Leeds because they usually have a pretty strong lineup. I'd hate it some of those rumoured bands to be playing.

[Summers]

Hm.. My Chem, Linkin Park, Tool, Feeder, System.

Also.. Metallica, Maiden, GnR and Sabbath despite being 'old' are better headliners than most bands who could have headlined.

[METALMAN]

I'm a bit meh on most of those recent bands but I suppose Download isn't my style really. It would just be unfortunate for me if they actually did play Leeds.

[Nerf]

And Maiden haven't out out anything decent for five years? Fuck off.

[Summers]

I'm a bit meh on most of those recent bands but I suppose Download isn't my style really. It would just be unfortunate for me if they actually did play Leeds.

Whether you're meh on them or not means nothing on the 'five year' argurment.

[METALMAN]

Not exactly an argument. More of an opinion. Also, I was asking as I genuinely didn't know which bands had headlined, but whenever I hear talk of Download headliners, they tend to be old bands.

[Nerf]

And old is bad?

[GA!]

I'm in a state of confusion, Download is my first choice, but it's really soon & I'm poor.

Leeds is looking good on the rumours, but apparently it sells out within hours & I'm poor.

How much do Leeds tickets go up to on ebay?

Do they sell more tickets at a later date?

On the 'strength' of the supposed headliners, I doubt it will sell out within hours this year. I think Metallica and Rage at an indie-heavy (ish) festival will cause an effect like Jay Z at Glastonbury. They will still sell quickly, just not V-Festival 90 minutes quickly.

[Dan]

YI mentioned waves which makes me happy.

One in last May or June would make me very happy.

[METALMAN]

And old is bad?

Nope, just an observation.

[Nerf]

Sounded like you were implying that old is bad, as I'm sure others would agree.

[METALMAN]

Ah well I didn't mean to.

[Cactus Drags]

It did come across like that. I liked the old/new theme they seemed to go with for a few years, i.e. Metallica/Linkin Park, Sabbath/SOAD.