Reading & Leeds 2013

So that's 3 acts that aren't rock/medal/indie in the whole of the history. Historically it has been these genres and indie is a sub-genre of rock anway.

3 big acts that have headlined. People are talking like Reading has never had an r and b or rap act. They've had LOADSSS. Besides Reading can't do metal/rock anymore, look at Deftones/Mastodon in the last few years, no one knew who they were...

I guess it depends on what the rest of the line up is like, but if the rest of the line up is back to the indie/punk/rock stuff then I can see quite a lot of people just turning up for Eminem

Erm.... What about Foo Fighters 3 hour set last year?

I don't get why people are chatting on about Eminem being a hip-hop act and taking away from rock/punk/indie roots or whatever.
Eminem - the most 'liked' artist on Facebook - with his recent music to this huge crowd, is a pop booking, not a hip-hop booking.

And RandL? Bar Glasto, it's the biggest festival in England and the one most teens attend and it's catering to that crowd.
Plus the focus isn't even on the music at RandL anyway.
As people have said, the 'proper' rock acts booked for the main in recent times haven't even done well.

I think some people are apprehensive to seeing a man rap to such a huge crowd. But the thing is, acts don't need to have a traditional live instrument set up to get a crowd going, seriously. The best hip-hop performers have that charisma to bring a real show. See: Jay-Z. I'm pretty sure Eminem can bring the heat, for the pop crowd anyway (who will have been drinking all day and know and recognise all Em's biggest hits anyway whether they like it or not so they'll be hyped.)

Sorry, but of course the focus is on music at R&L- its a music festival ffs. There's probably even more focus on it than at Glastonbury where the have countless other things to do

Of course 'proper rock' acts have done well recently- it sold out last year, can't do better than that.

Its not a problem with 'hip-hop' at all (which is what Eminem is, just because he'll shift tickets doen't mean he's a popstar), plenty of people accept its part of the fest, its the fact that they've booked a guy who peaked a decade ago and has been on a downward spiral since, culminating in a crappy album(s) and two headline slots in which he talked over a backing track (poorly).

If they wanted hip-hop they should've gone with WTT, or stuck Wu Tang/Public Enemy on the main stage during the day.

I disagree, I maintain that the main focus of RandL is the 'festival experience'. I know way too many people who would go just because they want to get pissed and do other drugs in a tent all weekend in that environment.

Eminem is a pop act. Yes he's a hip-hop artist but he's one of our time's best-selling artists ever, how that isn't 'popular' I just don't know.

It's not only about whether it sells out when I mentioned about rock acts - what about the relative attendance at each stage comparing rock and non-rock stuff? I agree with fnm, see his comment about Foo Fighters etc.

Most of the people who go, go for the music. If someone wants to go for a really expensive pissup the fair enough, but that doesn't represent the R&L demographic at all.

In that case Foo Fighters, Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Kings Of Leon, RATM etc. would all be classed as 'pop acts'.

Comparing Foo Fighters at Reading to IOW isn't very good- not only were the crowd sizes relatively similar anyway at IOW there was basically nothing clashing with their set, unlike at Reading (and the other two headliners at IOW that year actually). Feeder packed out the FR tent when they headlined that last year, Kasabian got a huge crowd, BFMV did reasonably well, Black Keys were popular, so were Paramore, Muse got a huge crowd the year before...

Of course Reading booking 'alternative' headliner is comendable (as long as they're producing good music/putting on a good performace- which Eminem isn't doing) but that doesn't mean the rock acts are becomming less popular- if anything they still get the bigger crowds.

Hmm yeah I suppose you do have a point tbf.

I would still refer to some of those mentioned as 'pop acts', not because they make pop music but because they are at that level of popularity where it justifies them headlining festivals of such size and stature.

I won't argue with you about Eminem being a 'bad' selection, 'cause yeah I don't rate his recent material as much - although he is still a ridiculous rapper and I reckon he'll perform well.
I disagree more with the poeple that are all having a fit over his selection because they think Reading and Leeds are moving away from rock or whatever just because of this one booking. I don't think all the hip-hop heads are all of a sudden going to want to go to Leeds, I don't think the crowd and feel of the festival will change all that much.

I think this is where we agree. He's a shadow of his former self, and personal I feel if they want to introduce hip hop they should've done it with a better act. But there you go.

Also, to continue with the cynicism people are refering to it as a 'coup'- really? He's done T/V in the last 3 years, Glasto/Download/IOW wouldn't want him, he's got a new album to whore out. yeah R&L are probably paying him a lot, but did they face competition? doubt it...

They probably aren't trying to introduce hip hop, rather just get the biggest artist in the world to play to shift tickets. They could have booked Jay-Z or Kanye but firstly they aren't as big and secondly they may not have been available.

I think the festival shows he has done in recent years at T/V are his only shows in the UK for a significant amount of time. He is known to have a very strong aversion to touring so whenever he gets booked to play any show it always gets a good reception.

Would Glastonbury be against him playing? They always seem to like to get legendary artists to play and there are very few that match him from recent years.

The Download booker has said that he would have him play at the festival.

@5:00

I would say that, with the 1xtra stage, hip-hop/grime is definitely something they're trying to push ('introduce' is probably the wrong choice of word on my part here as its something which R&L have always had, just it hasn't been very prominent). At the moment WTT are easily as big as Eminem, but yeah fair enough they may have been unavailable (although they then could've gone for Dre/Snoop Dogg?)

I don't think Glasto would want him, he doesn't suit the vibe or the crowd, but fair enough on Download...

I think this is where we agree. He's a shadow of his former self, and personal I feel if they want to introduce hip hop they should've done it with a better act. But there you go.

Also, to continue with the cynicism people are refering to it as a 'coup'- really? He's done T/V in the last 3 years, Glasto/Download/IOW wouldn't want him, he's got a new album to whore out. yeah R&L are probably paying him a lot, but did they face competition? doubt it...