The Future of Festivals.

Yes, it's that time of year-AGAIN. On both sides of the Atlantic each organiser drools down his line-up bill to temp each one of us sun craving monsters in. But are the cards necessarily in new music's favour?

To my great delight this January, it was a nice surprise to find that California's hipster heaven setting was to be graced by the likes of Jamie xx, St Vincent, FKA Twigs, The

Orwells, Lykke Li and Caribou to name but a few. All of whom are great ambassadors of new music and who we all probably know and appreciate to see on America's grandest festival-Coachella. Seeing acts who practically came out the dust as recent as 12 months ago now appearing far from the small print is a promising prospect for the UK's music scene; for instance Jamie xx totalling higher than Panda Bear and Mac Demarco. 


However, I am brought to the long 'Monday after' yawn as my eyes peel and seethe to the top of the list.

There- in all their glory lie ACDC, again firing up their guitars for ANOTHER headline whammy. This obviously, isn't uncommon. Only last year as I sit at home in front of my patio I could hear Metallica's James Hetfield rumbling down the road at Glastonbury. Every festival is a criminal of this. My eyes begin to stream upon seeing the wondrous names of Tame Impala, Flying Lotus, (okay-maybe not so much Nero) Lykke Li and Interpol, all pondering below. 

Let's try another, Reading and Leeds (so far confirmed) ; Metallica as well as Mumford and Sons.-Ergh!

Although it may be hard to explain to a budding overall music fan, it is incredibly painful year upon year to find these equally talented, ever so more refreshing artists patted on the shoulder to sit below the throwback bands who frankly, have run their long and successful reign on festivals. I fear now it is turning into a dictatorship.

*Reactions to headliners*

Whilst this is all going on, the family of Worthy Farm sit back observantly. Glastonbury has been keeping it hush hush all till this week when Foo Fighters pleasantly slipped out at the NME awards about headlining. My first reaction was great, great! they'll be the perfect set for a ferocious Friday night. But upon reflection, yes the Foo Fighters are dynamic to Glastonbury, but are they new? Rumour has it that the odds of Florence and the Machine topping the bill are 8/1 whilst ACDC are still antagonisingly close. It just seems ever so tiresome to knock out metal band after metal band when a whole generation of future ones are under our noses. This, in many ways puts festivals at risk too. Micheal Eavis ( owner of Glastonbury Festival) has stated that they are simply 'running out of headliners' and when his expected retirement is up in 2020 it's not clear of the festivals future. 


Now, don't get me wrong. I love the Eavis's but are they barking mad? 

The fact of the matter is, festivals cannot afford to be fussy anymore. The direction he is speaking from is understandable, THE biggest festival in the world needs the biggest bands. But why?; sponsors, ticket sales, reputation? This is the prime reason that is barricading all the worthy, less commercial  yet successful bands from brinking the top. We've almost seen it before where a less expected band fronted the audience, remember when Arcade Fire pulled it off on the Pyramid Stage in 2013? Of course they're not the best 'new' example, but still many of my so called 'hipster friends' questioned their name. That was the only glimpse I have seen of a world scale festival going a bit alternative. 

Florence really has earned her spot

I look at bands such as; The xx, Foals, Tame Impala,  Florence and the Machine, The War on Drugs, Vampire Weekend, The Vaccines, St Vincent- you know who I mean. That upcoming generation from around 4 years ago and now all are working on their third album at least. It's like we've missed a whole lifespan of bands who are perfectly able to headline the hugest festivals in the world. We still feel the need to whack bands who've got on that stage 12 trillion times before. Not forgetting the next generation of line up gurus such as Wolf Alice, The Orwells, Palma Violets, Kate Tempest, Royal Blood and Haim.


The truth is if we let these artists simply slip through out hands then how do we expect new headliners, evolutionary chart toppers and a creation of songwriters to come about in the future? 

Wolf Alice at Glastonbury 2014.

There are, thankfully some festivals who can see this. Year upon year, events including SXSW in Texas, The Great Escape ( Brighton) , Dot to Dot (Manchester, Bristol ,Nottingham)  and Field Day in London are just a whisper of festivals that encourage the newer and newest bands to the top of the nest. Since so man venues take part in the event  The one thing they all have in common is an urban setting for usually a shorter time period. But this seems to be working. Festivals where one come wonder aimlessly around a city and not

worry so much about wellies and bottles of piss, supporting local venues rather than paying two hundred and fifty quid. I'm not saying these could replace the natural idea of a festival, or be the replacement of the green field tradition. But where new music is the priority? Yes. 

Not to say that our typical John Peel Stages aren't up to scratch; when you get Courtney Barnett, Wolf Alice, Fat White Family and Royal Blood inside of one Saturday afternoon you can't complain too much. But I'd say maybe ONE  of these acts will (or has) gained the attention it deserves after last nights BRIT Awards.  Brighton's brothers of Royal Blood may have the music industry slipping smoothly into their grip, but it's like the media have only just touched the tip of the iceberg for our rock scene alone. 

I look to Latitude and The Secret Garden Party,  both of whom are skipping merrily enough around the festival maypole, only before they're dragged to the stone-set publicity of Glastonbury/Reading and Leeds. As well as being even more rural and lost in the true 'don't give a crap' atmosphere they are partially less likely to stick an old timer up on 2/3 nights ( yes Isle of Wight I'm talking to you!) Bestival for example actually managed to suss that Foals could through a great party, Secret Garden Party drove everyone to electro-sphere surrealism with Little Dragon as the weekends closer. This hasn't affected their reputation whatsoever. Perhaps it proves that people really are interested in new line ups.

It's a somewhat confused 'in the moment' debate with festivals, take what you can get at the time. But if the big players really want to keep their game fresh and forward-thinking, they're going to have to take some risks.