Sonisphere festival cancelled!

False_BeliefFalse_Belief Cardiff Posts: 763
edited March 2012 in Other Music
Due to poor tickets sales apparently. Official announcement coming tomorrow....

http://www.gigwise.com/news/71815/Sonis ... 2012-event

Leeds 2006, London 2007, Hartford 2008, London Shepherds Bush 2009, London O2 2009, Dublin 2010, London Hyde Park 2010, Amsterdam 1 2012, Amsterdam 2 2012, Berlin 1 2012, EV solo London 30/7/2012, Berlin 2014, Stockholm 2014, Milton Keynes 2014, Amsterdam 1 2018, London 1 2018, London 2 2018, EV solo Dublin 2019, London 1 2022, London 2 2022, New York City 2022 

Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Not surprised really. Poor lineup and the UK is just flooded with festivals these days. I hear about 3 new ones every year.
  • Not surprised really. Poor lineup and the UK is just flooded with festivals these days. I hear about 3 new ones every year.

    FnM and Queen were quite good headliners though IMO.... I suspect a lot of people were put off by the price... 210 squids apparently :shock:
    ...London Doesn't Call Anymore... (rip joe)

    Yes, I have been to some Pearl Jam concerts. Several of them.
  • Mikee JMikee J Posts: 1,323
    Its says it was the "latest" UK fest to cancel.. what other ones have cancelled?
    "My body's nobody's body but mine"
  • stargirl69stargirl69 Posts: 6,387
    Not surprised really. Poor lineup and the UK is just flooded with festivals these days. I hear about 3 new ones every year.

    FnM and Queen were quite good headliners though IMO.... I suspect a lot of people were put off by the price... 210 squids apparently :shock:

    210! Really? Bloody hell :?
    “There should be a place where only the things you want to happen, happen”
  • eeriepadaveeeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 42,080
    stargirl69 wrote:
    Not surprised really. Poor lineup and the UK is just flooded with festivals these days. I hear about 3 new ones every year.

    FnM and Queen were quite good headliners though IMO.... I suspect a lot of people were put off by the price... 210 squids apparently :shock:

    210! Really? Bloody hell :?

    what's a squid? (is that "slang" for dollar is america?)

    kinda sucks, I remember when Lollapallooza had to cancel their festival in '04 due to poor ticket sales.
    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
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  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Mikee J wrote:
    Its says it was the "latest" UK fest to cancel.. what other ones have cancelled?

    Oxegen and the Big Chill apparently.
  • stargirl69 wrote:

    FnM and Queen were quite good headliners though IMO.... I suspect a lot of people were put off by the price... 210 squids apparently :shock:

    210! Really? Bloody hell :?

    what's a squid? (is that "slang" for dollar is america?)

    kinda sucks, I remember when Lollapallooza had to cancel their festival in '04 due to poor ticket sales.

    Squid = quid = pound.. Squids = quids = pounds...
    It's slang for slang :P
    ...London Doesn't Call Anymore... (rip joe)

    Yes, I have been to some Pearl Jam concerts. Several of them.
  • veddertownveddertown Scotland Posts: 5,260
    It's not that surprising really. The UK is saturated with over-priced festivals now. It would be one thing if they all had great line-ups but they get weaker or more repetetive every year. Kiss would maybe attract an audience at the High Voltage festival but they've become pretty low profile in the UK for Knebworth sized venues. Faith No More should just do a proper tour in the UK and as for Queen? That horse has been flogged to death yet still Bryan May and Roger Taylor persevere with cheapening the name. It's almost as embarrasing as the current Axl Rose and friends guising as G N' R... :roll:
    Like a book among the many on a shelf...

    Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
    Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
  • Brisk.Brisk. Posts: 11,561
    veddertown wrote:
    It's not that surprising really. The UK is saturated with over-priced festivals now. It would be one thing if they all had great line-ups but they get weaker or more repetetive every year. Kiss would maybe attract an audience at the High Voltage festival but they've become pretty low profile in the UK for Knebworth sized venues. Faith No More should just do a proper tour in the UK and as for Queen? That horse has been flogged to death yet still Bryan May and Roger Taylor persevere with cheapening the name. It's almost as embarrasing as the current Axl Rose and friends guising as G N' R... :roll:

    Ya FNM club shows, they aren't big enough to headline their own.

    Kiss pffft

    Ya what's with that Queen business, who'd ever wanna go see that..The dude has too much vibrato anyway.
  • Mikee JMikee J Posts: 1,323
    Mikee J wrote:
    Its says it was the "latest" UK fest to cancel.. what other ones have cancelled?

    Oxegen and the Big Chill apparently.


    Big Chill said it was because of the Olympics...... not the same reason really.

    Was Oxygen because of tickets sales?
    "My body's nobody's body but mine"
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Mikee J wrote:
    Mikee J wrote:
    Its says it was the "latest" UK fest to cancel.. what other ones have cancelled?

    Oxegen and the Big Chill apparently.


    Big Chill said it was because of the Olympics...... not the same reason really.

    Was Oxygen because of tickets sales?

    I dunno, I was just going by what the ever-reliable NME said :lol:

    I don't think there's any question that the UK festival scene has become completely oversaturated though, and because of that the lineups have become weaker.
  • Mikee JMikee J Posts: 1,323
    I don't think there's any question that the UK festival scene has become completely oversaturated though, and because of that the lineups have become weaker.

    You are absolutely right, it's all become a big corporate mess too. Hop Farm have it right in my opinion....

    When I left the UK, 18 months ago I was totally over the whole festival scene there. 20 years of festivals and Glasto 2010 just tipped me over the edge. It was my 10th Glasto and I have to say I hated it. Then there is HRC and other big corporate "festivals" which sell awful beer for ridiculous prices and just seem to want to bleed you dry.... terrible.

    Here in Belgium there are a few festivals which are the complete opposite of this......Not Werchter but some of the smaller established fests like Dour and Cactus... always great line ups and the beer is the same price as the bars in town! :D:lol:
    "My body's nobody's body but mine"
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Mikee J wrote:
    You are absolutely right, it's all become a big corporate mess too. Hop Farm have it right in my opinion....

    When I left the UK, 18 months ago I was totally over the whole festival scene there. 20 years of festivals and Glasto 2010 just tipped me over the edge. It was my 10th Glasto and I have to say I hated it. Then there is HRC and other big corporate "festivals" which sell awful beer for ridiculous prices and just seem to want to bleed you dry.... terrible.

    Here in Belgium there are a few festivals which are the complete opposite of this......Not Werchter but some of the smaller established fests like Dour and Cactus... always great line ups and the beer is the same price as the bars in town! :D:lol:

    Nice!

    I don't mind HRC because it's not far from me, and I enjoy big outdoor shows in the summertime, even if the beer is overpriced and shit!
  • OlivavuOlivavu England Posts: 1,683
    Brisk. wrote:
    veddertown wrote:
    It's not that surprising really. The UK is saturated with over-priced festivals now. It would be one thing if they all had great line-ups but they get weaker or more repetetive every year. Kiss would maybe attract an audience at the High Voltage festival but they've become pretty low profile in the UK for Knebworth sized venues. Faith No More should just do a proper tour in the UK and as for Queen? That horse has been flogged to death yet still Bryan May and Roger Taylor persevere with cheapening the name. It's almost as embarrasing as the current Axl Rose and friends guising as G N' R... :roll:

    Ya FNM club shows, they aren't big enough to headline their own.

    They were big enough to headline Download in 2009 and were good doing it.
  • OlivavuOlivavu England Posts: 1,683
    Mikee J wrote:
    You are absolutely right, it's all become a big corporate mess too. Hop Farm have it right in my opinion....

    When I left the UK, 18 months ago I was totally over the whole festival scene there. 20 years of festivals and Glasto 2010 just tipped me over the edge. It was my 10th Glasto and I have to say I hated it. Then there is HRC and other big corporate "festivals" which sell awful beer for ridiculous prices and just seem to want to bleed you dry.... terrible.

    Here in Belgium there are a few festivals which are the complete opposite of this......Not Werchter but some of the smaller established fests like Dour and Cactus... always great line ups and the beer is the same price as the bars in town! :D:lol:

    Nice!

    I don't mind HRC because it's not far from me, and I enjoy big outdoor shows in the summertime, even if the beer is overpriced and shit!

    Would you be more critical of it if it wasn't so close?
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Olivavu wrote:
    Would you be more critical of it if it wasn't so close?

    Critical of what? Brixton Academy has shit overpriced beer, and the sound can be dodgy too. Like I said, I enjoy those big outdoor shows in the summertime, something about the sense of occasion, throw in some bands I love and it's a good day out to me.
  • OlivavuOlivavu England Posts: 1,683
    99% of music venues have overpriced crap beer.

    Brixton Academy's sound is far better than Hyde Park.

    Every other festival I have ever been to has far better sound than Hyde Park.
  • OlivavuOlivavu England Posts: 1,683
    Anyway, that has gone off topic.



    With regards to Sonisphere, I went to the first one in 2009 and thought it was ok but wasn't required. Download Festival had already sucked most of the heavy music out of Reading Festival and another one wasn't required.

    It has only diluted the lineups of other festivals further and I would not be at all disappointed to see the back of Sonisphere.

    Back in the 90s, there was Reading, Glastonbury, V and Phoenix. V Festival turned up in the mid/late 90s and seemed to find a place as the 'softest' festival, which was fine. That meant Reading could maintain the heavier lineups along with the variety of Glastonbury.

    The Phoenix Festival wasn't really needed and just seemed a copy of Reading. The problem was, they didn't treat fans well and were far too strict with curfews etc.

    In the last ten years though, the number of festivals has gone ridiculously high and it just isn't needed. Festivals have become fashionable and trendy and it's a real shame that they have been removed from the alternative.
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Olivavu wrote:
    99% of music venues have overpriced crap beer.

    Brixton Academy's sound is far better than Hyde Park.

    Every other festival I have ever been to has far better sound than Hyde Park.

    It seems you are annoyed that people can possibly enjoy an event at Hyde Park? Obviously you place higher value on the sound quality than the overall experience of a show, and that's fair enough, but in my personal experience the sound was perfectly acceptable where I was standing.
  • OlivavuOlivavu England Posts: 1,683
    Olivavu wrote:
    99% of music venues have overpriced crap beer.

    Brixton Academy's sound is far better than Hyde Park.

    Every other festival I have ever been to has far better sound than Hyde Park.

    It seems you are annoyed that people can possibly enjoy an event at Hyde Park? Obviously you place higher value on the sound quality than the overall experience of a show, and that's fair enough, but in my personal experience the sound was perfectly acceptable where I was standing.

    What do you think the overall experience of a show comprises of?
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Olivavu wrote:
    What do you think the overall experience of a show comprises of?

    Depends on the type of show. I saw Pearl Jam at the Astoria then later in the year at Reading, two completely different shows but I enjoyed them both equally. I think bigger shows offer a real sense of occasion - there's nothing quite like standing in the middle of 60,000 people all singing their lungs out. Of course the trade off might be that the sound isn't so good. Sometimes that's just how it is, it certainly wouldn't stop me going to a show - particularly if the band in question happens to be one of my favourites ever, and I've not seen them play in nearly 17 years! The smaller indoor shows will come, I've no doubt, so until then I would rather see them not see them.
  • veddertownveddertown Scotland Posts: 5,260
    Olivavu wrote:
    99% of music venues have overpriced crap beer.

    Brixton Academy's sound is far better than Hyde Park.

    Every other festival I have ever been to has far better sound than Hyde Park.

    I don't know how you expect a good sound at a venue like Hyde? It's not an ideal venue and all you seem to be worrying about is that they turn it up loud enough to drown out people talking. That doesn't equal quality and conditions for any outdoor gigs are different each time thus making it a harder task to fine tune for the festival audiophiles of this world. Almost everyone I know who went in 09 & 10 thought the festival was a good experience and had a great time because they went there with the intention of enjoying themselves. It you create possible faults then go looking for them you're not enjoying yourself so the answer is plain and simple.
    Like a book among the many on a shelf...

    Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
    Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
  • OlivavuOlivavu England Posts: 1,683
    I always go to PJ shows hoping and expecting to have a great time.

    The band were not at fault at all at Hard Rock Calling in 2010, they played as well as ever.

    The sound just isn't loud enough there and it spoilt it for me, my wife and our friends. Everyone regrouped outside after and said the same thing - too quiet.

    Reading Festival in 2006 was the best outdoors PJ show I've seen because it had the atmosphere and the sound. HRC in 2010 didn't have as good a crowd as any other PJ show I've been to and it suffered for it.

    Arras in 2010 was far better, despite being a shorter set. The setting was excellent, the crowd were better and the sound too was better.

    Good sound isn't just about volume, I agree, but it's too quiet and it swirls around in the wind there too.
  • veddertownveddertown Scotland Posts: 5,260
    I certainly think volume is a big problem at Hyde with legal restrictions of course. Shame they can't agree to have some kind of concession on the issue with the local council as it is only one weekend. Maybe getting the headline act on a little earlier would be a solution? I certainly liked the venue despite how flat it is but if I was further back behind the first screen I wouldn't have enjoyed myself nearly as much. I'm not sure if I'll make Soundgarden since I'll be getting married in Dublin two days before but seeing as how the bride to be is a huge Springsteen fan I could maybe strike some kind of "deal".... 8-)
    Like a book among the many on a shelf...

    Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
    Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
  • Brisk.Brisk. Posts: 11,561
    Olivavu wrote:
    Brisk. wrote:
    veddertown wrote:
    It's not that surprising really. The UK is saturated with over-priced festivals now. It would be one thing if they all had great line-ups but they get weaker or more repetetive every year. Kiss would maybe attract an audience at the High Voltage festival but they've become pretty low profile in the UK for Knebworth sized venues. Faith No More should just do a proper tour in the UK and as for Queen? That horse has been flogged to death yet still Bryan May and Roger Taylor persevere with cheapening the name. It's almost as embarrasing as the current Axl Rose and friends guising as G N' R... :roll:

    Ya FNM club shows, they aren't big enough to headline their own.

    They were big enough to headline Download in 2009 and were good doing it.

    Ya I know, it was my first time seeing them and it was fucking awesome but now I think the hype is over they are back so just keep playing places like Brixton!
  • veddertownveddertown Scotland Posts: 5,260
    I know there have been some good individual performances at Knebworth but I hope this will spell the end of Sonisphere in the UK. Knebworth is a great festival site with a great history and it could be put to better use than just another rock/metal festival. You could have something different every year to keep the outdoor gig scene fresh. As Olivavu pointed out, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Mudhoney, etc could form a very decent bill with a few more names added for a line-up more aimed at one type of music. Next year you could have Raconteurs, The Black Keys, Bright Eyes, Ben Harper, JJ Grey & Mofro, Avett Bros. Heartless Bastards etc. Maybe bands could be invited to curate their own festival on the site? It would be a shame to lose the continued history of the venue but Sonisphere is just another non-essential event where something much more unique or interesting could be happening in it's place. Maybe we could see PJ25 in the UK!! :D
    Like a book among the many on a shelf...

    Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
    Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
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