The lineups for this August’s go-round of the venerable Reading and Leeds music festivals just got announced, with Radiohead at the top of the card. (They’re getting equal billing with co-headliners Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon. Only in the U.K., folks.) It should surprise no one to learn that upon reading this news, I immediately started looking into trans-Atlantic airfare costs. Hey, Radiohead is my favorite band ever by far. Their concerts are never not amazing. How am I to know if they’ll accompany these two English dates with a tour that swings closer to me any time in the next year?
Turns out those tickets are pretty steep, so I’m not going to Reading or Leeds…yet. But I’m thinking about it, for sure. The only other band I’d consider traveling that far to see would be Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, but they’ve been touring the States so often lately that it’s mostly a moot point. Are there any artists that inspire that kind of crazed devotion in you?
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i traveled to London from LA to see Paul Weller in concert in December 2006…only to have Paul Weller come to LA a few months later in February 2007. Ah well. Worth it. I’d go anywhere for Weller, even…duh-duh-duhhnnn Coachella (gulp).
u2 did! I was all set to travel from Jersey to Hawaii for u2′s last tour date of the Vertigo tour. I bought tickets to the show, set up all the travel arrangements, everything. Then within 30 days of the show, u2 had to postpone the final tour dates. Because it was less than 30 days I couldn’t re-arrange all of my travel plans without a huge penalty. So I traveled to Hawaii and didn’t see u2. But the trip was awesome! The only bad thing is I was financially unable to travel back when u2 had re-scheduled. But the attempt was there. . .
What did you mean by: “They’re getting equal billing with co-headliners Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon. Only in the U.K., folks.”
Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon are just as big, if not bigger, than Radiohead. Not to mention much, much better but that’s just my opinion. What is a fact though is that the monkeys and KoL are good festival bands and always bring in large crowds and give fantastic, mesmerizing performances at these events. Why wouldn’t they get equal billing? Do you even know how Reading and Leeds works? It’s a three-day event with a different band headlining each day. Are you upset that Radiohead wasn’t asked to headline all three days? Yeah, cause that would make a lot of sense. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the monkeys and KoL headlined a US festival, they are huge bands with lots of success. And they make albums with great pop songs, not endless noise that gets confused for “brilliance.”
I have definitely considered travelling to UK/Europe to see U2. How awesome would it be to see U2 in Dublin? I would think about it with Radiohead, as well. Though, not a festival. Only if it was an actual Radiohead concert.
AC/DC is the only band on my list of groups I need to see live. So if I could work it out, I would travel anywhere to see them.
Tegan & Sara.
I am from Boston and am going to see U2 in Dublin in July. Great times.
Cyndi Lauper – as it looks like she is touring Europe this summer and not doing her True Colors Tour, looks like I will have to head east.
Jonas Brothers fo sho.
J/K about Jonas Brothers. If it wasn’t for the recession and being low on cash, I would love to travel to the UK to see Radiohead at Readings and Leeds. I almost went to Mexico to see them but my finances didn’t work out.
j. – I could of course be wrong, but I took the comment about “only in the UK, folks” to mean that only in the UK would you have three such awesome bands co-headlining a major festival. The sad truth is, bands like KoL and Arctic Monkeys don’t get the recognition in the US that some other, dare I say, lesser bands do? KoL is now starting to see some of that love at home, but only with what is arguably their most bland record by far. This isn’t to say I’m not a fan of Only by the Night, because I am, but I’m far more in love with the three albums that preceded it.
Anyhow, to answer the question, yes, I would travel across an ocean to see KoL. Luckily, they’re coming to Toronto next month and I’ve got my tickets!! Radiohead would be a close second – damn, I wish I could go to the UK this summer…
Jeff Buckley for sure, if he were still alive!!
What do you mean ‘only in the UK’? More like ‘only at Reading and Leeds’. They always make weird headliner decisions. The Darkness, anyone?
Simon – GO! I saw Radiohead in Manchester last summer and it by far surpassed the 2 times I’ve seen them in the States. There is no fan like an English fan so those kids go something crazy for the band. Truly, seeing Radiohead in their native country is one of the best moments I’ve had.
Muse. I seriously looked into flights when they played Dublin. And if Garbage ever got together for more shows – I’d fly anywhere for that.