Which headliner do you choose?

Posted by spinynorman1846@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 17 comments

On one stage, a legendary band whose music you very much enjoy (but not in your top top bands) are reforming to play a rare gig. On the other stage, at the same time, your current favourite band are playing. You've seen neither before and don't want to run between two sets watching bits of both. Which do you pick? (This is based on my upcoming Latitude experience with Pulp and Yard Act headlining two stages at the same time, but imagine the bands fit your choices for the sake of the question)

Reply to Post

17 Comments

[-]

Apprehensive-Rain957@reddit

See Pulp. They are incredible live. Probably never tour again after this year. See them!

[-]

S4mb741@reddit

I think in these instances it ultimately comes down to if you're going to the gig for entertainment in which case see the bank you love or to impress other people when you talk about it later in which case go see the legends. Whenever I went to reading festival growing up I would usually skip the big legendary headliners over whoever was playing the lock up stage. Watched alkaline trio over guns n roses, new found glory over Radiohead and dont regret it at all

[-]

Mdl8922@reddit

My favourite current act are still touring regularly & I've seen them twice this year, so it'd be the legendary band.

[-]

greg225@reddit

Speaking from experience, see the legends. You don't know if or when it will happen again, and ask yourself: would you pay however much (a lot probably) to go and see them at their own gig? Most of the time it's going to be a no, so I would take the opportunity to tick them off the list. I've been going to festivals for nearly 15 years and there have been plenty of times where I chose a band I like over an act that was a bit more novel and kind of wished I'd done it the other way because I ended up seeing the first band several more times and didn't really get the opportunity to see the other one again, or I did but wasn't willing to pay £50 for them. I don't really know Yard Act, but I assume they tour often and probably aren't that expensive to see either - if you like them as much as you say I'm sure you'll end up seeing them several times.

[-]

All_within_my_hands@reddit

Well my favourite band are Metallica and the boys are getting on a bit so I would choose to watch them over **any** other band, active or reforming.

[-]

Necessary_Driver_831@reddit

I reckon this tour of theirs will be their last one. Missed the UK dates so seriously considering going abroad when they are back in Europe. Already seen them twice at least but wouldn’t mind seeing them again.

[-]

All_within_my_hands@reddit

I've been weighing up Warsaw or Copenhagen next year.

[-]

Necessary_Driver_831@reddit

See the act that are closest to retirement especially if the other one are still on their upward trajectory. I’m still regretting missing Rush before they broke up/died and I missed out on Iron Maiden very recently. My daughter is a Swiftie and I feel like that would also be a once in a lifetime kind of experience to go to but I can’t bring myself to pay those prices quite yet so I’ll give it 10 years or so for her to get past her peak.

[-]

ThatOneEnemy@reddit

I saw Pulp at Scarborough. They were excellent, one of the best gigs I’ve been to despite the rainstorm and biblical downpour which hit just between the support and pulp. Also, I personally think that this will be one of, if not last time Pulp tour - with the passing of their bassist, and jarvis getting older. I haven’t heard nor seen Yard Act perform, but you’ll be able to find clips of Pulp online.

[-]

thesaltwatersolution@reddit

(Go see Pulp for a bit and then wander over to Yard Act - Pulp will be playing longer so will start earlier.) I’ve never seen Sonic Youth and my favourite ‘new’ act that I’ve not seen are Young Fathers. To answer this I would see a bit of Sonic Youth and then go over to watch Young Fathers.

[-]

imminentmailing463@reddit

The legendary band. Chances to see the other band will probably come again, and in your scenario I quite like the legendary band anyway, so it's no problem to go with them. It's more difficult I think when it's a legendary band you don't care that much about. It's easy to get stuck feeling like you 'should' see them just because other people love them and because they're 'important'. I remember seeing The Who at Glastonbury one year instead of Franz Ferdinand, because I felt almost an obligation to. Didn't really get much from it, I should have just gone to see Franz Ferdinand.

[-]

AerodynamicHandshake@reddit

Considerinh how many times the Yard Act singer must have wanked himself to sleep over the idea of being Jarvis Cocker, I love the chosen example. But it's easy, you choose Pulp, and see Yard Act at one of their upcoming gigs.

[-]

Commodontious@reddit

First one purely because it'll probably not happen again. Though all my favourite bands are the legendary bands who have broken up (or half of them are dead). If there was a Pink Floyd gig with the original cast (somehow) and an ATC or Paramore concert (my current favourite bands), I'm going to the first one 100%. There'll be other opportunities for the other ones.

[-]

GlitchingGecko@reddit

Depends. Are my favourite band quite prolific and someone that I'm almost guaranteed to be able to go see next week at another gig? If yes, I'd pick the rarer one. If not, current fave.

[-]

JosiesSon77@reddit

My fave current act would be the one I’d go see. Having said that let me say this, Yard Act are currently one of my faves so good choice on that Norman.

[-]

notreallycalledjoe@reddit

I would go for the band I enjoy the most, regardless of the likelihood of seeing each band playing again in the future. Having been to a lot of gigs, I find that even when they both play good shows the difference in enjoyment between watching a band I like and one I love is pretty significant.

[-]

AutoModerator@reddit

**Update: - [Starting from 2023](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/100l56v/happy_new_year_askuk_minor_sub_update/), we have updated our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/about/rules/)**. Specifically; - Don't be a dick to each other - Top-level responses must contain genuine efforts to answer the question - This is a strictly no-politics subreddit Please keep /r/AskUK a great subreddit by reporting posts and comments which break our rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*