Fourth (Final?) Music Announcement

Hi Walter

So, now a month since you last spread the musical love...

...any hints to the Forum Faithful as to when we might here about the next (and I guess possibly last) group of bands to join GM2014?

Ben

Mercury Rev playing Deserter's Songs to headline. Also joining Mercury Rev are Augustines, The Field, Ben UFO, Ought, Joanna Gruesome, The Pooh Sticks, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, H Hawkline, Huw Stephens, Heavenly DJs and Simian Mobile Disco (DJ set).

No names I know and like there, hopefully the unknowns will be interesting...

Why no Belle and Sebastian?

Seriously, off the back of strong rumours on here I have been listening to them non-stop for weeks in anticipation of the announcement.

Totally gutted and on a real downer now :-(

B&S would have been fab - they were great at EOTR last year, but Deserters Songs will be wonderful on the Mountain Stage. I, for one, think it's a great addition...

I'm liking this announcement.

And I don't think the lack of BS here means they've been dropped. They're just saving it for a future mini announcement to maintain the excitement level over the next 3 months. BS is not such a band that would need the headliner spot

They have the popularity for sure, but I've always pegged them as a band best enjoyed while the sun still shines, not something powerful to cap off the night in a lengthy headliner spot.
I won't rule them out just yet, will wait to see them announce more tour dates around that time.

Sorry, should retract that - don't want to get a rep as a whinger. Just disappointed not to see Gruff on that list, thought he was a nailed-on cert.
Not familiar with Mercury Rev, always had them marked down as a poor man's Flaming Lips but I'll check that album out again.

Very pleased about Mercury Rev - haven't caught them live in over a decade, and to be honest, I think that that particular album is their finest hour. Of the others I'm only really familiar with H Hawkline, but there's plenty on the line-up as a whole to keep me happy.

Does this definitely mean no B & S I wonder, or could there be another announcement still to come? I haven't counted the acts but my guess would be that there are still more names to be added.

Really really pleased,one of my festival highlights was Mercury Rev at EOTR,a band I have always thought would be perfect for GM.Also lokking forward to Field.Wil Simian Mobile Disco be performing twice?

Now if I managed to get Jesus and Mary Chain tickets on Friday it will round off an excellent week.

My two penn'orth

Mercury Rev - I'm pleased. They've always interested me, without ever being my 'thing' - they're still far enough short of the line of quirky and kooky for the sake of it that, for me, sadly starts with the indescribably indulgent Flaming Lips (I was v pleased when EOTR announced them, meaning GM wouldn't!). And MR now give me a perfectly exciting Saturday night - I was not in any way taken with the idea of the uber-twee B&S, and HAD thought that The War on Drugs in Far Out would suit me well...only to have tried with the latter and found them to be Springsteen-Lite. And not even GOOD Springsteen-Lite. So, overall this is much better. Hopefully the Walled Garden Headliner will be one of my (many) highly anticipated acts, so I'll be a pig in muck.

Ought - post-punk, eh? Hmmm. One of the biggest up and coming, eh? Hmmm...on first listen they seem to write fairly ordinary, not desparately inspired and slightly dull songs.

The Field - very pleased. Was dead jealous not to be at GM 2013 to see FButtons and/or Jon Hopkins, so hopefully no clash to stop my seeing Mr Field in August!

Augustines - yawny yawn yawn so far

Vancouver Sleep Clinic - effing AWFUL so far!

Pooh Sticks/H.Hawline - still to explore

Simian Mobile Disco - yes, they are well known for both live and DJ sets, so I take this as them playing twice - no bad thing.

All in all, not arf bad for me.

Ben

I'd go with those appraisals too although The Fields ain't my kinda thing at all. Vancouver Sleep Clinic tedious in the extreme. Augustines I knew were deadly dull. H. Hawkline I do like, saw him supporting the divine Ms Le Bon a year or two back, used to play in Cate's band too.

B&S have got to be a bigger draw than beirut

they don't play live much at all now

and outside of any issues of preferring one band to the other, they're just a bigger live act in terms of drawing a crowd

on a personal level, if they aren't playing, i'll be disappointed

been a convert since i had to pull the car over to the side of the road when peel played 'judy and the dream of horses' to make sure i could write down the name of the band

but where to put them?

that's definitely three headliners announced as being headliners

so maybe it was all a mass delusion

You'd have to go a long way, in my opinion, to beat last year's Saturday headliners, Band of Horses. Like them or not, they openly embraced the festival and got the crowd on their side straight away with their enthusiasm and yes, out and out "rock 'n' roll" vibe. I thought they were superb and if Mercury Rev get anywhere near that, they'll have done well. Similarly, Edwyn Collins band, great musicians giving it everything.

No mention of The Wave Pictures, very hopeful they will play as well as with Stanley Brinks.

Utterly gutted (as are my kids) about lack of Belle & Sebastian, but now can see The War on Drugs.

Anyone worked out how many additions still to come?

I saw Mercury Rev playing Deserter's Songs at Primavera Sound a couple of years back and it was superb. Only time I've honestly seen a grown man cry at a gig! For what it's worth I think it'll be just the thing for a headline slot on the Mountain Stage, under a full(ish) moon on a balmy summer's night. OK, I'm getting a little carried away now

Mercurey Rev do it for me, although I've not listened in depth. B&S headlined Latitude a couple of years back so I don't imagine there's room for them now. Liking the Field too and H.Hawkline, might pass on the others. Still could do with a bit of oomph for me, like Tweak Bird, Archie Bronson, Parquet Courts in previous years, but if not I'll still be happy with what's already announced. Bo Ningen have a new album out, jus'saying...

It cannot be denied Deserter's Songs is a great album, and an inspired choice as a headliner. The others announced do absolutely nothing for me.

I think ought could be interesting. I gave the album a go. It could be a grower. At least themselves and the likes of Toy will inject a bit of ooomph into what seems to be a mostly sedate lineup.

It's a quality line up this year albeit a bit samey, but there are no quality electronic artists in my opinion, which makes me sad.

I have tried both The Field and EIY, not up to much in my opinion especially the former. There is a some great electronic music out there, I'd ditch this trendy new wave Ought stuff for some meaningful electronic stuff any day, that is my only gripe this year. Still looking forward to loads of it though, can't wait.

Courtney Barnett has risen up my list of who I'd like to see added to the line-up. She and Ezra Furman are both playing Dot-to-dot next week, but not sure I can justify the trip to Bristol for two half hour sets

I've been away for a few days and just catching up with this announcement. For once it's my turn to be underwhelmed. I find Mercury Rev tedious in the extreme, so hopefully Saturday night in the Far Out this year can come somewhere close to the epic event it was in 2013.

I'm very excited however to see the wonderful Joanna Gruesome back this year, and H. Hawkline too.

I think the comment that Mercury Rev are a "poor man's Flaming Lips" ruined any chance I may have had of catching on to them. It's all I can hear now! I suppose there are worse things you could be, though.

The only one from this recent announcement that I know I like is The Field. However I've seen him twice before and he's quite lax with regard to keeping things in time, which doesn't really work when your whole shtick is cold, motorik looping. On record, however, I can't recommend him enough. Repeat listens are essential as it's all about the subtle details that slowly develop below the repetition. Can be very rewarding if you give it time and attention.

Any chance White Denim could be drafted into the line-up urgently? - saw them last night on Jools Holland and they look like a group that are right on top of their game, brilliant. Obvious Steely Dan comparisons, that aside they look like consumate musicians.

Yes please. Corsicana Lemonade was my album of 2013. They invoke different bands in different songs so I get hints of, for instance, Little Feat, Allman Bros, Thin Lizzy (!), Wishbone Ash etc. Seeing them next week at the Glee Club. They'd go straight to the top of my must-see list and would be utterly perfect for Green Man!

Be-Bop Deluxe eh? Bill Nelson used to work for my dad in local government in Wakefield in the early 1970s and my sister and I still have one of the first pressings of Northern Dream (pre-Be-Bop Deluxe) signed by Bill.

I'd love to see white denim at GM along with Krasnyi and Chrissied, don't think its going to happen though, luckily I have tickets for Bristol. How was HGM Mr Ray?

HGM was great

solo show

very intense

in the style of 'bad debt' rather than 'poor moon' - which was definitely my preference

maybe one too many jesus songs for my liking

but the tunes are good even then

and banana from the youngbloods was there!

i have an excellent aide memoire of the evening which i can share with you at some point...

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