Alex Kapranos, Franz Ferdinand
Headlined Reading/Leeds (2006)
When we headlined Reading and Leeds, we definitely wanted it to be a bit of an event. We spent quite a while discussing the props and the stage decoration. We had this big sign and these abstract, Hannah Höch-inspired robots with lights for heads. I think you've got to put that extra bit of effort in for a headline slot. But the most important thing is that you give a fantastic performance. Some bands come out with that nonsense about, "If we enjoy it, that's all that matters, if anybody else enjoys it, that's a bonus." It's really not like that. You have to realise it's a big deal, because then the adrenaline courses through you in a way that stimulates you to give the right kind of performance. There's nothing worse than seeing a band going through the motions. Before shows like that, it feels like you're standing on the edge of the highest board in the swimming pool. You're crapping yourself. I suppose it's just difficult to comprehend playing to that many people. But when the first chords ring out, the rush is phenomenal.
Hire a marching band
Clint Boon, Inspiral Carpets
Headlined Reading (1990)
If anyone asks what the highlight of the Inspirals' career was, I'll usually say headlining Reading on the Saturday night in 1990. It was a phenomenal experience. We pushed the boat out a bit with that show. Before we came on, we sent a pantomime cow out, which, legend has it, had our roadie Noel Gallagher in it. We also blew a load of our fee, which was about £40,000, on fireworks that the band couldn't even see because the stage was covered. But the thing most people remember is the drum majorettes, the Hornchurch Haverettes. They'd been in the video for She Comes in the Fall, and we got the full troupe to march on stage at Reading during that song. They went down incredibly well. Too well, actually. They were used to marching up and down high streets in shitty little towns, so being on stage with 50,000 people screaming at them was a bit much for them. Several of them fainted backstage afterwards.
Write a new song especially
Chris Martin, Coldplay
Headlined Glastonbury (2002)
It was definitely a risk on the part of the Eavis family to ask us [to headline]. We'd only released one album and we were still getting the whole "bedwetters" thing thrown at us. But although we thought they were crazy, we said yes. We took a lot of heat for not being the right act to do it, but it was kill or be killed and we spent a long time preparing for it. In fact, we wrote the song Politik specifically for Glastonbury. We knew we were going to be so nervous that we'd want to bash things really hard, so we wrote a bashy song and opened the set with it. Actually, I think we played seven new songs and seven old ones, which, in retrospect, was just plain stupid. But it went down really well, and there's no doubt that gig changed our career. It was our equivalent of being in the Pop Idol final. And luckily we were Girls Aloud rather than One True Voice.
Bide your time
Tim Burgess, the Charlatans
Headlined Phoenix (1997), V (1998), Reading (1999)
When our first album came out, we were asked to headline lots of festivals, but it was too early. We felt that one day we would be worthy of headlining a festival and that we should wait until then. It was probably a bit risky, but I think it paid off. The first big headline slot we did was Phoenix, then we did V and Reading. The Reading one was probably our biggest triumph. We were on to our sixth album by then, and it was an incredibly euphoric show. I felt like how the Stone Roses must've felt at Spike Island. You definitely feel the pressure when you headline, but, in a weird way, you also know that a lot of people won't be paying as much attention as they would if you were on earlier; people are so pissed by the end of the night that you actually have to try harder to be memorable. But it's definitely a brilliant feeling to be the last band on.
Beef up your light show
Ed Simons, Chemical Brothers
Headlined Glastonbury (2000)
I think when you headline, you have to do something to mark it as an occasion, production-wise. Our shows are always about the music and the visual aspect, so when we headlined Glastonbury, we really stepped it up, because we were playing to such a big space. We had a couple of meetings, hired tons of gear and then set it off at opportune moments. I've always liked those big sky-cannon searchlights from going to raves in 1989, so we got two of those to light up the sky behind the stage while we were playing. They were so big, they needed their own lorries. Michael Eavis always says that 200,000 people were there for that show, because it was the last year without the fence and a really sunny weekend. It was an incredible sight, with the flags and the fires at the top of the hill. And it was a pretty crazed reaction to our set. I remember being on stage thinking: "I must remember how this feels, I should store this somehow." I haven't really been able to do that, but I know it was an amazing night.
Remember you've been asked to headline for a reason
Fran Healy, Travis
Headlined Reading (2001)
Just before we headlined Reading, we suddenly got the fear. We were like, "Why are we headlining this? It's a rock festival. People are gonna throw bottles of piss and socks of shit at us." We were genuinely terrified. Then I made the mistake of going up to the stage to see the band before us, which was Green Day. They were setting fire to their drum kit, and the place was going mental. I was thinking, "Fuck, man, how can we follow this?" I was at the Big Day festival in Glasgow in 1990 when Sheena Easton came on stage with this weird transatlantic accent, and the entire crowd turned on her. She had to leave the stage and she hasn't played in Scotland since. That was flashing through my mind backstage at Reading. But something amazing happened. We went on and everyone got really into it. I guess there's something universal about melody. Anyway, we didn't get bottled off - on the contrary it was one of the best festivals we ever played. I suppose it proves that if you're headlining something, you're headlining it for a reason.
Don't rant at the organisers
Jim-Bob, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine
Headlined Glastonbury (1992)
I look back at our Glastonbury headline slot with a certain amount of embarrassment. We had a big encore planned, with cannons firing foam balls into the audience. But when we finished our main set, they said: "That's it, there's no time for more." Various bands had overrun and it had cut into our time. I think they eventually let us do one song, but the crowd wanted more, so it was agreed that our guitarist, Fruitbat, could go on, apologise and say we'd run out of time. Instead, he went on and launched into a big anti-Glastonbury rant. The way I remember it, we were asked to leave, although we had to leave anyway, cos we had another festival the next day in Germany. We definitely did get thrown out of that one. We were obviously going through a phase. I'm not sure whether we were actually banned from Glastonbury, although we certainly told everybody that. But I do know that about a year later at an NME awards thing, I got really drunk and was quite abusive to Michael Eavis. With hindsight, headlining the Pyramid is a massive thing, but I don't think it felt like it at the time. I sort of regret that I didn't think more of it, but when you're there you're a bit big-headed from the mere fact that you're in a position to be headlining. We enjoyed it, but I don't think I thought it was an honour and privilege, whereas now I'd probably feel a lot different. Basically, what I'm saying is that I was a bit of a wanker back then, but I'm not any more.
Ignore Primal Scream
Felix Buxton, Basement Jaxx
Headlined Glastonbury (2005)
We were originally second on the bill, but we moved up a slot when Kylie had to pull out. Bands don't make money from doing Glastonbury - it's just something that you really want to do, because it's such a special festival, so it was a real honour to headline. Primal Scream were on before us and I think they were a bit pissed off that they weren't doing the lead slot. Beforehand, they were saying embarrassing things on TV about our singers being fat and that sort of thing. It was quite disappointing that they were being so small-minded. Then, during their set, they were shouting, "Who do you want? Us or Basement Jaxx?" and people were going, "Basement Jaxx!" Bobby Gillespie threw the mic down and stormed off the stage, because they were trying to go on longer. But I think that all made it more exciting for us. When we walked on stage, I was just bowled over by the crowd's amazing reaction. It's the only time I can remember when my breath was literally taken away. It turned out to be one of the best gigs we've ever done.
Treasure the memory - it might be your biggest gig
Skin, Skunk Anansie
Headlined Glastonbury (1999)
Headlining the Pyramid Stage was definitely the pinnacle of our career. I'm pleased to say I have really vivid memories of the whole set - it didn't flash by at all. That could be because we never drank before we went on stage. But I also kind of had a premonition that it was gonna be our biggest gig. I actually remember walking on stage thinking: "I wonder if we'll ever do this again?" We played really, really well and the audience reaction was phenomenal. It's unbelievable to see that many people, especially when you could see them jumping up and down all the way to the back. We came back on to do an encore and I asked if we should do one more. The entire crowd just went "YES!" It was such an ego trip. That was undoubtedly one of the best gigs we ever played, but it was almost a little bit deflating afterwards, like, "How are we ever gonna top that?" I still remember what an amazing feeling it was, though. It's nice to know that we got there.
Save the fear for afterwards
Mark Chadwick, the Levellers
Headlined Glastonbury (1994)
Before we headlined the Pyramid I was totally relaxed. We were so busy, it just seemed like the most natural thing in the world for us to be doing, even though we were playing to the biggest crowd they'd ever had - 140,000 people or something. The fear kicked in straight after we finished. My stomach totally cramped up. I've never had it before in my life, or since. I remember I went straight to my tent behind the stage and curled up in a ball, screaming in agony. It was absolutely terrible. My girlfriend didn't understand it at all. She was going: "You've just headlined Glastonbury, you can go out there and party like a motherfucker and you're lying in your tent wailing." I just told her to go away. I stayed there all night until the Sunday morning. I think I'd obviously put the whole thing out of my mind, and once I'd done it, my body went, "Right! Now you're getting all that stress that you've been putting off in one hit! Bang!" Well, it was either that or a dodgy beanburger.
See Also
