It’s not uncommon for people to post fake Reading festival line-ups on forums and claim that they are genuine. But last year one of them turned out the be the real deal. And now, less than a year later it appears that the same thing has happened to Festival Republic again:
If this does turn out to be genuine, then I’d say it’s certainly a much stronger line-up than last year’s and without any competition from Glastonbury, tickets should sell out fast. Certainly the return of Green Day for the first time since 2004 should prove a massive draw, particularly with their 9th studio album on its way.
The timing of this leak adds to its credibility, since the date that tickets are going on sale (March 12th) was confirmed yesterday. This would imply that the main bands have already been booked.
However, the organisers must be kicking themselves that they have let this happen two years in a row, which makes you wonder – was this leaked by the same culprit who let the cat out of the bag in 2011? If so, why didn’t they find who it was after last year’s fiasco?
Or indeed, is this series of leaks an intentional ploy to drum up more interest and boost ailing enthusiasm for this festival? After all, Reading and Leeds only sold out after a few months in 2011, as opposed to a few hours in previous years.
On the plus side, Reading organiser Melvin Benn has announced details of a youth apprenticeship scheme for the organisers Festival Republic. Perhaps the first thing he could task his new recruits with is improving online secrecy?
