Grand Final Entertainment

[Gomersall]

This old chestnut. Three days out do we have any idea who the turn is or if indeed there will be one?

[Dave T]

Reverend and the makers, announced a week or two back. 

[whatmichaelsays]

Reverend and the Makers

https://www.superleague.co.uk/article/3755/reverend-and-the-makers-to-rock-old-trafford

[Gomersall]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Reverend and the makers, announced a week or two back. 

Missed that. Been on a bit of R and R. For my sins (pun intended) I’ve never heard of the Vicar or his manufacturers.

[EagleEyePie]

As a sport we're not very good at attracting artists to perform at our headline event are we? Not expecting mega stars but a modern band on the rise or an older band with songs that people might recognise should be what we're aiming for. Maybe it's purely financial and we're that skint. Some will say it doesn't matter but I remember how good the build up felt when Feeder performed in 2016 and James performing in 2014 is still a vivid memory (probably because I did my best to block out the subsequent 80 minutes).

[Amber Avenger]

5 minutes ago, EagleEyePie said:

As a sport we're not very good at attracting artists to perform at our headline event are we? Not expecting mega stars but a modern band on the rise or an older band with songs that people might recognise should be what we're aiming for. Maybe it's purely financial and we're that skint. Some will say it doesn't matter but I remember how good the build up felt when Feeder performed in 2016 and James performing in 2014 is still a vivid memory (probably because I did my best to block out the subsequent 80 minutes).

What you are asking for there is basically what Reverand and the Makers are, even though they only have one massive song people can recall (Is that any different to James really? Most people were only bothered about Sit Dwon). People will have heard Heavyweight Champion Of The World even if on an advert or whatever. 

It's progress, as it's the first time there has been a band in a while, certainly since pre-covid. It's been a DJ before now. 

[The Masked Poster]

While I personally don’t know anything by this band (RnTM) I’m not sure having an up and coming band with no recognisable hits is that good an alternative. Even if they went on to become as big as Coldplay or whatever, for that evening they probably wouldn’t add much to the event. 

[dkw]

27 minutes ago, EagleEyePie said:

As a sport we're not very good at attracting artists to perform at our headline event are we? Not expecting mega stars but a modern band on the rise or an older band with songs that people might recognise should be what we're aiming for. Maybe it's purely financial and we're that skint. Some will say it doesn't matter but I remember how good the build up felt when Feeder performed in 2016 and James performing in 2014 is still a vivid memory (probably because I did my best to block out the subsequent 80 minutes).

That`s exactly what Reverend and the Makers are, they had several number 1 hits which will be instantly recognised by the vast majority of the crowd. They will have a set similar to James, and I`m pretty sure the crowd will enjoy their set as long as they play the hits.

[Dave T]

21 minutes ago, Amber Avenger said:

What you are asking for there is basically what Reverand and the Makers are, even though they only have one massive song people can recall (Is that any different to James really? Most people were only bothered about Sit Dwon). People will have heard Heavyweight Champion Of The World even if on an advert or whatever. 

It's progress, as it's the first time there has been a band in a while, certainly since pre-covid. It's been a DJ before now. 

James are a completely different level to RatM. Laid is probably James' biggest song (twice as many listens on Spotify for example) even though Sit Down will often be quoted. Their top 5 songs on Spotify total 370m listens (biggest song 168m) versus RatM totalling 41m with Heavyweight Champion getting 33m listens. 

James headline major gigs, RatM are very much smalltime compared to them. 

[Eddie]

They’re a cracking band, I can’t go this year as it’s my lad’s birthday but I’d have loved to have seen them play at Old Trafford. 

[EagleEyePie]

14 minutes ago, dkw said:

That`s exactly what Reverend and the Makers are, they had several number 1 hits which will be instantly recognised by the vast majority of the crowd. They will have a set similar to James, and I`m pretty sure the crowd will enjoy their set as long as they play the hits.

They haven't had any number 1 hits. They had one somewhat well known song (more from adverts than anything else) and only 2 songs ever make the top 20. They are obscure and this is music from my era when I was a big fan of what was classed as indie music. They weren't a big band even back then and are essentially a one hit wonder. Even Scouting for Girls have had more 'hits' and they perform at SL fixtures. At least James had 8 top 20 singles that people might recognise and one massive hit song.

Edited October 12, 2023 by EagleEyePie

[lanzer98]

Seems like no one here played Rugby League Live on Playstation. RatM provided the theme song for RLL3 called bassline. So they have at least a relation to the sport.

[RigbyLuger]

2 hours ago, Amber Avenger said:

What you are asking for there is basically what Reverand and the Makers are, even though they only have one massive song people can recall (Is that any different to James really? Most people were only bothered about Sit Dwon). People will have heard Heavyweight Champion Of The World even if on an advert or whatever. 

It's progress, as it's the first time there has been a band in a while, certainly since pre-covid. It's been a DJ before now. 

Much better than Alex Simmons mugging to the cameras at Wembley! A DJ is a cop out.

[Amber Avenger]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

James are a completely different level to RatM. Laid is probably James' biggest song (twice as many listens on Spotify for example) even though Sit Down will often be quoted. Their top 5 songs on Spotify total 370m listens (biggest song 168m) versus RatM totalling 41m with Heavyweight Champion getting 33m listens. 

James headline major gigs, RatM are very much smalltime compared to them. 

Are they bigger or smaller than an anonymous DJ who was the prematch entertainment the last time Catalans played the grand final? And I say anonymous not to make a point but as their name is not listed online!

We have had Shaun Keavney last year and I like him, but I guess the point is a band is more of an attraction than a DJ. 

I guess the point was James were hired to come in and play one song to get people going - and a really good one, probably the best pre-match the GF has had. The rest was irrelevant and a bonus if you're a fan. That's what Reverend and the Makers are coming in to do. Depends on your era, I couldn't hum you a Shed Seven tune and they've only had one top ten and they were the last band to play in 2019 but I'd rather them than a DJ. It's progress, albeit we have gone a long way back.

Edited October 12, 2023 by Amber Avenger

[gingerjon]

I think what we're all saying is bring back the inflatable sumo wrestlers.

[Click]

Can't say the name means anything to me - I just looked them up and I have heard their most popular song before, none of the rest. 

Still feels pretty small time for the GF, as someone else mentioned before, Scouting for girls have already played at Leigh this year and are much bigger

[Barry Badrinath]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

James are a completely different level to RatM. Laid is probably James' biggest song (twice as many listens on Spotify for example) even though Sit Down will often be quoted. Their top 5 songs on Spotify total 370m listens (biggest song 168m) versus RatM totalling 41m with Heavyweight Champion getting 33m listens. 

James headline major gigs, RatM are very much smalltime compared to them. 

Tomorrow, i think that was on the sound track for up and under as well iirc.

[Barry Badrinath]

big band, small band, it matters, not, they're stuck in the corner of a the stadium in a small awkward platform, unlike the nrl gf, its a token gesture.

[dkw]

2 hours ago, Dave T said:

James are a completely different level to RatM. Laid is probably James' biggest song (twice as many listens on Spotify for example) even though Sit Down will often be quoted. Their top 5 songs on Spotify total 370m listens (biggest song 168m) versus RatM totalling 41m with Heavyweight Champion getting 33m listens. 

James headline major gigs, RatM are very much smalltime compared to them. 

To be fair James are on a different level to the majority of acts so its harsh to compare them to RatM.

[Damien]

I got the whole Indie Manchester 90s 40 year olds reliving their youth thing. It was great for a few years but became stale quite some time ago and needed freshening up. At least with that though there seemed to be some attempt to attract names that were fairly big, albeit years ago and fairly niche, and who had some great headline songs to get the crowd going.

Reverend and the Makers are just completely meh and have never been anything of note and have had 1 song that many would have heard of. They are just a poor choice all round. It feels like real scraping the barrel stuff, which is just a further continuation of how the entertainment has been going the last few years.

It all really does need a refresh, brought much more up to date and made more relevant for youngsters today.

[Eddie]

5 minutes ago, Damien said:

I got the whole Indie Manchester 90s 40 year olds reliving their youth thing. It was great for a few years but became stale quite some time ago and needed freshening up. At least with that though there seemed to be some attempt to attract names that were fairly big, albeit years ago and fairly niche, and who had some great headline songs to get the crowd going.

Reverend and the Makers are just completely meh and have never been anything of note and have had 1 song that many would have heard of. They are just a poor choice all round. It feels like real scraping the barrel stuff, which is just a further continuation of how the entertainment has been going the last few years.

It all really does need a refresh, brought much more up to date and made more relevant for youngsters today.

Who would you have got to do it? Serious question, music stopped around 2002 for me. 

[Rovers13]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

Who would you have got to do it? Serious question, music stopped around 2002 for me. 

Just for you Eddie I’d get  the cheeky girls they were before 2002 ( I think lol)

[Dave T]

15 minutes ago, dkw said:

To be fair James are on a different level to the majority of acts so its harsh to compare them to RatM.

Indeed. I like RatM so it wasn't a criticism of them. 

It still surprises me that we had Blossoms just a few years back, an excellent band. I was very excited to see them that night. But I couldn't hear them, despite being in that end. 

[Damien]

2 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Who would you have got to do it? Serious question, music stopped around 2002 for me. 

I am not what the target audience should be. I think few on here would be.

That is up to the RFL to actually go out, do research (or employ someone to do it) and actually look to engage with those under 25.

[Dave T]

10 minutes ago, Damien said:

I got the whole Indie Manchester 90s 40 year olds reliving their youth thing. It was great for a few years but became stale quite some time ago and needed freshening up. At least with that though there seemed to be some attempt to attract names that were fairly big, albeit years ago and fairly niche, and who had some great headline songs to get the crowd going.

Reverend and the Makers are just completely meh and have never been anything of note and have had 1 song that many would have heard of. They are just a poor choice all round. It feels like real scraping the barrel stuff, which is just a further continuation of how the entertainment has been going the last few years.

It all really does need a refresh, brought much more up to date and made more relevant for youngsters today.

It's interesting that we constantly hear talk about needing more youth, and then select bands for our biggest event that completely caters for 40 and 50 year old blokes.