Leeds Festival Organisers Explain Green Day Absence
Monday, 10 September 2012
Written by Elliott Batte
The organisers of Reading and Leeds Festival have posted a statement on their website explaining why Green Day were unable to perform at both Reading and Leeds Festivals, citing the punk-rock band’s busy tour schedule as an immovable obstacle in their plans.
The punk-rock stars crammed the NME/Radio 1 tent at this year’s Reading Festival, performing at 11am - just 45 minutes after their appearance had been confirmed. After the tent filled up extremely quick, it was closed off, and their career-spanning set - featuring tracks like ‘Minority’, ‘Basket Case’, ‘American Idiot’, and ‘She’ - was beamed on the mainstage for all to see.
But, while Green Day rocked Reading’s metaphorical roof off, they were ‘physically’ unable to reach the Leeds Festival, too - leaving some northern fans a little upset.
Explaining the unfortunate circumstances, organisers wrote on their site: “We just wanted to set the record straight as to why Green Day couldn't appear at Leeds Festival this year.
Firstly it's impossible to have a totally secret show at both sites. Once it happens at one, then everyone knows it's happening at the other.
This is the same situation we had a couple of years back when Kaiser Chiefs played the Festival Republic stage in Leeds as Hooks For Hands and there was no way we could let them do it in Reading as well.
We were left with the option of Green Day playing one site or the other. They flew in from Japan and had a show and promo to do in London on the Thursday and Friday so could only play the Saturday. However they also needed to depart Heathrow at around 4pm to go to Paris to set up overnight for their show there the following day.
Unfortunately there was physically no way they could do Leeds instead of Reading.”
If you were at Leeds Festival and missed the band (or, if you're just a fan), you can catch them at London's Emirate Stadium on June 1st 2013. Check the dates and links below to find tickets through Stereoboard.
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