Reading and Leeds has come under fire from irritated rock and metal fans after selecting The 1975 as the replacement headliner for Rage Against The Machine.
Organisers were left in a mad scramble to find a replacement for Rage Against The Machine after the rap rock icons suddenly pulled out of all European touring commitments due to vocalist Zack de la Roca's declining health.
The choice of the very popular, but not very heavy, The 1975, to fill the slot has rather predictably irritated a large segment of fans who were excited to finally see Rage Against The Machine's reunion run.
Twitter blew up with a tweetstorm of disappointment, following the announcement of the switch, with many fans making their annoyance rather loudly known.
One user pretty much summed up the sentiment. "Fuck absolutely shocking replacement after absolutely no mention of rages departure I cannot believe someone looked at that “band” and went yes they will be ideal replacements for a metal/rock band, absolute joke. It’s not living cus ur festival is dead."
Fuck absolutely shocking replacement after absolutely no mention of rages departure I cannot believe someone looked at that “band” and went yes they will be ideal replacements for a metal/rock band, absolute joke. It’s not living cus ur festival is dead
— Tom 🔗 (@hoodwinkersir) August 12, 2022
May fans were seeking refunds for Friday, with one user expecting a flood of refund requests to head Reading and Leeds way.
"Read the room, 90% of people are calling this out for the joke it is and you are doubling down. Refunds galore on Friday tickets because you couldn’t get anyone actually decent in. What a joke."
Read the room. 90% of people are calling this out for the joke it is and you are doubling down. Refunds galore on Friday tickets because you couldn’t get anyone actually decent in. What a joke
— LUFC OZZY (@AdamOzzy) August 12, 2022
So far, those refunds don't appear to be forthcoming. Rage Against The Machine had been set to headline the event as part of their much-publicized reunion tour.
The 1975's headline appearance, follows their breakthrough headline set at the festival in 2019. The Manchester band will release their fifth album Being As A Foreign Language on October 14th. The band released the lead-single Part Of The Band in July. Revealing at the time that the forthcoming record was produced alongside Jack Antonoff, Matt Healy and bandmate George Daniel, alongside additional vocals from Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner.
