Eminem announcement as Reading and Leeds headliner does not go down well with regulars

A quick look through the previous headliners of Reading and Leeds Festivals tells you one thing – this is essentially a rock festival.

Foo Fighters, Muse, Radiohead, Metallica, Guns n Roses and Iron Maiden are among the acts to have graced that position in recent years.

And so when BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe announced on Monday night that Eminem was to headline this year’s festival, it is not surprising that he has not been welcomed with open arms by regular attendees.

While some are looking forward to seeing Marshall Mathers III perform, the majority seem disappointed and let down by the festival’s organisers.

A quick look on Twitter says as much:

@OneLastCaresss - @OfficialRandL what the actual fuck??? so much fucking disappointment right now. yeah he's talented but REALLY?? FUCKING REALLY??

@jackhaines - @OfficialRandL EMINEM?! ARE YOU FUCKING HIGH RIGHT NOW? SERIOUSLY POOR FORM.

@EmmaImaGuru - Not happy about eminem headlining @OfficialRandL #DownGrade

@Dr0pDeadFred_  - I thought @officialRandL festival was a rock festival not a pop festival?

@katekatekeen - I'm going to lattitude again this year if @OfficialRandL doesn't get their act together. #WHATAREYOUTURNINGINTO

Obviously a very small example of the comments, but the picture is clear. This is not a popular choice with many.

Eminem has, of course, headlined this festival before back in 2001. However, he was at the height of his fame at that time on the back of the hugely successful Marshall Mathers LP.

The once fierce, dangerous and fresh rapper has arguably not had much success commercially or critically in the past 10 years.

Certainly when I saw him at V Festival in Chelmsford in 2011 – a festival and line up certainly more suited to his genre and fanbase – it was underwhelming to say the least.

Whereas once Eminem pushed the boundaries and caused the controversies, the current man looked something of a shadow of his former self. Gone was the shock and awe and replaced with nonplussed.

He was by no means terrible and the majority of the 60,000 crowd in front of the main stage – no doubt built to a frenzy by a day full of booze and Rihanna performing directly before him – seemed to be having a good day.

However, as the boy from Detroit repeatedly told me that if I was to ‘fuck with Shady, Shady would fucking kill me’ while a graphic of a machine gun pointed out to the audience, it was somewhat ironic that I felt anything but blown away.

In an age where selling out festivals is nowhere near a certainty, this is something of a gamble by the organisers. Maybe that’s the issue. It’s not selling out and so they feel they need to expand their customer base in order to increase revenue.

But is Eminem the act to do that? On current form, I would suggest not, but there could be one saving grace.

Eminem is currently in the studio working on his eighth album, with long-term collaborator and mentor Dr Dre expected to join him on the project.

If he can regain that spark that made him the hottest property in music in the early 00s, then it may be a gamble that pays off for Reading and Leeds.