Revealing
plans ahead of this year’s Latitude and Reading festivals, Melvin Benn,
organiser at Festival Republic, dismisses the past and looks towards the future
as he claims that this will be their best year yet.
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As Melvin Benn
finishes his third coffee of the day, he receives another email on his
computer. After last year’s slow sales, this is a man who needs to get it right
this year. But the pressure hasn’t got to him quite yet as he thumbs through
his packed schedule for the day. He explains how there is rarely a day where he
isn’t up before 6am, which only adds to the stress and pressure of the job. He
quickly flicks past this year’s line-up, before adding “not quite yet” and
turning away from the computer with a wry smile.
The powers that be
have already called off The Big Chill due to the presence of the Summer
Olympics, and with the absence of Glastonbury this year, will this affect his
festivals this year? He doesn’t know. “The truth is, nobody knows really”
Melvin shrugs as he suggests that perhaps “weaker” or “smaller” festivals will
be hit the hardest. I question whether he believes any of his festivals are one
of the supposedly weaker festivals. Almost annoyed at the suggestion of this he
quickly disagrees, going as far to say that Latitude and Reading are among the
strongest festivals in the world. He also dismisses the view that Glastonbury
would help in anyway. “I don’t think it will hinder it but I don’t think it
will help it." The Festival Republic organiser kindly orders me a tea, as
he ignores another email coming though.
Although he argues
his festivals are among the strongest in the world, this doesn’t hide the fact
neither of the festivals sold particularly well last year. Reading took 127
days to sell out compared to mere hours of previous years ; Latitude took until
the day of the festival itself to sell out. There are two explanations as to
why this might have happened: the line-up and the recession. "I think it's
a bit of both actually, I think the recession and the line-up might not have
been as attractive to the Reading festival goers as some of the other line-ups
were or are."
After the hard work
and countless hours he puts into festivals year upon year he hesitates to say
that Reading wasn't as strong, but after stating so he explains how he plans to
rectify that this year. I asked him whether he had gone bigger or for something
different this year, with his response that "bigger or better are quite
subjective but I'd like to think we have gone more relevant this year."
Taking a sip of his coffee, it's clear his experience with his first event of a
Margaret Thatcher protest have stayed with him in regards to avoiding answering
questions directly.
In 2006 he launched
Latitude as a new festival with the eye to add something that he felt festivals
were missing. "I genuinely do think it’s a complete innovation in what a
festival can be," he proudly states. It has started something different,
with it not just being about the music, but with a new focus on comedy and
theatre. However, with it not selling out as quickly last year, has he got any
plans to correct that this year? He believes it may be down to the unique style
being copied now. "They say that being copied is the ultimate praise, and
I think Latitude is being copied all over the place now."
I wouldn't blame you at this point if you fancy a tea break, or coffee break, or an alcoholic beverage even. Feel free, but when you're done the second part of my article is below for you
