Now that Roadburn 2019 lineup announcements are rolling in, guest performers are starting to talk about the niche Netherlands festival and just how much it means to them to play it. Stoner doom legends Sleep will be performing two full sets during the weekend, and guitarist Matt Pike opened up to Metal Hammer about why they made the choice to turn down a coveted spot at massive celebrity-infested California festival Coachella to play Roadburn.

"Coachella actually pays more, but fuck that, we want to do Roadburn!" Pike said. "I see Coachella as a new kind of Lollapalooza, and it's an odd thing for us to be involved in — although it would have been good press, I guess."

The Roadburn ethos of careful curation and an immersive, interactive experience certainly caters to an audience in touch with more underground acts like Sleep, whereas Coachella sees mainstream headliners like Beyoncé and Radiohead play to immense audiences with more diversified tastes.

"There's actually this clause for it that says you can't play anywhere else for six months after it – so fuck that!" Pike continued on the topic. "I'll make more money if I don't play it and I'll be happier at Roadburn! ... It's special, and it's always been special; the people that go there, the people who put it on, it's very real,"

Outside of their personal preferences, Sleep's latest album The Sciences will hit its one-year anniversary around the time of the April festival, so Sleep taking six months off the touring circuit during crucial promotional time could also be detrimental.