There are those among us who hate festivals. Too many people, too much aggravation and the abbreviated sets make for a rough go.
Personally I love them. It’s similar to a chocolate sampler. Giving me just a bit of each band and no time for them to grand stand or ego box til I want to puke. Multi day fests are gaining popularity. This week we will be attending the New England Hardcore and Metal Fest in Worcester MA. Three nights of sweaty kids and dehydration. I cannot wait. That’s soon followed by the Skate and Surf Festival in May (hollah Fall Out Boy!)
Soon there is the mother load single event, Warped Tour which is the most perfect event of all time. Oh and Rockstar Mayhem Festival, Camp Bisco, and more. Simply said the 90’s sorta kicked the Fests ass. Lots stopped but they are back for sure and as a one stop shop for the band and the fan- it’s a win / win for all.
If you don’t have a festival near you- you will soon enough. Multi day events just need a big ass hunk of property- single day- just a venue with flexible hours. “I do think that there’s really plenty of opportunities for people to create some great festival experiences,’’ said Ashley Capps, a co-founder of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. “In fact, I think in many ways the audience in America is just now starting to fully embrace festival culture.’’
Those campout experiences can be brutal. Just ask our own Henry Sins and Layna Cloud, following in the footsteps of professional festival goer , Woody Fuller the two needed a bit to get their bearings. If you don’t know what to expect no amount of preparation can get you prepared. I for one could never live so hard. I would rather stay at the nearest Hilton, thanks though. I do see the appeal for the younguns though- hey, while the mouse is away.
Newer trends have mega bands creating their own festivals- now there’s a novel idea.
Metallica is embracing this idea. The band founded Orion Music and More, which debuted in Atlantic City, New Jersey, last year and will pop up this year on Detroit’s Belle Isle. The band started working on the idea in earnest after being invited to play Bonnaroo five years ago.
“We went to Bonnaroo not really knowing what to expect because most festivals in America at least up to that point that we’d been aware of were a little more regional and more niche,’’ drummer Lars Ulrich said. “So when we went to Bonnaroo that was the first festival we’d experienced in the U.S. that had a European feel in terms of the variety. We saw it work at Bonnaroo and we thought maybe we could do that.’’
Nels Cline, guitarist for Wilco, says he’s never attended a festival as a fan and occasionally finds himself wondering why fans would subject themselves to some of the conditions.
“I don’t get camping on site,’’ Cline said. “I played the High Sierra Festival a few years ago where I was jammed into a tent. They had the whole band sleep on the grass next to the jam hut where jam bands play till 6 in the morning. It was in the cruel and unusual category. And I’m pretty resilient.’’
We at rock nyc are just getting our plans in order as we attend Governors Island in NYC, Warped Tour, Mayhem Festival, Jubilee, Sunset, Skate and Surf and of course NE Hardcore Fest (who’s bands include Anthrax to Suicidal Tendencies an amazing three day event and I can sleep in my own bed each night stay showered. Amen to that. C’mon out to Worcester tonight for day one, it’ll be a blast.