Despite my enthusiasm to see so many bands under the hot sun, many other things were fucked up at the Fuck You Fest.
First of all, by luck, I did not reserve my ticket in advance (I purchased my ticket at the entrance), but saw the unbelievable will call line! It was probably a mile long! You would think it is better to do an online reservation, but these people must have been waiting for hours!
Then there was the policy no outside food, no outside drink, and a rigid body search at the entrance. I had to give up my survival kit (an apple) but I managed to sneak another one they did not see. What is that about? So unpunk! I don’t want to buy your junk food for sale at extra-overprices, and there was not enough of it anyway! People were starving and there were endless lines to buy anything everywhere. I did not see many food trucks and booths like at the Sunset Junction, I wonder what the organizers were thinking.
And the water! $4 for a small bottle? You have to be kidding! It was only $1 at the Sunset Junction Fair. Mine was not even cold and I heard there was a shortage at one point. People were making long lines to recharge their empty bottle at a public fountain, I am amazed how calm they were. If you cannot provide the water and the food, let people bring their own! You know the kids like their comfort, and I bet a lot of people left before the end because they were thirsty or hungry. I stayed, but I’m a camel, or became one since Saturday night.
I don’t drink alcohol at this kind of events, otherwise I would never be able to keep going till the wee hours, and I don’t want to imagine the prices of the drinks! They did not give the usual wristband, and people who wanted to drink had to show their ID each time, which increased the lines even more.
I did not get the VIP ticket thing, was it to have access to the shaded tents only? They had to buy their drinks anyway, so for $65, that is a quite expensive shade.
I know that food and drinks are always a rip-off at festivals but a lot of people are angry. Don’t call your fest, Fuck You Fest when you fall in the same corporate greed you pretend to say fuck to, because the only people you are fucking is your public.
Now, I enjoyed the music and I want a press pass for next year!