From the better never than late department, Governors Ball took up so much of last week, three days, and something like 30 miles of walking between stages, 37 sets viewed, etc, etc, etc, this recap is well late. What can I say about Governors Ball that I haven’t said? See you next year, that’s what I can say.
I would rank the 2015 Governors Ball below 2014 but above 2013 and 2012, when you read about the rioting at Summer Jam Sunday night, if nothing else you have to admire their security. I saw no fights, hell I didn’t see a disagreement, there was a lot of security but it wasn’t the obstructive sort.
Definitely the biggest difference was the lousiness of EDM on Sunday, it ruled on Friday and Saturday. And the real mistake, like my biggest mistake, was missing most of Chronixx. After an iffy show last year, I was pleasantly surprised at his performance.
Live is where he comes into his own as a no nonsense UK rocker who has a better feel for harmolodics then you might imagine, everything here is about arranging a sound where nothing sticks out and nothing goes under, it is like a mountain that is all peak. Liam will always be missed but not half as much as Liam misses Noel
The trick with Governors Ball is, if you like rock and indie, move between the Honda and Big Apple stages, and if you love dance and hip hop, the Gotham tent and GovBall Stage… more or less. Noel is at the GovBall stage today at 7pm so there are exceptions.Net year they may want to reconsider where they want to put EDM, the Gotham tent overflowed constantly. Kiesza’s set was a madhouse
On stage she is a dynamic if minor player for now, moving well, singing very well, and keeping the audience interested with her soul inflected vices and pixieish good looks and good humor. “Lean On” got the biggest roar of her afternoon I’m guessing
I wish I’d left Charli earlier and caught more of his excellent set.
I remember when I hated Governors Ball the way I hated all music festivals, good if you’re a boy scout who didn’t mind camping out all night and good if you enjoyed seeing concerts from a stage further away than the last row at Metlife. BUT VIP tickets get you close and Governors Ball is an urban gig, reachable via subway. So here we go… today: Rudimental, Florence + The Machine and Drake are the highlights.
OK, we all know where this is going so why fight it, right? Three days of love, peace and music in the Bronx, it is GOVERNORS BALL WEEK!!! fave: Kate Tempest, Noel Gallagher, Drake, Florence And The Machine, Bjork, Flying Lotus, Weird Al… and more. The only real disaster is Saturday evening, everything else, even Lana Del rey at the end of Sunday, should be fun on Randall’s Island.
That leaves only Three Day GA and some superduper expensive tickets which, when my ship comes in, and let’s be honest, unless more of you cats read this music website might not be in this lifetime, I would buy in a heartbeat
Well, it is better than Coachella and certainly closer. It is a lot like Coachella though they do tend to miss one big name and , they tend to leave off one big name till later in the year. Even so something is left to be desired.
Tickets went on sale for Governors Ball 2015, $615 for three days VIP pass from June 5th to June 8th and worth every penny. I spent the last half of 2014 using the festival as a reference for band after band after band I wrote about since June.
I can’t recommend the VIP Three day pass, $615 if you go presale and worth every penny. But I’m an old guy who needs the amenities, if you’re a youngster the $285 (presale including everything) is a great deal. GA sold out last year and I bet VIP will as well (it did for certain days).
