A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:53 am Man, that's a day out.

Forgot to add Mastodon, 1349, Torche, Wolves In The Throne Room, Kylesa and others.

Yeah, it was ridiculously awesome.

twelvepoint wrote: My enjoyment of rock music really plummets when audience size is over 150 and sight lines start to suck and everything you hear is coming from the PA. Losing that immediacy loses a lot of what I love about rock and roll

Wow, I agree with this ten thousand percent. I think I'd be more fascinated watching a crap band in a tiny place than a great band in a huge place.

I'm glad people enjoy music festivals but I avoid them.
I did have fun at Bukta festival in northern Norway once so I'm not gonna say crap.

I grew up at the exact moment in the US of absolutely NO music festivals at all. Woodstock was a distant sepia-toned memory and Lollapalooza was just starting up as a "touring revue". So when Nirvana played Reading it was like WOAH! Where is Reading, and how do I book my tickets. I was 15. I never did go to any sleepover festivals.

Now there are too many, and as others have mentioned, I rather pay to see a band at a club. When I do go I usually just roll in to see whatever act I wanted to see, and then I fuck off. Also the line-ups are typically no longer relevant for me.

Crap unless there is an extenuating circumstance by way of a VIP pass or I'm performing. Nuts to hobnobbing with the hoi polloi on a grassy field or dirt patch in 90 degree heat, queuing for an exorbitantly priced beverage, and back pain. Seat me in an air conditioned tent quaffing free drinks while missing the band(s) I'd like to see.

rsmurphy wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2024 10:40 am Crap unless there is an extenuating circumstance by way of a VIP pass or I'm performing. Nuts to hobnobbing with the hoi polloi on a grassy field or dirt patch in 90 degree heat, queuing for an exorbitantly priced beverage, and back pain. Seat me in an air conditioned tent quaffing free drinks while missing the band(s) I'd like to see.

VIP passes kill it once you don’t get one

I won a VIP pass to Reading 2003 for the Metallica, System of a Down, Primal Scream day. I drank at the Good Mixer in Camden at the time and got in the draw from buying a pint of Carling (England’s Bud…) Got watch Metallica and SoaD from the side of the stage talking to Jack Osbourne. Surreal.

All the ATPs felt like VIP tickets because you’d be playing mini golf and Kim Deal would come over and ask for a lighter .

Those were the days…

No. Been to some when I was younger: Gathering of the Tribes 1, Lollapalooza 1, Live 105, these were all in the 90s. That's enough for me.

I wouldn’t go to one now as an attendee, but I did you to enjoy attending and playing them in the early 00s. One of my favourite days ever was playing the Wicker Man festival in 2004 on a beautiful summer’s day, watching Spiritualized as the sun was going down and I was completely out my beak.

NC

Nico Adie wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2024 6:57 pm I wouldn’t go to one now as an attendee, but I did you to enjoy attending and playing them in the early 00s. One of my favourite days ever was playing the Wicker Man festival in 2004 on a beautiful summer’s day, watching Spiritualized as the sun was going down and I was completely out my beak.

NC

That sounds nice indeed, in 2004. I hope they played "Lay Back in the Sun" while the sun was going down and you were out of your beak.