Mismanaged Clusterfuckchella

[betao]

Really? I don't think he makes a good point at all. MGMT and Vampire have played before as have Madonna the Chili Peppers, Rage, Tool, Kanye, Common, Tiesto and a wide array of pop stars and teen idol band and even that new terrible punk. All of them have been at Coachella and there has never been the volume of complaints that exist this year.

It is NOT about the artists.

It might be if every single artist you listed played in one year. Having a few of those artists isn't always a bad thing, but when you're lineup is pretty heavy with them, it attracts the indie pop college crowd.

I fully agree with what he said.

edit: wait, this argument already happened. I will however still agree with him.

I mean, you could tell the average fanbase at Coachella. I was able to get close spots for acts like Echo & the Bunnymen and PiL. After Infected Mushroom, the Sahara tent practically emptied out for Orbital, and it was teens running out, and the older generation running in. Same for Plastikman. Some older DJs, most notably Bentley, played to smaller crowds, while the dupstep DJs (surprised to see this stuff so popular) were packing the tent.

So yeah, if they booked great acts that weren't the hype of the moment by Pitchfork or whatever blog hipsters are reading today, then I do believe that the fanbase would be different.

[lunatic core]

How the fuck is Phoenix so goddamn popular? I know of a few songs from commericals but that's it.

I am think opening for Muse when the Twilight fans jumped on board helped them.

[MarkO]

.......... Also while I may be happy to pay $100 more to have a better experience but that may put Coachella out of reach for somebody else. Someone else may hate the Do Lab and want it gone, others would be lost without it there. Coachella takes all types and not everybody wants the same thing.

I am really interested in seeing how things play out next year; what happens with ticket prices come out, how many tickets they sell, etc.

$100 more to unfuck the system ? No way. It's already flippin' expensive as it is.

Like someone else said, what was so wrong with the way things were in '08.

[ZackQ]

2008 was incredible. My favorite Coachella.

[Sexecutioner]

Would you be with the face value rising $100 so that GV has the same amount of money to work with?

And how many of the people that complain that it's too expensive already wouldn't be able to go?

How much more would you be willing to pay for this?

luckyface already touched on this, but why does this festival all of a sudden require an extra $4-5 million a year to work? what did they do the last 8 years to turn a profit while keeping capacity under 60k? and now all of a sudden they need the cash from an extra 15k people just to make it worth it? i dont buy it. sure, it costs more to book bands each year, i get the inflation, but thats why there has been a steady increase in ticket prices each year, and thats fine with me. but to think that they need an extra 15k people or $100 per ticket all of a sudden just to put it on is a joke.

Really? I don't think he makes a good point at all. MGMT and Vampire have played before as have Madonna the Chili Peppers, Rage, Tool, Kanye, Common, Tiesto and a wide array of pop stars and teen idol band and even that new terrible punk. All of them have been at Coachella and there has never been the volume of complaints that exist this year.

It is NOT about the artists.

for once i actually agree with fax. coachella has always had bands like this. in case you guys havent noticed by now, every fucking band has annoying, douchebag fans. yes, even bands that all you elitist hipsters love. shit, bjork fans almost caused a damn riot at coachella. if coachella stopped booking every act whos fans you people bitch about, there would be nobody left to book! its not the bands, its the fact that there are always assholes at every show, you just have to deal with them. it was so crowded though this year, i think it got magnified, since it was hard to find any personal space all weekend.

bottom line: 75K PEOPLE IS TOO MANY FOR THE POLO FIELDS!!!

the problem is when there are 75k people in such a small place, every problem is magnified. traffic, security, lines, crowds, douchebaggery...all of them would be more manageable if there werent so many damned people everywhere you turn.

[obzen]

2008 was incredible. My favorite Coachella.

Aphex Twin, Prince, Kraftwerk, Portishead, Roger Waters.


Crushingblows.

[ZackQ]

Aphex Twin, Prince, Kraftwerk, Portishead, Roger Waters.


Crushingblows.

Kraftwerk >> Portishead >> Prince

I was a few people off the rail for this three-headed monster. One of the greatest nights of my life.

[obzen]

I think everyone that witnessed that was wired to the moon that night.

[TeamCoachellaHellYeah]

2008 was incredible. My favorite Coachella.

perfectchella. fantastic crowds, underrated line up, just amazing.

[ZackQ]

perfectchella. fantastic crowds, underrated line up, just amazing.

Totally agree. THe crowd was the best that year. And the set scheduling and line up were so perfectly crafted. I can't imagine them ever topping that one. And I was one of the people outraged when the line up came out. Little did I know...

[Wheres the beef?]

I must be the only person who thought Coachella was great.

We only waited an hour for the camping check in which went smoothly.

Car camping was fantastic. When we got there at 5:00pm there was an hour wait. No big deal. There were plenty of lines to choose from and we happened to get a good one. Of course some lines were moving faster than others. The line next to us was stalled for about an extra half an hour because these guys who had a truck that was absolutely overflowing with crap happened to also have an 8 inch knife. So that caused security to unpack the ENTIRE car to find out what other retarded contraband they had brought since they obviously didn't read the rules. We got in and set up our spot and it was no problems.

The lines to get in to the festival were absolutely awesome. I walked right up and walked right in every single day with nary a wait.

The crowds at the stages didn't seem that bad either. Even in the Sahara tent there wasn't a problem for us to find a nice spot at any time.

The sound, lights, screens at all the stages was absolutely top notch.

I'll admit I was a little underwhelmed about the art in general but there was some cool stuff. My favorites were the spinning mirror between the gobi and mojave and the swan.

The Do Lab was new and improved and I liked the way they set it up to get rid of the soundbleed.

The weather was fantastic as well. Especially Sunday.

[Geno_g]

I must be the only person who thought Coachella was great.

We only waited an hour for the camping check in which went smoothly.

Car camping was fantastic. When we got there at 5:00pm there was an hour wait. No big deal. There were plenty of liens to choose from and we happened to get a good one. Of course some lines were moving faster than others. The line next to us was stalled for about an extra half an hour because these guys who had a truck that was absolutely overflowing with crap happened to also have an 8 inch knife. So that caused security to unpack the ENTIRE car to find out what other retarded contraband they had brought since they obviously didn't read the rules. We got in and set up our spot and it was no problems.

The lines to get in to the festival were absolutely awesome. I walked right up and walked right in every single day with nary a wait.

The crowds at the stages didn't seem that bad either. Even in the Sahara tent there wasn't a problem for us to find a nice spot at any time.

The sound, lights, screens at all the stages was absolutely top notch.

I'll admit I was a little underwhelmed about the art in general but there was some cool stuff. My favorites were the spinning mirror between the gobi and mojave and the swan.

The Do Lab was new and improved and I liked the way they set it up to get rid of the soundbleed.

The weather was fantastic as well. Especially Sunday.

X2, I thought it was great, just the shower situation sucked for camping, that was it...

[headrush]

im not phased by how awfully unorganized 2010 was. its my hope that people got so pissed that they wont show up next year and some of these problems will be reduced. wishful thinking? for sure. but whatever, coachella > oxygen.

[boarderwoozel3]

That makes two of us, Ryan.

The one place where I felt they dropped the ball was the camping shower situation. So we made due and still had a blast sans proper showers.

Agreed that that lighting and sound was fantastic, especially at the main stage and sahara.

[lunatic core]

im not phased by how awfully unorganized 2010 was. its my hope that people got so pissed that they wont show up next year and some of these problems will be reduced. wishful thinking? for sure. but whatever, coachella > oxygen.

Only real way for attendance to go down at this point is to sell less tickets. They are going to need some drastic changes to the event to move forward with this amount of people, or Coachella is just another shitty yearly money grab.

[absoluteimp]

I was sooo looking forward to this, my first Coachella. And I can tell you, without a doubt, it was the least fun music event I've ever been to.

I sprained my ankle earlier in the week so couldnt make it out before later Friday - I KILLED myself to get out there to see Deadmau5. Was in stand still traffic waiting to go into parking and every parking you finally got to said NO MORE SPACE. Wtf? Everywhere I tried to park they told me they would tow me. It was unfuckingbelievable - I missed Deadmau5 cuz I couldnt get in and now to find out it was really because they ran out of wristbands pisses me off NO END.

Saturday I went - and it was sooooo MEH....just a big field with tents and not much else to look at or be entertained by. The Sahara filled up to overflowing from Dirty South til at least after Guetta. I did see vomit in random places...bunches of peoples...I dunno - other than the acts themselves (which I can see In L.A. or Vegas anytime)I found Coachella to be so bland and unimpressive. I suppose if you were seriously fucked up and shrooming or drunk with a big group of people you would have more fun but you would have fun in a gas station in that state.

Dont even get me started on parking and getting out. I actually skipped Sunday and Thom Yorke because it wasnt worth the 2 hour wait to get out.

Clusterfuckchella is right on the money. I'll stick to EDC thanks. :/

[travolta]

Clusterfuckchella is right on the money. I'll stick to EDC thanks. :/

holy shit! WIN!

[BlackSwan]

I must be the only person who thought Coachella was great.

X2, I thought it was great, just the shower situation sucked for camping, that was it...

The one place where I felt they dropped the ball was the camping shower situation. So we made due and still had a blast sans proper showers.

If you guys weren't at least disgusted by all the garbage everywhere, you may be part of the problem... Just sayin'.

[gaypalmsprings]

Kraftwerk >> Portishead >> Prince

I was a few people off the rail for this three-headed monster. One of the greatest nights of my life.

Totally agree.

[boarderwoozel3]

If you guys weren't at least disgusted by all the garbage everywhere, you may be part of the problem... Just sayin'.

Completely baseless and uncalled for.

[johnnypolite]

This was my 7th Coachella and I thought overall Coachella was great this year. It really sucks what some of you had to deal with though. Here are my thoughts.

CONS

- Campground showers. Longest lines I have ever seen at Coachella camping. We only took one shower this weekend which was Saturday night after Muse. Still had to wait over an hour. Don't know how people waited over two hours in the morning.

- Corporate bullshit. State Farm tent. Seriously lame but I guess it helps pay the bills.

- Overcrowded. Outdoor Theater was ridiculous. The crowd for Thom Yorke was probably the biggest I have ever seen at the Outdoor stage. Probably sell less tickets.

- Coachella T-shirts. May sound petty but I thought that the Coachella T-Shirts were kinda lame looking this year. Meh.

- No Tesla Coils. No bike rodeo.

PROS

- FANTASTIC lineup and no major technical issues (sans Muse's screens fucking up). Got to see Fever Ray, Jonsi, Faith No More, Muse, Pavement, Ed Sharpe, Avett Bros, and my new favorite Little Dragon. An amazing weekend of music!

- Do Lab not as loud. Last year it was insane, this year the sound bleed was minimal.

- Weather. Fucking fantastic all weekend.

- Met a lot of really great people from all over the world. This is my favorite part of every Coachella and there were some really fantastic people. Especially our Canadian neighbors who shared their pot cookies with us!

[Wheres the beef?]

If you guys weren't at least disgusted by all the garbage everywhere, you may be part of the problem... Just sayin'.

I was disgusted by the garbage. It wasn't as nice as last year but it was better than previous years.

I'll admit the showers, running out of wristbands, and parking are things that need to be acknowledged and I'm sure they will. Although I personally didn't experience any of those problems, it is sad to see that some people did.

Write a letter and move on.

And, they did have a different company handling things like the port-o-potties this year so that company hopefully won't be getting the contract for next year and they will go with a different company that is more on top of their game.

[buddy]

i think the garbage thing was worse in 02, back before they did the recycle for water program. i remember having to walk through a sea of water bottles at the end of the night. coachella has improved every year since.

this year had its issues, but i can't imagine paul t and coachella not fixing many if not all of them. just from reading his interviews over the years he seems pretty conscious of putting on a good festival for the fans. i know they have come to an agreement to expand on the polo ground, so that should help. as far the crowd type, maybe next years lineup will draw a better one.

[absoluteimp]

Although I personally didn't experience any of those problems, it is sad to see that some people did.

Write a letter and move on.

How very droll....you didn't experience any problems so its so easy for you to chime in "write a letter and move on". That sure pisses me off!

I paid nearly $300 to NOT GET IN to see my favorite - Deadmau5 - because of them fucking running out of wristbands, making me wait forever in a parking line....they lied about it....dude seriously - don't offer advice.

[JebusLives]

people like you are also a big part of the problem. Go to EDC and don't come back.

[frozen pilgrim]

I would like to echo this sentiment. I saw nothing but love during that Jay-Z set. Nothing but smiling faces and people dancing and singing together. It really was one of the most fun shows I have ever seen at Coachella.

Pilgrim is way off base on this one.

I'm sure where you were it was populated my smiling, loving regular-type coachella-goers. there's no way the hardcore douche contingent extended any further than probably even the second railing. nobody who exhibits the type of behaviour I'm talking about would have been in the un-fucked part of the crowd. they were all already crammed up front, after elbowing people like me and chris out of the way during bands we were actually there to see.

[Newro7ic]

I doubt I will cover any new ground here, but I'll chime in for a brief moment.

Friday's have always sucked for getting in and out because the volunteers and parking people are relearning everything (stupid, but seems to be the case). I absolutely had no trouble with parking, and I suppose it's mostly because I got lucky and went in the back way... skipping the first turn in to go to the next lot up. Getting into the venue was a complete unorganized nightmare. The first gate you had to go through was far too tiny and had no visible lines. It was a mass of over-heating bodies and angry customers. Yet, the next entrance (the previous years main entrance) had rails setup designating lines and was twice the size as the new main entrance. That made no sense whatsoever. Getting out was easy, but I left before Jay-Z finished. That was my Friday experience, specifically.

As for the overall experience. Yes, it was oversold. Obviously people were sneaking in which added to the problem. The crowd was simply the worst it has ever been. I know there are always jerks/assholes/douchebags/bitches every year, but it seemed the extra 15k tickets went to these people exclusively. Every crowd I sat in I was constantly pushed and shoved because people couldn't be fucked to come to a set early, instead forcing their way in without even a simple excuse me. I left Fever Ray early because my girlfriend who stands at all of 5' and weighs 100lbs was getting trampled by assholes. It was disappointing.

The worst? I was sitting WAY in the back waiting for Thom Yorke to come on. Some asshole steps over me and trips on my foot. I didn't move, I didn't stick my foot out to trip him. What'd he do? Turned around called me a fucking asshole and gave me the finger. Excuse me, douche, watch where YOU'RE fucking going.

This was my 5th Coachella, and probably the worst. However, I still had a fun time, and my girlfriend loved it (it was her first). I will be back, but if no improvements are made, then it will probably be my last year.

[bballarl]

I know there were a ton of shitty things about the fest, but it would be nice to hear reviews about the bands and stuff. Ideally things would be compiled here:

http://coachella.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40969

Like Orbital, for instance. They killed it.

[pancakespancakes]

This was my 4th Coachella and I had as great a time as always. Maybe I'm part of the problem too. I enjoyed the large crowds -- yes, enjoyed -- and had no difficulty getting to where I wanted to get for most acts. I was disappointed Phoenix was so crowded, as well as Thom Yorke, but the latter was expected and neither were very high on my must-see lists. Phoenix's set was improved for me by the majesty of a dramatically gigantic fucking crowd. Thom Yorke and friends just sounded amazing, credit due to the improved Outdoor, so I didn't mind closing my eyes and listening. Most music events I attend have audiences between 20 and 200 people, so it's part of the thrill of my Coachella to see some of my favorite artists play for their largest audience yet (such as Dirty Projectors, Girls, Beach House, Flying Lotus this year). Watching from the back of a massive crowd is fun for me when I'm used to watching from a few feet away. It adds to the experience, and it shows in the band's chemistry. It's part of what I love about music festivals in general. With that said, I didn't encounter a single set last weekend for which I couldn't access the area in front of the soundboard with a little effort, and that area usually functioned as my "back of the crowd" spot, which was great. I understand that many of you had different experiences with this. Perhaps I'm a pushing douche and I still don't fucking realize it, though not once was I tapped on the shoulder this weekend for accidentally stepping in front of someone who did not appreciate being stepped in front of.

Walking in between stages this year was noticeably more packed with human obstacles but it never seemed obtrusive. It took me until the second day to notice a change, and that noticeable difference in population did not manifest until after 5 or 6. And like I said, the large crowd adds to the excitement of Coachella for me, I don't attend events like this any other weekends of the year. Maybe I've just enjoyed watching "Woodstock The Movie" too many times. But as long as it doesn't inhibit my enjoyment of my favorite bands from spots in the crowd then it's welcome. I've also loved the beauty of cruising the polo fields with peace and quiet between sets, but I got that experience earlier in the day as always, and I personally don't care for it as the sun goes down. Otherwise, food lines and festival entrance lines seemed extremely normal this year (I mean that -- extremely normal -- small as always) and I know now the camping lines and parking lots were terrible and ruined a lot of people's weekends. I just got lucky with both and dealt with neither.

My biggest complaint, aside from the stated Outdoor Theatre crowds, was indeed the trash this year, which was noticeably at obnoxious levels. But this just demoted Coachella to the average of other festivals (Bonnaroo for example) in this department. Annoying, but nothing I'd never seen before.

And honestly the grass wasn't as fucking green this year. This is just plain ridiculous observation... but Coachella's famous for it and everyone noticed. A bit tellng.

The lineup honestly didn't thrill me as much as probably the past 3 years, but that's been discussed to death for the last 4 months and probably has more to do with my own changing taste.

I had plenty of shit go awry this weekend of my own accord that makes me wonder whether or not it was my last Coachella, but nothing that had to do with this thread (I camped for the first time and could only fucking sleep from 4 am - 8 am). Blaming things on the kids offends me (I'm 19 and first attended at 16) because most of the "retarded 14 year olds" you all witness are indeed retarded 24 year olds dressed like retarded 14 year olds, but that's an aside. Feel free to prove me wrong and set up an 18+ festival like this and watch most of the retards go away, it could happen. But if you want a music festival with outstanding courteousness (I'd love one), I think it's going to be 30+.

[pancakespancakes]

I know there were a ton of shitty things about the fest, but it would be nice to hear reviews about the bands and stuff. Ideally things would be compiled here:

http://coachella.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40969

Like Orbital, for instance. They killed it.

I'll probably post my sunny review in their later. I thought Orbital were really cool but their short set time was a big bummer.