Time to Jump Ship

[cloud]

This has nothing to do with poor planning or not having the money to buy tickets early. It has everything to do with past experience and how Coachella has changed for the worse. In the last 10 years i've attended, the festival has never sold out like this. But I always knew it was a possibility and if you are surprised you should be surprised that it hasn't happened sooner.

Coachella used to be a festival that would release a line up and sell tickets for individual days and the days wouldn't sell out till the very last minute (for the most part). The beauty of that was it gave the fans time to go through all the bands new and old and figure out a plan of what you wanted to spend your time and money on. It gave you time to get your friends together, secure a house, RV, hotel or simply camp.

Since Coachella took away that option things have changed drastically. The introduction of "3 day passes only" is where Goldenvoice fucked up. In doing that, the festival lost its roots!! When they start booking acts such as Jay-Z, Kanye, King of Leon etc there is only one option left. Jump ship!! Its time to leave Coachella in the past and enjoy the good memories of the old school days at the Empire Polo Field.

You broke my heart Goldenvoice. I will never forgive you.
Good Bye

[tmac]

bye bye. your loss. no one else's

[rage patton]

This is dumb and you know what you are saying makes no sense.

[gaypalmsprings]

[SydChaplin25]

[motherofmothera]

Sasquatch is looking better and better by the minute. At this rate I can sell my Coachella ticket to some rich scenester living off their parents and use the money to go to a real festival.

[thewoodenman]

you sir, are an idiot.

[aphrael]

Sasquatch is looking better and better by the minute. At this rate I can sell my Coachella ticket to some rich scenester living off their parents and use the money to go to a real festival.

I've never been to the Gorge, although I hear it's beautiful, and certainly the crowds are smaller. I've thought about it - but Memorial Day weekend I have a standing commitment to run a board game at a gaming con. So it's off the list.

Hope you have a blast, though.

[cloud]

ACL is my new love!!

[gooftroop]

This thread is retarded. Coachella sold out almost just as fast in 2007, this is not the firsttime at all. Plus making it a 3 day only ticket makes the festival more immersive and adds to the festival experience, I don't think they've "sold out" at all. Just out of tickets it seems.

And ACL is a great festival but it is a FAR cry from the Coachella experience.

[gmoneyak]

If the layaway option had been available since '07, today's events would not seem so dramatic. Simple as that.

[sacleonard]

[Jman4321]

Am I the only one who hasn't forgotten that there has been at least one poppy headliner on each lineup since 2005, and that they've all been awesome anyway? I swear that 2 year run of baby-boomer-chella run has spoiled you. Classic Rock does not instantly equal amazing. If anything those headliners broke away from the festival's "roots".

[motherofmothera]

This thread is retarded. Coachella sold out almost just as fast in 2007, this is not the firsttime at all. Plus making it a 3 day only ticket makes the festival more immersive and adds to the festival experience, I don't think they've "sold out" at all. Just out of tickets it seems.

And ACL is a great festival but it is a FAR cry from the Coachella experience.

It took 4 times as long for tickets to sell out in '07 (23 days) and they were still available everywhere for face value or 20 bones more. This year with the $900-$3000 tickets from the scalpers is ridiculous.

[spewshemano]

[tessalasset]

In the last 10 years i've attended, the festival has never sold out like this. But I always knew it was a possibility and if you are surprised you should be surprised that it hasn't happened sooner.

Coachella used to be a festival that would release a line up and sell tickets for individual days and the days wouldn't sell out till the very last minute (for the most part). The beauty of that was it gave the fans time to go through all the bands new and old and figure out a plan of what you wanted to spend your time and money on. It gave you time to get your friends together, secure a house, RV, hotel or simply camp.

In my experience, I have been to seven Coachellas now. Every single time, it was a blast. There was always a huge percentage of the lineup I didn't recognize at first, and after months of research, I found a ton of new favorites and even still a few surprises at the fest itself. The reason it's selling out so quickly now is - why should this year be any different? Way more people are buying tickets pre-lineup because they just know it's gonna be a great year. It always is. You don't have to take months to listen to the bands before you make up your mind. You just buy your ticket, and then prepare to be pleasantly surprised with much of the undercard. You still have time to secure a house or hotel, you just have to do it much earlier in the year. But if you go every year, you know that. I booked my lodging the week after Coachella last year. This stuff is just a given now.

[tessalasset]

Also, people were willing to shell out $1,000 for our passes last year. This is not a brand new development. As Coachella gets more popular and mainstream (as it will because the music it brings in has become mainstream in the past five-ish years), more people will come and be willing to throw down serious dollars.

[jtovar21]

This has nothing to do with poor planning or not having the money to buy tickets early. It has everything to do with past experience and how Coachella has changed for the worse. In the last 10 years i've attended, the festival has never sold out like this. But I always knew it was a possibility and if you are surprised you should be surprised that it hasn't happened sooner.

Coachella used to be a festival that would release a line up and sell tickets for individual days and the days wouldn't sell out till the very last minute (for the most part). The beauty of that was it gave the fans time to go through all the bands new and old and figure out a plan of what you wanted to spend your time and money on. It gave you time to get your friends together, secure a house, RV, hotel or simply camp.

Since Coachella took away that option things have changed drastically. The introduction of "3 day passes only" is where Goldenvoice fucked up. In doing that, the festival lost its roots!! When they start booking acts such as Jay-Z, Kanye, King of Leon etc there is only one option left. Jump ship!! Its time to leave Coachella in the past and enjoy the good memories of the old school days at the Empire Polo Field.

You broke my heart Goldenvoice. I will never forgive you.
Good Bye

Damn it won't be the same without CLOUD coming You do realize ACL Festival tends to sell out early too? Hope you don't make the same mistake there, buddy.

[TomServo]

ACL is my new love!!

ACL sold out in less than 12 hours last year, with no lineup.

Wahhhh!

[hobomilitia]

the title of this thread should be "i'm a bitter ass bitch who didnt get a ticket, so now i'm just going to talk shit on the festival"

[TheGunner'sDream]

This has nothing to do with poor planning or (1) not having the money to buy tickets early. It has everything to do with past experience and how Coachella has changed for the worse. (2) In the last 10 years i've attended, the festival has never sold out like this. But I always knew it was a possibility and if you are surprised you should be surprised that it hasn't happened sooner.

(3)Coachella used to be a festival that would release a line up and sell tickets for individual days and the days wouldn't sell out till the very last minute (for the most part). The beauty of that was it gave the fans time to go through all the bands new and old and figure out a plan of what you wanted to spend your time and money on. It gave you time to get your friends together, secure a house, RV, hotel or simply camp.

(3)Since Coachella took away that option things have changed drastically. The introduction of "3 day passes only" is where Goldenvoice fucked up. In doing that, the festival lost its roots!!(4) When they start booking acts such as Jay-Z, Kanye, King of Leon etc there is only one option left. Jump ship!! Its time to leave Coachella in the past and enjoy the good memories of the old school days at the Empire Polo Field.

You broke my heart Goldenvoice. I will never forgive you.
Good Bye

1. Then why didn't you?? If you have the money to buy the ticket early then you shouldnt get left out and your stuff should be planned. As long as you have money you shouldnt have issues.

2. First time for everything. Things don't stay the same forever.

3. GV did this because cheap fucks would clusterfuck one day like McCartney on Friday in 09 and bail for the rest. 3 day only prevents this. Though it didnt work last year, it will work this year. Coachella will fix the excess amount of people this year.

4. Those guys are just the headliners. The number of good acts heavily outweigh the number of bad acts.

Either way, you wont be missed and your post makes little sense. Its not Coachella's fault that they have done a good job at making it an enjoyable experience for a music fan and have become popular. It was only a matter of time. Regardless, 80k+ people at the fest last year didnt bother me one bit. Still got to watch all my favorite acts at great spots and had a blast.

[jimmycrackcorn]

[kid_a]

GV doesn't want your forgiveness, anyway.

[summerkid]

Saying that Coachella sold out this year because they book bands like KOL and Kanye is silly considering they both have played the fest before.

[Sonybonez]

And ACL is a great festival but it is a FAR cry from the Coachella experience.

Take it from a former Austnite. ACL ain't shit compared to Chella. I could save money and just drive down South for 3 hours instead of road tripping to Cali but it's not worth it, IMO.

[TomAz]

ACL is having the same overcrowding etc issues that Coachella is anyway.

[loubque]

Since Coachella took away that option things have changed drastically. The introduction of "3 day passes only" is where Goldenvoice fucked up.

I fail to see how that fucked it up considering the last two years that it has been in place, they have sold out. I think Goldenvoice should pat themselves on the back for that.

I think it was a move that was need and very welcomed. The casual attendees always bothered me because how can you really only go one day? I know for me, I would sit at home the next day thinking about what i missed.

[djbionik]

You guys are all insensitive asses. I feel this guy's pain, after I myself have been to a bunch of coachellas. It has jumped the sharks, and sold out, yes. Even though I'm a lifer, I was worried last year after being so put off by teeny bopper ravers with no manners pushing people around. After waiting an hour for a shower, an hour for coffee, an hour for a burrito, and 15 minutes just to plug in my phone?! It was a little appalling for someone who has 6 Coachellas under her belt.

I love this festival, I love music. But when the thing evolves into something you don't like anymore, yeah.. time to jump ship. Some of us are just older, and loved it when you could see a whole act, get a fruit slushee and catch the next entire act and even get to the front! Those days are long gone.
It's a wonder I can't get the same friends to go with me every year. It's never as important to them as for me. I end up going with new people, and every year, the reaction to it is less and less impressive, just because it's too much. In order to avoid the lines you have to really plan, and for a newbie, you just want to hang.. and its always a surprise they have to wait. They're not used to it like I am, so they get exhausted a lot faster than me. It's a drag, man!

Someone else on this board did have a few points:
1) Events are supposed to sell out. That's the goal of the people investing in it. It's their time and money too.
2) In other countries, you have to submit an entry to a lottery for the NEXT YEAR just to have a chance to buy tickets, before the line up is even announced. Which really means, you have to always have that kind of money on hand in case your number gets called out. We should consider ourselves lucky.
3) If you have been to a Coachella, you get how people plan a whole year ahead, or even a couple years ahead.

I'm not saying I hope Coachella gets to that point where you draw for a chance to buy tickets. But it is the way it is heading. It's sad, especially for those of us who have been there longer. There is a certain magic of having time to do everything. My first Coachella was a total surprise. We went to just see Bjork in 2002, and had no idea it was a festival, I went with complete strangers, and we bought our ticket that same morning at a near by smith's. Our parking spot was right next to the entrance gate, and we saw every act from the very front, and had tons of time to play with everything, and even take a nap on the grass. We ended up on the DVD, and it was sooo magic.
That will never happen again. Try another festival.

The bright side? There's lots of other GREAT festivals! Hell, lets make our own festivals! That's what I'm going to school for. The beautiful thing is that there ARE millions of music lovers. They want to see live music, AND pay for it.

Bottom line, I feel you, cloud. GV hurt me a little last year, and I missed 09 for that reason too. But don't give up on the music. Just open your options to other fests. See you on the other side, brother!

[GuyInTucson]

My first Coachella was a decade ago and I don't think it has jumped the shark one single bit. I just think some of you are serious complainers and babies. This isn't just a Coachella issue. Pretty much every festival with any sort of mainstream popularity in this modern era is going to sellout and/or be a clusterfuck.

I don't see what it has "evolved" into. I was 19 years old at my first one and there were PLENTY of people younger than me there. There have always been ravers, hipters/goth/emo kids and a wide variety of festival attendees.

In 2001, we were the second car in the parking lot that year. Now it can take hours to get in. That's nothing out of the ordinary for ANYTHING that is successful, especialy in the music world.

You know what? Big fucking deal. All that I have learned is that if I plan a little differently based on what I have learned from previous years, my experience doesn't get ruined. Again, I think some of you just like to bitch and moan about Coachella when it doesn't go exactly how you would like it.

OMG, you have to game plan now because of how packed it is, OH NOOOOOOOOOEZ!!!!!!!!!!! If your newbie friends are shell shocked because they failed to game plan then they didn't know what the fuck they were getting into in the first place and I don't feel sorry for them in the least.

BTW, I know there was a wait for shwoers, but if you were waiting an hour for coffee you were going to the wrong stand.

[cloud]

You guys are all insensitive asses. I feel this guy's pain, after I myself have been to a bunch of coachellas. It has jumped the sharks, and sold out, yes. Even though I'm a lifer, I was worried last year after being so put off by teeny bopper ravers with no manners pushing people around. After waiting an hour for a shower, an hour for coffee, an hour for a burrito, and 15 minutes just to plug in my phone?! It was a little appalling for someone who has 6 Coachellas under her belt.

I love this festival, I love music. But when the thing evolves into something you don't like anymore, yeah.. time to jump ship. Some of us are just older, and loved it when you could see a whole act, get a fruit slushee and catch the next entire act and even get to the front! Those days are long gone.
It's a wonder I can't get the same friends to go with me every year. It's never as important to them as for me. I end up going with new people, and every year, the reaction to it is less and less impressive, just because it's too much. In order to avoid the lines you have to really plan, and for a newbie, you just want to hang.. and its always a surprise they have to wait. They're not used to it like I am, so they get exhausted a lot faster than me. It's a drag, man!

Someone else on this board did have a few points:
1) Events are supposed to sell out. That's the goal of the people investing in it. It's their time and money too.
2) In other countries, you have to submit an entry to a lottery for the NEXT YEAR just to have a chance to buy tickets, before the line up is even announced. Which really means, you have to always have that kind of money on hand in case your number gets called out. We should consider ourselves lucky.
3) If you have been to a Coachella, you get how people plan a whole year ahead, or even a couple years ahead.

I'm not saying I hope Coachella gets to that point where you draw for a chance to buy tickets. But it is the way it is heading. It's sad, especially for those of us who have been there longer. There is a certain magic of having time to do everything. My first Coachella was a total surprise. We went to just see Bjork in 2002, and had no idea it was a festival, I went with complete strangers, and we bought our ticket that same morning at a near by smith's. Our parking spot was right next to the entrance gate, and we saw every act from the very front, and had tons of time to play with everything, and even take a nap on the grass. We ended up on the DVD, and it was sooo magic.
That will never happen again. Try another festival.

The bright side? There's lots of other GREAT festivals! Hell, lets make our own festivals! That's what I'm going to school for. The beautiful thing is that there ARE millions of music lovers. They want to see live music, AND pay for it.

Bottom line, I feel you, cloud. GV hurt me a little last year, and I missed 09 for that reason too. But don't give up on the music. Just open your options to other fests. See you on the other side, brother!

I was laughing my ass off until I came to your post. Its nice to see that there is actually an intelligent festival goer on these message boards. I go to festivals all across the country and Coachella was my favorite of all. I'm not bitter I didn't get tickets. I actually canceled a reservation for a house in Palm Desert and it made me smile that I wont be dumping 3 thousand dollars into another Coachella weekend. Face it, Coachella has changed and its debatable if its for the better or for the worse. The new Fans will say its better (they dont know shit) Most veteran fans will agree it has changed for the worse. This fiasco is a sign of things to come. Whether its long lines like last year, over crowded tents, tripping over cracked out cuddle puddles, longer bathroom lines, and 3 hour trips out of the parking lot... I know i wont be part of that anymore.

Thanks djbionik. Good luck in school. I wish you success in event planning!!