Is There Any Conceivable Way They Could Make It Tolerable To Walk Down To The Sahara?

[thelastgreatman]

Look, I like electronic music. I also like giant tents with huge walls of screens and stuff. I don't think I've seen more than 10 minutes of anything in the Sahara in years now just because trying to walk past the Mojave at all makes me fucking mental. It's the only part of the whole place that feels like a real clusterfuck and it's a big pain in the ass.

So here's the question: what could they do? The amount of space back there is limited, there's a fixed back wall (where the food/beer is) due to a permanent structure that exists there. What I would ideally like is somewhere to hang out in the back away from all the kids trying to actually get IN to the tent (which I have fucking ZERO interest in doing) and be able to watch, dance, and hang out without being completely surrounded by a mob of creepy douchebags and people who are on depressing amounts of drugs.

Building out the area where the Yuma is now was a great idea a few years ago, it gave you a way to cut from one section of the polo fields to the other end without having to go around the big L shape. I believe this was instituted after the madness of 2010 where it could take literally 15 minutes just to slowly push through the crowds getting from the main to the Sahara and vice versa.

So they're dealing with a limited amount of space beyond where the Sahara tent ends, it seemed like there was maybe 50 yards between the back corners of the Sahara and the beer garden fence. This is just not enough. There used to be a nice open area back there where if you didn't feel like hanging out with the dbags you could head to the back and have some room to breathe.

Is there any way we could achieve this again? Or maybe even some risers there in the back so that you could head up and sit along bleachers like they have near the Mojave?

[Vic Viper]

this too, really bothered me this year. during moby all i wanted to do is hang way back and just sort of passively absorb the set, but there was no space to do so and i left after 20 minutes. when we took the big group photo it became really clear just how little space there was between the back of the sahara and the fence for the beer garden.

the only thing i can think of would be:
a) move the rose garden/VIP elsewhere and make that a beer garden. or make the front half of it a regular beer garden and the area beyond it VIP? this would allow more space directly back from the sahara.
b) expand the terrace area even further south, and move the sahara beer garden to the opposite side of the structure that it was against this year.
c) remove the sahara tent entirely and make it it's own goddamned event

[Cheddar's Cousin]

The correct answer is...C!

[thelastgreatman]

this too, really bothered me this year. during moby all i wanted to do is hang way back and just sort of passively absorb the set, but there was no space to do so and i left after 20 minutes. when we took the big group photo it became really clear just how little space there was between the back of the sahara and the fence for the beer garden.

the only thing i can think of would be:
a) move the rose garden/VIP elsewhere and make that a beer garden. or make the front half of it a regular beer garden and the area beyond it VIP? this would allow more space directly back from the sahara.
b) expand the terrace area even further south, and move the sahara beer garden to the opposite side of the structure that it was against this year.
c) remove the sahara tent entirely and make it it's own goddamned event

Moby was my gripe too. I don't mind avoiding that side of things for most all the weekend, but every once in a while I would like to be able to go up there and see somebody I really enjoy but still be able to be comfortable. It was also literally like 10 degrees hotter and it felt like there was drastically less air over on that side of the venue, and I'm not even talking about in the tent--we were hanging out all the way back by the fence of the beer garden. We'd been wearing our hoodies over by the main stage, not even windy or anything, and then by the time we got over by the Sahara I was sweating (sober) from the extra heat from all those people I guess. It's just not pleasant.

[PulpOne]

I'd vote for A. That VIP rose garden space is not being utilized to its full potential.

[footixy]

If like to vote a but gv doesn't own the polo grounds...I'm pretty sure EDChella will be one the 3 forthcoming festivals

[Sexecutioner]

I have a revolutionary idea...SELL LESS FUCKING TICKETS!

Seriously...this would solve so many other problems as well. I know asking a big corporation to make less money is pretty naive, but they've already doubled their profits with the 2 weekend thing, the least they could do is thin it out a bit for us. Like 10-15k less would be a good compromise I think.

[PulpOne]

I have a revolutionary idea...SELL LESS FUCKING TICKETS!

Seriously...this would solve so many other problems as well. I know asking a big corporation to make less money is pretty naive, but they've already doubled their profits with the 2 weekend thing, the least they could do is thin it out a bit for us. Like 10-15k less would be a good compromise I think.

That is not an option for any corporation. If anything, they're going to expand to accommodate even more people.

[xanman86]

Buy a VIP pass next year?

[TomAz]

Buy a VIP pass next year?

Explain to us how this would help, Doctor.

[nathanfairchild]

Explain to us how this would help, Doctor.

because You Only Live Once

[TomAz]

I mean is he implying that the rose garden would make getting from the main area past the Mohave to the Sahara easier?

[TomAz]

I mean I was a math major but apparently I have forgotten the physical laws of retard geometry.

[guedita]

He's implying that Randy could enjoy sets from a less crowded area (i.e. the Rose Garden) if he bought VIP. while ignoring the actual problem and concern Randy brought up. Remaining true to his useless self.

[guedita]

I mean, Randy, why not invest in a jet-pack that would enable you to avoid being in the crowded area between the Sahara and that beer garden by hovering from above? Plenty of air to breathe up there lol!

[thelastgreatman]

He's gotta be the single dumbest motherfucker to ever wander through here, right? Like if we ignore obvious drug casualties like Zafo and Vigo, he's the stupidest son of a bitch we've ever seen wandering in here drooling all over his own balls, right?

[LongshotJoe]

I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why this wouldn't work, but I was having fun cutting and pasting things.

c13-venue-map.original.jpg

[nahuatldream]

Plus the Sahara seriously smelled like ass. We walked by and got enough of a whiff to determine we were better suited to hang back and enjoy Moby from a distance. We found a spot directly behind the Sahara against the fence to the beer garden and took a seat there. We were able to see all the visuals on the screens and were away from masses. If we weren't so tired, we could have stood up and danced right there. I would like to not have to do that, though. Did it smell like ass to anyone else? Maybe we just happened to walk by a really smelly person...

[thelastgreatman]

... what the hell did you even do?

[Suffacated]

ass and feet is the official "Sahara" odor.

[xanman86]

the only thing i can think of would be:
a) move the rose garden/VIP elsewhere and make that a beer garden. or make the front half of it a regular beer garden and the area beyond it VIP? this would allow more space directly back from the sahara.

^ This is what I was referring to.

[guedita]

So, when you said, "buy a VIP pass next year?" you were actually suggesting that GV should address this problem by changing the layout of the Rose Garden so that it isn't all VIP?

[Wonderbot]

I'm sure there are plenty of reasons why this wouldn't work, but I was having fun cutting and pasting things.

c13-venue-map.original.jpg

That could work if the sound bleed from the Sahara didn't affect Outdoor and Coachella stage.

The Do-lab needs to move or lower its volume. Or build walls so that it actually keeps some of the sound in...


btw those new sectioned off areas in front of the stages we had this year... those I am to understand are for Artist/Guest passes only? VIP Tickets don't get access to those?

[thelastgreatman]

The only answer I can really think of is that the whole food beer garden area over there needs to be completely removed or shifted to where the Rose Garden is. But frankly I think the festival in general could benefit from the area up by the Yuma just being turned into a MASSIVE food area with a beer garden wrap around and let it be almost a place of quiet respite. I used to love that area last year, this year the fucking thumping from the crap they were playing in the Yuma just sucked.

Or how bout this: no food whatsoever over by the Sahara, tear those fences down, put a half GA/half VIP beer garden over by the Rose Garden, and if any of the tweakers in the Sahara want food (they won't) they can come up to the Yuma area to the big food court.

[Lynn163]

Yep. No VIP access. To answer Wonderbot's question.

[Wonderbot]

... what the hell did you even do?

He put the Sahara where the Gobi is.

[thelastgreatman]

DANI, STICKY THIS THREAD. I HAVE YOUR ANSWERS. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER.

[thelastgreatman]

He put the Sahara where the Gobi is.

Wow. Well that's a terrible fucking answer.

[chbludevil]

We should ask the festival guy his thoughts on this matter since he has made it his duty to enhance the festival experience for all of us

[Wonderbot]

Wow. Well that's a terrible fucking answer.

Would likely make everything past the Mojave into a ghost town lol.


In all fairness though? We can keep shit exactly where it is... just learn what bands get what kind of a fucking audience. Major Lazer should have been at the Main/Outdoor/Sahara who's fucking bright idea was to put them in Mojave???

And I'm not one for EDM on main stage (Fuck SHM! But Chemical brothers were okay!) but if it's going to turn the festival into an untraversable clusterfuck then please... do so.