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In six years of Bonnarooing I've heard horror stories every year of people not getting guidebooks. So just in case, I print out one of the handy excel spreadsheet schedules that show up here on inforoo and laminate it. I've never needed it. Until this year.
Waited 10 hours on Thursday to get in and they had no guidebooks. Glad I did it this year. It's complete garbage that every person who comes can't get a guidebook. They shouldn't even try to make a book out of it anymore. My idea?; a trifold paper, like a small map that is even cheaper that they can overprint by 30,000 copies and still come out cheaper than this book so EVERYONE can have a pocket guide. It's ridiculous that they still haven't figured something out in 8 years of putting this thing on.
The good news is that if you don't get a book, the Bonnaroo Beacon has a daily guide, and they keep those stocked for everyday throughout the festival. They usually have updated info too.
But it is a whole lot of crap, that everyone pays the same price, and yet some don't get all the same perks.*
*Obviously, I'm neglecting to mention the perks and price of VIP. They can keep their gold-plated guidebooks.....I keed.
Somebody posted something like this in another thread but I don't remember where.....but i'll try and sum up what they said:
It's not really a matter of printing schedules. It's a matter of not having them stocked up enough at the entrance gates. When the schedule books would run out.....they would send a request for more. Of course it takes some time for the schedules to be delivered to the front gate. During this time....it wouldn't make sense to hold up the lines and not let ANYONE in if they don't have a schedule.
Rather than delay the lines....they let people in. They must figure that since the schedule is posted in multiple spots, printed in the daily/free bonnaroo beacon, and was made readily available to print ahead of the fest that it's not a huge deal if every single person doesn't get a book.
Post by ellisintransit on Jul 2, 2009 14:17:44 GMT -5
What gets me though is that they tell you to go the info booths in Centeroo to get them, and that is completely reasonable. Yet everytime I've tried in numerous years to get them at the info booth...no guidebooks. What gives with that? All I saw this year were tables with schedules taped to them.
Of course it wouldn't be logical to hold up the line. Holy hell I would not want to sit there any longer than we already have to.
Furthermore, there are how many entrances? Like 4? Where are all these guidebooks staying in the meantime? A majority of the cars are entering through 3-4 entrances.
Whatever. Print your own effin' schedule from here on out and you're golden. You won't catch me without one.
What gets me though is that they tell you to go the info booths in Centeroo to get them, and that is completely reasonable. Yet everytime I've tried in numerous years to get them at the info booth...no guidebooks. What gives with that? All I saw this year were tables with schedules taped to them.
A great point. I've read a lot of people saying when they went to info booths - there was no schedule books available. I'd be pissed about that too.
At least they printed the schedules in Bonnaroo Beacons and offered them up for free. I wish they would have kept the old way of displaying bands for that stage/tent in a list in front of the stage...so at least you know who will be playing there later. That was usually a help.
Furthermore, there are how many entrances? Like 4? Where are all these guidebooks staying in the meantime? A majority of the cars are entering through 3-4 entrances.
Not sure......I was just saying what somebody else said. No clue how it really works.
Yeah, I was kinda bummed to not get an itunes download card! I've discovered some stuff I really love on those cards!
Anyway, whatever the reason is for people not getting books, if that's going to happen they should at least have printed schedules and maps to hand people. Like others said, now that they cut the artist bios the rest of the book is pretty useless anyway. On your way into the campgrounds if they said "sorry, we ran out of guides, but here's a schedule and map for ya" nobody would be upset AT ALL. It's nice that they have the big schedule posters and the Bonnaroo Beacon, but it seems like they could have a huge stack of paper schedules to hand out if they run out of books pretty cheaply/easily.
(Also, I don't think I know anyone who's ever even LOOKED at the Bonnaroo Beacon, which is sort of unfortunate. I wouldn't mind having a couple as souvenirs, but I'm way too lazy to go figure out where to find one when I'm at roo!)
You know ME! I am obsessed with the Beacon; I read them each morning. I have all of them from this year but didn't get all of last year's issues. They hand them out in the morning/midafternoon when you are walking through but you can get them at the Relix tent. How does one get to write for The Beacon....that is the real issue at hand here.
Post by plasticpepper on Jul 2, 2009 15:35:46 GMT -5
Haha okay I am adding finding a copy of the Beacon to next year's Roo to-do list. Along with finding the dragon-mobile and the Mr. T-mobile, the only thing off this year's to-do list that I didn't accomplish!
Haha okay I am adding finding a copy of the Beacon to next year's Roo to-do list. Along with finding the dragon-mobile and the Mr. T-mobile, the only thing off this year's to-do list that I didn't accomplish!
I got a picture of the dragon while walking to Centeroo but I believe that he was blocking Mr. T.
Post by dancinginthedark on Jul 2, 2009 20:31:54 GMT -5
Well, we got there at 5AM and only got one guide book...
I managed to get a copy of the Beacon every day, and on Sunday night after the Relix tent closed, they put out all of their extra copies on the table in front. I made out with about 30 of the ones with Bruce in it....I'm a big Bruce fan, if you can't tell.
It's just ridiculous that you pay all this money for a ticket and yet they can't even guarantee that you get a booklet. In fact, even that part I can sort of understand, but at the very least, everyone there should be guaranteed a schedule and a map. Those really are essential, everything else is just filler. If the people who organize Bonnaroo are so concerned about the environment, they could cut out most of the stuff in there and I wouldn't even notice (though to their credit, this year's booklet was a lot slimmer than last year's).
Post by 811942891995 on Jul 3, 2009 18:04:21 GMT -5
there was five of us in my friend lizs old church van and not sure y but they gave up 7 books! i gave up mine to these girls camped behind us and not sure but i think chad gave his up to some skeevy looking wook dude!
i'm saving my map from this year in high hopes the layout will be generally the same next year for centeroo. we were fortunate enough to get two but one was lost in the torrential downpour thursday morning
i'm saving my map from this year in high hopes the layout will be generally the same next year for centeroo. we were fortunate enough to get two but one was lost in the torrential downpour thursday morning
The centeroo setup is almost exactly the same each year. The only changes are usually small vendors and things in the middle. The stages don't move.
are all the extra articles about the bands in the guidebook AND a daily newspaper with articles in it really necessary?
keep the articles in the newspaper, and the information in the guidebook i say
i for one like the articles in the guidebook. it gives you something small to read when waiting for a show or just hanging out. there were funny interviews with triumph and michael showalter, plus really good background info on how the david byrne curating a stage came together. the beastie boys interview was well done too...they were real sarcastic. plus a lot of the content in the guidebooks are useful for people who've never been - they give you all the rules, regulations, and events/activities that go on during the fest.
I would sacrifice all the articles for just a map and full schedule if it meant everyone could get a guidebook.....but I don't think that the amount of content inside the book has a HUGE effect on whether or not people get one.
Plus the articles in the daily newspaper are typically about what happened the day/night before, and what will be happening later that specific day.
