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For people saying sound quality was great, I don't know what shows you went to see. Paul's sound was good, so was RTJ's. But if you were behind the second set of speakers at Hozier, the left side cut in and out the entire time. Empire of the Sun put on the best show of the weekend probably despite the mic's being to low, even though they were repeatedly asked to be turned up. Modest Mouse's sound was awful. If and when Goldenvoice takes over this thing, it will be so much better off. The location for the fest is amazing so I hope they get there shit together. Not that it matters, if this is what they want the fest to be then it will still succeed. The location is just too perfect and the east coast has nothing else that even compares to the size of this thing as far as any camping fests go.
The only sound issues I noticed were on the left side of the Lawn Stage (exactly as you described). My biggest issue with the stages is the layout. I think they should swap the Pavilion and Lawn Stages so that the two biggest stages are close to each other. They can rotate shows to avoid sound bleeding.
Riot Fest does this and it works out really bad. Unless your able to schedule groups that have completely different fan bases at those stages then you create a huge mess. Weezer and Primus last year in Chicago were the most dangerous and threatening sets I've ever been too. A fucking WEEZER show, especially in 2014, shouldn't ever feel like that. I've been to shows where the whole fucking place breaks out in a mosh pit and felt much more comfortable and safe. The walk between stages in the fest wouldn't be so bad if the walk to get in wasn't so ridiculous.
The only sound issues I noticed were on the left side of the Lawn Stage (exactly as you described). My biggest issue with the stages is the layout. I think they should swap the Pavilion and Lawn Stages so that the two biggest stages are close to each other. They can rotate shows to avoid sound bleeding.
Riot Fest does this and it works out really bad. Unless your able to schedule groups that have completely different fan bases at those stages then you create a huge mess. Weezer and Primus last year in Chicago were the most dangerous and threatening sets I've ever been too. A fucking WEEZER show, especially in 2014, shouldn't ever feel like that. I've been to shows where the whole fucking place breaks out in a mosh pit and felt much more comfortable and safe. The walk between stages in the fest wouldn't be so bad if the walk to get in wasn't so ridiculous.
It seems to work for Osheaga. I just think it's absurd to have the two largest stages at complete opposite ends of the festival grounds. Especially when they don't leave you enough time to travel between consecutive sets at different stages. The 2013 setup (Main Stage where the Backyard stage is currently located) made it easy for me to catch my most anticipated acts without making many sacrifices.
For those of you who saw Paul both here and at Roo, how did his performance at FF compare?
I saw both sets - The Bonnaroo one was legendary and it was better overall. This is mainly due to the fact that it was the first time I saw him and it all felt magical the very first time. From all the stories he told to the specific songs he dedicated to people close to him, it all felt truly special to witness the first time around. After seeing the Firefly set, I would be lying if I said witnessing the same exact stories and hardly any variation of songs, with 5 less songs played, didn't affect my opinion on this set, because it definitely did. Also, it felt a bit more rushed with less time to spare. No "Yesterday" was played along with other great songs. Most of this is just the fact that Paul had less time to work with at Firefly, and he still sounded absolutely fantastic for his age, as I was mesmerized the entire time nonetheless.
Riot Fest does this and it works out really bad. Unless your able to schedule groups that have completely different fan bases at those stages then you create a huge mess. Weezer and Primus last year in Chicago were the most dangerous and threatening sets I've ever been too. A fucking WEEZER show, especially in 2014, shouldn't ever feel like that. I've been to shows where the whole fucking place breaks out in a mosh pit and felt much more comfortable and safe. The walk between stages in the fest wouldn't be so bad if the walk to get in wasn't so ridiculous.
It seems to work for Osheaga. I just think it's absurd to have the two largest stages at complete opposite ends of the festival grounds. Especially when they don't leave you enough time to travel between consecutive sets at different stages. The 2013 setup (Main Stage where the Backyard stage is currently located) made it easy for me to catch my most anticipated acts without making many sacrifices.
That wouldn't be bad, I was under the impression you meant they'd be pitched toward each other like the Lawn and Porch were.
For people saying sound quality was great, I don't know what shows you went to see. Paul's sound was good, so was RTJ's. But if you were behind the second set of speakers at Hozier, the left side cut in and out the entire time. Empire of the Sun put on the best show of the weekend probably despite the mic's being to low, even though they were repeatedly asked to be turned up. Modest Mouse's sound was awful. If and when Goldenvoice takes over this thing, it will be so much better off. The location for the fest is amazing so I hope they get there shit together. Not that it matters, if this is what they want the fest to be then it will still succeed. The location is just too perfect and the east coast has nothing else that even compares to the size of this thing as far as any camping fests go.
EOTS sound wasn't a problem for me, thankfully. I was front row and the mixing up there sounded excellent.
For people saying sound quality was great, I don't know what shows you went to see. Paul's sound was good, so was RTJ's. But if you were behind the second set of speakers at Hozier, the left side cut in and out the entire time. Empire of the Sun put on the best show of the weekend probably despite the mic's being to low, even though they were repeatedly asked to be turned up. Modest Mouse's sound was awful. If and when Goldenvoice takes over this thing, it will be so much better off. The location for the fest is amazing so I hope they get there shit together. Not that it matters, if this is what they want the fest to be then it will still succeed. The location is just too perfect and the east coast has nothing else that even compares to the size of this thing as far as any camping fests go.
EOTS sound wasn't a problem for me, thankfully. I was front row and the mixing up there sounded excellent.
I was front row as well and the fact he kept pointing to his mouth and pointing up would mean he needed to be turned up. He repeatedly did this and whether he wanted it for the the projected sound or in his own monitors, I know he was getting frustrated. It caused him to tame down the vocals for the first 4 or 5 or so songs. It was one of my favorite times that I've seen them because of the crowds energy and Steele feeding off of it. But of the three times I've seen them or any other group at a festival, I've never seen someone make that gesture 10 or more times.
Post by thepeppers on Jun 23, 2015 17:45:13 GMT -5
Been to many of music festivals...didn't notice the smoking anymore than I did at the rest. I don't enjoy getting smoke blown in my face either, but that's to be expected at about any outdoor music event.
The long waits at the water stations were bad and showed poor planning, but that and the fact they was turning people away from premier camping before 6 a.m. on Thursday is my only complaints.
Post by smokeringformyhalo on Jun 23, 2015 21:00:15 GMT -5
Did anyone stay in premier Sunday night? There was a couch fire and they were throwing insulation on the fire and jumping over it. Brain dead. This year was way more rowdy than last year in my opinion. I also noticed the bro presence a lot more. Still had a blast because my group was chill, but we didn't meet as many cool people this year. We'll be heading to Bonnaroo next year for sure.
Random tidbit about security: previous years were pretty slack with searches often allowing to sneak in some classy Rich & Rare in water bottles etc. But this year, I think I saw the ultimate holy efff moment of security slackness. obe of my neighbors who I went in with brought a backpack and had put a low dosage pill of Molly in a Altoids container in one pocket of the bag.This security guard went through the entire bag like they were hankering to find something; found the Altoids container, opened it, and saw the pill. they then asked my neighbor if it was Ecstasy or Molly. My neighbor told them Molly, and then they asked him if it was a gram. He said "Oh no! It's only like .2." The security closed the Altoids box, put it back in the bag, and said "I'm not trying to ruin anyone's day, just be safe." My neighbor was literally shaking after this once we were in. He was very responsible with his drugs and knew the proper dosages, but holy eff was that not the craziest thing to be behind going in. It just really blew our mind for the next 30 minutes how determined security was to search the bag and then to let my neighbor go with the drugs after all the effort. I mean it could have gotten bad. But yeah, knowing that, I am without a doubt just bringing my own whiskey into this fest from now on and buying a mixer of ginger ale in the festival Instead of spending $7 for a shot!
Random tidbit about security: previous years were pretty slack with searches often allowing to sneak in some classy Rich & Rare in water bottles etc. But this year, I think I saw the ultimate holy efff moment of security slackness. obe of my neighbors who I went in with brought a backpack and had put a low dosage pill of Molly in a Altoids container in one pocket of the bag.This security guard went through the entire bag like they were hankering to find something; found the Altoids container, opened it, and saw the pill. they then asked my neighbor if it was Ecstasy or Molly. My neighbor told them Molly, and then they asked him if it was a gram. He said "Oh no! It's only like .2." The security closed the Altoids box, put it back in the bag, and said "I'm not trying to ruin anyone's day, just be safe." My neighbor was literally shaking after this once we were in. He was very responsible with his drugs and knew the proper dosages, but holy eff was that not the craziest thing to be behind going in. It just really blew our mind for the next 30 minutes how determined security was to search the bag and then to let my neighbor go with the drugs after all the effort. I mean it could have gotten bad. But yeah, knowing that, I am without a doubt just bringing my own whiskey into this fest from now on and buying a mixer of ginger ale in the festival Instead of spending $7 for a shot!
We just tossed a flask in a rain boot. Easy as pie.
Post by Swedish Chef on Jun 24, 2015 8:16:19 GMT -5
The security folks I dealt with were huge sticklers. On Thursday, they tried to confiscate my KIND bars, and it took me several minutes to convince them that having celiac gives me limited options for purchasing food in the festival. They clearly didn't want to make concessions for people with dietary restrictions - only people who were diabetic. On Friday, I didn't want to bother going through another 5-minute ordeal arguing over my KIND bars, so I hid one in my first aid kit (which wasn't checked the first day). Security actually forced me to open the first aid kit, and when they saw the KIND bar and demanded I get rid of it, I was so pissed that I just defiantly stood there and ate the damn thing right in front of them. They also tried to confiscate my frisbee (which technically isn't on the list of prohibited items), but one of the supervisors let it slide. On Saturday, they actually did confiscate my frisbee. Additionally, my wristband wasn't scanning properly at the gates, and they informed me that I need to check out and come back in again. At that point, I kind of lost it because I was getting so sick of the bullshit asinine rules that this festival tries to impose on you. That was one of the moments when I nearly convinced myself I would never come back.
I was wondering- with all the complaints there've been about water stations (2 years worth, in fact), does anyone think RedFrog will address them via social media? Can't imagine they or this MikeG character haven't seen them...
I was wondering- with all the complaints there've been about water stations (2 years worth, in fact), does anyone think RedFrog will address them via social media? Can't imagine they or this MikeG character haven't seen them...
I informed them in their survey that many parts of the weekend resembled the plot from Mad Max, and that the situation would factor into my decision between Firefly and GovBall next year, which is true.
I was wondering- with all the complaints there've been about water stations (2 years worth, in fact), does anyone think RedFrog will address them via social media? Can't imagine they or this MikeG character haven't seen them...
I informed them in their survey that many parts of the weekend resembled the plot from Mad Max, and that the situation would factor into my decision between Firefly and GovBall next year, which is true.
I bitched hardcore about the water station. The fact I was waiting in line next to the pavilion stage for water and "missing" (not experiencing the sets but I heard them) Odesza and Alison Wonderland because I'm waiting for water so I don't collapse while dancing was super disappointing.
I was wondering- with all the complaints there've been about water stations (2 years worth, in fact), does anyone think RedFrog will address them via social media? Can't imagine they or this MikeG character haven't seen them...
I informed them in their survey that many parts of the weekend resembled the plot from Mad Max, and that the situation would factor into my decision between Firefly and GovBall next year, which is true.
Lol; wonder if they'll allow mother's milk through the gates...
Anyways, I scoured the FireFly Facebook page and MikeG replied to one of the comments re: the water situation:
"There was free water at the refill stations, but yes the organizers are absolutely aware of the lines and are working to have sufficient free water."
Considering the amount of unhappy comments/ complaints, that's not exactly the formal apology I was expecting to see, nor does it address the issue with a concrete answer (eg. "There will be 6 water stations next year... because we care about you not dying at our fest.")
On the plus side, this whole debacle makes my 2016 fest decisions much easier (the longest I've ever waited for water at Coachella, 'Roo or Osheaga was about 10 minutes lol).
They also tried to confiscate my frisbee (which technically isn't on the list of prohibited items), but one of the supervisors let it slide. On Saturday, they actually did confiscate my frisbee. Additionally, my wristband wasn't scanning properly at the gates, and they informed me that I need to check out and come back in again. At that point, I kind of lost it because I was getting so sick of the bullshit asinine rules that this festival tries to impose on you. That was one of the moments when I nearly convinced myself I would never come back.
Yeah they did that with my friends frisbee too and he had like a really nice light up one! I was so annoyed. They said that it be there for him to retrieve and he went back and they didn't have it.
Post by Jeremy Jamm on Jun 24, 2015 11:49:12 GMT -5
The water situation last year is why I went VIP this year. Of course, at various times even in VIP they ran out of the free bottled water. Anyway, I think I may try something else next year (Hangout maybe?). After two straight years I think I am Firefly'ed out. It was an eventful weekend, lots of good stuff and certainly some frustrating stuff. They made me dump out my water going into the festival about half the time, even though it was literally the same security people at the gate that remembered me every single time (VIP no lines ). They kept saying "You get free water in VIP", I'm like yea.... that really shouldn't matter. I was on the rail for Tov Lo and saw at least 3 people near me pass out and get taken off by the security. I will also say, this year the bro culture was much more apparent than last year. The 15-20 year olds made their mark this time around (in a bad way, if that wasn't obvious). It never impacted me personally, but I heard many stories. The one group near me in camping were raving in the rain through the entire storm on Saturday night. They were crazy. They also played this "game" where everyone screams and someone bashes a beer against his head until it breaks. WTF? Apparently someone in 1805 lit a couch on fire Sunday night. I was already gone by that point, but these kids will never learn
I had to miss most of Paul because my idiot friend was passed out and I had to take him back. But every show I caught was great. Well, except Chiddy Bang. HOLY FUCK was that terrible. You could hear a pencil drop the crowd was so not into it. He kept screaming CHIDDDY BANNNG wanting the crowd to respond and they... did not. I hope someone was able to catch the Wind and the Wave Saturday at the forest stage. They were great, and stopped after the show to talk and take pictures with the crowd. One of my favorite moments of the weekend. Zedd's show was mind blowing. We were all the way at the back and I swear all 90,000 people were at his show. The Chainsmokers really impressed closing out Sunday night in the pavilion. They delivered just like they said they would. Also Tycho on Thursday... big surprise there for me. Very good show.
I still feel bad for everyone waiting in line for water. FUCK that. I saw those lines and just had to shake my head. How RedFrog can have such a blatant health risk go on like that is unreal.
The mud problem I think was overrated. They did the best they could, especially on Sunday. The food was meh, although I had a killer jalapeño grilled cheese in VIP.
Oh and how can I forget WHAT THE FUCK happened to the shuttle service? It literally didn't even run for an entire day (I think Friday?). I saw hundreds of people lined up at all hours of the day. They had two shuttles that could hold 20 people going around, and like I said not even all the time. Hello? There's 90,000 people at this place. That was a joke. If you are one of the poor souls that had to get from north camping to south camping or vice versa (when the festival was closed), I feel for you. I had to do the walk with coolers. I think I calculated it and it was a 2.6 mile walk. Actually, I think that was the actual walk I did when I still got a ride over the bridge. So in reality it was probably close to a 4 mile walk.
I'm a little confused about everyone saying the sound quality was amazing across all stages (besides some lawn stage issues left speaker cutting out).
I had a terrible experience with the sound at the Main Stage for pretty much every show I attended there (including Paul). We were pretty far back and a little to the right and there was definitely a phasing issue or a speaker cutting out on and off or getting completely broken. Couldn't hear Paul speak _at_all_ and the mix was really bad from back where we were. Same with cold war kids. My group preferred to chill back there than move up, but damn I am so sad that my (most likely) only ever chance to see Paul got effed up by redfrog's sound issues. Additionally, they were soundchecking the pavilion during McCartney's set so anyone on the right sight could hear high level synthetic bass kicks for half the set.
Other than that rant:
EOTS was surprisingly INCREDIBLE (I ended the fest on that and what an end it was) Sturgill was good, but his sound was quite a bit different than his new record. Borns was great, I didn't know him/them, but I am a fan now. Sylvan Esso - fun as hell Jungle - great Zedd - perfect for a group of friends to just bounce around Bad Suns - did not like this at all at all. Dudes voice is no good to me. Matt & Kim - can't stand how fake it all was. I really disliked it :/
Tripping during the evacuation with the lightning chained across the sky was exhilarating. Walked across the bridge with this absolutely giant man screaming thunder chants and stomping/lumbering as my group linked arms and just pretended to be in Mario World.
The water situation last year is why I went VIP this year.
......
I still feel bad for everyone waiting in line for water. FUCK that. I saw those lines and just had to shake my head. How RedFrog can have such a blatant health risk go on like that is unreal.
I'm a little confused about everyone saying the sound quality was amazing across all stages (besides some lawn stage issues left speaker cutting out).
I had a terrible experience with the sound at the Main Stage for pretty much every show I attended there (including Paul). We were pretty far back and a little to the right and there was definitely a phasing issue or a speaker cutting out on and off or getting completely broken. Couldn't hear Paul speak _at_all_ and the mix was really bad from back where we were. Same with cold war kids. My group preferred to chill back there than move up, but damn I am so sad that my (most likely) only ever chance to see Paul got effed up by redfrog's sound issues. Additionally, they were soundchecking the pavilion during McCartney's set so anyone on the right sight could hear high level synthetic bass kicks for half the set.
Other than that rant:
EOTS was surprisingly INCREDIBLE (I ended the fest on that and what an end it was) Sturgill was good, but his sound was quite a bit different than his new record. Borns was great, I didn't know him/them, but I am a fan now. Sylvan Esso - fun as hell Jungle - great Zedd - perfect for a group of friends to just bounce around Bad Suns - did not like this at all at all. Dudes voice is no good to me. Matt & Kim - can't stand how fake it all was. I really disliked it :/
Tripping during the evacuation with the lightning chained across the sky was exhilarating. Walked across the bridge with this absolutely giant man screaming thunder chants and stomping/lumbering as my group linked arms and just pretended to be in Mario World.
All in all - tired as hell.
I'm with you on the sound. Where I was standing was perfect for Paul but it seemed like any stage we were at was terrible if you were past the second set of speakers. The shows that had good sound were only the ones I was close for, other than RTJ who ironically had some sound issues two of the four times I had seen them before. There are a lot of issues this festival has but they are all correctable. They overstretched their bounds this year and it was blatantly evident. I have faith this thing will get it's shit together slowly but surely now that it's partnered with experienced promoters and organizers. This year was botched in all the worst ways.
But every show I caught was great. Well, except Chiddy Bang. HOLY FUCK was that terrible. You could hear a pencil drop the crowd was so not into it. He kept screaming CHIDDDY BANNNG wanting the crowd to respond and they... did not. I hope someone was able to catch the Wind and the Wave Saturday at the forest stage. They were great, and stopped after the show to talk and take pictures with the crowd. One of my favorite moments of the weekend. Zedd's show was mind blowing. We were all the way at the back and I swear all 90,000 people were at his show. The Chainsmokers really impressed closing out Sunday night in the pavilion. They delivered just like they said they would. Also Tycho on Thursday... big surprise there for me. Very good show.
The mud problem I think was overrated. They did the best they could, especially on Sunday. The food was meh, although I had a killer jalapeño grilled cheese in VIP.
Why anyone went to Chiddy Bang while Glass Animals was fucking killing it over at the Forest Stage is beyond me... You guys should've left when you realized Chiddy was shitty and come over for GA!
And yeah, I stopped by for part of Wind and the Wave, sat on the grass and enjoyed what I heard from them a lot. Needed that break after jumping around at Spoon for an hour.
I just didn't have the energy for Zedd by the time it was 12:30 on Friday night, though I'm sure it was lots of fun for people who were pepped up and ready for a dance party. We sat in the lawn for a bit and then moseyed over to How to Dress Well, which had about 55 people at it but was really lovely and relaxing. That was a great way to wrap up Friday night.
The mud problem was WAY overblown. I had some boots on and had no problem whatsoever. Sure, some slipping around, but I never fell. And by way of the mud and rain, it wasn't dusty. I didn't mind the mud at all and reallllllly enjoyed dancing in the puddles; Farrisbueller can testify to this fact haha. Tycho was the best puddle-dancing set of the weekend.
I'm pretty busy at work today but still plan to soon post a more full review of the acts I caught.
Considering you've found the need to respond to my threads as if you are threatened by me I offer you some peace my confused counterpart. May you find peace in your restless soul.
I'm a little confused about everyone saying the sound quality was amazing across all stages (besides some lawn stage issues left speaker cutting out).
I had a terrible experience with the sound at the Main Stage for pretty much every show I attended there (including Paul). We were pretty far back and a little to the right and there was definitely a phasing issue or a speaker cutting out on and off or getting completely broken. Couldn't hear Paul speak _at_all_ and the mix was really bad from back where we were. Same with cold war kids. My group preferred to chill back there than move up, but damn I am so sad that my (most likely) only ever chance to see Paul got effed up by redfrog's sound issues. Additionally, they were soundchecking the pavilion during McCartney's set so anyone on the right sight could hear high level synthetic bass kicks for half the set.
Other than that rant:
EOTS was surprisingly INCREDIBLE (I ended the fest on that and what an end it was) Sturgill was good, but his sound was quite a bit different than his new record. Borns was great, I didn't know him/them, but I am a fan now. Sylvan Esso - fun as hell Jungle - great Zedd - perfect for a group of friends to just bounce around Bad Suns - did not like this at all at all. Dudes voice is no good to me. Matt & Kim - can't stand how fake it all was. I really disliked it :/
Tripping during the evacuation with the lightning chained across the sky was exhilarating. Walked across the bridge with this absolutely giant man screaming thunder chants and stomping/lumbering as my group linked arms and just pretended to be in Mario World.
All in all - tired as hell.
I definitely noticed the phasing issue at the main stage that you're talking about. It still sounded pretty good to me regardless, but the treble, especially on the vocals, seemed to fade in and out a bit.
I know I don't post on here much but I've been to all four Fireflies and I think it's safe to say this was my last year. The music has been amazing, and this year was no different. But Redfrog has messed up everything besides the music. From the botched lineup release to the botched schedule release, the unfulfilled promise of more water stations to the last-minute schedule changes that I wasn't aware of, everything has built up and added to my dissatisfaction. The final salt in the wound was the fact that the presale tix (which I have bought the last two years) have increased $50 from previous years. It's been a great 4 years, but it's been enough. Hoping to make the trip to either Bonnaroo or GovBall next year instead.
Whoever had the "Ross" sign you definitely have my vote for totem of the festival. My friends and I thought that was hilarious
Hahaha my group thread has multiple texts in it delineating where we were in relation to the ROSS sign. It was a good and easy one to spot. Same with the armless baby half body thing. I thought the bananas were helpful too until I realized there were multiple bananas floating around. Which thus caused some banana confusion.
Considering you've found the need to respond to my threads as if you are threatened by me I offer you some peace my confused counterpart. May you find peace in your restless soul.
Whoever had the "Ross" sign you definitely have my vote for totem of the festival. My friends and I thought that was hilarious
Hahaha my group thread has multiple texts in it delineating where we were in relation to the ROSS sign. It was a good and easy one to spot. Same with the armless baby half body thing. I thought the bananas were helpful too until I realized there were multiple bananas floating around. Which thus caused some banana confusion.
Haha my friends and I just kept pretending that whenever the sign was lit up it meant Ross was missing. The armless baby was creepy as hell but still hilarious. Loved the "My Leg" guy from Spongebob and that the Full House crew added Joey this year
8. Bear Hands (Treehouse set): This was more about the great venue than the performance. However, I really enjoyed my time at this set. "Giants" is a great tune. 7. Citizen Cope: I was pretty exhausted from the weekend at this point due to the walking, dancing, drinking, stressing over the KOL cancellation, etc. Citizen Cope's set was a great chill break helping me reset for the best "bang, bang, bang" of the fest (EOTS-Killers-Chainsmokers). Sidenote- Snoop starting over the end of Citizen Cope's set was fucked up. I watched Snoop's beginning and I get it was good, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. 6. Spoon: They were great, but I secretly wanted them to be a little better. I hear they were missing instruments. All in all, I still had a great time. Daniel's voice is otherworldly. 5. Zedd: This was unexpected for me. Paul wasn't all I hoped, and Zedd just murdered it after that letdown. The group participation on the glow stick throw was pretty cool. 4. Chainsmokers: I started dancing and didn't stop until I was back at the campsite. Really fun set to end the fest. 3. Modest Mouse: "Dramamine" sold me on this set. I love all their stuff and Brock just hit it out of the park. 2. The Killers: I almost left after EOTS, but my friends convinced me to stay. I used to love The Killers, but didn't really care about them anymore and wasn't feeling the need to see them. Damn, I was wrong. Them covering "The Bucket" was a classic moment for me. I had a great time. 1. Empire of the Sun: I missed "We are the People" due to Snoop. I thought I'd miss too much. I didn't. The minute I got to the stage I was nonstop dancing. Their stage show is weird, fun, and engaging. I had the most fun of the whole fest during this set.
End notes: Food sucks, evacuation sucked, water situation sucks (I stopped bringing my bladder pack in). Don't know if I'd do it again, but there was some great music.
I informed them in their survey that many parts of the weekend resembled the plot from Mad Max, and that the situation would factor into my decision between Firefly and GovBall next year, which is true.
Lol; wonder if they'll allow mother's milk through the gates...
Anyways, I scoured the FireFly Facebook page and MikeG replied to one of the comments re: the water situation:
"There was free water at the refill stations, but yes the organizers are absolutely aware of the lines and are working to have sufficient free water."
Considering the amount of unhappy comments/ complaints, that's not exactly the formal apology I was expecting to see, nor does it address the issue with a concrete answer (eg. "There will be 6 water stations next year... because we care about you not dying at our fest.")
On the plus side, this whole debacle makes my 2016 fest decisions much easier (the longest I've ever waited for water at Coachella, 'Roo or Osheaga was about 10 minutes lol).
Just an FYI, any statement I make shouldn't really be considered the "official" statement, but I'm happy to address the question based on what I know, if you guys want....
WATER LINES - Yep, they sucked. Back in 2012, I can remember never having to wait one time for a water refill and I'm completely aware that it's gotten progressively worse since then. The festival has grown and they did not calculate the demand properly. Is it any more simple than that? I know there remains the normal conspiracy theory that it is in an effort to sell more bottled water, but it's just not true. The truth ain't always as sexy as a nice juicy conspiracy theory, but that's what it is.
SHUTTLE SERVICE - Hate to sound like a broken record, but this being the first year of it, the logistics just were not figured out fully.
MUD - This is the big one. No one wants to believe that the rain and mud had an impact on their festival experience and that all the other mishaps this year had nothing to do with the mud, but they absolutely did. I don't make excuses, but speaking from a logistics view, dealing with the mud from Wednesday's rain and then with the evacuation on Saturday ABSOLUTELY affected how well operations could deliver on their tasks. Cleanup all night long on Thurs night took away valuable resources that impacted other areas of operations for the rest of the weekend.
The festival has more than tripled in four years. These growth years are necessary to achieve just the right "formula" for consistency. Maintaining that consistency during those years is very difficult, but we're trying. No one at Firefly or Red Frog is sweeping anything under the rug, but they are definitely focusing on the future. You guys are lucky and unlucky at the same time to be seeing this process.
That said, I'm glad I got a chance to meet a whole mess of people this year and I'm here if you need anything.
Lol; wonder if they'll allow mother's milk through the gates...
Anyways, I scoured the FireFly Facebook page and MikeG replied to one of the comments re: the water situation:
"There was free water at the refill stations, but yes the organizers are absolutely aware of the lines and are working to have sufficient free water."
Considering the amount of unhappy comments/ complaints, that's not exactly the formal apology I was expecting to see, nor does it address the issue with a concrete answer (eg. "There will be 6 water stations next year... because we care about you not dying at our fest.")
On the plus side, this whole debacle makes my 2016 fest decisions much easier (the longest I've ever waited for water at Coachella, 'Roo or Osheaga was about 10 minutes lol).
WATER LINES - Yep, they sucked. Back in 2012, I can remember never having to wait one time for a water refill and I'm completely aware that it's gotten progressively worse since then. The festival has grown and they did not calculate the demand properly. Is it any more simple than that? I know there remains the normal conspiracy theory that it is in an effort to sell more bottled water, but it's just not true. The truth ain't always as sexy as a nice juicy conspiracy theory, but that's what it is.
This is a ridiculous answer. Water lines were complained about at length last year. The festival sold 10k more tickets this year and declined to add any water, making an already bad situation even worse. A small child could have predicted the problem, in fact tons of people DID predict it and pointed it out repeatedly to both yourself and RedFrog through both social media and direct emails. Firefly DECIDED to not provide enough free water at the festival, and they DECIDED to bar people from bringing in their own water (until the outcry grew to a fever pitch) and they DECIDED to sell bottles of water for $4 each. All of that showed a callous disregard for the safety of their attendees while in pursuit of a scummy profit model. Those are the facts.
lol). 
). They kept saying "You get free water in VIP", I'm like yea.... that really shouldn't matter. I was on the rail for Tov Lo and saw at least 3 people near me pass out and get taken off by the security. I will also say, this year the bro culture was much more apparent than last year. The 15-20 year olds made their mark this time around (in a bad way, if that wasn't obvious). It never impacted me personally, but I heard many stories. The one group near me in camping were raving in the rain through the entire storm on Saturday night. They were crazy. They also played this "game" where everyone screams and someone bashes a beer against his head until it breaks. WTF? Apparently someone in 1805 lit a couch on fire Sunday night. I was already gone by that point, but these kids will never learn 
