Festival Fall-Out
Phil Simon
2002-08-24
Here we are in the midst of summer, and the festival season is in full swing. From Bonnaroo to High Sierra, Harvest Festivals and Summer Splashes are popping up all over the country, ranging in attendance and enthusiasm from the pits of despair to a rainbow filled sky. What separates the next Woodstock from an over-grown pool party? What differentiates an event which is the place to be for the whole year from some lonely campground that is more crowded in the winter than for this festival? Well, if I had the answer for those questions with true accuracy, I would be rolling in dough and the envy of the industry. Together, though, we can look at some events that have taken place over the last decade, and see if we can figure out some patterns and currents that are defining the success and failure of festivals around the country, and maybe talk a little bit about the state of festivals nationwide. The most abject failure of a festival that I have ever heard about may only be a legend, a myth about an apocalyptic festival that descended into the depths of the earth itself. It was the early 1990’s and I was traveling through Idaho frequently with a band called International Anthem. They played a few shows in Moscow ID and everyone was talking about a festival called GreenStock. Dozens of bands, and a growing attendance that had blossomed over the last few years gave this event a lot of potential. I tried to get the band in on it, but we were “outsiders” and I could never get through to the promoter, a bit of luck that I thank to this day. Because the event had been growing so much over the previous few years, the promoter needed to find new land to use. He chose a farm on the edge of town and began the process of gaining permit. Locals familiar with the condition of the land objected, claiming that there was not proper drainage. Somehow he managed to push the event through the proper channels and the it went on as planned in the new location. As it was Spring in the West, there was a plethora of rain in the weeks approaching the event’s date. Nevertheless, thousands of fans showed up in every manner of vehicle. As the pouring rain continued throughout the weekend, the festival site became a giant mud pit. The earth itself opened and began to slowly suck cars into the muck, and because the parking had been mismanaged, no one could get their cars moved and out of the impending doom. The stage was swallowed, and was replaced by a school bus, which eventually submerged so seriously into the mud that its roof became level with the ground. Wreckers and tow trucks from throughout the state showed up and began charging astronomical figures to get cars safely out of the mirk. And in the midst of the fallout, the search for the promoter began. Unable to take the heat, he had fled and did not stay to be held responsible. Much of the above scenario is hear-say, and I was not able to interview any of the participants or the promoter to find out if it was true. Either way, whether fact or fiction, the above example shows us a valuable rule we should take away. “The Locals understand the land and conditions better than anyone, and promoters would be wise to follow their lead in terms of deeming particular sites acceptable for mass gatherings.” This year’s AllGood Festival, as run by Walther Productions, ran into similar drainage problems, but being the first class promoter that he is, Tim Walther controlled the damage. Much of the festival’s potential profit was eaten when the production company helped to pay for the wreckers and tow trucks to get customer vehicles free. Tim understands the importance of taking care of his customers, and understands that festival attendees may end up with larger than usual problems because they are actually living within the confines of the concert over a weekend. This last weekend there was supposed to be a festival in Duanesburg, NY called the Spot Rock Festival. It was supposed to unite bands and artists from diverse backgrounds to expand the concepts of creativity and expression. Artists on the festival were to include Snake Oil Medicine Show, ulu, Psychedelic Breakfast and more. These bands were all surprised when the phone call came two weeks ago that the promoters had lost the land where the festival was to be held and the event was to be cancelled. In talking to the promoters, Tilted Caps Productions of New York City, it was ascertained that the proper contracts had never been exchanged with the owners of the land. The promoters had no recourse when the land owner decided that they felt that they no longer wanted to host the festival that had already been promoted for months. The promoter sacrificed their deposits, and bands lost the potential moneys that they were to earn that weekend and most of the bands hadn’t the time necessary to find other shows to play. How can all of this happen? “Failure to get proper permitting and land use contracts results in a festival without a venue.” Though I have never considered doing so in the past, I am beginning to consider asking for copies of permits and land use contracts before confirming festival appearances for bands with promoters that are not proven with numerous successful events. A similar fate was felt that very same weekend when the festival that was to be held at the airport outside of Northampton, MA was cancelled because local authorities falsely believed that five thousand people were going to attend. (Why they thought this, no one can be sure.) Last year, the festival planned for the parking lot of the club Cripple Creek in Clinton NY met the same fate when local authorities feared huge crowds for no reason. Even Berkfest experienced problems a few years back when authorities were turning ticket holders away on the approach to the festival because of overcrowding. How could have all of this been avoided? “If you are to have a festival big or small, have the respect to meet with the local authorities and let them know of your plans. Explain to them your mission with the festival, the reasons you believe you will get particular projected attendance, and what efforts you have made to control those levels of crowds.” If you have shown that you have a plan, and a contingency plan if things go wrong, then you will have earned the respect and flexibility of the local authorities. And if you haven’t earned that respect and cooperation through those meetings, you will at least know who is going to help you and who isn’t among the local authorities. Finally, there seems to have been a rash of under-attended festivals in the last 12 months. Starting with the tragedies of September 11th, festivals began to experience severely dwindling attendance. Increased competition, a weakened economy, and elevated gas prices all contributed to the weakening of festival attendance recently. This was felt at the Woodward Music Festival in Pennsylvania, which had been growing in year’s past but had paltry attendance last summer. The terrorist attacks had discouraged people from traveling in late September of last year. Two weeks ago, the second event promoted by Milky Way Productions, the Echo Lake Summersplash, saw attendance drop by 80% from their previous show. Perhaps the proximity to a highly promoted Berkfest was the cause of that event’s failure. And the Ourfest in central Pennsylvania also saw paltry numbers last weekend despite a stellar lineup. Perhaps the movement of the festival’s proposed site on multiple occasions eroded the potential for customers. Festivals are further complicated and disastrous when vendors, land owners, and performers are denied the payments that were promised during the planning stages of the events. Many new promoters have hope beyond belief that the people will come with the money, and that all of their bills will be paid as the money walks through the door. When that money does not come, many a conversation happens in an empty field beginning with “We’ve got to talk.” The #1 rule that we should get out of our examination of festival promotion is this: “Do Not Spend Money You Do Not Have. If You Do Not Have Financial Backing You Do Not Have a Festival- You Have an Elaborate Fantasy.” How do bands that travel on the road get past this? How do you combat promoters that you have not met in territories that you might not be familiar? The best way to feel comfortable about payment is to deal with proven and trusted festival promoters- High Sierra Music, Walther Productions, Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, Bumbershoot, the Oregon Country Fair, Milwaukee Summerfest, or any one of literally hundreds of festival promoters across the country who have proven financial records. But, these events are very difficult to break into. So how do you insure payments for musicians when you can’t get into business relations with promoters with proven track records? The only thing that I have found that comes even close to security is to ask for significant deposit schedules. Demand deposit percentages to increase as the event date approaches, and you will know in advance whether or not your promoters have the financial backing necessary. If they can not deliver a deposit eight weeks ahead of time, they will not be able to deliver moneys when a festival does not succeed financially. Securing a deposit does not insure you final payment of the fully guaranteed amount, but it may cover some of your expenses if a festival is cancelled or gate receipts are slow. The vast majority of summer festivals are great fun. There are few things in this country that are as fun as an all weekend affair with fun in the sun, friends and family surrounding, music flowing, and inspiration in the air. It is one of the key elements that drives this particular music scene, and seemingly everyone wants a part of it. But festivals are complicated and difficult events to plan and execute. Bands can receive a lot of benefit and promotion from being involved with the right festivals, but each particular event holds its own pitfalls and challenges. Let the band beware, and tread carefully, so that in the end you have your gear, your sanity, and your money. Before embarking on a festival promotion experience yourself, please remember that the festivals that everyone enjoys took years to produce and come together. Gathering of the Vibes has been an event for decades. Camp Creek is approaching its twentieth year. Do not assume that you and your friends can build Rome in a day. Take the time to develop your skills, your network, and your financial base to sufficiently execute a large scale event. And have the fortitude to pay your bills if in the end things do not go as planned. The very fabric that keeps this whole scene together is honesty and mutual reliance, and if we can not depend on each other to keep this scene safe and successful, then we have no chance in this free for all capitalist society.
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