What is it with festivals in the US?

[demolition23]

Maybe this isn’t an accurate perception, but it seems to me that every year there’s a string of stories about American festivals that wind up being debacles.

From fly by night promoters who are either scam artists or well-meaning incompetents, to oversold and undersold shows, to horrible locations and limited planning around seasonal weather patterns, there always seems to be a string of high profile shit-shows.

By comparison, the European festival season always seems to go off pretty smoothly, barring the mud at Glastonbury.

What’s the deal?

[Bono Nettencourt]

Yeah, all you guys do is throw beer bottles full of piss at the talent... y'know, basic tomfoolery.

[demolition23]

Yeah, all you guys do is throw beer bottles full of piss at the talent... y'know, basic tomfoolery.

I’m not British, or from Europe. And the throwing shit is definitely lame, but the festivals it happens at still tend to run fairly smoothly.

[ParaDime77]

A lot of band’s feature broke or nearly broke members who are easy marks for shady promoters to take advantage of.

[Spongie]

The lion’s share of the organizers’ priority and focus is spent acquiring and advertising the biggest bands possible, to drive revenue.

A distant afterthought is the quality and safety of the actual festival experience.

[TheCULTofMANSON]

Great question

[TheCULTofMANSON]

The lion’s share of the organizers’ priority and focus is spent acquiring and advertising the biggest bands possible, to drive revenue.

A distant afterthought is the quality and safety of the actual festival experience.

This

[alexleehooker]

Maybe this isn’t an accurate perception, but it seems to me that every year there’s a string of stories about American festivals that wind up being debacles.

From fly by night promoters who are either scam artists or well-meaning incompetents, to oversold and undersold shows, to horrible locations and limited planning around seasonal weather patterns, there always seems to be a string of high profile shit-shows.

By comparison, the European festival season always seems to go off pretty smoothly, barring the mud at Glastonbury.

What’s the deal?

Because the USA is still a relatively new and unregulated economy , and if you look at its history it’s been built on snake oil sales and money churches.

[jens]

All big European festivals are organised by huge promotors ala Live Nation.

Those festivals in the US that go tits up all seem to have over-ambitious individuals who are in way over their heads. No organic growth, but attempting something way too expensive without any experience nor business plan.

[Black Stuff]

The lion’s share of the organizers’ priority and focus is spent acquiring and advertising the biggest bands possible, to drive revenue.

A distant afterthought is the quality and safety of the actual festival experience.

exactly!!!

[Mister Freeze]

Not sure what you're talking about. The U.S. has a history of successful, trouble-free music festivals, dating back to Woodstock and Altamont.

[TheCULTofMANSON]

Not sure what you're talking about. The U.S. has a history of successful, trouble-free music festivals, dating back to Woodstock and Altamont.

Fake news. What rock are u living under