Are you suffering festival fatigue?

[PaulX]

I hadn't spotted this Guardian article before, but it says pretty much what we've been saying for the past six months or so about the state of the UK festivals market:

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/ ... tigue.html

The Glastonbury festival has led a charmed existence in the last 15 years or so - adored by nearly all, afforded limitless media coverage and spared any criticism whatsoever. Until last year, that is, when more rain than usual and a lineup of "mortgage-rockers" caused something to snap. Festival-goers came home complaining that it just wasn't what it used to be, a member of the Cribs grumbled, "Mainstream indie will kill us all" during their set on the Other Stage and even Michael Eavis conceded that things had got a bit stale.

Nine months later - well, last summer's discontent hasn't turned into a full-scale uprising, but Glasto does seem to be in danger of losing its special relationship with Joe Punter. Discussing it on his Xfm breakfast show yesterday, Alex Zane dismissed this year's headliners (Jay-Z, Kings of Leon and the Verve) as "pants" and the ticket-registration process "inconvenient" (by contrast, he thinks Reading will be "brilliant" because Rage Against the Machine are playing). If you type "Glastonbury backlash" into Google, you'll find plenty of carping about Eavis booking Jay-Z. (He can't win - having picked the rapper in response to complaints that last year's Pyramid headliners, Arctic Monkeys, Killers and the Who, were too predictable, now he's accused of "ruining" the festival by being too out-there.) The eFestivals forum has even voted this year's headliners the second worst in the last 10 years (worst was Coldplay/Stereophonics/Rod Stewart in 2002, which does sound like a threesome you'd do quite a lot to avoid).

But it's not just Glastonbury that's getting stick. In the last couple of days, the papers have run stories about general "festival fatigue," which they say is afflicting people who previously planned whole summers around the holy trinity of tent/bands/rain. There are too many, they're too expensive and the Verve will be at all of them, so fatigued fest-heads are opting for cute boutique events, or even to stay home. (I know one person, though, who won't hear a word of it: my housemate, who's planning his usual round of Glasto/Womad/Cambridge Folk because they let him live out his fantasy of being a crazy hipster among people who don't know that in real life, he's a computer jockey at HM Customs and Excise - and there must be thousands like him, who don't go to festivals for the music but for the chance to be somebody else for a weekend.)

I think this is reflected in the slower than usual ticket sales for most of the niche events including Sunrise and Glade. I know the likes of TitP still sold out in minutes but that's the 'cattle market', it's the ones that purport to be 'alternative' that are suffering.

Anyone still doing half a dozen festivals or more this year?

[pesh]

yup, i'm still doing quite a few and i think the 'festival fatigue' that is being felt has far more to do knee deep mud than Jay Z or shit indie bands. making festival tickets a bit cheaper would definately help thou.

[Twist]

I'd do more if I could afford it, but I'm skint. I'd love to if I could though.

btw what are 'mortgage rockers?' The generic crappy rock/indie bands that are everywhere?

[megadaisy]

I'm not doing any this year but I think its more to do with age than the lineup. Anyway who ever really gave a stuff about the lineup - i always read the lineup on a festival flyer as "some bands" anyway.

I think the weather is a major factor though.

[mayer]

I think it's more of a cyclical up'n'down thing then the "festival fatigue" thing the media seems to be pushing quite heavily this year. In the past decade the number of people going to festivals (and gigs) has spiralled upwards. For even middling guitar acts you have to piss about booking tickets first thing half the time. I think that'll calm down a little bit as other pop music takes back its place in the centre stage, just like it does after every trend.

The weather's had an impact too (together with cost), and people are increasingly travelling to the continent aided by cheap flights, which also widens the pool with the same number of swimmers. Some sunny years and an economic upturn could change that though.

But I remember the mid-90s when Phoenix fell by the wayside (Ocean Colour Scene as a headliner), and it seemed like the talent was just spread too thin, but these things correct themselves after a few years, and the festival market tends to sort itself out. Some festivals will flop, others will reduce their capacity, and then it'll all go barmy again in ten years with sellouts all over the shop, new festivals and the rest.

I don't really think watered-down lineups is the main issue though. Glastonbury sold out last year with a line up that wasn't any better than this year's. Incidentally that eFestivals poll that got namechecked in that blog was mine, and I think the journo missed the real point that arose from it: That the 2008 headliners certainly aren't any worse than those of the past, despite all the whinging.

[leah]

i think things changed a bit when festival-going became an 'indie-lifestyle' statement (april/may Fact magazine had a good piece on this kind of thing... Topman-endorsed indie, kids. yay!) and it ended up with kate'n'pete at glasto in all the papers. like, it put the idea on the mental radar of people who, basically, aren't really that moved by music and aren't really up for trying out a different way of relating to other people. or something...

edit: and that puts off people who want life to be a little bit different. that was the point i meant to make

[PaulX]

i think things changed a bit when festival-going became an 'indie-lifestyle' statement (april/may Fact magazine had a good piece on this kind of thing... Topman-endorsed indie, kids. yay!) and it ended up with kate'n'pete at glasto in all the papers. like, it put the idea on the mental radar of people who, basically, aren't really that moved by music and aren't really up for trying out a different way of relating to other people. or something...

Innit. I'm glad that festies like Glastonbury aren't "fashionable" any more. That's what made me decide to get a Glasto ticket after all, despite vowing never again last year.

I don't really think watered-down lineups is the main issue though. Glastonbury sold out last year with a line up that wasn't any better than this year's. Incidentally that eFestivals poll that got namechecked in that blog was mine, and I think the journo missed the real point that arose from it: That the 2008 headliners certainly aren't any worse than those of the past, despite all the whinging.

Oh yes, so true. Rod Stewart! What were they thinking?

But back then, nobody gave a toss about headliners at Glastonbury, it was all about the randomness elsewhere. It's only once it became hyped up as a Radio One 'event' (grrrr) that there was this influx of people who were there for the headliners and because the likes of R1, MTV and the NME told them to think it was 'cool'.

[Slypsy]

I agree with the points made above but i also think that the spiraling in price, year on year, has also had an affect. The way it is increasing is totally unsustainable and it has now reached a level where people can spend the same on travel and a ticket to a continental festival as they would for a festival in england, or just not be able to afford to go to any festivals at all.

[Dr_Nitrogen]

I will never suffer festival fatigue, especially for Waveform, Sunrise and Glade, what happened at last year's Glade and this year's Sunrise only makes me more determined to have an even better time next time, I know its crazy but if the sdame happens at this year's Glade as did at last year's then I will believe that the illuminati are manipulating the weather to destroy all hippies lol, I think someone should make a giantic tarpaulin and raised walkways in case they get up to it again >:( ?!?!?

[k3str3l]

I know its crazy but if the sdame happens at this year's Glade as did at last year's then I will believe that the illuminati are manipulating the weather to destroy all hippies lol

You sound just like my mate, he reckons that the clouds had been sprayed by planes to make it rain, bloody nutters