Did any of you ever go to Woodstock in 1999?

[HowitzerJoe]

The 50th anniversary of Woodstock is coming up, and there will be two events celebrating it this year. One in Watkins Glenn, New York, and the other at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York where the original 1969 Woodstock was held. This will be first Woodstock celebration since 1999, which if you remember at the time ended in disaster.

I was only 12 at the time, but I remember watching the coverage on MTV who were there exclusively, and soon had to depart because of the ensuing violence that put people in danger. It didn't take long for the festivities to get out of control due to what seemed to be a perfect storm of circumstances. From the start there was blistering heat, high prices on water and food, allegations of sexual assault/rape, unsuitable waste facilities, lack of hired security, fires, riots, and people that just went nutty. I'll never forget seeing a few people deciding to form like a "mud tribe", and throwing mud and/or feces at other people at the festival. Absolute lunacy. Also, a few of the associated acts at that time that in my opinion branded a "screw authority" vibe didn't help matters. Bands like Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine, and Kid Rock. Obviously I wasn't there, and maybe the media had a part in sensationalizing the entire affair afterward, but some of the things I did see was pretty crazy. From what I hear, a lot of people did have a great time though, and most of the acts put on great performances.

So, did any of you attend? Also, will you be going this year? I definitely don't think what happened back then would happen now. Like I stated previously it was just a perfect storm of circumstances with not only the event, but where American society was at the time.

I will say, that the reason why I made this post anyway, was because I recently watched that Fyre documentary on Netflix. The chaos that unfolded, Woodstock 1999 just popped back into my head.

[marvelmaniac6169]

My neighbor and friend who was 17 at the time went in 1969, actually had tickets.
I was 13 and wanted to go with him but Mom said NO!!!
Had to wait another two years to finally see my Guitar Hero Alvin Lee and Ten Years After in concert.

[MajorHoy]

Was alive for both of them but did not attend either one. I had friends who went to '99 (one of them grew up not too far away and her mother was still living in that area) as well as a co-worker who went with some of her friends in a separate group.
Off-hand, not aware of anybody I know going to the 50th.

[GOLGO 13]

2 of my bro in laws went with friends. They count it as one of their greatest mistakes in their lives! My wife says they were HURTING when they finally got home. I spoke to most of them afterwards & I can only describe their accounts as if they were thrown into a dystopian savage-land.

The only police they saw after the gate were situated near the tents where the performers/equipment/vendors has set up. The vast distance between the two main stages were described as demilitarized zones like WW2 Europe after the German Wehrmacht had already rolled through. Lots of people being carried out from heat exhaustion & there was little to no escape from the sun in the middle of the summer. Remember, that this disaster was held on a former military Air base. So imagine an airport type of construction of runways, tons of concrete & few buildings spread out here & there. No access to water/facilities at a major festival with way over 100k people was a humongous problem.

Toward the end it turned into a Lord of the Flies type of riot with fires breaking out. What a colossally POS Woodstock 99 turned out to be. I would not step foot into any Woodstock type event even with free tickets/air conditioned tent & a Britney Spears circa '99 sitting on my face.

[seismic-2]

I'm old, and I gave serious consideration to attending the original Woodstock festival in 1969. I kept hearing it promoted on the radio, and I was a fan of most of the bands, so I nearly broke down and bought a ticket. I finally decided I needed to keep working that August, though, so I stayed home. In retrospect, I'm glad I did. After seeing the movie, I realized that the music was great (as I knew it would be), but there was no way I could have coped with that massive throng of people in the muddy field.

[MajorHoy]

Looks like Woodstock 2019 may (or may not?) be cancelled?

There was this from Billboard:

Woodstock Organizers Cancel 50th Anniversary Festival
Woodstock 50 has been cancelled. Earlier today officials with Dentsu Aegis Network, which is funding the festival, released the following statement to Billboard:
“It’s a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival. But despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees."
The statement goes on, "As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival. As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”

You can read the rest of that article here: https://www.billboard.com/articles/n...ival-cancelled

HOWEVER, there's also this:

Woodstock co-founder maintains 50th anniversary festival hasn’t been canceled
Michael Lang says his financial backer [does] not have the right to unilaterally cancel the festival"
by Alex Young - on April 29, 2019, 4:47pm

Earlier today brought news of Woodstock 50’s cancelation. A statement attributed to Dentsu Aegis Network, the primary investor behind the festival, said, “we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees.”
Now, though, Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang is pushing back. In a statement given to the New York Times, Lang said Dentsu Aegis Network “[does] not have the right to unilaterally cancel the festival.” He added that Dentsu’s announcement caught him by surprise.
Meanwhile, the Poughkeepsie Journal quoted an unnamed festival spokesperson, who stated: “Woodstock 50 vehemently denies the festival’s cancellation and legal remedy will (be) sought.”

You can read the rest of that one here: https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/...-not-canceled/

[GOLGO 13]

Looks like Woodstock 2019 may (or may not?) be cancelled?

There was this from Billboard:You can read the rest of that article here: https://www.billboard.com/articles/n...ival-cancelled

HOWEVER, there's also this:You can read the rest of that one here: https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/...-not-canceled/

What a disaster this thing has devolved into LOL! This is hilariously bad from top to bottom. The line-up of performers are very underwhelming. So a ticket was going to $400+ & that you couldn't get a ticket for a single day, is that right?

Also hearing that performers wanted their money upfront before performing--LULZ!