It's been a while since we discussed how to behave at a show or fest. The topic usually gets pretty negative, so before you get to your mini-rant, please search for the good stuff. What is an example of GOOD behaviour that you have seen? What silliness did you once perpetuate? What is your advice (for vets) or question (for the uninitiated)? For me, I was at the Mishawaka, which is on the Poudre River. Really, right on it. the venue has rocks and what passes for beach in Colorado (small pebble sand). When a show is crowded it is really common for folks to boogie on the rocks. One brother fell (The general story was drunk, it could have been simple dizzy from spinning or disoriented) and was bleeding. A stranger dashed inside and got a paramedic. THe whole thing happened within two rows of teh front, and was handled quickly and unobtrusively. The guy was OK when I left, smiling and a little embarrassed, but really thankful for the help. What went right here: someone got help quickly without freaking out. The guy who fell wasn't hurt too badly (and these rocks can do some damage: I slipped during SCI's run in 98 and got a nasty should-have-been-stitched cut. Venue officials were chill. The Mish is up in a remote canyon and some employees frek when minor accidents happen. The crowd gave the responder room, lots of room, and the first ring of folks discouraged gawkers clotting up on the side. As for silliness I once perpetuated, I was early cheese lot scene 98-99. Some low-key lot vending is OK, but guage what the venue can take and be a little subtle. walk with a few items, not your haul. And NEVER bring it inside. I see inside as the band's opportunity to make the $$ that will pay for the next record, gas to the next show (they aren't paid personally each night. Many bands tour on charge accounts from the INC that the band formed or the Management co. I've seen many a tour manager handing out $20s after sound check so the band can find food before the show) My best advice for the new ones is: don't have assumptions. Every scene is organically different from its cousins, if you will. Cheese is not Phish, Phish was not Dead. Don't try to make the scene into something else; it is a community that will grow and adapt to its own needs. Also have a ticket 99.9 percent of the time. Miracles are out there, but don't ask for them, they are miracles: the entry into the sold-out show. I seek out people who were turned away at the box office. People who are not bitching as loudly as they can about "the yuppie who bought all the tix." This is long enough, so I'll save my mini-rant. Safe travels and happy dancing!
the best was when I was at Jerry's Birthday bash and my little girl kept goin "mom when are we gonna eat?" and a guy sitting by the campfire had made quesadillas and offerd us two and also gave us some fried green tomatoes. at bonnaroo some kids wanted to leave a day early, and expected me and my neighbor to move our whole campsites out of their way, they were verry rude in how they were asking us to do all of this, when my neighbor left the assholes came over and tryed to lift his car off the ground and move it without his permission, well, they failed at it, but it was un-called for! my advice... keep a positive attitude, smile, and make friends with everyone. if you have extra food share with others and one day when you need someting they will be more than happy to share with you. . . and for some of you who think it is a good idea to set up your tent under other peoples tarps while they are gone... ITS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!! . . respect other people and their space and you will be fine!!
I think one of the most important things to remember is to take care of yourself. Generally other people, even strangers, will be willing to help you out should the need arise, but you are your own responsibility. Know your limits and listen to your body. At any event, particularly outdoor ones, respect the venue. Put your trash in a trashcan, not on the ground. If there isn't a can in the immediate area, hold onto your shit until you find one. IMPORTANT: cigarette butts are trash, too! Pick up other people's trash, too. Grab a bag and collect all the trash you see as you are walking to wherever you are going. Every little bit helps.
i've been really fortunate when it comes to shows. i went to a moe. show a few weeks ago... whole place just sold out, i had gotten a few tickets but i gave them to my friends, and i had to be off finding my own ticket which seemed like it would be hard because people were offering up to 50 dollars for a ticket...crazy. but i was just walking around with my finger in the air (something i can be found doing form time to time) and with my first lap through the line, some older gent who i smiled at just stepped outta line and handed me a miracle ticket... i mean and thats just recently. my super phriend tommy has shown me so much kindness, because that very night all my firends got lockedoutta a parking garage. police couldnt do shit, but tell us to get off the streets before it gets really dangerous. we went to a hotel, hung out in the lobby, then i started seeing a bunch of people i knew walking by! they let us hang out in their hotel room til 630am giving us beer, weed and good vibes... my firends who i brought werent usedto the whole scene of things, but you could tell it was a good time for all. i have experienced bad shit too, like at bonnaroo, i was closer to centerroo, granted i wished they parked up somewhere farther out back, but whatever... at first we had plenty of room, but like all of a sudden people kept parking on our space. we had no room anywhere, then a van of southern people came and just really ruined the vibe because they just parked almost ontop of out tent. plus they told everyone to shut up all the time at night...excuse me its a festival, people will be up all hours of the night, and it was only 12pm when they started bitching. it was just rude... and no one would let us out until they were ready... my advice to everyone would be just be chill, CLEAN UP!!!!!!!! crazy dirty hippies cannot pick up trash for the life of them... believe in karma, good things will happen if you do good things in return. hand out miracles..whether it be water, a beer, a toke, a hand, a groove, etc... i believe in miracles at these events because they DO happen. you just gotta make some for yourself too peace and love
When it comes to camping practice LNT (Leave No Trace). ie campfires. I've seen folks build a fire right on top of grass and then no bother to scatter ashes and half-burned wood after the fire is out. Use established fire rings where available and scatter your ashes when your fire is out. I have a table top size chacoal grill and it works just fine for a small campfire too. I'm looking forward to this summers Schagstocks and Wakarusa!
i'm still a youngin for fests. but last year at OM the whole LNT thing worked out really well, there were composts, recyles, garbage also community fires so there was less impact on the earth.....not a piece of garbage was left behind, as soon as someone dropped it, it was picked up... also i heard of only one act of violence the whole 4 days which was kool..... it was definitly a good experience and i can't wait till this year... ~Nameste www.omfestival.ca/ http://www.sevensidedanimal.com/
yeah im a newbie with festies, sorta, but heres my two cents: good stuff- at schwagstock one time, i was up front dancin to the schwag, and was havin the time of my life.. i had cottonmouth real bad, but i didnt want to lose my dancin spot! so i mention to the guy (who was quite phine, by the way) that i was thirsty and he gave me his pineapple juice, and let me have a few hits off his bowl... later i saw him walkin around near my campsite and i invited him to hunker down and have a grilled cheese, which i made.... the thing you gotta follow is, if someone does somethin nice for you, return that favor... bad stuff- again, at a schwagstock, i had a cooler fulla beer, i let people take a beer or two, if they wanted it..., i didnt mind if people took some beer, it was fine we had lots... but when i was in the bathroom, someone stole all our ice, so then the beer that was in there got all warm and gross.... basically, just respect others and their property, bring good vibes, and you'll be good.
hmm...summer of 2000, last summer gathering of the vibes was in bridgeport, conn...pretty new to the scene...my friend and i went totally unprepared - no food, no flashlight. strangers fed us all weekend, without us even asking. i still remember that! that gathering was great - no camping on parking lot, space to move around... phish has always been great for me. just nice people doing nice things. this year, coventry, we had the absolute luck of spending the last nights sets with a couple who had been following the band for over ten years - caught EVERY show. boy, they were so so involved, literally the middle of the whole movement, knew everyone, in such a fine FINE way. they embraced my friends and i - who were much younger and less experienced. they told us we were beautiful, and how happy they were to have our vibes on a scene that was their being...(trust me, it wasn't (all) the drugs speaking) those instances were amazing, and helped form me as a positive person. worst experience BY FAR was at bonnaroo last summer. frigging nobody sober (and by this i mean personable and functionable) for miles. i felt like everyone was crazy, way too fucked up and rowdy. partying REAL hard. balloons all over the ground; people walking round like zombies. scary scary sight. spend half the night with an abandoned (well, tied to a car) tripping dog! couldn't find anyone to help me. the dog was totally crazy. went to the medics to see if they had anything that could help, and they really really were strange. felt very alone that whole time. (i had split up from my trusty bunch) i thought i was truly going to die from all the misfired fireworks. hate fireworks now! truly felt like i was going to get raped. i don't want you all to think i was just paranoid! i wasn't. bonnaroo was just skeevy... what i've learned...to tone down the public displays of myself and my people...public fuckedupedness is only cool to an extent, and not really at that. mind yourself, mind others. don't get yourself into anything you can't handle. also, be sure SURE to surround yourself with good people! i've found an even mix of cool, chill folk and totally weird lame folk too. too many times we've found people who haven't enriched my life in any way come the end of the night. many times i've met people and kept in touch, valuing a new friendship.
Oh, if someone has a service dog ASK before petting or offering treats. A friend had his guide ovewhelmed at a show once, and she's an old hand.
Figure out your route from performance area back to your tent before you partake of party favors. Since there's nothing but redneck tweakers and gangsta wannbe tweakers around here I usually go to Schwagstocks by myself. Even so I've always had the fortune of camping near and meeting some pretty cool folks. I usually bring extra beer so I grab cold ones and go over and offer them beers and introduce myself. I meet some really cool people at the last Schwagstock. They invited me to a really cool bluegrass fest that one of them was promoting. Always remember to slather on plenty of sunscreen(Bullfrog is best) at outdoor shows. I forgot to do that at the August Schwagstock and ended up bearing a stricking resemblance to a lobster. Ouch!! btw: headlamps are really handy for finding your way back to your tent rollin'/ packin' on the dark, plus they make great toys while rolling or trippin.
