MAD About Coventry

I'm really upset about this Coventry deal. I left friday morning and 12 hours later I made it to Vermonet about 10 mins away from Coventry. I had to get a hotel because traffic was backed up 17 hours, but all the hotels were booked. So I had to drive 30 miles in the opposite direction to New Hampshire to find a vacant hotel. I get up the next day drive back to Vermont go shopping and get everything I need only to find out they are turning people away and that I 91 was closed. WTF. So in return I get a full refund? That doesn't mean anything to me. NOTHING.. I am so mad. What about all those hours I drove there and back, and for nothing? Or the money I spent on food and hotels, and supplies. Or the sleep I lost, or the time I spent in traffic? Or the money I spent on hotels? It just isn't fair. Fuck Coventry
I'm spent all that money and time for a show I didn't even get to see. Nothing can make me happy, not even a stupid refund.

 

I gotta say it was Phish's karma. They did this festival to make money off of you all. They are so going to be back they just wanted to sell tickets. They can't do it alone they need each other. I am really sorry what happened I would be fucking mad too!!!

 

Down With Phish!!!!!!!!

 

i drove 5 1/2 hours then stayed in my car for 40 hours. i then parked the car on the side of the interstate and walked 12 1/2 miles to the site with only the things i needed. for those who didnt make it there you cant imagine the what the mud was like and why they had to turn people around. one word that i got was that when they cancelled there were about 25000 people in already then with a few more miles of traffic that they let it and everyone that walked they peaked at about 65000 they had no choice but to play not to mention the simulcasting all over the country. its unfortunate how it worked out but they can only do so much. i however found that people werent very satisfied with the music. it was good but many people were expecting certain songs and i think it could have been a more energized show. at least we needed some help from the band. alot of us walked at least 10 miles.


peace, bob

 

the mud there was basically absurd! the cars couldn't get through it and they had to have HUGE tractors pulling them all through. i got there early on thursday and was in by the afternoon. when they decided to turn people away on friday Mike got on the radio station and told people that he was sorry blah blah blah but it was obvious the police wanted HIM to go on and do it to take the heat off of themselves who obviously made the decision even though they said that phish agreed (because they clearly didn't have a choice!) but dont think that phish wanted these people not to come and when they all ditched their cars to get in there they were VERY happy and honored that all those people did it.

 

Dude I would of left my car along with everything else *IF* it was my car. I'm so pissed off its not funny. I rode up with another couple and they didn't even attempt to get in. Nor did the person I was with wanted to walk. It was like hanging with a bunch of babies. For all the trouble we went through and the distance we drove we should of been there. I'll never live this down, EVER. I didn't know too many people going to Coventry or else I would of walked. I would of walked 20 miles to see Phish play. But instead I turned around and went to Mt. Washington for the second time. How can Mt. Washington compare to Phish?
I did hit the other three shows though. Mansfield was great and I thought Camden was too. Sneakin Sally thru the Alley kicked ass..
I am one pissed off Phish phan.
I can't see Phish coming back, its over dude. All done.

 

yeah, i kinda had a feeling this was all for money.

 

I'm sorry Stoner, it sucks that you didn't get in..

I parked on I-91 and got a ride in from one of the impromptu local cab services (farmer in a truck). Still had to walk a good distance, lugging heavy gear. After waiting all night on the highway in traffic, the emotional crush of hearing that the gates were closed the next morning, the hard labor involved getting to the show, and then the quicksand-like mud that was everywhere, it was hard to enjoy the show. The crowd energy showed how drained everyone was. Also, the volume was turned way too low - you could barely hear in the back half of the venue. Trey slaughtered many songs. All said, it was probably my worst Phish show/experience. But I'm still glad that I went, and it would have eaten at me if I had of left without getting in. I really wish you could have been there.

 

Me too
So the show wasn't that great huh?
In Mansfield I seen Mike Gordon driving around in a golf cart. I was walking around the RV's when I heard people yelling Gordon so I ran to the side of the road he was on. I was about less than a foot from him. I could of reached out and touched him but I didn't want to be like the other people chasing him down or grabbing his arm. I wouldn't want somebody doing that to me
I did save a lot of money not going to Coventry though. Now maybe I can spend it on important things, like an education. Instead of giving it to people who don't really need it.
Do you really believe Phish did it for the money?

 

I feel so sorry for the people who didn't get in. I know how I would feel if I had to turn around and go home after sitting in all those hours of traffic. However, I think people are taking it out in the wrong place. There's really no one to blame here for the way it turned out. Local Vermont farmers said that they had received record amounts of rain for the week before coventry. There's no way THAT amount of mud could have been predicted.

Please don't take this the wrong way stonerphishchick, but your anger seems a bit misdirected. You admit that you would have wanted to walk and get into the show, but you were with "a bunch of babies" that didn't want to leave the car and walk. You can't blame phish for that. Cause the fact is that many fans did ditch their cars and walk. If you had wanted to get in badly enough, you could have. And for those who didn't get in, the mud WAS insane. people were getting stuck all over the place, and lots of space that would have been usable was flooded. You can't blame phish for that- there's nothing they could have done about it, and certainly, they did not want to turn fans away. They had no choice though, and expressed several times over the weekend how appreciative they were of the people who endured all sorts of craziness to be there for their last show. On one final note, phish did NOT do this for the money, they did it to celebrate what was 20 years of great music and a great fan base. They did it to have one last bash before they went out. They could have just called it quits without doing a summer tour or a last fest, but they didn't.

And certainly a refund won't make up for missing the last phish show, but Mike Gordon said that in addition to refunds, they were looking into other possible ways to try and make this up to fans, including holding another show. Overall, I think it's just a very unfortunate but unpredictable way that things turned out, and I'm sorry for those that wasted time and money and didn't get in, but phish cannot really be held to blame for that.

 

The Weather
Only thing that could be done was to deal with it.

The Organizers
Why only one route to the entrance? Not sure if that was the idea of Great NE Productions or the VT Staties. Either way it was idiotic. Never had a problem in Limestone with multiple routes. Limestone > Coventry; should have been held there to begin with.

The Phans
Did the best they could to get through the weekend with spirits held high. My only problem with the phans was all the shit they left on I-91. Nice impression to leave.

The Band
Well.. *sigh*...
On Thursday night Trey comes out and tells everyone not too come up till Saturday morning due to conditions (understandable). On Saturday morning, they tell everyone that if you arent on rt 5 to turn around and head back to where you came from (unforgivable). That is a monstrous slap in the face to their die hard phans.

Saturday night, only the front speakers are setup. Those of us in the back had a very hard time hearing it. They seemed to struggle through the sets.
They didnt do anything special for their pharewell. Both night were standard shows. They butchered many tunes.

The magic is gone.



I left there with a very bad taste, no it wasnt the mud. Im glad they are done... *sigh*... maybe Im just a bit bitter at the moment.

 

Sorry..this will be a long one but please bare with me. I can't believe how many negative things people have to say about Coventry. I too drove through 5 states without a ticket and sat in traffic for 16 more hours before setting up tent in pooring rain and mud....but it was worth every second of the experience.

By the way...this will piss some people off. You know how they were selling tickets on ebay for about $500? Yeah...well after a very risky move and relying on rumors from locals I met while sitting in traffic....I bought a ticket at the box office right outside the gate for $200.00. Why the hell didn't they tell anyone they rereleased tickets? I understand after the whole weather thing, but I guess they started selling them Thurs. before the monsoon began. Every now and then my optimism and spontanaity (sp) pay off!

Now that I'm further educated, I'm sad to say that I've always been a half-assed Phish fan...didn't own anything, never made it to a show, but always enjoyed it when someone else popped in a live CD. When I heard that they were having their final show (24 hrs before I hitched a ride with some friends with tickets) something in me knew that I had to take a chance at this last opportunity to see them.

The mud, the traffic, closing down the gates...boo freakin hoo. Everyone there went through it together (although I gotta give huge props to the walkers...everyone at the grounds were rooting for you once we heard they were turning cars away). What about the two days of sunshine we got for the shows? What about the chance to see the most musically talented group our generation has ever seen play their final show? Sure they fucked up a lot and I think there could have been more energy, but let's face it, it was an emotional whirlwind for everyone.

All in all it was beautiful and if you feel otherwise I guess you just didn't grasp the positivity in it and I'm sorry for ya! I'm just glad I finally took a chance and saw them...bittersweet but great. Much love to all you hardcore phans...you are some of the most generous and beautiful people I've ever met. How many times can you honestly say that you felt 100% safe in a group of 60,000+? Phantastic. Thanks for the memories...as muddy as they are! My name is mud....

 

Musically, it was ok at best. Nothing special. Mike was incredible - sounded as good as or better than ever. Page was great as always. But the volume was way too low, and Trey was just playing like crap. They didn't it just for the money, but I do think they could have been more generous. They should have payed for shuttle services to cart us b/w I-91 and the concert site and up and down Airport Road. They should give everyone who was turned away more than just a refund for the ticket. Also, I wonder what Trey's real motivation for quitting is, and why does he fuck up the songs so much. I'm a little pissed at him right now for not putting on a top performance at these last shows.

Yea, that's fun. I saw him zipping around at Deer Creek last year. He almost ran us over, but I didn't notice who it was until my friend told me after he passed by.

 

They actually tried to hire shuttles to take people to the campgrounds, but were unable to find a local company willing to do it, particularly on such short notice. And when Mike came on the Bunny to make the announcement, he clearly said that the band was looking into some way to try and make this up to fans, in addition to a refund, and he said they were even thinking of doing another show.

It's unfortunate that things turned out the way they did, but Phish did the best they could do deal with a crappy and unpredictable situation. As far as the music, I'll admit that it's certainly not the best phish show I've ever been to, but I think more important is recognizing the massive emotional energy between the band and the phans this weekend. There's no denying all the emotion that was present at this show. And I'm glad that I got to be a part of their pharewell.

Lindsey, I'm glad to see that there are other people who thought overall Coventry was a great experience. If I had to do it all over again, I would, in a heartbeat.

 

Thanks Mel! I agree with everyone about the shuttle thing, but it is true that they tried to get transportation and there wasn't a company close and large enough to accomadate the crowd. How much were they charging people to get a ride in?

I too was sad to see all of the trash along I-91 on the way back home...what the hell happened out there guys? I was stuck right off of the exit forever and didn't see any trash like that. I dunno...it just makes me sad to see that kind of mess in the beautiful state of Vermont. Anyone else see that sign on the way in the gates: Don't Jersey Vermont. That cracked me up but it's so true.

Did anyone hear anything about the guy they found dead in his tent? No ID and they were doing an autopsy. Sad stuff, it's gotta be the drugs. Some people just don't know when to say when.

To everyone else and all my happy neighbors who loaned me charcoal, T.P., duct tape, etc. thank you for the hospitality and good times. I think I'll have souvenier dirt under my toenails for days to come no matter how hard I scrub!

 

i'm sad to see all the negative things people are saying about coventry. i honestly thought it was beautiful. sure, their performance could have been better, the mud was a pain in the ass at times, traffic sucked, etc, etc. but if people could just chill the fuck out and enjoy life, then it was a great time. i had fun running through the mud and jumping in puddles. i had no problem with the sound level because i made the effort to plod through mud and year old liquified cow shit just to get to the front both nights. i loved the kind tractor folks who dragged my car out of the field. i met some AMAZING people. i made great friends. mike went nuts a few times, page was rockin'. there were a few fuck ups, a few unpredictable problems, but i have NO regrets. my one HUGE disappointment was the fucking TRASH. it was everywhere. me and my boy spent an hour or two cleaning up the field in front of the stage on the last night. you'd be suprised what you can do in an hour. now if only everyone there had done at least a half hour of clean up, we would have been set. it's not that hard to take out what you bring in. so anyone who was there, come on, i live here people. i have to deal with these pissed off farmers when the show's over. NOT cool at all. have a little respect. and those of you who did clean up, THANK YOU!!!!

 

I agree it wasn't Phish's fault, but obviously things could have been handled a little better. I know I might have gotten a little out of hand, but its how I felt.
I've gone to plenty of shows and had awesome times and loved every minute of them, but for me the whole Coventry thing sucked. Yes I could of walked, I could of left the people I was with, I could of done anything, but would it be the smartest decision? No, probably not. I went through a lot of shit for nothing and thats why I was/am so upset. *I* wanted to be there for something that important, it meant a lot to me. I'm bummin hard that I missed it, regardless what other people thought of the show.
I love Phish and everything about Phish, I've paid some crazy money to get into shows, and drove some crazy distances without tickets to shows but it was always a good outcome. The last show was a horrible experience for me and nothing can change that. I would of had a blast if I had made it in.
I hope Phish does something even just one more show for the awesome phans they have. I would do anything to dance all night at a phish show with my phellow peeps.

 

SPC, I totally don't blame you for how you feel. My daughter hiked in over 20 miles, left her friends at the RV they rented for big bucks (8 people $200 apiece plus gas $100 each for RV that they didn't even have use of as they all ended up hiking in eventually). now her 7 friends are pissed at her for hiking in before they did, but she was not about to miss this show. they were 11 miles behind me down I91 when she started hiking. I was at about mile 10 (away from the gates) on route 5 when I first saw my daughter and she'd walked 11 miles already in 5 hours. that was about 7pm on Friday. She got in the gates around 11pm she thinks. I sat all night in the traffic, no sleep at all except dozing behind the wheel when stopped. I expected traffic but not this bad. I got in, in 23 hours. My daughter was lucky she had friends in a tent to stay with once she got there coz she never did find the RV friends she came with, and had to ride home with MOM. Crazy times. Was fun though to talk about the music on the way home, she was up front for the shows mostly and caught a lot that I didn't, since I am too old and tired to go up front like I should. We drove 27 hours straight to get home, after stopping off in New Hampshire and Maine to see some sights, get showers and buy daughter some new pants and shoes, since she had no shoes and filthy clothes but did have a new lot shirt to wear, and see the OCEAN. On Friday night she had to sleep in a strangers tent, but that is what's cool about Phish people, is that she could even do that without fear. she wore the same clothes for 4 days, her friends and I gave her food and water, and everything was cool, except our cell phones worked for shit and it was very hard to get ahold of anyone. so she lost her ride home, partly due to the gross mismanagement of this festival if you ask me. The RV never did get in and her so called "friends" left without her on Monday (guess they WERE pissed but still...that's pretty rude of them). so be it.

This was definitely one to remember, good and bad, but I only wish more of the music was memorable. I love Phish, and there were some great moments, but set 3 of the first night Trey was so fucked up it was sad. did enjoy the Hood encore though. and a big raspberry to the asshole not far from me who made noise during Slave in the very last set on sunday. I love that song and this lunatic ruined a beautiful moment of it. well, I've rambled on long enough, but my sincere sympathies to all who suffered greater hardships than we did. They should've at least made sure everyone got the free CD that I got at the gates Saturday morning. I guess walkers didn't get them, and they're the ones that should have. "what I did on my summer vacation" it's good. Live cuts from this summer's shows.

and shame on all the trash, that is inexcusable. Vermont is so beautiful. thanks to the locals for putting up with all they did. the locals in coventry were great people, love to them.

 

I totally agree with JE. I was only expressing my anger about the Coventry deal, not talking trash about Phish. I strongly believe they are for the music not the money.. How many times recently have you read or heard Trey say that?
Also Phish is obviously done like most of us know it. If you haven't read the Guitar World article with Trey Anastasio you should. Trey is positive its over and said he never looks back. Unfortunately hes ready to move on, but I'm intersted and excited to see what new music he will create. I'll still see all my favorite boys hopefully, once they do their own thing... who knows...