The 30th anniversary of the beloved original Woodstock was an attempt to recreate the success and feelings of community from the 1969 outdoor festival, where there was a celebrated "sense of social harmony, the quality of music, and the overwhelming mass of people, many sporting bohemian dress, behavior, and attitudes."
Woodstock '99 was pretty much the polar opposite of that original spirit of peace, love, and understanding. To quote MTV News anchor (and collossal douche bag) Kurt Loder: "It was dangerous to be around. The whole scene was scary. There were just waves of hatred bouncing around the place, (...) It was clear we had to get out of there.... It was like a concentration camp. To get in, you get frisked to make sure you're not bringing in any water or food that would prevent you from buying from their outrageously priced booths. You wallow around in garbage and human waste. There was a palpable mood of anger." In short, a cluster-fuck.
There were plenty of acts playing at Woodstock '99 that sort of fit the mold of the artists that played the original, including The Roots, DMB, Alanis Morrissette, and Elvis Costello. However, the inclusion of Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, Metallica, Megadeth, Insane Clown Posse, and the ever present ne'er-do-well Moby ended up working an already frenzied crowd into even more of a frenzy. The fires, looting, and violence is pretty well blamed on Limp Bizkit, who's song "Break Stuff" apparently worked the crowd into a frenzy. (This is either because of the songs lyrics inviting people to "give me something to break," or because Limp Bizkit sucks so horribly bad that the crowd grew angry and restless.) Further adding to the fire, literally, was an on stage burning of the American flag by Rage Against the Machine, and an apparent attempt by the Red Hot Chili Peppers to encourage more bonfires by playing a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Fire". (It should be noted that Kiedis stated the song was played as a request from Jimi's daughter who was in attendance.)
By the end of the night, there were 4 rape charges being made, at least one of which took place in the middle of the mosh pit, a small bus in flames along side a few of the towers and booths, ATM machines and concession stands robbed, and 7 arrests.
Surprisingly, noone died. This is the only thing that puts the '99 Woodstock ahead of the original, which saw 3 deaths (none due to violence.)
It's hard to say whether or not promoters will try to pull a 40th anniversary Woodstock out in '09. Given that greed is a strong motivator, I'd look for this next accident waiting to happen to be promoted by the middle of next year.
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2 comments:
Good point about the kinds of bands that played in '99. Testosterone-fueled metal bands do not play well outdoors somehow. Although I once saw the Ramones at Great Adventure with tickets I won from a radio station and that was cool.
I think Moby is probably to blame for the violence, as well as the general decline of morality in our culture. Just kidding.
But one thing is for sure: Limp Bizkit was/is a horrible band. I remember once arguing with a guy at work when they first came out; I was saying they'll be nothing but a footnote in the history of rock and roll, he was going on about how talented Fred Durst is. Pathetic.
But Woodstock was a horror show. I knew people who went and regretted it. Good choice for Musical Travesty. Amazing greed on the part of the promoters led to a lot of the trouble, as you pointed out. Concerts are a ripoff in general these days with the monopoly of Clear Channel and Ticket Master.
What do you think of Springsteen? I have nothing against him, but I think he's overrated and his fan base is just too suburban and smug. The whole thing is just too safe and unchallenging a spectacle, more like a Broadway show for the tourist demographic than a raw off-Broadway experience that can change your world view or at least leave you a little less sure of yourself.
Springsteen himself is a great artist. Not the strongest vocalist, but a very good story teller and song writer. I blame his "broadway" stylings on his management/agents. His fan base is full of people that don't actually understand his music. I'd be willing to bet that if you asked 10 Boss-fans what they think about "Born in the USA," 9 of them will respond with how patriotic a song it is.
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