"Even before we looked at it, it hit us. We wanted it to be far. So you surrender. So you can’t leave your house and see a couple bands and be back home that night. We want you to go out there, get tired, and curse the show by Sunday afternoon. That sunset, and that whole feeling of Coachella hits you." - Paul Tollett
http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/touring/1083099/paul-tollett-goldenvoice-team-on-the-struggle-and-ultimate-success
"Festivals bring new generations into the music fold, they place families and CEOs into the ranks shoulder to shoulder with hopeless dreamers and hippy drifters. They’re either the best or they’re the worst, and since I don’t have to choose, I guess I won’t. But what is certain is the ten year lease on the festival grounds. Firefly will be in Dover next year - so will all the fans, all the bands and all the hype. Whether the motivation behind it is as bleak as the bottom dollar or solely focused on the captivating power of live music is yet to be seen, but it might as well be enjoyed." - Raymond Lee
http://www.popmatters.com/feature/173012-examining-a-new-music-festival-firefly-2013/
"They used to be about leaving the social snobberies and constraints of everyday life at the gate. The mud and general madness was a great social leveller. Banker or buddhist, everyone was in it together. Now many are sponsored by big corporate brands and money can buy you luxury unimaginable years ago - tipi with shower and double bed for £3,000 anyone?
...
"If your sub culture sets you apart, once everyone else joins in it no longer makes you different. You're just normal."
But researchers say one thing has not changed and spans the divides - the temporary escape from the mundane routine of everyday life.
"Young people like festivals to experience the freedom of youth and their own new music, and older people like them too, trying to remember their own youth, not least by seeing their favourite bands reforming," says McKay.
"And that kind of child-like freedom is a great part of the promise of any festival: outdoors, open air, camping in the countryside, music and other arts, with a group of like-minded people, seeking relaxation or excess."
Put that way, it sounds so good." - Denise Winterman
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8692313.stm
"Right about here it’d be easy to crack about the true meaning of rock
‘n’ roll or whatnot. But the festival scene is its own beast. Promoters
may think of their events as the spiritual descendents of Woodstock.
It’s debatable whether the Aquarian Exposition was truly an historical
inflection point of expanded consciousness, but it’s clear that the
modern festival has perfected its formula, establishing a baseline level
of competent organization while limiting spontaneity to the the
occasional special appearance. A festival like Coachella is — like
similar destination events such as Bonnaroo and even Burning Man — its
own justification now. You go to say you’ve been. Speculating on the
next year’s Coachella lineup is a cottage industry
at this point, but no matter who makes the cut, the general contours
will remain: a healthy mix of indie rock, art-pop, EDM, and hip-hop. Not
buying a pass to a Björk-less Coachella would be like avoiding a buffet
because it lacks chiles rellenos.
Still, an all-buffet diet is no way to live. Coachella and its like
offer a particular experience: a weekend with friends beset on all sides
by music, a chance to gorge on buzz and revel in nostalgia. Comparing
it to the a la carte option of individual shows isn’t remotely fair. A
club gig puts you closer to the mechanisms. Band members are much more
likely to run the merch table or watch the other acts from the floor.
Interactions between audience and performers is closer to a conversation
than a commencement address. Brand presence is mostly limited to the
gear. There’s less pressure to focus on the hits. And underrepresented
styles can thrive. (It’s also in the price range of way more people.)
The nature of the festival is more: more choice, more spectacle,
more people. Playing and attending Coachella are mutually-reinforcing
validations. The scale confers importance; the crowds confer worthiness.
Eighty thousand people can’t be wrong." - Brad Shoup
http://www.stereogum.com/1245041/deconstructing-coachella-and-the-music-festival-industry/top-stories/lead-story/
“But according to research reported in the New York Times, there's one catch to those relaxing dream holidays: they don't actually leave us any happier afterwards. In single-minded pursuit of peace and quiet, we miss out on noisy, disruptive joy.
Peak moments don't require pristine beaches. They can emerge from cramped, deplorable conditions; just think of your favorite concert. I know mine. I camped in ankle-deep mud for three days at the UK's Glastonbury Festival with Finnish and Japanese tentmates, and by the time the headliners played, we had run out of soap, common language and food other than dried octopus. After enduring mediocre opening bands to stake out a spot, our view was suddenly eclipsed by tall late-comers.
Then, an oooooooOOOOOOOH! rippled through the crowd. A bass line thumped; a thousand craning necks relaxed into a groove. A stranger lifted me so I could see the stage. In my mouth, the octopus jerky turned from salty to sweet. We became mighty, a tide of exultation rolling over the damp, British countryside. Within hours, we would retreat to our separate shores - but at that moment, we were rolling deep with strangers.” - Alison Bing
http://www.fest300.com/magazine/the-joy-of-the-crowd#sthash.1XVgg6D0.dpuf
"It was like a throwback to the old days, with so many different groups
of people coming together for three days of music on a farm in the
middle of nowhere. You felt like you were a part of something bigger
than yourself, but it wasn’t something that pushed on you. It just
happened. I have never felt such positive energy at a music festival
before."
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