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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: myuman on May 14, 2005, 10:49:00 pm
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Where must I begin without writing all night while achieving the satisfaction of venting. That is the first time I've been to M&T Stadium and hopefully the last. And by the way, Baltimore is a slight notch above my local landfill when it comes to visually pleasing. Maybe this is over the top, but everytime I venture inside city limits, filthy always seems not far from being uttered. Now the concert: Somehow the lineup at the b-stage was screwed very early on, not sure why, but I thought I'd catch Stereophonics while I was out there before catching interpol. I suffered through Jimmy's Chicken Shacks set while waiting. You know what you're in for when a band climbs on stage with Sombreros and immediately directs the the audience to scream the "F" word at the top of their lungs. I don't have virgin ears, but I tend to search for a tad more class. Things were delayed and Interpol was coming up, so I left the b-stage after one sterophonics song. Interpol started great, then... just as they were hitting stride, they were gone... not to return. I kid you not... 20 minutes. Four mediocre old songs, and one mediocre new song. I was baffled. Really the band I was most looking for, haven't seen them in over 2 years. Then next thing I knew... no Echo!? Never did know why. The HFS communications department is pretty much nonexistent. So one whole band pulled out, and they were still running behind by the time Idol came out. This is not the coachella on the clock crew. Garbage was a pleasant surprise for me. Never got much into her thing, but I was entertained. New York Dolls and Social D were exactly what you'd expect, and if you were big fans, I'm sure it was great. I thought it was fine, but... Time to grab a three or four dollar water (depending on where you shopped) only to be blessed with not being allowed to keep the cap.. now what in hades name am I supposed to do with that! Sure I found one... but this is an outfit that makes no attempt to secure the safety of anyone that would like to get within 50 metres of the stage and actually listen to music (without being abused by moshers/surfers during Interpol of all bands) or clear the line of females out of the men's room, but those soda/water caps have to stay! The rain that came didn't help anything. The whole upper deck was sectioned off limits, so there was no place to "expand" to all day. Just stumbling over people and very few open areas to sit. Setting aside exactly the same number of seats as tickets sold just doesn't work so well at a GA concert. So now everyone is moving toward one concourse. Just one big pain. Too many tailbone tattoos, nose rings, stoned looks... I had had enough. It was time to sell this loosing stock. Lightning bolts in the area was the clincher. I was looking forward to Foo Fighters, but I was cashing out. I have no idea how the evening concluded, but I was in need of convenience, and this experience needed to be forgotten.
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Originally posted by myuman:
I thought it was fine, but... Time to grab a three or four dollar water (depending on where you shopped) only to be blessed with not being allowed to keep the cap.. now what in hades name am I supposed to do with that!
thanks for the idea.
i'm going to save all my plastic bottlecaps from now on and buy the cheapest ticket i can to get into shows, sneak in said bottle caps and sell bottlecaps for $1.00 each!
i will be rich!
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Damn,sorry you had such a bad time.My experience was almost completely opposite.Plenty of places to sit,no long lines,was able to literally walk right down front for the Dolls,who easily stole the show,at least from the bands I saw.Songs from what I can think of off the top of my head by NYD were Pills,Looking for a kiss,Puss n Boots,Jet Boy,Lonely Planet Boy,which they dedicated to Johnny Thunders and closed with Personality Crisis.Few more I can't think of.They were tight,and if they due any club dates,I'd highly recommend it.No self parody with them.They were all smiles and riffs,definitely been puttin in the practice,as they were nearly flawless.Ian and Co. on the other hand was a complete joke.If he gets paid in full,somebody's crazy.Couldn't even remember the words to Lips like Sugar he was so out of it.Wearing a leather jacket to boot.reminded me of Dave Kendall.Anyway,after storming off,coming back,trys to give the mic away for someone else to sing and they stop again.That's your echo show today folks,blamed it on losing his voice,but he looked ROUGH.Garbage,of which I've never been a fan,put on a good solid set,as did Social D who brought out the moshers in full effect.Dedicating Mommy's Little Monster to Dave Grohl and a new one,Don't Take me for Granted dedicated to the Dolls.All in all,I enjoyed my six hour visit.Started raining as Social D ended which suited me just fine.The 12 year olds were taking over for the field for Good Charlotte and I high tailed it for the hills.Missed WSC,Louis xiv,but other than that,no problems.Can't wait to hear the recordings!Interpol sure looked uncomfortable in those shirt and ties in that heat,and they headed off after a lackluster 23 minute 52 second set..
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please please
if they have another one of theses godawful sorry excuse of a concert ever again, and i express interest in going....shoot me
the HFStival is the devil. its terribe, it was a nightmare.
i would have been better off giving the $200 i spent there to a homeless crackhead.
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You guys act surprised, this is an all day festival! What do you expect? That being said, I am glad to hear that NY Dolls killed and that Social D played Mommy's Little Monster.
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It seemed like any other HFstival to me,maybe a little less crowded.You didn't really expect them to be like,giving away water and stuff did you?As usual,all about the benjamins is par for the course.Boy,I do admit though I would've been bummed if I had to set thru "the Shack" :eek:
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wow... myuman, that was a very vivid post -- it sounds like utter hell!
http://www.alex.to/doomlink (http://www.alex.to/doomlink)
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Best sets of the day belong to NY Dolls and Social Distortion. Echo apparently played 1 measly song, Garbage was good, Billy Idol is a jackass, and Foo Fighters were a good closing band. Having said that, I hope I never have to go to another hfstival ever again.
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I give it 6.1 Z's.
It's a festival at a mega stadium, so short sets, overpriced concessions, and a high concentration of white trash are to be expected.
Louis XIV - meh....
Interpol - Par for the course. Solid playing as always. Nothing spectacular. 23 minutes and then they left the stage.
They Might Be Giants - Quirky, fun. Ana Ng has always been a favorite of mine.
Echo - Ian stopped in the middle of Lips Like Sugar, bitched about the vocals volume, and walked off. Came back, started again, bitched again, walked again. Came back a few minutes later, asked if anyone knew how to sing Rescue; tried to do it himself, asked for more volume on the vocals and then walked off again. His voice sounded shot.
Garbage - Like others in this thread, I've never been a fan of their music, but they definitely put on a good set.
New York Dolls - HFStival fact of the day: David Johansen is seven years younger than Keith Richards, but he looks thirty-five years older! Honestly, he was downright scary. But they put on a very good set and showed Louis XIV how to be a glam band.
Social Distortion - Thanks to poor ticket sales, I had no problem walking to within 20 feet of the stage to rock out. No one will ever be as cool as Mike Ness. Ever.
Good Charlotte - Did they mention that they are from Maryland?
Billy Idol - Exceeded my expectations again. Was it just me, or did he have much of the crowd eating out of his hand? A lot of people in the section where I was sitting started out smirking and laughing and ended up giving him a standing ovation. Weird.
Coldplay - They are the safest band ever. They are like gelatin - you know it's a food, and it doesn't make you sick, but it doesn't really have a taste and it's just kind of like there isn't much there.
Foo Fighters - criminally short set ended just as they were hitting their stride. The guitar solos seemed a lot more metal than in the past. Lots of screaming.
All in all, the festival was nothing special. Not a bad way to spend a spring day, but I abhor that stadium and doubt I would go again.
I would also like to recommend that the nation's schools and colleges look into adding a new fashion field to the curriculum -- it will aim to teach the youth that not every body type should wear bikini tops, hooters-style shirts, and really short shorts. For males, it would instruct that the ass-crack should remain concealed in public. This is especially true if you have a prominent "gut" that may or may not be bordered by a tatoo of your name in an Old English font.
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my key ingredients for a good day at any festival are free shade and water. i had both today, so i had a good time. garbage, ny dolls, social d, billy idol, and foo fighters were the highlights. all those rock and roll geezers put on quite a display.
a little birdy told me that social d will be playing multiple nights at smaller venues this fall, and a two or three night stand at 9:30 seems likely. nothing confirmed of course.
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can we pair up New York Dolls with Social D at the club? that would be awesome...
Sounds like the two groups i wanted to see killed, but am glad i stayed home and djed the super diamond show instead. After the band left it started with Cutting Crew and ended with Spandu Ballet. and people dancing up a brief storm for tunes in between.
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Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
I give it 6.1 Z's.
It's a festival at a mega stadium, so short sets, overpriced concessions, and a high concentration of white trash are to be expected.
sometimes i just love you!
and you're right about Mike Ness.
i guess after Coachella , no HFStival will ever compare. :)
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Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
can we pair up New York Dolls with Social D at the club? that would be awesome...
Sounds like the two groups i wanted to see killed, but am glad i stayed home and djed the super diamond show instead. After the band left it started with Cutting Crew and ended with Spandu Ballet. and people dancing up a brief storm for tunes in between.
Agreed,I'd love to see that.The Dolls SO exceeded my expectations,I must admit I was quite skeptical going in but they pulled it off with flying colors.David looked genuinely giddy to be there and it showed in their performance.I think he was the only frontman to introduce his band,big plus in my book.
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Those HFStivals bring out the most bizarre gathering of people I have ever witnessed in one place. There is the entire spectrum starting with any extreme goth/glam/punk superfan to ghetto dwellers to streetwalker wanna-be to genetic wonders that have found there way from the depths of WVA. And so many people have no clue how to manage a day in the sun with alcohol and drugs. It is truly disgusting.
I very much enjoyed the Sterophonics and was impressed by the NY Dolls. Billy Idol is cheesy but he puts on a decent performance. Dave Grohl needs to stop performing those prom-theme songs - they really grind their sets to a halt.
The funniest sight of the day was the lead-singer Madden boy in GC sporting a GC shirt.
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Originally posted by Efram:
Those HFStivals bring out the most bizarre gathering of people, genetic wonders that have found there way from the depths of WVA.
Where'd you see me,you should of said hi! :D
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what are you people doing up at this hour?
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So Echo did play... must have missed that one song set debacle while trying to hydrate after interpol. I could not have left the stadium for more than 10 minutes. So much for posted set times. And yes, festivals are usually an interesting experience, but taking even that into account... this was terrible. And NY Dolls might just have been a bunch of Stones (or worse yet... Aerosmith) songs, 'cause that's is all they sounded like. I didn't see much glam, just a long time drug user that looked ready to go six feet under. They were tight and fairly energetic, but you had to be at least a passing fan to respect/enjoy the set. Social D was good, but weather started to play a part by this point. I'm not saying the day/night was not without its moments. But the time/patience/money investment was not even close to the pleasure of these few moments. Just one last point before I depart: The set times/stage. I understand a lot of factors exist in placing bands on stages at times, but if enjoyment/convenience was the only consideration... this festival was criminal. I can go into huge detail, but focus on only two points. 1) Balance the stages. Louis xiv, bravery, echo, possibly even interpol and garbage needed the B stage. Stereophonics and Sum 41 would have been fine on the Main stage. That was the beauty of HFS's past, getting close to good bands without the teenage crowd surfers. The effects of these decisions can not be underestimated. And Secondly: The closing main stage. I would think it wise to ween the crowd leaving. Think the Cure after Offspring/ Oakenfold after Eminem. In either case, the last band was not a "must see" for everyone. Just switching Foo Fighters and Coldplay would have achieved this. Or better yet (IMHO) put Good Charlotte last. The set cornered people like me, then throw in a little weather, and I was gone too early. I cried foul when I saw the times, but all this makes it brutally obvious that its not Coachella... but why can't it at least get closer?
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I was comparing the lineup to the hfstival.com poll. It looks like the lineup could've been based on the responses. Maybe that's why it was so random.
I agree with everyone's post above but we got what we paid for--we only paid $40.
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There were the same typical problems you have at any stadium show but yeah, the price was only $40. I paid ridiculous amounts of money for overpriced mediocre food and endured 3 hours of rain and the Good Charlotte set.
But to me it was totally worth it. I think Garbage, NY Dolls, Social D. and Coldplay all played amazing sets. And Billy Idol rocked the place--it was great to see him smiling and feeding off the crowd.
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Originally posted by myuman:
And NY Dolls might just have been a bunch of Stones (or worse yet... Aerosmith) songs, 'cause that's is all they sounded like. I didn't see much glam, just a long time drug user that looked ready to go six feet under.
They've been compared to The Stones since day one. And you could easily argue that Aerosmith stole a lot from The Dolls. I didn't see the festival, but I saw The Dolls at a club on Friday. David is in great shape and looks terrific. I wish I had a six-pack like his.
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New York Dolls were really really bad. Dont get the hype. Dont get it at all.
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all these reviews make me so glad i went and saw springsteen last night instead. so so glad.
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Originally posted by myuman:
....Baltimore is a slight notch above my local landfill when it comes to visually pleasing. Maybe this is over the top, but everytime I venture inside city limits, filthy always seems not far from being uttered.
... I suffered through Jimmy's Chicken Shacks set while waiting.... Interpol started great, then... just as they were hitting stride, they were gone... not to return. I kid you not... 20 minutes....This is not the coachella on the clock crew.....I thought it was fine, but... Time to grab a three or four dollar water (depending on where you shopped)....
Sure I found one... but this is an outfit that makes no attempt to secure the safety of anyone that would like to get within 50 metres of the stage and actually listen to music (without being abused by moshers/surfers during Interpol of all bands) or clear the line of females out of the men's room, but those soda/water caps have to stay! So now everyone is moving toward one concourse. Just one big pain. ....to many tailbone tattoos, nose rings, stoned looks... I had had enough. It was time to sell this loosing stock.... I was in need of convenience, and this experience needed to be forgotten.
Bla...bla...bla...
For the love of Christ, please tell me which of the following you DID NOT see coming when you decided to go see this show. I mean, which of these came as a shocker to you?
a) A Baltimore that is filthy
b) A "Jimmy's Chicken Shack" show that might not be up to par with respectable music standards
c) Overpriced food and drink at a football stadium
d) Short sets at an all day festival featuring 15 bands
e) Moshing and surfers at a show sponsored by a commercial rock station
f) Nose rings and alcohol abuse at a show that features music that is clearly appealling to the teenage and 20's demographic.
Don't complain.
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Originally posted by PigIron:
Nose rings and alcohol abuse at a show that features music that is clearly appealling to the teenage and 20's demographic.
Do you mean Interpol, Echo, NY Dolls, Social D, Coldplay? Don't get me wrong... I hear your point... and boy did I pay this time for my oversight.
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My day at the HFSTIVAL:
I made it to the stadium at 12:15 p.m. I made it to see The Bravery. I wasn't a big fan of their music, but they did put on a good show. After 'An Honest Mistake,' I caught Citizen Cope at the Street Stage. I enjoyed his set. After 'Bullet And A Target,' I made back to the main stage to catch Louis XIV. Just before they played 'Finding Out True Love Is Blind,' I had a feeling the craziness was coming, and I was right. First, it was the exposed breasts. Just when the band was about to sing the fisrt lyric of the hit single, people were slam dancing. I've seen this band before, and they are not the type of band you slam dance to.
After that, I hit the street stage to catch Jimmy's Chicken Shack. I was in time to catch their favorites like 'What Did I Do Right,' 'Quitter' and 'High.' I also saw th guitarist madden made a guest appearance. After that, I stayed to see Stereophonics. They put on a great show. I was only able to catch 5 songs.
After that, I headed over to the main stage to catch Interpol. I also only able to catch the final few songs of them. I returned to the Street Stage to see Pepper. I stayed for 20 minutes of their set before I went back to the main stage. I found out Garbage was coming up. No one inform those returning to the main stage that Echo & The Bunnyman cut their set way short. Garbage come on, and they rocked the house. Shirley and company put on a show. The next band was the New York Dolls. They rocked the house, and the crowd loved it. After Them, it was Social Distortion. Mike Ness and company made their performance an unforgettable one.
After their set, the rain come down. When Good Charlotte was about to perform, the craziness was unleashed. Slam dancing, crowd surfing, moments of exposed flash was everywhere during GC set. The rain stopped after GC was done. Billy Idol came up, and he his body hasn't aged a bit. He still have the confidence and on satge charisma that made him a hit in the 1980's/early 1990's. I felt his set was the longest of the festival.
After his set was over, the rain pours down harder; I saw thunder and lighting in the distance and headed inside the stadium. The severe weather ended before 9:30 p.m. I went into the stadium to catch Coldplay. Chris Martin and company put a stellar show. However, I was wondering why people were crowd surfing to this group. C'mon People! Save that stuff for The Foo Fighters. Speaking of them, They came on at 10:30 p.m. They put on a kick ass show. The only drawbacks were their set was too short, and they didn't play Best Of You, their new single.
I had a good time at the show. I dealt with overzealous crowd surfers, bad views, 2 guys hitting on me, and the weather. I noticed that people recognize the Taking Back Sunday t-shirt I wore.
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Originally posted by sonickteam4:
please please
if they have another one of theses godawful sorry excuse of a concert ever again, and i express interest in going....shoot me
the HFStival is the devil. its terribe, it was a nightmare.
i would have been better off giving the $200 i spent there to a homeless crackhead.
I concur; it was the march of the teenage zombies...what a freak show, with a horrible sound system and not much frivolity...and stadium/parking staff who could not care less.
The after party at Rams Head was more amusing since most of the bands and all of the audience were S*faced. Washington Social Club, Louis XIV and the Bravery put on a good show considering their earlier sets at HFS, the late hour, and huge quantities of bad food and booze.
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Guess I'll add my $.02...
The thing that struck the most about it this year was the angry vibe I got from my fellow concertgoers. I've been going off and on since 1995 and I've always had a decent enough time. Drink a few overpriced beers and soak up some sun. This year seemed to be dominated by the alcohol-weed-testosterone fueled meatheads. Watching these groups of guys in their standard issue outfits (wispy mustache/goatee, sideways baseball cap, wifebeater, baggy shorts down to the mid-calves with boxers sticking out the top) was like seeing a cross between "All Creatures Great and Small" and "Cops". Mix that in with a bunch of girls who obviously never got enough attention from their fathers. It was like the System of a Down thread came to life before my very eyes.
That being said there were some musical highlights...
Stereophonics - solid as always. (BTW, who was the dickhead DJ who introduced them? He made a lovely comment about how the new 99.1 employees are responsible for the landscaping around stadium.)
Social D - never seen them before. Good stuff.
Billy Idol - lots of fun.
Coldplay - fantastic. The heir apparent to the U2-stadium rock crown.
I thought the Foos were OK, but not as good as I've seen them before. They seemed to be going through the motions a bit. Dave's voice sounded a little scratchy when he was talking.
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Originally posted by PigIron:
a) A Baltimore that is filthy
blah blah blah yourself. that stadium is MUCH nicer than RFK in DC AND the neighborhood surrounding the stadiums is no different.
i guess you live in NW cause DC is pretty filthy in most places too. wherever govt buildings arent.
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This was my last HFStival... I went from 95-2002 and this year. It seems to get rougher and rougher up front every year, even during mellow bands like coldplay. During Foo Fighters, my girlfriend took one too many feet to the head and was pulled out by security. I followed. During the process, my shoe came off... I don't think someone pulled it off, it just got stuck on the bar. Anyways, the 'backstage' security was very nice and let me through to get to her. After the show, when I went to reclaim my shoe, the big black guy up front (who was bothering other innocent people during coldplay), jumped over the railing and kicked me as I was putting my shoe back on... So I responded 'Thanks for kicking me' while I was tieing my shoe and he started giving me all this shit for putting my shoe on... So I guess at HFStival, if your shoe comes off... You are not allowed to put it back on. I called the guy a genieus (I can't spell) and he started threatening me as I walked away. Other than that, people in the stands seemed nice, but upfront just gets more unsafe every year. This isn't really a suprise, but the security up front is pretty worthless.
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Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
[They've been compared to The Stones since day one. And you could easily argue that Aerosmith stole a lot from The Dolls. I didn't see the festival, but I saw The Dolls at a club on Friday. David is in great shape and looks terrific. I wish I had a six-pack like his. [/QB]
How long was the club set?I'm seriously considering Cleveland's show tomorrow.
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Is Baltimore filthy? I've never really noticed. I thought that it was just normal. Where do you come from anyway, Salt Lake City???
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My day at HFStival:
On the whole, quite a pleasant one actually. I thought it was definitely undersold, up until about when Social D was playing and then the place started to seem full.
I'll start with the lowlights:
1) Watching Echo and the Bunnymen's absolutely pathetic display. Why didn't Ian just cancel and give more time to the other bands? The way that guy smokes cigarettes, it's no surprise he couldn't sing. I love them, but I'll be the first to admit that he was a twat.
2) Definitely interesting to watch the teenage zombies...the HFStival is where you go if you have low self esteem because just one look at the masses should make you feel like a million bucks.
3) David Johansen looked AWFUL...I love the NY Dolls, and though they sounded great, it's just not the NY Dolls without Johnny Thunders and David is on his way to join his brother in the very near future. That was just painful to see. His arms are totally just bone, vein and skin. His face was gaunt. He could have been one of the skeleton faces from the "Appetite for Destruction" album cover.
4) Before I even set foot in the stadium, some drunk girl passed out cold on the lawn while her boyfriend was trying to get her on her feet as he was clutching a huge beer bong. The cops were on their way to bust them and he was frantically trying to get her to stand up.
Highlights:
1) They Might Be Giants playing "Fingertips". My God, that was hilarious to see.
2) Getting me and my friends up to the club level even though we only had 1 club level ticket. It was far more civilized up there...air conditioning, nice bars, clean bathrooms, sofas, shorter lines, etc. We proceeded to have some overpriced (but much needed) cocktails. I ran into Don Vito from Viva La Bam.
3) Enjoying the sun and hearing Garbage play "Vow".
4) Well or badly, when the NY Dolls came out it was the best, most rockin' part of the day (until that point).
5) Social D came out to put on an absolutely killer performance. "Prison Bound" was flawless, "Ring of Fire" fucking kicked ass. They wiped the floor with every other band that played that day. Further proof that they're the real deal. Seeing them at the 9:30 for multiple nights...Thatguy, are you teasing?? Damn. I wouldn't miss that for ANYTHING.
So I left after that and missed the other stuff. Went to Blowoff and overindulged. I'm off to see Peter Murphy tonight..should be a good show.
Concluding thought: you better know what you're getting into when you go to something like the HFStival, but in the end, you make the best of the experience. You have to think positively or else like anything you're to have a sucky ass time. I'd rather just laugh it off and make the best of it.
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my thought on the show:
Alot of great bands. Minus gc
the bravery were excelent
I was actually up front for Interpol, and the 2 friends i was with said it looked like they weren't having a good time at all. and the reason there set was so short was because the band themselves walked off the stage. I was very happy they played PDA though, that song is amazing.
They might be giants were really enjoyable too. However, I was right in the crowd for them too, and all the guys moshing were drunk out of their minds and were complete dicks. I think one of the best parts was when the keyboard player went into a song and said "This song is almost impossible to mosh to" which really pissed off the drunk guys. One of the guys even called the lead singer a Pussy. But despite these throwbacks, the band did win me over, and i'm sure the rest of the crowd really liked them.
I saw citizen cope and the washington social club. really enjoyed both.
My friend anna really wanted to see unwritten law. so we caught them and decided to go back in at 4:25 to catch garbage, which was the one band that was an absolute must on my list. However, i was very dissapointed to find out they were almost done.
Social D was good. i'm not too familar with them. but they were enjoyable
GC was just stupid
Billy Idol was very entertaining.
Coldplay was my favorite of the day. they were awesome.
Foo fighters were alright too.
Overall. Hfstival is far from the perfect concert. but i think there's always atleast one thing good about the show i get out of it that makes it a good day.
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HFs is at best a 4!! They cant even pull a line up together anymore, that will sell out a stadium. Go back to HFS 2000!! That was a show, since then never again.
When the tickets were going on sale that repeated several times on the radio that day, that this was the biggest! festival on the East Coast. Its a shame that the PR Department at HFS has never heard of Music Midtown (Atlanta) or the biggest & by far the best Bonnaroo!! in Tenn.
We went to Bonnaroo last year and will return this year with even a bigger group of us, and after 4 days of music & pure entertainment last year, you never saw one fight, heard anyone yelling or being some your ass, that cant handle a 12 oz. beer.HFS needs to hire someone who knows what bands to book, not the same old BS they been giving us for the past 5 years!!
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HFS is at best a 4!! They cant even pull a line up together anymore that will sell out a stadium. Go back to HFS 2000!! That was a show, since then never again.
When the tickets were going on sale they repeated several times on the radio that day, this was the biggest! festival on the East Coast. Its a shame that the PR Department at HFS has never heard of Music Midtown (Atlanta) or the biggest & by far the best Bonnaroo!! in Tenn.
We went to Bonnaroo last year and will return this year with even a bigger group of us, and after 4 days of music & pure entertainment last year, you never saw one fight, heard anyone yelling or being some young ass, that cant handle a 12 oz. beer.HFS needs to hire someone who knows what bands to book, not the same old BS they been giving us for the past 5 years!!
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Originally posted by SPARX:
Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
[They've been compared to The Stones since day one. And you could easily argue that Aerosmith stole a lot from The Dolls. I didn't see the festival, but I saw The Dolls at a club on Friday. David is in great shape and looks terrific. I wish I had a six-pack like his. [/b]
How long was the club set?I'm seriously considering Cleveland's show tomorrow.
It was about 1:20.
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Wow! I got to hear a little Echo after all,thanks waltmcc ;) :p
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Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
Originally posted by SPARX:
Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
[They've been compared to The Stones since day one. And you could easily argue that Aerosmith stole a lot from The Dolls. I didn't see the festival, but I saw The Dolls at a club on Friday. David is in great shape and looks terrific. I wish I had a six-pack like his. [/b]
How long was the club set?I'm seriously considering Cleveland's show tomorrow.
It was about 1:20. [/b]
Thanks!I'm sure they were even better in a club.Although it has to feel good to play in front of that many people after all they've been through.
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Originally posted by eros:
Watching these groups of guys in their standard issue outfits (wispy mustache/goatee, sideways baseball cap, wifebeater, baggy shorts down to the mid-calves with boxers sticking out the top)
the uniform of the Maryland and Virginia hinterlands!
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I'm not quite through venting yet (yeah, I got nothing better to do either), so one more thing. This was my fourth HFS, and I don't know if yesterday was worse than any other, or I've been building up over 4 HFS's. The number one problem is the surfing/moshing. The BC has a clearly visible sign as you enter (albeit a word document) that states that this behavior will not be tolerated. We all watch this take place at HFS: The surfers are passed forward, security pulls them over the fence, they run around (usually push some folks down) and do it again. It's like some amusement ride. Simply escort them out of the stadium once passed forward. Problem solved. The deterrant is clear. The moshing is even easier. If that doesn't fall under the fighting/assault legal category, I don't know what does. Escort these testosterone fueled clowns out and take 'em down town. And don't say the security doesn't exist. The amount of blue I saw holding up a wall... To anyone not a part of this moshing "culture"... that's a no brainer. I can't see how that is tolerated. On top of that, really how much would that diminish ticket sales?
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yeah, surfing and moshing are stupid. If you're up front at one of these shows nobody is even watching the band because they're too busy watching out for shoes and elbows.
But really, what do you expect from an HFS crowd?
http://www.alex.to/doomlink (http://www.alex.to/doomlink)
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I did not have a good time, but luckily I was working there and didn't have to pay.
I was technically working but my boss is really nice so I was allowed to see any bands I really wanted to see. The first band I went to was Interpol. They looked bored and didn't play very long at all and I got kicked in the head by like 2000 crowdsurfers. I did grab a boob, though.
When it started raining my boss decided to close up so I went in and caught some of Good Charlotte (mildly amusing), and then Billy Idol (entertaining, saw 6 sets of boobs), but when they stopped the show for the weather I was cold and wet and decided to give up and go home.
overall, not a horrible experience but my opinion would have been different if I had paid rather than being paid.
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yeah, i will retract some of my earlier statments about the show.
it was ok , and i would've left with an OK taste in my mouth had we left after Billy Idol. we did not, and the almost 3 hours between Idols set ending and us actually leaving the stadium made me want to murder people.
moral of the story: when it seems like its a good time to go, it is!
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Originally posted by sonickteam4:
yeah, i will retract some of my earlier statments about the show.
it was ok , and i would've left with an OK taste in my mouth had we left after Billy Idol. we did not, and the almost 3 hours between Idols set ending and us actually leaving the stadium made me want to murder people.
moral of the story: when it seems like its a good time to go, it is!
I could see where that would be a drag.Hopefully next time you'll be able to fix that.Always go with the gut feeling I say.If I don't I usually regret it.I sure have no regrets at all leaving after Social D although it did sound like Billy tried to make the most of it.Absoule breeze getting out of there and back on the road.Cool article on Mr. Idol in the new Uncut.
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It's the HFStival. Isn't it a given that this concert is filled with drunk teenaged meatheads who mosh to everyone? HFS sucks, and they've sucked for years. I'm sorry people had such a bad time, but I'm not suprised.
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i guess we all dont give up as easy as some.
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Originally posted by K8teebug:
It's the HFStival. Isn't it a given that this concert is filled with drunk teenaged meatheads who mosh to everyone? HFS sucks, and they've sucked for years. I'm sorry people had such a bad time, but I'm not suprised.
you know what though. of all the things that pissed me off on Saturday, the people there werent really the big problem.
I mean, see have to deal with worse people on the roads of the city, at the grocery store, and a lot of times at bars and other clubs. and even at work!
30,000 teenagers trying to "fit in" is not really what i would call the worst thing in the world!
its a shame that other people can ruin your good time.
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No kidding sonic....that's why i'm sticking to Coachella. (Even though I didn't get to go this year.) I really wanted to see Billy Idol, but not enough to sift through all the jocks and bikini clad drunk girls all day.
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Originally posted by K8teebug:
No kidding sonic....that's why i'm sticking to Coachella. (Even though I didn't get to go this year.) I really wanted to see Billy Idol, but not enough to sift through all the jocks and bikini clad drunk girls all day.
wait. i think you missed my point. i was saying that silly drunk girls and teenagers trying to fit in are NOT what spoiled my time and i dont understand why it does others. :)
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Opps, sorry.
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Originally posted by K8teebug:
Opps, sorry.
:) its monday.
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The unbearable lite-ness (http://snipurl.com/laughingyoga) of being.
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It was worth sitting through all the crap bands (errr okay just GC) and all the white trash to see billy idol...he was amazing. we left after him - it just felt like it was time to go. got soaked trying to flag down a cab though.
so many idiots at the festival......i guess that doesnt happen at Coachella forwhatever reason.
and to the person that said baltimore was filthy....RFK is in a way worse section of DC and last time I was there, was much more "filthy" than baltimore. sounds like a case of dc snobery to me.
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This was my 6th or 7th HFStival and I had a great time as always. I prefer RFK but Ill go to B-more any time. The sound system sounded good to me, especially the stereo on Garbages Vow, but I was in the front half of the field for the bands I wanted to see, so I cant speak for the sound in the other areas of the stadium. I am glad I went outside after The Bravery just in time to catch Citizen Cope(the only band I saw outside). It was f-ed up that the set times in the bulletin were different than the times posted on the display, but other than that HFS kept us informed if you took the time to look at the screen (not the one up front). I was also disappointed in Interpols short set, dunno what was up with them. Thanks to all who didnt give up and leave when They tried to get us out and put NRG into making the rain stop so we could experience some of the best musicians, lyricists, people of our time--Yall were shining brightly, Much Love and Respect--Thanks WHFS
P.S. I was one of those fockers wearing a wifebeater and shorts off the hip (but no ass crack :)
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Just my $.02 as well... The only band I endured the pit for was Interpol. Whom I thought were great, short, but great. All the kids surrounding me however, proceeeded to pretty much ignore the performance. I ran to get a beer before Echo played, big mistake I soon found out :D ). Garbage was good, although I'm not much of a fan. Good Charlotte was god awful. Why were they so late in the day is all I ask? And to wear your own band's shirt... Atleast I have good taste in never liking them! I really enjoyed Billy Idol & Coldplay, however IMO Social D was the absolute best. I definitely must see them if they do a club tour.
Now, my other comments. I have not been to an hfstival since '99 and now I remember why I stopped going. The crowds, the overpriced drinks and food, and the pot smoking. I could barely breath once we moved to the upper level to avoid the rain. And the youth of america had better start exercising is all I can say! I have never seen so many people who shouldn't be baring so much skin at one time in quite a while! If this is what they look like in their teens and twenties, wait until they hit their mid 30's like me.
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Originally posted by novadancer:
And the youth of america had better start exercising is all I can say!
thats very very true
remember in school when everyone used to pick on "the fat kid"??
i bet that doesnt happen anymore. now its like "haha, look at that skinny boy"
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I suffered through Jimmy's Chicken Shacks set while waiting. You know what you're in for when a band climbs on stage with Sombreros and immediately directs the the audience to scream the "F" word at the top of their lungs. I don't have virgin ears, but I tend to search for a tad more class.
Not a fan of the music but to correct you, it wasn't the band that directed the band to scream "F*ck," it was an HFS dj. Also, they had a pretty good turnout for their performance and I (gasp) actually heard lots of people complementing them--especially on their new lineup. Also, the sombreros were an addition to Mr. Haha's shirt which read, "La Roca es Muerta." Which I think was cute. I wish them the best, and hope they eventually steer their music in a more mature direction. They are very nice guys.
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I wonder...when is there going to be a 'RNR-festival?
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Originally posted by sonickteam4:
i bet that doesnt happen anymore. now its like "haha, look at that skinny boy"
They picked on the skinny boy too. Thanks a lot for reminding me. I'll send you my new therapy bills.
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Originally posted by vansmack:
They picked on the skinny boy too. Thanks a lot for reminding me. I'll send you my new therapy bills.
awww. i sorry.
we picked on the american boy in school. actually, it was the american girl. and she was fat, but the american part took precedence.
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Originally posted by sonickteam4:
we picked on the american girl. and she was fat, but the american part took precedence.
Whatever that's aboot...
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I would've killed myself if I even attended that shitty show. Billy Idol, fuck billy idol.
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Originally posted by hitmeintheface:
I would've killed myself if I even attended that shitty show.
i woulda bought you a ticket if i knew that :)
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Originally posted by sonickteam4:
Originally posted by hitmeintheface:
I would've killed myself if I even attended that shitty show.
i woulda bought you a ticket if i knew that :) [/b]
Yea, you should've man. At least it would've saved me from getting drowned at the cookoff.
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was that the same day?
wow, talk about a rock extravaganza!
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Originally posted by sonickteam4:
was that the same day?
wow, talk about a rock extravaganza!
It was saturday, right?
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washingtonpost.com
At the HFStival, an Enduring Alternative
In Baltimore, Moshing Like It's 1999
By Darragh Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 15, 2005; D01
BALTIMORE, May 14 -- Driving from Virginia Beach to Baltimore in their 1990 Oldsmobile, the dark blue station wagon with half-dozen HFS bumper stickers slathered across the back window, the Jacobs prepared themselves for the eventuality that this, their 11th HFStival, could be their last -- even though the host announced, "I guarantee you, we'll be back."
For the past decade, the family has come to this legendary day-long outdoor concert. It was, for many, the unofficial start of summer. Like many of the 40,000 concertgoers who, organizers say, bought advance tickets to Sunday's 16th annual extravaganza, the Jacobs still worried that the festival was about to disappear, much like the legendary radio station that created it.
As if in mourning, the Jacobs started to reminisce. They talked about the time Dan Jacob, now 19, got his first ear piercing in sixth grade. And the year his mom, Lisa Jacob, broke her leg and came in a wheelchair -- joining Dan, who always uses one.
And the year Dan was 12 or 13 and brought a friend, and "someone poured beer on top of us," Lisa remembers, still cringing, "and I was gonna have to bring the kid back, smelling like beer."
And the bands -- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lisa says. "Oh, yeah!" Dan answers. "Godsmack," she continues, and Dan's friend Rob Werntz says, enviously, "Ohhh. I heard they were good." Lisa continues, her long tenure with the concert only partially proved by the 1998 and 1999 HFStival T-shirts she and her other son are wearing. "Offspring, Limp Bizkit . . . Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Lint . . ." "Rage Against the Machine," Dan interrupts. "Rage," Lisa repeats, fondly. "And Third Eye Blind, the first time, when they were on the [smaller] stage," Dan says.
The concert didn't seem as crowded as in past years at the District's RFK Stadium, the Jacobs said. Even the number of vendors seemed to have shrunk -- instead of six or seven booths devoted to selling jewelry, they counted only a couple, and instead of two or three booths devoted to piercing bodies, they counted only one, and the rock-climbing wall had disappeared.
Even the Marine Corps recruiting booth wasn't the nifty obstacle course featured at last year's festival, but was, instead, a mere chin-up bar, noted a disappointed 18-year-old Clarisse Bernardes of Bethesda, who's been coming for four years and thought the festival lacked a booming crowd.
Her friend Katherine Bohannon, a 29-year-old from Alexandria who teaches guitar, said she asked her students this year if they were coming to the HFStival, thinking the answer would be, "Definitely." But the students answered, "Oh, they're still having it?"
Still, Bob Philips, a vice presidential honcho in the Infinity Broadcasting radio chain, which owns the WHFS name and the HFStival, was cheerleading Sunday's event as a great success.
In his basso, radio-announcer voice, he not only emphasized the great lineup -- including such legends as Billy Idol and the New York Dolls, but also Coldplay (a group made even more famous by its lead singer's marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow), the Bravery, Interpol, Garbage, Sum 41 and the Foo Fighters. But he also promised that the concert would return next year even though the radio station WHFS now exists only online. He raved about how "jampacked" the concert was, and how the warm, sunny weather -- still holding at midday -- appeared to bring out lines of people buying the still-available tickets.
Of course, in the HFStival's heyday, the concert sold out 60,000 seats.
Hardcore HFS fans can tune into programming called "HFS on Live 105.7," a Baltimore FM radio station, after 7 on weeknights and throughout the weekends to hear the rock music that started playing on Washington's 99.1 FM in about 1968. The station itself switched in January to Spanish-language salsa and meringue and changed its name to "El Zol." The unannounced transformation shocked the station's most devoted listeners, and Lisa Jacob, who lived in Annapolis and recently moved to Virginia Beach, where she works at a warehouse store, remembers hearing the switch while driving to the pet store. She turned the radio off, then on again, then off, then on again, thinking that if she kept it up long enough, the situation would fix itself.
Sitting inside M&T Bank Stadium, surrounded by its gigantic bowl of empty purple seats, Emmet Gallagher of Sterling, Va., watched the Bravery on the main stage below and talked about how he doesn't listen to radio because he prefers an online station out of Santa Monica. Does he log onto whfs.com, too? No. He doesn't care about the radio station, he said. The concert's appeal, he said, was "just that all the bands are here," a fact he discovered when TicketMaster sent him a "ticketAlert" e-mail.
In years past, coming to an HFStival was like seeing all those other fans who also tuned into the radio's mid-dial voices, each listening -- in the car, driving to pick up a date; in the kitchen, making ramen in the microwave; in an upstairs bathroom, while getting ready for the first day of eighth grade; at work, tarring a rooftop or changing a customer's oil.
"It was just a time for all the fans to get together -- old people, young people . . ." Lisa Jacob notes, then falls momentarily quiet, still mourning "the day the music died."
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Originally posted by Bags:
prefers an online station out of Santa Monica
The Post's favorite local concert promoter, KCRW...?
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Note to Echo fans disgusted by Ian's pathetic display: Echo management says to hold onto your HFS ticket stub. Apparently there is a reason for that. Perhaps a free Echo show? Given how amazing they were 2 nights before the Baltimore fiasco, I say it's worth it. Give 'em a second chance. Hopefully by then Ian will have it together.
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Originally posted by Bags:
Even the Marine Corps recruiting booth wasn't the nifty obstacle course featured at last year's festival, but was, instead, a mere chin-up bar
Hitmeintheface, I thought you said you weren't there?
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by Bags:
Even the Marine Corps recruiting booth wasn't the nifty obstacle course featured at last year's festival, but was, instead, a mere chin-up bar
Hitmeintheface, I thought you said you weren't there? [/b]
How many can you do?
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Hitmeintheface, I thought you said you weren't there?
Yeah, he did. Troll?
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next years should be at Merriweather....
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Originally posted by hitmeintheface:
How many can you do?
Well, I've never actually counted, but of my 3500 posts or so, I'd say at least 2750 were humorous quips so I'd say I'm good for 2750 more.
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by hitmeintheface:
How many can you do?
Well, I've never actually counted, but of my 3500 posts or so, I'd say at least 2750 were humorous quips so I'd say I'm good for 2750 more. [/b]
Well, Great job. You've managed to make an ass of yourself. That wasn't funny.
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Originally posted by hitmeintheface:
Well, Great job. You've managed to make an ass of yourself. That wasn't funny.
haha, yeah
but from now on, to try and curb the "adult language" we will say "you just made a hitmeintheface of yourself"
ok?
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Originally posted by hitmeintheface:
Well, Great job. You've managed to make an ass of yourself.
I'm quite certain that most people on this board will tell you I was an ass with little to no effort long before that comment. Frankly, I won't deny it either.
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Originally posted by sonickteam4:
but from now on, to try and curb the "adult language" we will say "you just made a hitmeintheface of yourself"
ok? [/QB]
I'm not one to laugh at Sonicks stupid jokes....But that one was damn funny. :D
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yeah, and i forgot completely about my favourite HFStival moment (9 $6 beers will do that)...i saw Rob Gee and his ladyfriend!!!!!
just for a minute in the early goings.
good to see you again sir.
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Well, I'm glad most of you won't be attending another Festival when it comes back!
I had no complaints this year as a veteran of many who would get there at 7:30 or 8 in the morning and stay late into the evening and at some Festivals be having such a good time in the lots backed up against the Anacostia that I would not even make it in when such clever bands like Voodoo Blue would come to you and play in their clandestine truck/stage thing a couple of years ago and look at them now! I knew I had made it when the "Balloon guys" showed up for the umteenth time and parked next to me and my buddies! So I managed to catch all the bands I wanted to see and more "Bacardi tent" Whew! So give your tickets away next time and quit your bitchin'!
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Originally posted by Rknrldr:
So give your tickets away next time and quit your bitchin'!
actually we just wont buy em.
(i didnt really wanna reply, i just wanted to make this a 3-pager)
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Originally posted by distance:
Originally posted by myuman:
I thought it was fine, but... Time to grab a three or four dollar water (depending on where you shopped) only to be blessed with not being allowed to keep the cap.. now what in hades name am I supposed to do with that!
thanks for the idea.
i'm going to save all my plastic bottlecaps from now on and buy the cheapest ticket i can to get into shows, sneak in said bottle caps and sell bottlecaps for $1.00 each!
i will be rich! [/b]