In the Shadow of Woodstock: Failures and Fortunes of Music Festivals

For three days in 1969, Woodstock offered peace, love, and music. Half a century later, it’sseen as the pinnacle of the hippy counter-culture movement and one of the greatest musical festivals in history. The 400,000 attendees were praised as well-behaved by authorities and the press, whilst the festival itself was described as well-organised for a volunteer event.

Woodstock was not without its problems, even if they are footnotes in its history. Bad weather, food shortages, a lack of reliable facilities, and an abundance of substance use contributed to the festival’s darker side. Perhaps they foreshadowed repeated disasters at other festivals which tried to capture the same magic as Woodstock.

Below, we shall explore three music festivals that followed in Woodstock’s flowery footprints, exploring how and why they failed, and what logistical lessons can be learnt from them.

Altamont Free Concert (1969)

A mere four months after Woodstock, the Altamont Free Concert was held on December 6^th at the Altamont Speedway, California. Arranged by the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, Altamont was meant to be Woodstock’s West Coast equivalent.  The festival switched locations twice, causing logistical problems, including the positioning of the stage. Altamont was headlined by the Rolling Stones, but it was the baffling choice in security that raised eyebrows: The Hells Angels. The notorious biker organisations were known for their violent, criminal activities are said to have been paid to guard the stage in beer.

An unruly crowd and The Hells Angels clashed throughout the festival, leading to the Grateful Dead abandoning Altamont. When the Rolling Stones played their closing set, concertgoers repeatedly tried to storm the stage. This culminated in 18-year-old Meredith Hunter, who was armed for self-protection, being fatally stabbed by a Hells Angel.

The repeated change in venue and hiring of the Hells Angels were key factors in Altamont’s failures. A British division of the organisation had peacefully policed a Rolling Stones concert in Hyde Park, suggesting their hiring was based on that lone experience. Excessive use of drugs, and alcohol, and rising tensions led to Altamont’s violent outcome. Responsibility for Altamont’s failure rests on the organisers’ shoulders, especially for hiring the Hells Angels as security.

Good security, health and safety measures are big factors for any event, but researching the best methods to conduct these practices will ensure a safe, secure experience for all.

Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival (1972)

Also known as the Bull Island Rock Festival, the 1972 music festival was promoted as being “bigger than Woodstock”. The well-intentioned organisers Tom Duncan and Bob Alexander were high off their previously successful festival, wanting immediate success. They announced the Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival as taking place in Evansville, Indiana, before they secured any permits to even host it.

Plans were made to host the new Labor Day Soda Pop Festivalat Chandler Raceway Park.The promoters were met with an injunction by Evansville’s officials, who wished to prevent the festival. In the end, numerous injunctions pushed the festival right out of the state to a small, swampy, riverside piece of land in Illinois called Bull Island. The promoters were deprived of most of their resources but pressed on.

Soon, the eagerfestivalgoers descended on Bull Island, only to find a disorganised, muddy campsite where drugs were sold freely. Most of the announced performers had cancelled, and there was little security, few food options, and only six toilet cubicles to accommodate 200,000 people. The organisers’ legal troubles and sudden location change had cost them dearly.

By the festival’s end, the few stragglers left chose to burn down the stage to express their disappointments. The mess left behind was so bad, the landowner had it bulldozed and buried, as if trying to bury the festival itself. The lawsuits that followed against the promoters lasted nine years.

Properly securing legal and political permits may have spared the promoters a world of trouble, but the stubborn obstruction of officials hampered the festival’s success. Proper communications and logistical support will ensure events can run smoothly, as butting heads will halt progress and bruise relationships.

Woodstock ’99 (1999)

Woodstock ’99, the thirtieth-anniversary celebration of the original, can easily be described as the antithesis of Woodstock. After the financial failure of Woodstock ’94, promoters Michael Lang and John Scher planned ’99, with a heavy focus on making a profit, often through high prices and cost-cutting. Instead of being on open farmland, Woodstock ’99 took place on a former air base in Rome, New York. The open, large, concrete base provided little shade for guests during gruelling summer temperatures.

Cost-cutting led to food gauging from vendors, unsanitary water and toilet facilities, and a lacklustre, opportunistic security force. The original message of “peace, love, and music” was absent, instead replaced by an often violent, unruly, and misogynistic atmosphere, fuelled by deteriorating conditions. There were numerous reports ofviolence and sexual assault across the festival, which the promoters routinely downplayed.

The crowd turned more aggressive and destructive as the festival went by. Limp Bizkit’s performance of “Break Stuff” pushed the volatile crowd to start fighting and rioting. John Scher vilified the band as responsible for the festival’s violence. The tension finally boiled over during Red Hot Chili Peppers’ performance. An anti-gun activist group, PAX, began distributing candles for a vigil of the Columbine High School massacre. At the same time, the band began playing a rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s song “Fire”, inspiring attendees to start lighting bonfires across the site.

The media and promoters fuelled rumours of a surprise final act to close the festival. Instead, it was an underwhelming laser show and footage of Hendrix’s performance from Woodstock. A large crowd of concertgoers went on a rampage, ransacking vendor tents, breaking into cash machines, setting fire to trailers, and continued acts of violence and assaults. Woodstock ’99 ended in flames, with five-hundred riot police summoned to end the violence.

The failure of Woodstock ’99 can be attributed to many terrible things that happened, but the promoters’ profit-driven decisions orchestrated its controversial ruin.

Having high prices but poor conditions will not lead to a favourable outcome.Cost cutting and expecting consumers to be satisfied with lower standards can lead to long-lasting consequences, such as affecting the quality of the experience, and demoralise those involved, and have long-term consequences. The festival effectively killed Woodstock as a brand. Michael Lang, who had co-founded Woodstock, attempted to arrange a 50^th anniversary festival. Rather fittingly, it was cancelled due to logistical and financial issues.

Conclusion

For any event to succeed, it must be carefully planned by hardworking organisers from beginning to end. Otherwise, whether it be through negligence, incompetence, or elements beyond control, these events can fail.

Project managers of UK-based Quadrant2Design, an exhibition stand design and build contractor share insights on events organisation.

“When planning events, it’s essential to stay on the ball. At Quadrant2Design, we have established procedures for each step to guarantee that everything is flawless on the day of the event. We also take a proactive approach, ensuring that any issues that may arise are addressed seamlessly.  We also prioritise keeping our clients informed and reassured throughout the entire process, from the initial concept to the final execution.”

The legacy of Woodstock is one of nostalgia, yet there are lessons to be learned from its preparation. The festivals that it inspired were often mishandled and ill-conceived. Such poor planning can make or break events, from music festivals to exhibitions, and should be handled with care, well-executed planning, and making decisions that benefit all involved.

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