Mad Cool 2018

[neacaisa]

2 minutes ago, alexlloyd said:

Are you here for any of the other days then? 

no, bought 2 tix in the winter and then sold them after settling for werchter instead.

[bryano1000]

The setting and aesthetics are amazing. But everything else is a disaster. Basically anything you want has massive queues. There's two actual toilets in the guys toilets. Two. And the wait for a drink is insane. Who signed off on these plans?

[AAlex]

If If anyone’s struggling near the big stages go in that tent... just walked in on a band clashing with post Malone and PJ and bars empty..: walked straight to front 

[Gnarler]

Jesus. I'm so sorry to hear this guys. 

Just saw Jack White at Cruilla in Barcelona and it was fucking beautiful. If the festival is still standing tomorrow you're in for a treat.

Monkeys were excellent at Primavera too, just make sure you bag a good spot near the sound desk or at least directly in front of the stage as their sound can be a bit iffy otherwise.

 

Enjoy.

[dave0h]

The queue when I arrived was fairly long but we got through in about 20 minutes. It'll be nice to avoid that on the way in tomorrow. 

I'll echo above comments about the bar.. that was my only real issue besides the lengthy walk from the metro.

It took me 40 minutes to get served and there was about 5-6 people ahead of me. Even early in the day when there was no lines it still took a bartender a few minutes to pour a beer and get a water. I hope everyone else spotted those mobile beer servers later in the day like I did. 

Music was too notch. Eels, FIDLAR, Tame Impala, Washed out, PJ ( from afar) and Kasabian were all great. Especially Kasabian - met my long awaited expectations.

[Dom Wall]

The sound seems to be great, which is one positive. However, unless you're staying relatively near the metro stop in Madrid getting home is a pain - walk or wait 20+ mins for an Uber. Bit of a negative but hey ho!

[HollyB]

I have to say this is without a doubt the worst festival I have ever been to. I arrived at home over 11 hours after I left. I think around 4 hours were spent commuting there and back (from central Madrid), around 5 hours spent queueing, and about 2 hours seeing music. People got so frustrated with the hours waiting in the sun to get in, they tore fences down. That was actually a festival highlight. There was more people queuing to get water than watching Kasabian. I got excited because the line seemed to die down around 2.30am. It was because the water ran out. There was no toilet paper any time I went.

 

I have never seen such a disorganised, chaotic mess of a festival. I'm considering forfeiting the next 2 days in so disgusted. It's an absolute joke and they should not be allowed to hold festivals. 

[HollyB]

4 minutes ago, Dom Wall said:

The sound seems to be great, which is one positive. However, unless you're staying relatively near the metro stop in Madrid getting home is a pain - walk or wait 20+ mins for an Uber. Bit of a negative but hey ho!

The sound seemed really bad to me until Pearl Jam came on. And my network was jammed so I couldn't get Uber and it took around 2.5 hours to get back to the centre. And that's after waiting about 2 hours to get in and queuing crazy times for beer and food and them seeming to have no toilet paper or water. I don't know if I'll even go the next 2 days despite having a ticket. It is woeful.

[ThisIsHappening]

I’m guessing the delay letting everyone in was an issue with the scanners. When you have 80k people that’s something you really need to have sorted out in advance. 

The lineup saved the fest because I can’t see myself going back unless they somehow manage to match this. 

[seantizz]

Hi all,

Think all of your comments are more than justified, i’m over here and will be submitting the eFestivals review. 

At the moment, ‘overpriced shambles with very little ongoing concern for their punters’ will be the main thrust of my review.  

I’m also very tempted not to head across tonight. It’s harder work than I ever want a festival to be. 

Ler’s be positive and hope that it all gets better from here on in though!! 

Keep your views coming and i’ll Look to incorporate them in my final piece. 

Cheers,

Sean

 

 

[Wooderson]

Myself and the Nal followed matters like General Melchett observing his barren wasteland on Twitter from the relative comfort of our hotel bar’s terrace. Got hotel shuttle to IFEMA at 10.30pm and walked straight in. PJ and Justice were ace.

[ThisIsHappening]

At the end of the day the lineup still saved this for me, but I think yesterday shows why they should have stuck to the original plan of 65k instead of 80k. You can’t nearly double your capacity, in a different venue and not run into logistical problems. 

What I think the organizers will find though is that people came for the lineup and that they don’t have the years of good will and brand loyalty that Primavera has. 

[Wooderson]

The heat today is supposed to be pretty gnarly. Someone could get really ill standing for a further 4 hours in the sun.

[Andrej]

At first thought this was the worst organised festival i ever been to, and i've been to a lot both in the US and Europe. then things improved a bit once inside, cause it really looks beautiful, layout is great. it is a masssive Coachella ripoff, but still very very nice.

lines everywhere are monstrous. everything you need, food, drinks, piss, you'll wait for 30 mins minimum. Getting inside was solid hell, around hour and a half. At one point it looked like there are 2 security guards on every 5,000 people. Just ridiculous. 

Sound is very good though. One of the best at any festival.

Also, too many people at such a relatively small festival ground. If doing a fest for 80-85k per day, you do need way more space.

 

 

[Cactusgirl]

Definitely the worst organised festival have ever been to. Was bragging to my mate who came that European festivals were so much better organised, no queuing for bar etc...

Queued over an hour outside the site to go through security. Was feeling so excited to get through to then see another huge queue for wristbands. Queued for over an hr there. Got in and then another massive queue at the bar.

Basically got to the site about 7:15pm and took to 10pm to get first beer.  

Luckily Pearl Jam and Kasabian were just incredible. 

Got back via the metro which was not crowded at all but it only went to the end of the line- our stop would have been Colombia which was annoying.

If you came by metro did you even go through security to get in??? By train there was but couldn't see anything on way back.

[thewayiam]

7 minutes ago, Andrej said:

At first thought this was the worst organised festival i ever been to, and i've been to a lot both in the US and Europe. then things improved a bit once inside, cause it really looks beautiful, layout is great. it is a masssive Coachella ripoff, but still very very nice.

lines everywhere are monstrous. everything you need, food, drinks, piss, you'll wait for 30 mins minimum. Getting inside was solid hell, around hour and a half. At one point it looked like there are 2 security guards on every 5,000 people. Just ridiculous. 

Sound is very good though. One of the best at any festival.

Also, too many people at such a relatively small festival ground. If doing a fest for 80-85k per day, you do need way more space.

 

 

It's alright having good sound if you can get in to hear it. All the reviews very much put me off.

Your Coachella ripoff statement us interesting though 

[maelzoid]

After 1 day at MadCool I am utterly appalled at the organisation of it. The amount of queueing is frankly depressing and after the high of a great act (PJ we’re on top form - wonderful) it’s such a buzzkill.

I just can’t get over how badly the bars are organised. The beers are not overpriced at E9 for 90cl - but basically you have a nightclub style set up with a five deep scrum to get served... and then after 30 minutes you have to fight back through the scrum to get out.

Only one water point and that too was a scrum. 

Queues for food too even at 2am. Simply not enough outlets for the capacity and having them all clustered together makes it  harder work.

They also take food and drink off you on entering the site which is frankly horrible - not just alcohol but they’re confiscating water!

And the golden circles are awful. Empty for everything but the headliner and drawing comments from the acts themselves!

I’m enjoying myself, but they’re not making it easy for me...

[maelzoid]

They are now advertising an early bird ticket for 2019. E145. That’s a great price if the lineup matches this year but I have no intention of coming again! 

[The Nal]

Didnt find the queues bad. You just have to time things. Got food in 90 seconds during Pearl Jam and a beer in 2 mins. No queue for wine. Toilets seemed ok. Small queues and very clean.

Theres obviously going to be queues if you try do everthing when the main acts finish. Like trying to go to the toilet and get food at half time at a footie game.

I like the set up. Sound is the bizzle. 

[AndrewSmith]

Very mixed views from the group of 20 of us, all staying in different areas of Madrid.

For us it’s a 10 minute Uber and we left at 5 to collect our wristbands hoping to see slaves. Although the Uber queue was short there were only 2 security staff and they didn’t start letting people through until 17:45! We missed almost the entire set where a lot of their ticket scanners weren’t working.

€15 euros for about a litre of Vodka + Lemonade isn’t bad, can’t remember the beer price. No queues early on but then queued for an hour during Fleet Foxes so missed their set and the beginning of Tame Impala.

No water refill points and the bar staff seemed to get quite angry with us when we asked.

VIP areas are ridiculous and Kevin Parker from Tame Impala made a few comments on it. All were empty other than for PJ as far as I could see.

Pearl Jam were awesome although we were right at the back by the bar. We started to head over to Kasabian when PJ went for the encore, worked much better as we were at the front for when they came on. 

We left after that, wasn’t worth queuing for more beers and I think we were all exhausted from the heat / chaos of the day.

Took nearly an hour to get an Uber as the app kept coming up with an error and the police were blocking a lot of roads. Any tips from anyone travelling back after the festival?

 

Hopefully today they’ll rectify a lot of the issues!

[maelzoid]

Getting food while Pearl Jam are on?!?!

It’s like you don’t know me at all!

Seriously though, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want a beer, a bite and watch bands.... every other fest I’ve been to has managed it. 

[The Nal]

3 minutes ago, maelzoid said:

Getting food while Pearl Jam are on?!?!

It’s like you don’t know me at all!

Seriously though, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want a beer, a bite and watch bands.... every other fest I’ve been to has managed it. 

Try getting food and a beer just after a Glastonbury headliner finish in one of the stalls at the Pyramid Stage. Same.

I got a beer after PJ too. No queue. And water from the same bar. 

If theres a 45 minute queue, dont queue. 

[robmongascy]

I can’t say I found the ques that bad considering how long I’ve waited to get into Download and Reading some years. I said to the other half at least we weren’t waiting that long carrying camping equipment 

the one thing that really bothered me was that none of the food stalls sold any type of drink. You’d think by law they’d have to at least supply water.

Do they not let you bring any of your own water on site? Even if it’s a sealed bottle?

Edited July 13, 2018 by robmongascy

[maelzoid]

1 minute ago, robmongascy said:

I can’t say I found the ques that bad considering how long I’ve waited to get into Download and Reading some years.

the one thing that really bothered me was that none of the food stalls sold any type of drink. You’d think by law they’d have to at least supply water.

Do they not let you bring any of your own water on site? Even if it’s a sealed bottle?

No. My friend had her water taken off her. Then she had to queue over an hour for wristbands! In the heat! Before getting in and having access to water / drinks.

 

[JSmurphy]

State of Love and Trust tho