Mad Cool 2019

[Gucci Piggy]

23 minutes ago, e2p2 said:

Nah, coming from a very hot country I can say that the experience was hard. Manageable, but hard. It was probably more than 27c, especially with direct sun on you. Regular preparation wasn't enough. We were expecting problems so we queued at 4p.m and we took some water but clearly not enough (500 ml for both of us) as we expected that there were carts outside the festival ground that will sell basic food/drinks (there weren't any). so when we were finally got in at 18:15 all we care for was finding / buying water and then finding some shade. 

Was very thankful that it was possible to find shade at both main stages due to the sound desks and stuff. I'd have been dying if I hadn't managed to be in the shade for Eels, Fleet Foxes, Kevin Morby and a few others.

[Gucci Piggy]

And yeah I didn't really expect any kind of festival experience from it. I was expecting it to feel like three days of a single day festival like BST or something. Was the same when I went to Lollapalooza in Berlin. Didn't care cos I was pretty much always watching something and when I wasn't it was a nice excuse to go and sit in one of the tents with a beer (although unfortunately one of these times I bumped into @the wonderwhy).

[the wonderwhy]

47 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

You’d have expected that from the off, though, right? Big corporate festival that just landed on the map a couple of years ago and all that. They provide the stages and bands and the experience is (probably) outside the gates.

Oh yeah definitely not, I knew what I was getting in to. I was just commentating because somebody else brought it up. 

46 minutes ago, 40 Days said:

Why should it? I'd say large music/sporting etc events that offer free anything are the minority these days. Huge job making that much water free of charge on a site that large too. I think part of festivalling now anywhere in the world is budgeting for water (if you drink water at a festival) throughout the time you are there.

Dude water is literally free at every large music or sporting event everywhere. 

46 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

I dont understand why you couldn't get water. I got water all day every day from the water point, even at the end of the first day (I remember having to stand through some of Kasabian's opener whilst my mate filled our bottles.

It literally was free.

Alright, they needed to make it more accessible. It got mega busy and was a bit of a trek from some places. That's fine for a bar, but it's not really on for something which people literally need to survive. 

I don't think its unreasonable to expect more than one water filling station on a site that big with that many people. 

[Dietediet]

46 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

Oh, you said announcing it before anyone else and dropping hints leading up to it. I doubt them dropping a couple of hints in the few days before was a big deal.

It actually was. With hints as explicit as those of AM and PJ, it could be considered ignoring the embargo stipulated in their contracts. And Werchter has proven that word of mouth means a lot among those booking agents.

Can't imagine LN being too happy about it neither. Sticking their necks out to get Mad Cool a semi-exclusive PJ festival show in their third edition ever, then seeing the organisers taking the piss by trying to steal the thunder of the other LN fests with both PJ and AM.

[Gucci Piggy]

15 minutes ago, the wonderwhy said:

Alright, they needed to make it more accessible. It got mega busy and was a bit of a trek from some places. That's fine for a bar, but it's not really on for something which people literally need to survive. 

Agreed it was pretty busy. When I was waiting, every time someone arrived to join the queue I said "You've arrived at panic station".

[birchtree29]

I agree with all the problems mentioned here but I don’t think they had very few activities at Mad Cool. They had an art space with fashion shows that went from 18:00-02:00 everyday, a ferris wheel, market and merchandise area with sponsor stands like game of thrones throne photo booth. Most of the activities at other festivals are designed for campers anyway

[Hey You]

When I talked about festival experience (and always compairing with NOS Alive), I wanted to point out thing like:

- the Space. Come on... In NOS Alive you have advertising tents quite close from the main stage. I remember to listen to Neil Young's "Old Man" with some stupid electro background, provided by some advertiser ... (this is just an exemple). Even when the problem is not the advertising tents, you have eletro stage quite close as well (first time Radiohead went to Alive, I could listen to a mashup between "The Pyramid Song" and a disgusting electro music. The space algo impacts in your experience in the festival: in Alive you have "one road, two directions" only. All the festival lives in the line between the Main Stage and the secondary one. In Mad Cool, you can find several "interesting" points (meaning: stages) to do what you really want to do in a festival: see live acts! In Alive, between shows, it's IMPOSSIBLE to walk in that line. Also more stages give you the chance of seeing more bands.

- Eating. No matter when, I took no longer than 15 minuts to have my meal, "propperly" lying on the ground or sitted down somewhere. In NOS Alive, between 19:00 and 21:30, it's impossible to take lesser than 45 min / 1h, which impacts in the shows you want to see;

- Bathrooms: really? in Alive, you have 2 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) sets of bathrooms: one near the main stage, the other near the secondary! How is that possible?! It's an adventure to go there by the end of one show, for instance. I remember, a few years ago, during Hot Chip show in the secondary stage, the line for girls WC took one hour (3 o'clock, when 50% had already left)

(...)

I could stay here for a while pointing out others Alive pain points. Of course, Mad Cool isn't perfect (the leaving system was a nightmare, first day was really bad, VIP are was disgusting...), but I still considering it better than Alive. But nothing against people who think Alive is better!

 

After all, we just want to have fun and to attend to mesmerizing shows! No matter where!

Edited November 8, 2018 by Hey You

[arcuse]

18 minutes ago, Hey You said:

When I talked about festival experience (and always compairing with NOS Alive), I wanted to point out thing like:

Seems like you went eating when everyone did, went to the toilet when everyone wanted to go picked out some bad spots to see bands at their NOS Stage.. I found the sound for The Weeknd in '17 absolutely terrible and overall for each set I've seen way too loud. (though I've to agree on the bathroom situation and the use of ads in and around the festival lmao, just go in between sets or when someone at the mainstage is playing, then there should be basically not many people using the toilets).

I could vividly remember that the area around Palco Sagres was always less populated so easier to sit, eat and chill than the mainstage area, which is.. normal? With three big stages against around 7, it's normal that the space at NOS feels compacter and smaller.. cause it actually is? I mean some of your points are valid but Mad Cool is on a lot of points just bigger compared to NOS Alive.

Anyways totally off topic ofcourse.

[Hey You]

 The main problem there is the space: preety overcrowded, and the conditions are the same of the first edition. You can't double sold tickets and maintain the same conditions. I had a blast of Alive experiences in the first 5 / 7 years. I can name more than a dozen of memorable shows (exactly what Mad Cool gives).  After that, sorry... I feel it deserved a better and bigger space (and I'm not even talking about that wind orgy that sometimes made me feel like I wanted to rent a plastic boat and go the river to properly catch the sound). And well... as I said, last time there was in 2016, but as far as I can remember, I didn't eat when everyone did, I didn't go to the toilet when everyone wanted ... But you keep your opinion, I keep mine  End of OT for me.

Edited November 8, 2018 by Hey You

[dentalplan]

On 10/20/2018 at 11:39 AM, dentalplan said:

Doctor Music ffs. Is it important for new Spanish festivals to have names that are embarrassing for English speakers?

Following on from this; I just saw a banner ad for a Madrid festival called 'Don't Let Daddy Know 2019'.

What

[the wonderwhy]

4 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

Following on from this; I just saw a banner ad for a Madrid festival called 'Don't Let Daddy Know 2019'.

What

they're all over https://dldk.com/

[dentalplan]

3 minutes ago, the wonderwhy said:

they're all over https://dldk.com/

Fuck that

edit: Don't Let Daddy Know Scotland ahhhh

Edited November 8, 2018 by dentalplan

[ConorC]

After reading some of the posts in the last couple of pages, as someone who queued up for 2 hours to get in on the Thursday this year can I just say that anyone who waltzed in and cut the queue is an absolute bellend.

'Being willing to have abuse thrown at you' isn't grounds to do everyone else over is it. Queue is there for a reason lads.

[Username taken]

12 minutes ago, ConorC said:

After reading some of the posts in the last couple of pages, as someone who queued up for 2 hours to get in on the Thursday this year can I just say that anyone who waltzed in and cut the queue is an absolute bellend.

'Being willing to have abuse thrown at you' isn't grounds to do everyone else over is it. Queue is there for a reason lads.

100% this. I stood in the queue and watched as people jumped in much further up.  Dickheads.

[DDave]

31 minutes ago, ConorC said:

After reading some of the posts in the last couple of pages, as someone who queued up for 2 hours to get in on the Thursday this year can I just say that anyone who waltzed in and cut the queue is an absolute bellend.

'Being willing to have abuse thrown at you' isn't grounds to do everyone else over is it. Queue is there for a reason lads.

As much as the line up is amazing, I'd much rather take a lesser line up elsewhere with better organisation. Not having to queue to get in, to get a beer or have a piss makes everything so much better and far more enjoyable.

[AAlex]

51 minutes ago, ConorC said:

After reading some of the posts in the last couple of pages, as someone who queued up for 2 hours to get in on the Thursday this year can I just say that anyone who waltzed in and cut the queue is an absolute bellend.

'Being willing to have abuse thrown at you' isn't grounds to do everyone else over is it. Queue is there for a reason lads.

Fair enough mate, granted reading that back I probably did make it/me sound a bit worse than it actually was, I remember Slaves had just come on when we got outside and the first act we saw was Fleet Foxes so looking at clashfinder it must've been at least 90 minutes. 'prepared to have abuse thrown at you' was more if someone didn't turn up at the right time or come in from the right entrance you could still get straight in if you wanted to, rather than me personally.

[Username taken]

Bon Iver announcement imminent?

[birchtree29]

 

[Username taken]

Oooh, Vampire Weekend!

[birchtree29]

Wow this was totally unexpected. Vampire Weekend is a big get!

[DDave]

VAMPIRE WEEEEEEEKEND!!

[neacaisa]

amazing for me!

[birchtree29]

Let's see who else will get Vampire Weekend this year. I think they will be at a lot of festivals

[AAlex]

That is a strong name to be able to announce first! I'm sure they knew everyone would assume it was Bon Iver, like when they posted Seattle co-ordinates last year and it wasn't Pearl Jam.

[neacaisa]

10 minutes ago, birchtree29 said:

Let's see who else will get Vampire Weekend this year. I think they will be at a lot of festivals

i wouldn't rule them out for primavera yet, for example.

for me it's a great start tbh, not very expensive bands, looks like they have at least 2 headliners spots left for bands that haven't announced a tour yet. it's shaping up nicely overall. 

Edited November 9, 2018 by neacaisa