The early indicators had been there. A number of Australian music festivals scheduled for the Down Below summer time months had been cancelled. Then phrase began to return out of Britain about extra festivals that wouldn’t occur due to numerous monetary and logistical points.
However the largest wake-up name got here when Coachella 2024 did not promote out immediately like in years earlier than. It took months to promote all of the tickets for the primary weekend; at the same time as late as this previous Thursday, tickets had been nonetheless out there for the second weekend, one thing that might have by no means occurred previously.
And it’s not simply Coachella. There appears to be an amazing lack of enthusiasm for nearly each main pageant this summer time. Lollapalooza has gone all hip-hop and pop. Aside from the Pink Sizzling Chili Peppers, Bonnaroo’s lineup doesn’t really feel very thrilling. Osheaga has Inexperienced Day, Noah Kahan, and SZA, however lacks the celebrity punch of earlier years. Similar factor with Pageant d’Été de Québec.
There have even been moans about Glastonbury, a pageant that sells out in hours, months earlier than anybody is aware of who can be performing. “These are the perfect headliners you will get?” appears to be the dominant grievance. Oh, it’ll nonetheless be the mud-and-booze-and-drugs riot it at all times is, however I doubt that Glastonbury 2024 will make anybody’s prime 10.
So what’s the issue? Why are so many main music occasions affected by a “meh” downside? A number of causes.
It is the top of funflation
Going to a pageant prices loads. Between the value of a day or weekend cross, you might want to get to the positioning (typically an actual problem), discover lodging (in case you’re not the tenting kind or if that’s not out there), after which reserve money for meals, drink, and merch.
TikTok is stuffed with messages about foods and drinks costs (US$64 for 2 burritos and a juice and US$28 for a double vodka). Which may have been doable within the period of funflation, that post-COVID time when many people determined to make up for the lockdown years by spending no matter was essential to journey and have enjoyable. We could have reached our limits on that — a minimum of so far as music festivals go.
Gen Z is not enjoying alongside
Boomers, Gen X and Millennials had been all avid festival-goers. Gen Z? Possibly not a lot. “Era Wise,” as they’ve been known as, isn’t into the get together life-style as a lot as their predecessors — a minimum of they don’t see this as a precedence. Even those that do go to a pageant, a research says that simply 5 per cent of Gen Z is happy about ingesting alcohol or doing medicine.
The e-mail you want for the day’s
prime information tales from Canada and around the globe.
This tracks with different issues I’ve noticed about this era. They’re all about residing wholesome and interesting in social points.
And though members of this cohort like hanging with their associates, they like to remain inside their small circle, a snug community of like-minded associates. And this circle doesn’t should be IRL; they are often digital associates, individuals with whom they solely work together on-line. It’s potential mixing in with giant teams of strangers makes them really feel uncomfortable.
In the meantime, Boomers, Gen X, and even many older Millennials are achieved with standing in a area for a weekend.
There’s an rate of interest downside
Festivals thrived all through the 2010s when rates of interest had been low, making it simple for promoters to borrow the start-up capital to stage a pageant. These days are gone. Until you could have actually deep pockets (or have entry to Saudi Arabian cash), you’re both being pushed out of enterprise or received’t even trouble attempting to start out a pageant.
We now have a giant music downside
I’ll say it for the one-thousandth time: The music business has achieved a fully awful job of making new superstars for the twenty first century when put next with a long time previous. Those that do exist — Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, et al — don’t want the effort and restriction of showing at festivals. They will make oodles extra money and have extra management by launching their very own headlining excursions. For instance, Bey was paid US$4 million for her 2018 Coachella gig in 2018. She will be able to gross a number of instances that for every present she performs when she excursions alone.
Heritage acts from the Nineteen Nineties and earlier — suppose Madonna, Inexperienced Day, blink-182, Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Device, Pearl Jam — know this, too. They might moderately exit on the street by themselves than be burdened with cutting down a present for a pageant look. On the similar time, the super-heritage acts like The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and The Eagles are moving into their 80s. Suppose they wish to spend a weekend at a pageant? There are different older acts to select from, however they’re (a) not going to get Boomers out of their homes; (b) not interesting to younger pageant followers; and (c) dying off.
So who’s left? Artists who previously could be thought of giant cult acts. Lana Del Rey a Coachella headliner? I imply, she’s good, however that is Coachella slot as soon as crammed by the likes of Eminem, Weapons N’ Roses, Girl Gaga, AC/DC, Radiohead, and Muse. Tyler, The Creator, one of many prime names at Lollapalooza? Fred Once more.. within the large font on the Bonarroo poster? Pageant promoters want to determine tips on how to get these A-level performers on their facet once more.
Complicating matter is that Gen Z, which grew up with immediate entry to tens of thousands and thousands of songs on Spotify, are vastly fickle in the case of music. Are they into rock? Possibly at this time, however then tomorrow, it’ll be all about hip-hop. Or pop. Or EDM.
Huge festivals are booked utilizing the “inexperienced bananas” precept. The objective is to signal younger, rising acts that can hopefully be exploding simply because the pageant weekend rolls round. They could be in a small font on the poster when tickets go on sale however might transfer up just a few factors by the point the gates open. What outcomes are pageant lineups which might be largely made up of second-, third-, and fourth-tier acts. Promoters want higher crystal balls in the event that they’re going to guide acts that can enchantment to numerous Gen Zers.
Music continues to get narrower and narrower in the case of enchantment. At present’s largest acts are nowhere close to as large as acts was once again within the day (Taylor Swift and Beyoncé excepted). Within the Nineteen Sixties, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, file labels prepped and promoted just a few acts for the lots. At present, know-how has lowered the entry barrier so low that anybody can launch and distribute their music globally. The issue is that over 100,000 new songs get uploaded to the streaming music companies every single day.
There’s no centre to music anymore, no consensus, no act that everybody is aware of and may sing a minimum of just a few music lyrics. Ask any random dozen individuals to call songs by SZA.
So are festivals going extinct? Not the large ones. They’re well-funded and have sufficient historical past to maintain the momentum going for some time. There are additionally many smaller specialised occasions that draw modest by diehard crowds.
Personally, I’d contemplate going to Merciless World in Pasadena, Calif., on Might 11 to get my repair of traditional different bands like Duran Duran, Blondie, Easy Minds, and Comfortable Cell. Sonic Temple in Columbus sounds excellent for steel and exhausting rock followers (Disturbed, Pantera, Slipknot, Judas Priest, Sum 41, Royal Blood, and a pair dozen extra.) Las Vegas has Sick New World (System of a Down, Alice in Chains, Primus, Killing Joke, Lamb of God, and plenty of extra). Napa Valley’s Bottlerock has booked Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Stevie Nicks, and Queens of the Stone Age, amongst others. And in case you’re an outdated emo child at coronary heart, When We Had been Younger can be again in Las Vegas this fall with My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Fall Out Boy, Easy Plan, and a military of others.
Otherwise you may wish to take a music-themed cruise (Monsters of Rock, The 80s Cruise, Emo’s Not Lifeless, Rock the Bells, Headbangers Boat, Soul Prepare, The Outlaw Nation Cruise, The Final Disco Cruise, and the 700,000 Tons of Metallic Cruise.
Festivals can be with us for some time. It’s simply that they aren’t what they was once, you understand? Now get off my garden.
—
Alan Cross is a broadcaster with Q107 and 102.1 the Edge and a commentator for International Information.
Subscribe to Alan’s Ongoing Historical past of New Music Podcast now on Apple Podcast or Google Play