Blue Ridge Rock Fest's New Statement Is GARBAGE
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- It's been almost 3 months since the disastrous Blue Ridge Rock Festival, and there's finally a new statement addressing the fans' concerns as to what's going to happen with the entire situation.
00:00 Intro / Story Background
01:52 Providing A Resolution
04:34 Why They've Been Silent
06:38 Still Only Blaming Storms
07:37 A Big Nothing Burger
09:09 A Pattern Of Disaster
10:09 People Need To Be Held Accountable
12:21 What I Think Will Happen
13:50 Outro
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#blueridge #blueridgerockfest #roadiereactions #tankthetech
What do you guys think? Are people going to get refunds from the Blue Ridge Fest?
Charge backs are basically the only course of action at this point, just hope whoever is handling it has heard of this situation.
hell no. I am amazed they even released a statement. Means they must be trying for a BRF 2024
They will drag it out for so long that people will forget about that refund.
@@jbblsb29 This ^
They filed an insurance claim, claim was denied by the insurance company. Festival Lawyers are appealing, they are hoping that either people will forget and move on or insurance claim will be approved. Meanwhile lawyers are getting paid and concert goers are not.
For those who don't work backstage in the music industry, just know that the smoking gun here is the fact that the entire local stage crew walked off. I've been a stagehand since 2010 and worked countless arena shows, stadium shows, and multi day outdoor festivals, sometimes in extreme weather including 117 F heat and freezing rain. No matter how rough it got, I have never seen the entire crew walk off a gig. On a handful of gigs I've seen one or two people go "Fuck this, I'm out" and leave, but never the entire crew of over a hundred people. What that tells me is that it must have been unimaginably bad.
Honestly, the "one port-a-potty for 100+ people" situation was probably the final straw. That's fucking disgusting. I've fractured a finger at work and finished load out with a splint on it, I've pulled 300 feet of feeder cable in snow, but one port-a-potty for over a hundred people would probably cause me to walk off a gig for the first time ever. Thank you for calling this out, because by Grabthar's hammer, what a shitshow.
Beautiful reference. Rip Rickman.
@@zakkmylde1712 The stagehands I work with say "By Grabthar's hammer... what a shitshow!" or "By Grabthar's hammer... this is bullshit" all the time. (We actually generally like our job quite a bit, but snarky gallows humor is just part of backstage work.) It makes me so happy that Galaxy Quest is finally being recognized as the classic movie that it is.
@@GonzoCiosain I loved it from the day I saw it in the theater and was not appreciated anywhere near what it deserved at the time. Now if only Evolution could catch on the same way.
@@zakkmylde1712 Weirdly enough I've never seen that movie but I watched the Saturday morning cartoon spinoff as a kid.
@@GonzoCiosain its definitely worth the watch Sean William Scott and Orlando Jones are absolutely hilarious, the whole cast is honestly but those two steal every scene they are in.
Personally I think people should file a lawsuit against this. At this point it seems like Blue Ridge is just not doing anything that’s going to be fair for anyone
I wasn't there, so I can't personally comment, but a class action lawsuit seems like it would likely work.
Seems like they're literally saying, "guys, we're working on it with our insurance, we will be in touch".
Can’t do class action lawsuits in Virginia. That’s their loophole.
From what people were saying, here in Virginia you can't do class action lawsuits.
Probably why it was done here
Thank you for the bit on Virginia. I truly had no idea.
"We have finally reached a resolution. We are pleased to offer those affected by the 23 blueridge rock festivals cancelation a complimentary 1 day pass to blueridge rock fest 2024. We apologize for the delay and thank our fans for their support in these trying times."
I would put money on the resolution being along these lines!
My guess is a free "I survived brrf23" t-shirt and complementary lanyard.
Who tells you Blue Ridge 2024 will be better? If it will happen...🤔🤔🤔Maybe they are bancrupt or no band wants to return to that desaster...
I agree... That has been their go to the past several years... It's not going to get better people wake up.
You’d be right because they pulled this exact move after everyone was upset in 2021 and rolled over their passes for 2022
@ChestneyChiller Its typical. In terms and conditions when you buy, they have a clause saying no refunds in the event of incliment weather etc. They usually just give you a day pass or whatever to "make up for it". Couldnt even give me a pass for this shit show.
I guarantee “Resolutions” means free or heavily discounted tickets for next year instead of refunds. Me personally, I won’t be going back for another year of trauma 😂
a festival being cancelled is trauma to you 😂 you need help mate
@joeslowgon4096 are you willfully ignorant? Or just willing to speak out of incidental ignorance?
OP is probably referring to the piles of garbage and human waste like the dark ages, rather than a day being canceled.
They also used "partial cancellation" at the beginning of the statement so you are probably right.
@@joeslowgon4096Maybe the trauma is campsites being destroyed, dangerous weather, people literally dying....
I live nearby and know alot of people who go/work the festival. Every year they try to convince me to go. Every year they swear "No no no they got it together now. It's better this year. It's better because X, Y, or Z. Totally guy, you gotta go!"
Every year, *gestures broadly*
I work in insurance and that’s bullshit. There is not a non disclosure clause in policies. That is either excuses from them or their lawyer.
I was gonna say doesnt this borderline on insurance fraud? since they did not actually need to close from the weather?
Depends, if litigation started, you absolutlety should shut the hell up.
@@wallysnakes2690 - can always argue that they truly did believe that the weather conditions were a danger to life... proving that they didn't believe that would be hard unless there are internal memos saying that they are cancelling because it was a shitshow and that they can use the weather as an excuse. Fraud seems very hard to prove here.
That’s what I would think.
@@wallysnakes2690it's deff fraud.
"Partial cancellation" and "resolution" makes it sound like they are looking for an excuse to weasel out of refunds.
As someone who lives locally near this event i am saddened. It was so great to have such a big festival so close to my house. And they have embarrassed us horrifically.
The fact that it's been 4 months since it happened and nobody has shown even the slightest hint of responsibility for what happened and still not refunded anyone yet is what annoys me the most and I wasn't even there. But then, to go on their website and see them advertising for 2024 with extremely high prices without there being any lineup, it goes to show that they don't care about what happened or about the people they let down at all. Yes weather happened, welcome to earth, but bands play during rain and storms all the time, and events/festivals cancel their festivals all the time because of weather, so why did Blue Ridge Rock Festival not cancel anything and how did it all fall apart so badly, why haven't they said anything about that 4 months later. Like maybe if they did take some responsibility and begin the refund period, then they could be forgiven already to an extent, but there's just nothing and this statement solidifies exactly what kind of people they are.
I disagree. Lots of bad decisions were made due to some very poor planning, organization, etc. That is not sugarcoated, that is truth. If they were to up and admit "yeah, we screwed up, none of this should have ever happened" there would be no insurance, no chance for any refund, not a chance that the screwed bands will be paid, etc. While we can speculate what is going to happen with the insurance claim all day long... if it was not weather, there is no insurance and I will tell you right now, without any insurance payment there is absolutely NO chance anyone is going to get a dime or even as much as a comp ticket. We have every right to vent, be pissed and more, but the fact is, no insurance, all go home with nothing. No weather and / or misstatements to the masses means no insurance.
My nephew and I came so close to going to this year's BRRF but decided we were a bit too broke to afford it. First time I've ever been thankful for being broke 😄
Great work, Tank.
I’d like to add some comments to Blue Ridge addressing this as a *weather* situation.
For context/qualification, I am a 41 year old storm chaser with over 20 years experience. I have served on safety boards for major music events in my local area, helping provide weather decision support. Specifically, I served on the boards of the 2016 & 2017 Great Jones County (Iowa) Fair, serving in the capacity of advisor’s assistant and storm spotter. Both of those fairs had attendance numbers in the 50-60,000 range…same as Blue Ridge.
Basically, I helped the weather advisor gather weather data, helped interpret it, and posted up during these events and reported hourly weather observations.
I helped meet with insurance reps, local stagehand crews, bands & their tour staff, the county sheriffs as well as Iowa State Patrol to help provide fans with as safe an environment as we could possibly muster.
Blue Ridge is playing a dangerous game by calling this a weather-related issue.
If even one person files suit claiming they were injured as a result of the weather at that festival, they’re in a world of hurt legally.
Why is that? There’s legal precedent over injured persons at festivals & sporting events.
The Indiana State Fair stage collapse in 2011…7 dead.
Also, The Georgia Dome was struck by a tornado DURING AN SEC TOURNAMENT basketball game in 2008, with multiple injuries.
They better watch themselves, because if what I mentioned before happens, then these announcements will be the legal base for anyone filing suit because it proves that Blue Ridge decision makers acknowledge that dangerous weather happened during their festival, and still did not do enough to ensure people’s safety.
Dang, that's a lot of wild and good info! Thanks!
I have a serious question about this. My brother had a cast on his hand whenever he went, and during the storm it got soaked, and the local EMT's (bless their souls) had to try and at least wrap it, but they told us to go to the hospital. Whenever we went to leave, I met up with a worker, and a security guard; telling my brother, my wife and I that we weren't allowed back in even after being told to go to the hospital to fix his broken hand. Is he eligible to file a suit?
Thank you for continuing to cover this!
I email Blue Ridge every week to ask for a 2023 refund. I also purchased tickets for 2024 on the Friday before 2023 was cancelled… they continue to take my money even though I ask them to cancel my 2024 order in the same email…
You are the voice. Please don’t stop talking about this. Thanks again.
Happy New Year!
I was also unfortunate enough to buy tickets that Friday....they are no longer accepting payments on the payment plan, when I called Etix I was told they are working on a resolution and its something going on with Blueridge...its been 3 weeks of silence since I have been unable to make a payment.
I would assume that bands and booking agents would be in the process of booking for the festival. With everything relatively fresh on the minds, which sane manager would even try to get on the lineup? As you so often say, communication within the touring industry is close, and in my mind there should be red alert alarms going off with the message of "avoid at all costs"
You'd think that. But you'd also think after the previous versions of the festival, nobody would have gone back either. Money talks.
If payment is secure, tour busses be Rollin in. @@TankTheTech
Yeah everyone knew about the disastrous 2021 fest. Our tour bus got stuck in the mud where they instructed us to park but refused to help get it unstuck, just left us high and dry. I can’t believe this clown show is still a thing, but we live in a world where you can currently buy tickets to the next Fyerfest
@@adamtaylor9270I didn't know anything about BRRF until going this year, so it's very easy with the right marketing.
@@TankTheTech Yeah here in Mexico we have Hell and Heaven festival that has always been a shit show with bad organization, tons of cancelations, delays and everthing in between, that doesn't deter Slipknot to go and perform there every year becaus they pay them a lot.
You've got a voice that majority of us don't in the industry, so thank you for not letting this go easy. This was my third year in a row going, every year had issues but this year was the final straw.
I would love to see a lawsuit go forward against this scam company. Keep spreading the word.
I was reading a news article about this statement from a local VA news outlet. It said that there had been "hundreds" of complaints about the festival filed with the state attorney general's office.
Did anyone else notice that they said "abandonment insurance" when they denied the stagehands walking off and originally told us it was all weather?😂
And if it ain't the weather, there ain't no insurance... just sayin'... hint, it was the weather.
@@darrenallen8215 there was definitely 1.5 days of weather regardless of what they tell you I was standing with the head of security when they delayed Saturday and there was a MASSIVE storm coming... however it wound up missing the venue and his guess was to start at 3-4pm and be fine all night...right around then the stagehands quit and they cancelled Sunday also
One of the festivals I regularly go to had its sunday cancelled because of expected bad weather. Two days later they announced they would be refunding a third of the ticket price (it was a 3 day festival) And within two months it was automatically refunded through Ticketmaster, no action required. That is great customer service. The way Blue Ridge handles this doesn't give a lot of confidence in a good outcome at all.
That’s not “customer service,” from Ticketmaster. That is them doing what they are contractually obligated to do. They are a horrible company. Glad you got some money back though, it must’ve been very cut and dry for them to partially refund no questions asked.
I had tickets to this years Wacken and couldnt get on the campground tuesday when i drove up there (it was a 8 hour car ride for me). Not only did i get a full refund but i also got priority for next years tickets and could order them before it was open to the public. THAT is customer service in my oppinion
@@kdean509 Never said it was. It's good customer service from the festival. Ticketmaster just handles the ticket sales, and in this case the refund, on their behalf. The decision was made by local authorities (together with festival organizers) after warnings by our national weather service. So I guess it was pretty easy.
I just recently was told by my bank that my charge back was denied for BRRF. Kinda lost hope. No reason given other then they didn’t find any problem with there service they provided. :(
Man, I'm sorry to hear that.
There has to be irrefutable photo and video evidence of the negligence and incompetence that went on there, not to mention all of the testimony of the employees, fans, and the bands/crews that were affected. It boggles the mind that they're clearly still thinking they will get away with this. When you kept reading the word "resolution" I immediately thought that was shady as f***. It's difficult to feel confident that they will man up and take responsibility.
I just looked at their website and there isn't even a lineup for 2024. I just wonder which bands (especially those which were there in 2023) will be there in 2024.
None imo. No way they can even think about putting on a festival this year.
Is it that unusual? Edm festivals don't list the lineups until very close to the actual event.
@@witeshade it definitely varies from festival to festival but last year, blue ridge was announcing bands for 2023’s festival in December of 2022.
I'm amazed they're still letting him be in charge after this absolute disaster. Hopefully they do something to fix it for next year or else this festival is gonna die out.
Sadly this festival will never die out lol people like myself who have never been to any music festival still want to go no matter how bad the situation was lol people will still buy tickets and blue ridge will be sold out like last year lmao
Apparently Slye is now working for DWP, so odds are Blue Ridge is done for
When that presser went out, I literally thought I cannot wait till Tank tears into it and boy… He did not disappoint!👏
Bottom line when legal and insurance claims are in play you know they want to control the narrative as much as possible, especially sitting on a mountain of pending lawsuits and refunds
“resolution” is nothing more than a glossed up adjective.
Presser was a collective nothing 🍔 of “ deflect deflect deflect”
With a sizeable helping of Pity-Begging Sauce.
Yea I was at blue ridge... it was a nightmare. I sat in my car for 12 hours in line trying to get my campsite and didn't even get the "premium" site I paid for. We literally found our own spot shoved between a sign and a fence. Everything else is true... I talked to one of the remaining security dudes and he confirmed that multiple other agencies all walked out on them.
Honestly I could go on... but everything that has been covered by Tank and the news reports is all 100% true
OMG Thursday was AWFUL sitting in the car for that long going nowhere. So glad I had the forethought to fill the tank at the last gas station on the way or we would have ended up stranded (as a lot of people were). We left the house at 10 am for a 2 hour drive to the festival and got our glamping spot after midnight. Our tent almost took off with us in it on Friday, and we dipped midday on Saturday bc I had a bad feeling about the rest of the weekend. I feel for everyone that got their vehicles stuck in mud on the way out or ran out of gas.
@@Bowbafette yea we drove down from Buffalo.... 12 hours to get down there, left at 6am and got in line at 6pm. I'm not kidding you... we got to our "campsite" at 6am and were setting up a tent at sunrise. This was after the staff sent us and 4 other cars to the wrong area, and told us to wait for an escort that would be there in 3 hours. (This was 5:30 am at this point.) There was no way we were sitting there till after 8 to get a campsite after already being up all night so one of the other dudes waiting blocked traffic for a min and we all left to find our own spots.
We also had enough sense to fill up and had snacks in the car before getting in line. We anticipated it to be a bit of a wait but never in our worst case scenario did we expect it to be that bad. The incompetence and lack of communication between the management and the workers was the worst I have ever seen. They had absolutely no idea what was going on or how to handle anything at all.
After this story, as well as personal experiences from the last two festivals I went to, I am done with festivals. It seems like there's not enough planning for larger festivals nowadays and I much prefer one night with a couple acts in any sized venue, club to arena.
Their PR team needs to be fired, this is insane
Thanks for this and keeping this current. It is tragic that there was never more of an investigation into the safety of the event which included the unsanitary conditions.
Wow.
Usually you're a lot more careful and measured when you comment on news or events. The sole fact that you're so direct here is enough to show that this festival was a real sh!tshow.
Well he was there. Electric Call probably has to be quiet.
Weird thing is, it’s not just been Blue Ridge. I was at Slam Dunk last year in Leeds in the U.K. Hour long queues for toilets, overflowing urinals, ran out of food 3 hours in, ran out of soft drinks and water 4 hours in and it was clearly oversold. Took some people hours to get in and out of car parks and it’s just obvious festivals care more about profits than people’s safety. Slam Dunk also put out bullshit statements blaming festival goers. I’m fairly certain management just care more about profit
While I do agree with most of the complaints directed at Blue Ridge, disgusting, overflowing pota potties is pretty much a norm at any multi-day festival I've ever gone to. Blue Ridge is the only festival I've ever camped at, but at any DWP fest I've ever gone to, it's pretty much a rule: make sure you shit at the hotel before we leave. Not excusing Blue Ridge at all, just saying Porta potties at Rock on the Range aren't exactly luxurious either.
@@radiv6502 I was at Download festival the same year, no such issues with portsloos, and that was multiple days. Slam Dunk was only a day. It was an absolute joke
Glad you’re talking about this and calling out all the shady dealings that are going on. Thank you. One of the only times I’ve been glad I missed a festival.
they told on themselves, theyre keeping the money and waiting for insurance to pay the refunds
This was one of the worst experiences of my life. I was a camper that arrived Wednesday. Couldn’t use the bathroom by the middle of Thursday nor take a shower. Ice cost $14 a bag and melted by the time we got back to our campsite. We were so hot and dehydrated that we decided to skip most of the bands on Thursday and waited for the night to hit.. Big Mistake. we lost our entire campsite in the storm that hit just before Thurs night (obv we don't blame them for that). Attempted to come back the next day after leaving and getting a hotel an hour away, bought shuttle tickets. arrived at the shuttles around 12:20 only to get stopped right before getting on the shuttles and told they were cancelling the shows for the day (news flash, they didn’t) we were all stuck in the shuttle line with NO FOOD OR WATER for SIX HOURS Because people arriving in the shuttles told us the shows were still happening. We finally were let on the buses around 6:30 (missed Electric Callboy, one of the ONLY bands I desperately wanted to see) didn't make it into the venue until most of Sleep Token was over. Got to see Job For A Cowboy and Lorna Shore at least (both bands were amazing) decided to skip the headliner because we were afraid it would take too long to make it back which bummed us all out. but thankfully we did that because it still took us THREE HOURS to get back to our car. Next morning, we saw the cancellation announcement. My two friends and I had been saving money for OVER A YEAR to go. only to be out thousands of dollars and saw maybe 4 bands play the whole time. F*** BRRF!!
I wonder if their insurance will only give full coverage if they can actually prove it was the weather that caused the closure of the festival. Yeah I imagine its his lawyers who are telling the blue ridge people to not say anything. The lawyers probably wrote that release. Because anything that is said, the insurance company can use against them. Remember the insurance company does NOT want to pay anything out. So I understand if there is almost no communication from anyone from Blue Ridge. They are probably going to have a hard time this was just weather related as is.
I think when they say resolution they really mean they are working hard to cover their own expenses (and butts). Any leftovers MAY be a bone for the fans.
Maybe they are staying quiet about what happened due to insurance. Sticking to their story while the insurance runs an investigation. It's possible that until the investigation is completed, there is a gag order in place. Did the weather have a part to play in the cancellation? Yes. I believe it did. There was 1 gnarly day that probably trashed some equipment that would require repair and replacement. The festival's incompetence led to the rest of the issues. Blue Ridge is probably hoping to get a full payout and not a shared liability judgement. With how much money everything probably cost, a 40/60 liability would probably doom them. Heck a 60/40 in their favor would still probably put them under. Stick to your story and hope it works.
There's enough people that have a case. This calls for a massive class action lawsuit.
The problem is that you can't file class action lawsuits in Virgina. It makes me wonder if they did that on purpose
@@jeanettaszerletich5118A federal suit can be brought.
@willer3399
The problem is that everyone online will support it.
But in practice nobody would actually do the legwork, pay for the lawyers, and all other logistical work that goes into a lawsuit.
Seen it many many times locally with organized protests and whatnot... on Facebook the whole town is supposed to show up - in reality like 3 people and a dog turn out...
And that's something that doesn't even cost you anything to do...
As someone who traveled 1,800 miles from North Dakota just to have the festival turn out to be a shit show was utterly disappointing. They just need to hand out refunds and stop for good. None of this stuff was as bad as Vince Neil going over his set time though.
Honestly so important that someone with your platform is highlighting this.
Fans don't really have a voice for stuff like this and bands are unlikely to speak out too much due to not wanting to be snubbed from future lineups
Keep doing what you're doing Tank 🤟
Says alot they mention "rebutting claims" before saying "refunds"
After tank read the first Instagram post we both simultaneously said “permission from who?” at the exact same time😭😭
I was there on Thursday when shit went south with the rain. Things had already devolved to the point where they were literally packing us into the busses like sardines. We literally had people standing in the damn isle shoulder to shoulder, packing the entire isle from front to back while the bus was driving back to the blue lot. And that was AFTER waiting for two hours in the pouring rain.
Insurance adjuster here. Insurance wouldn’t tell them that they cannot discuss a claim. If anyone told them not to discuss something, it would indeed be their lawyer.
If it wasnt for guys like you that have taken the time to document and put it all out there. A lot of people would be in the dark about this kind of shit. Keep up with this story and keep making videos letting everyone know. You are doing a great service to the fans out there and other bands out there.
I think the festival can be very glad that it is in the US. Otherwise the CEO and maybe others would have been arrested by now.
Just as an explanation, (if I'm not mistaken. The last time I looked into this was maybe 10 years ago) in Germany it is possible that if a company violates workers rights/safety regulations there may be some mandatory minimums for at least the CEO. This maybe different depending on the type of violation, but it is a possibility. This may especially be the case since this sounds like it wasn't the first time that something like this happens.
The sad thing is that people will still buy tickets to the next Blue Ridge and forget that this ever happened, while the fest and the promoter will skate on through life. Nothing will ever correct the injustices in the music touring industry unless people just stop buying tickets.
Evil doesn't have a leg to stand on without stupid people buying in
The first video of yours that I ever saw was the one describing the initial disaster. (Been watching ever since! 🤘) I wasn't there, but I was *so* close to going. I ultimately decided against it because I was afraid of overcrowding and poor sanitation- seriously! Still, I was shocked at what you revealed in your original video and at how much worse it was than I could have imagined. I just wanted to say I respect the hell out of you for refusing to let the truth die. Your firsthand witness account is so valuable in making sure that the BRRF people are held accountable for their negligence, that the stage hands' good names are protected, and making sure that nothing like this ever happens again! Keep up the good fight, my friend.
It sounds like they are trying to claim all the other issues were caused by the weather for insurance reasons. I doubt insurance covers terrible management and the more people talk about it, the more clear it becomes that the management was the biggest issue. To get people to stop talking about their experiences the lawyers told them to sit down and shut up until now.
I was there. It sucked. The heat was insane. The storm was insane. But more importantly. We had 5 portapotties. 1 trashcan. Only 2 water stations worked. I could go on and on.
yeah this reads like a damage control statement. They need to pony up the dough and refund the ppl that went to that failure of a festival.
The whole situation is one more example of the pitfalls of US economic system. Companies can get away from these kinds fuck ups with a slap on the wrist unless someone big sues them to the end of the world. In Europe, the state/municipality the festival was in or federal government would sue the organizers (if the fire marshal/safety officials did not shut down the festival long before it got that far. They make no compromises since/after the whole 2010 Love Parade fuckup).
I was there for the first day. I spent a ton of money on a high end package and got 3 bands before being forced to stand in a hailstorm in the middle of the woods. This festival was SO BAD overall. I'll be surprised if BRRF ever is hosted again in the future. This is well said Tank. I appreciate the words you've put on this. I'm miffed that I'm out several thousand dollars from this joke of a festival. I'm waiting to see what happens but honestly I'm looking at other options against them as well.
They are lucky we as fans held our composure. This could have turned into another Woodstock situation.
I WAS THERE !!!
Never Forget The Horrors Of
Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2023 !!!
It Is A Miracle No One Died…
The Things I Saw…. The Things I Smelt…
I Spent Over $300 Bucks On Tickets.
I Never Saw One Band.
My Ride Dropped Me Off Early
Saturday. I Was Stranded On A School Bus For 5 Hours Waiting To Get In.
During this time on the school bus, a hurricane like storm hit the parking lot. I saw thousands of people getting bombarded torrential rain for 30 minutes.
They had no shelter and had to hide under cars.
When The Show Cancelled, I Had No Way Home. I Had To Hitchhike To The Camp Sight In To Find My Camper Friends To Get A Ride Back.
When I Got To The Camp Site It Was Like A 3rd World Country. All Portable Toilets Were Over Flowing With Piss & Feces and Syringes. There Was Trash Everywhere Like A Hurricane Hit The Camp Site.
When I Finally Got Home I Thought It Was Over. Unfortunately I Developed Some Form Of Dysentery 12 Hours Later. I Will Spare You Details.
I Will Never Forget The Horrors Of
Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2023 !!!
As an A2 for festivals for the past 10+ years, I can say the true colors of production stand out in the "amenities" for the staff... restrooms, catering (if any), parking (if any), and general information about show flow. If it's chaos, or nonexistent... God's speed.
I always bring my own snacks and drinks, but can't bring my own toilet >
Louder Than Life has always been a good one to go to! DWP knows what they're doing and all of their fests are A1.
Was at it this year, and it was an awesome time. Great food (the Birria ramen and Thai food trucks were amazing), the lineup was great, turnover time from band to band was super quick, security was awesome, making sure those on the wall got water, as well as helping during a rowdy A7X set that had to be stopped multiple times. I felt safe there, highly recommend
@@coreymaster1369 Inkarceration and Sonic Temple from DWP were both great this year as well.
Oh there was three lawsuits from the previous years for failing to pay the staff, the county permits, and the rental company.
It’s been a running theme for years now that this festival turns into some sort of shitshow somewhere, and every year i say “man, looks like they’re done after this”, but then they announce an even bigger next year lineup lol
Thanks for the input.. your 100% right. They’re just gonna hope you forget what happened.. sounds like a lot of politicians these days.
Sadly, it'll probably work.
Hi Tank - lawyer here. Insurance lawyer, actually. This isn’t my specific field and not claiming to be an expert, but, yeah, I will bet many dollars that this was written verbatim by the festival’s attorneys. You noticed the key words being used over and over again (“resolution”, etc.) They’re being careful not to admit any more liability than they have to. I’m probably stating the obvious here but you sort of wondered aloud whether it was the lawyers talking. Just saying of course it is! Cheers and take care sir 🤘🤘
The lighting company I work for was the vendor the first year. We used to do a lot of the big festivals (Hangout, Bonnaroo, etc) and THIS was the festival that made the company say “no more.” And while I personally wasn’t there a lot of the people I know who were said that almost the exact same thing happened the first year. It’s nuts that they can keep pulling this shit.
One of the saddest things for us here in Virginia is over the last several years it seems like less and less bands in the genre are performing in this state, outside of just the one appearance at Blue Ridge, which was already quite the hike for a majority of the population in VA. Now it just seems like if I want to see any of my favorite bands, I'd have to travel even further to D.C. , Baltimore, Raleigh, etc. Shit sucks, the only somewhat bigger metal act I got to see in 2023 was Soulfly.
Yep. I live in Roanoke and have made MANY 2-4 hour drives just to see my favorite bands play
Part of that has a lot to do with (somebody can correct me if I'm wrong) contract restrictions on distances between venues. When bands perform at a large festival like Blue Ridge, they aren't allowed to perform another show within a certain radius for a certain amount of time
@@nomdom I was also told many years ago that at least for my area in particular (Hampton Roads), that it's actually a lot more inconvenient to play over here because it takes people about 2 hours away from I-95 which is a primary highway touring bands use to travel up and down the east coast, which is why you'd be more likely to see these bands in Richmond as opposed to Virginia Beach, Norfolk, etc. Even though it's a larger market over here. I don't mind driving a couple hours to Richmond, but anything beyond that increases the costs for me exponentially because then I would have to either get up early to drive 4+ hours, attend the show, and either spend more money on a hotel room, or drive another 4+ hours back home, and that's not including the gas or the ticket prices themselves.This is why people in this area pretty much only go to Richmond shows outside of the local stuff, and even our local scene here is pretty subpar for how many people live here compared to other areas, and that's coming from someone who has played in the local scene here for 15+ years now.
I live near the beach and yep. I call it the Blue Ridge Curse. So many bands I want to see play Blue Ridge and then skip VA on their regular tour stops. I am honestly kind of hoping the festival will get shut down and maybe I won't have to drive to Baltimore, Silver Spring, Greensboro, Harrisburg, etc. to see everyone.
Same with Maryland. One of the reasons why I even bothered going to the 2023 one was because I missed 2022 and I hated myself for it because of the awesome lineup and told myself that I was going to make it up to myself by going this year. Most of the bands don’t come through Maryland often and I didn’t want to travel all the way to Ohio or Vegas or Florida for these festivals, so I thought that it was a blessing that all those bands were going to be a lot closer for me to go see (Virginia) BOY was I wrong!
Happy new year!
I’m glad I didn’t end up going. I really wanted to see the TrustCompany reunion, but this would’ve destroyed the entire thing.
I went in 2021 it was a nightmare. we had the same problems, bathrooms, trash, staff. ada was nowhere to be found. i had a broken foot, and an ada person refused to take me anywhere because he didn't want to miss jelly roll. the location was horrible, 1 exit, on a single one lane road. cause traffic all weekend. factory workers were trapped overnight. camping sites were stolen, security was not a thing on check in. I broke my foot because of the many holes in the ground because the venue grounds was an old tobacco field which led to me needing surgery. had friend go in 2022 and almost the same thing happened.
Bad management was the issue. I never follow any site that refuses comments
11:27 I showed up both days Friday and Saturday and was not allowed in the parking lots because they were "full" I paid for the shuttle pass tickets which stated parking was included
I call bull on "the storms damage hasnt been fully whatever" ive been chasing storms for over 10 years and even if the National Weather Service did a survey the extent if the damage would be public information within DAYS.
Like you said, there's no way the insurance company is telling them to be quiet. The insurance company is probably HOPING Blue Ridge will admit fault so they can refuse coverage!
Festivals are hard. They can also be very fragile in the early years if they experience rapid growth. Contingency planning is essential but adds greatly to the cost. Distance from a major urban center can play a huge role in complexity. I got to watch that play out in the 70's at the Mole Lake Bluegrass Festival as we supplied and ran the PA and lights for the early years. As a relatively production light situation the littler things can real stand out and highlight that complexity. But I literally watched a headline act change the nature of the festival for years by announcing the next night would be Jack Daniels night. All of that is to say while I have some sympathy for the promoters, Blue Ridge should be past most of that. Not only is there a deeper and more diverse set of experiences to draw from, it started with a harder edge. Stuff happens and that can mitigate some blame. What I'm hearing about this however is a much more basic failure.
I completely 100% agree as someone who works in the entertainment industry as Security who also attended and got the rough end as a patron whom knows that this is absolutely 💯 %no way to treat staff or patrons!
As someone who has been to the Rockville festival and prior festival fort rock since 2016, I will say that due to the time of year it's scheduled, it's almost definitely gonna rain it's a** off atleast one or two of the days. It's a big reason I haven't gone last year nor plan on it this year. That being said I don't see the refund thing happening if the "reason" was the weather. Hopefully It does for the fans but I never seen refunds from weather myself.
Anyways great video!
Absolute legend!! Keep up the fantastic work!
Would them denying the staff walk off happened have anything to due with the insurance claim? Idk if it works this way but like they were covered if it was cancelled from weather vs something that was their fault?
They are using the term “resolution” instead of “refund” because as sad as it is attendees are last in line. They have to settle contracts and any lawsuits they have with bands, venders, equiment companies, and emplyees (not nessecarly in that order) before they can start paying out refunds.
Thanks for keeping them honest!
As a fan who attended. It was the worst situation I ever had to go threw but it did bring me to this channel
'22 was a cluster fuck the first day. I consulted with a lawyer, and they weren't interested. That's how they keep getting away with this shit.
I help run a festival here in New Jersey. Patron and employee concerns are PARAMOUNT with our management team. Nothing to small or large can be overlooked.
I told my story in your last video's comment section. I'm pretty sure no one would ever convince me to go to BRRF again. I have video of the rain that shut down Saturday's whole line up. My sister and I pulled over to try to get something from the McDonald's close to 29, and they had someone come out to tell each driver that the power was out at the store. I hope that guy got a bonus for being willing to go out in the pouring rain. Point being, there was bad weather, thunder, and probably enough wind to scare people who had just gone through what happened Thursday.
However, that storm cleared out. There was no more bad weather Saturday. There were lines for the buses and no shelter there either. I don't even remember what the weather was like Sunday because I went back to work early, but I'm pretty sure it didn't rain. I don't think that anyone who attended Thursday will dispute that the main problem on the outside of the stages was the weather. Microbursts do happen here and I watched the cloud that dumped on us build right over our heads. The relief from the heat was real and short lived. If the stages hadn't all displayed the message about the severe weather, I probably would have stayed where I was until the thunder and lightning started, but we were all funnelled out as if we could get on buses. The only place that made sense to seek shelter was under the porch of the camping check in shack. They could have unlocked it and given more people shelter, but what do I know.
I've told everyone who would listen what my experience was. I'm definitely not interested in the narrative that it was all weather. The weather would have been fine if there had been plans in place for what to do if it hit. It's poor management that caused every single problem.
I'm very curious about negotiations as far as insuring any possible future festivals. Surely the premiums they'd have to pay to insure the festival again will be astronomical? No sane insurance company will want to work with them again.
I was there. The first day, the weather was bad enough that it had to be canceled. Friday went off without a hitch but they were turning people around at the gate because the venue was full? People with armbands turned away at the gate? Saturday and Sunday were perfect days for a festival but they canceled due to “weather.” It’s fine. I’m not going to a festival this year.
Speaking as a Brit, this does sound like the sort of chicanery that goes on in the insurance business. From both sides.
In my opinion it sounds like the festival organiser is being advised by his legal counsel to proceed down a path with a high likelihood of success, not necessarily the truth, but in risk management terms, a high payout chance.
The insurance never thought that they'd have to pay out, so they're fighting it.
Radio silence lessens the odds of anything getting in the way of the successful outcome on the organiser's part and outraged vocal fans helps the insurer not have to pay out.
Again, while we're talking "risk management", using language like resolution instead of refund can be helpful for the more "Sly" business person to get away without having to give a refund if it all goes tits up further down the road.
Never trust the men in shiny suits... apart from Astronauts, they rode a bomb to space... they're cool 😎.
If you want to see accountability in this industry, then it's up to people like you to make sure that people DON'T forget that this happened. Otherwise, they will get away with it.
Tank is fucking Testy today. And Im here for it. It was bullshit what happened.
Netflix needs to grab this as like a follow up to the Woodstock 99 doc they did
Wait, did they just make a 5 page announcement that can be boiled down to "hey we finally have permission to say that we are working toward a resolution, but we can't reveal anything else.....just yet"????
I live in the blue ridge mountains in NC, very close to the area where blue ridge happens. When I saw the amount of bands, and was told where it was gonna be held, I was so happy I decided to skip out and go to Furnace Fest instead. People talked about walking what felt like miles through mud for no water and bathrooms to see a band for 5 minutes
“Our insurance policy has language restricting our public announcements until our claim is settled” Tank is 💯- I would bet money what actually occurred was shortly after the festival, when they were making statements here & there, they either said something as part of a formal statement or possibly part of an informal public reply, which an insurance or legal rep became aware of- people can’t typically be REQUIRED to shut up until claims &/or suits are settled but more often they find out quickly it’s in their best interest to keep their mouths shut because they say all the wrong things.
Having worked in insurance for years, if I were the insurer I would be refusing to pay BRRF as the policy undoubtedly states that a force majeure event must be declared in terms of the weather and whilst that may have occurred, it had clearly passed by the time they chose to cancel. The decision was based on the staff walkout and not the weather. There is bound to be something in the policy regarding industrial action, but this is likely down to whether the actions of BRRF were “reasonable”. The issue here is that there seems to be a wealth of evidence showing that it was not reasonable and the this cancellation happened primarily due to BRRF poor management and execution of the event. With all this in mind, why should the insurer (and all their other customers who pay their premiums) have to foot the bill for BRRF’s incompetence and greed! Sadly for fans, even if they won in court, they are likely to never see their refunds (or certainly not for a long time) so all fans, bands, techs, vendors etc can do is avoid this man and his business like the plague, to ensure that there is some repercussions to his actions!
Thank you for doing this. We attended the yead prior and had an amazing time, this year we survived lol
Id suspect the reason the blue ridge fyre festival started saying resolusion instead of refund is that refund promises money and they'll want to offer something else instead.
I immediately filed a claim with my bank and was refunded. This was the best way to protest this nonsense. 16 hours in car staging, deplorable conditions, 1 day of music in a 4 day festival. That one day included Electric Callboy! Thanks for that! It was as intense as the festival, but in a far better way.
In 2022, welcome to rockville had 2 of its 4 days almost entirely canceled due to bad weather. Within weeks we were given options on partial refunds or discounts for future festivals (even if the refunds were rlly just a "heres $50 for ur trouble") we got these options quick because it was ACTUALLY due to weather. Blue Ridge was an unregulated disaster that will 100% face legal backlash and thats why its taking so long
@TanjTheTech I had friends who were actually there. They said it was one of if not the worst festival they'd ever been to. Lack of literally everything.
I’m in the industry. I’ve never seen a policy of this sort with a non disclosure clause.
Some are beginning to say that the reason they will only say it was because weather is for insurance purposes. That perhaps in the event of a settlement they could afford to either issue refunds or provide tickets for the next one.. idk about all that though.
The only way the music industry, the world, humanity as a whole improves is by speaking truth to power and holding those in power accountable. Thank you.
They aren't gonna say anything until the litigation finishes..didn't expect anything from it. The fact they haven't done any lineup announcements prob means they're toast tho and have to refund all the 2024 ppl
Me and my partner went to blue ridge in 2021 and we payed 60 bucks for good parking only to find out that parking ended up being free. Blue Ridge said that they were suppose to refund us for the parking fee but till this day still have not gotten any money back from them. We knew from then that that festival was BS
Does insurance cover negligence? Cause that's it is, they completely failed to provide a safe and functional environment for the employees, bands and fans. Blaming the weather isnt going to hold up and i hope everyone who attended or worked at this festival gets their refunds, or compensation in full.