Bonnaroo

[skrfce]

hey all, i haven't been to any uk festivals. hopefully in the future though.

anyone here ever been to Roo? i've been 3 times so far and each time was ridiculously awesome!

this year phish played 2 sets and i officially became a phan.

[guitarbaz]

hey all, i haven't been to any uk festivals. hopefully in the future though.

anyone here ever been to Roo? i've been 3 times so far and each time was ridiculously awesome!

this year phish played 2 sets and i officially became a phan.

[skrfce]

never been but i was checking it out the other day. decent lineup apart from bruce springsyawn. that man's committed some serious crimes against music over the years.

what's the general scene like, do you have to camp or can you get a hotel or appt nearby? and how close is it to nashville?

i do like the way they name the tents and stages tho it's a shame it doesn't run for a day or two longer and make the trip over even more tempting!

[rideincircles]

I completely skipped Bruce Springsteen to get up front for Nine Inch Nails which was not on the main stage. Nine Inch Nails blew my world away, just like My Morning Jacket did on the same stage (The Which outdoor stage) in 2008. Bonnaroo is the down and dirty festival of the USA. It is pretty much the largest festival in the USA, at least camping wise. Its pretty much anything goes once your inside. Lots of hippies bring lots of party favors to go around and its a large part of the festival experience.

One of my favorite things is the late night sets, no other place beats it. I am not sure how late the main acts play at Glastonbury, but the party gets started after the main headliner is over at Bonnaroo. Lots of bands and djs play until sunrise. 4 hour late night sets are common like My morning Jacket from midnight to 4am in the rain, absolutely incredible.

This year we waited in an 8.5 hour 10 mile long backroads line to get inside the festival. Thursday is arrival day and the same day bands start, and we missed most of the Thursday bands in line this year, getting there early Thursday is critical. We did get called out for the police vehicle search at the gates and passed, but usually security is a breeze. We did get stuck with a 20+ minute walk to the festival gates from our campgrounds, the other 2 years it was less than 10.

One thing that is great is that you get to camp by your car. This is a major security plus. There is plenty of theft going on at the campgrounds overall, but you can keep important stuff in your car and I havent heard about car breakins, just stuff swiped from tents and out in the open. MY camera got stolen out of my backpack at Nine Inch Nails, whatever shit happens. THat was the price I paid to be there.

There is lots of stuff to do, and exploring the campgrounds is a necesity. Definitely not close to Glastonbury, but the crowds arent a s crazy either. ITs not terribly hard to get close for shows.

I will leave it at that for now, but its usually my vacation of the year. I went to Finland for 3 weeks last year but still fit in Bonnaroo the month before. If i go to Glastonbury, most likely I will skip it next year, but thats one of the few reasons i would skip it. I love that place.

[rideincircles]

A couple videos from Roo from my collection

Crystal Castles late night glowstick tent party

Pearl Jam

MY Morning Jacket

Tool

Phish mega glowstick war

Nine Inch Nails