RockNess 2 Day Fest in Future?

[festkid]

I personally feel that RockNess should return to being a 2 day festival. This way, the ticket charge would be far less therefore more of my friends could attend/less harmful to the wallet. For example; £50 Day Ticket and £100 GA Weekend Camping. It means that organisers can focus/spend their budget on providing customers 2 days of exceptionally great music rather than stretching budget across 3.

If the campsite could open as normal at 10am on Friday morning and music in the arena commenced at 12pm on Saturday - I can't see why this would be a problem? Most of my Friday at the festival is spent catching up with friends/meeting new people and so on. Therefore, like many others I miss lots of music that is on offer on the Friday.

When RockNess extended to a 3 day festival, it meant that the festival had to sacrifice the late close on Sunday. If the Friday night was just campsites open; it means that the Arcadia Afterburner etc could be open until 3-4am on both Saturday and Sunday night.

RockNess 2007 was the best festival I have ever experienced - I think if the organisers can return to the original entrances and exits; compact the main arena to avoid sparse/quiet stages (i.e - Bring RockNRoll and Howards End into Main Arena) and consider some of the complaints made about VIP..

I think the festival will return to it's old ways and maybe even sell out!

Don't get me wrong, I had an amazing RN11' - but just a few thoughts that I thought I would share.

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[Poleski]

I don't agree that it should be a 2 day festival. I think considering how far the majority of the festivals clientelle have to travel.

I would consider going to another festival if it was just a 2 day festival personally.

I think the festival should look to go in the opposite direction. Keep the music starting at a similar time on Friday. But open the campsite at say Midday on Thursday. Have roughly 10,000 Thursday tickets. This will also stop congestion on the Friday meaning people are more likely to arrive on time on the Friday!

[themangus]

One the same weekend as RN - there is Download & IOW (Doune the rabbit hole & others I'm sure (Eden? I think)

If RN went 2 days, it would absolutely push me towards attending IOW instead.

Thursday camping w/ the music starting at the usual time on the Friday sounds like a reasonable idea to me.

[Kyelo]

One the same weekend as RN - there is Download & IOW (Doune the rabbit hole & others I'm sure (Eden? I think)

If RN went 2 days, it would absolutely push me towards attending IOW instead.

Thursday camping w/ the music starting at the usual time on the Friday sounds like a reasonable idea to me.

[festkid]

I don't agree that it should be a 2 day festival. I think considering how far the majority of the festivals clientelle have to travel.

I would consider going to another festival if it was just a 2 day festival personally.

I think the festival should look to go in the opposite direction. Keep the music starting at a similar time on Friday. But open the campsite at say Midday on Thursday. Have roughly 10,000 Thursday tickets. This will also stop congestion on the Friday meaning people are more likely to arrive on time on the Friday!

[_Warriors Dance_]

2 day fest? No thanks. Would be over too fast then back on the death bus.

I prefer the arena to the campsite. Don't understand the folk that sit in the campsite all weekend

[festkid]

2 day fest? No thanks. Would be over too fast then back on the death bus.

I prefer the arena to the campsite. Don't understand the folk that sit in the campsite all weekend

[_Warriors Dance_]

I actually don't like the campsite that much unless it's nice and hot.

[stu150]

Wouldn't £100 for a Saturday & Sunday give them less money to spend on acts. Its £150 now and they only have a half day of music on the friday?

[rexclark]

It won't change, I'm pretty sure they see the current format as a success. I like it the way it is. We arrived about 12pm this year, that gave us a few hours to get set up, have a few beers then head into the arena.

[gordong]

A 2 day festival with a far superior line up would totally be worth it. Have the Arcadia, Howards End and some other stuff open on Friday and that would suit me fine.

[festkid]

A 2 day festival with a far superior line up would totally be worth it. Have the Arcadia, Howards End and some other stuff open on Friday and that would suit me fine.

[Kowalski]

I want to know how the money is spent these days.

This is the line up from 2009, and it looks a more expensive line up compared to this year IMHO, but of course cost less for a ticket (unless you paid £100 in the early bird).

Edited June 18, 2011 by Kowalski

[pancake70]

I want to know how the money is spent these days.

This is the line up from 2009, and it looks a more expensive line up compared to this year IMHO, but of course cost less for a ticket (unless you paid £100 in the early bird).

http://www.erolalkan.co.uk/site/wp-content/themes/mimbo2.2/images/rn-sbys-skinny.jpg[/

[rachbon]

i think rockness works really well having bands on the friday. i've never heard stories of people not getting there in time for the bands before this year, the traffic was bad this year because of a crash.

the nesstival area has always been open from the friday afternoon anyway, with acts playing. i think it was an obvious next step for them to open the whole arena on the friday.

i can understand people's points about the line up being a bit thinly spread over 3 days, but look at 2009 when they first had bands on the friday. i think that was the best line up they've ever had and it was a really good mix of acts. i don't think you can realistically expect line ups to get better or even stay the same every year.

i think part of the issue with the line up not being strong this year is the competition with T in the park. T seem to be booking more dance acts and can offer acts more money which means rockness has to pick from the leftovers.

if rockness wants to remain popular, attract genuine music and festival lovers who aren't neddy arseholes, and provide a proper alternative to T in the park, i think they should go back to the type of line up they had in 2009. rockness could fill the massive gap in the market for a festival with an eclectic mix of acts that was left when connect ended.

Edited June 18, 2011 by _rachelbon

[Kyelo]

I want to know how the money is spent these days.

This is the line up from 2009, and it looks a more expensive line up compared to this year IMHO, but of course cost less for a ticket (unless you paid £100 in the early bird).

[pipper]

Opening Thursday afternoon with limited tickets would be a great idea, with the music starting Friday afternoon.

I must be in the minority in that the worst Rockness I have been to was easily 2009. Although that was maybe due to the company I was with that year...

[rexclark]

2009 was the template the festival should have followed. Not the way it's went now.

[Kyelo]

Opening Thursday afternoon with limited tickets would be a great idea, with the music starting Friday afternoon.

I must be in the minority in that the worst Rockness I have been to was easily 2009. Although that was maybe due to the company I was with that year...

[Guy Rope Tripper]

I want to know how the money is spent these days.

This is the line up from 2009, and it looks a more expensive line up compared to this year IMHO, but of course cost less for a ticket (unless you paid £100 in the early bird).

[Poleski]

I don't understand what peoples view on depth is on this forum.

This year, the Goldenvoice on Sunday had Fake Blood, Boys Noize, Sub Focus, Beardyman, Simian Mobile Disco.

I don't think there is going to be a dance tent at any festival with much more depth than that this year.

Now the 2009 line up does look strong. But 2 years ago a lot of those acts were a lot smaller...

[_Warriors Dance_]

07 was probably my favourite Rockness but that's probably just because I saw the best live act I have seen.

Thinking about Rockness then and Rockness now...depressing.

edit

And Nite Versions before it was epic, can't miss out that...waw

Edited June 20, 2011 by _Warriors Dance_

[rexclark]

I don't understand what peoples view on depth is on this forum.

This year, the Goldenvoice on Sunday had Fake Blood, Boys Noize, Sub Focus, Beardyman, Simian Mobile Disco.

I don't think there is going to be a dance tent at any festival with much more depth than that this year.

Now the 2009 line up does look strong. But 2 years ago a lot of those acts were a lot smaller...

[RMcCole]

Yes but alot of people don't go to Rockness purely for the dance acts. 2009 had acts like The Flaming Lips, Super Furry Animals and The Aliens. This year had Paulo Nuttini, Glasvegas and Kasabian, three dull and highly unimaginative bookings. As far as the dance acts go I think Rockness has been consistantly good but it's the other side that really needs looking into.

[Poleski]

Agreed.

Regarding the point about the bands then being smaller; I quite like that. I enjoy going to RockNess and getting taken to a band I've heard little or nothing from. It's about broadening your musical mind (that sounded dickish, didn't it? ) and people who went to see the bands that are a lot bigger now can look back and say "Oh yeah, I seen them in '09 when yada yada..".