Mad Cool 2018

[robmongascy]

Just walked in no problem. Bar queue was a minute long 

[bluenova]

Same here, but then, apart from a thirty minute queue to get in yesterday, I didn't queue at all.

Reading this thread, I think I may have been at another festival

[The Martini Police]

Couldn’t have been easier to get in and get a drink tonight. Credit where credit’s due. 

[JSmurphy]

Walked straight in without any delays. Just got my first beers in without queueing either. 

[the wonderwhy]

Which bars you hitting for no queues? 

[the wonderwhy]

How busy was the loop yesterday? Expecting it to be rammed for Massive Attack? 

[stiltzkin]

Okay guys, anybody who knows me knows I'm not one for positivity. Hell, I give pessimists a bad name. But, there's a lot of negativity on here that I feel gives a really skewed impression. 

 

I've been here both days. Other than the cluster fuck of not opening the gates on time yesterday, and the complete lack of signage/explanation of how to queue where, this festival had been no worse than any other for me. 

Bar and food queues/prices are pretty standard. I've yet to queue more than 5-10 for a beer. I appreciate there are busier times, but pick your bar, pick your timing. If you queue at peak times, what do you expect? Yes, prices ain't pretty, but it's no worse than a UK festival imo. 

The sound is immense, the visuals incredible, the setting beautiful, and the cooling fans/jets a godsend. The crowd is great and the bands are smashing it. Justice were unreal. PJ crowd was insane and they killed it (dicks near me who talked shit all through acoustic Breathe notwithstanding...) . 

Today, queues were easy. I got here at quarter to 6, walked straight in. I'm spending more than I wanted to, but that's cos I'm solo and so what is there to do but drink and eat and listen? 

My only sustained gripe is water - €2 for 330ml bottles and they aren't even cold now, and the free water is lukewarm too. Which would all be okay if I was allowed to bring my own bottled water in (I'm okay with sealed). That's the one thing I'd change. 

Yes, opening gates were a shambles. Yes, several bar staff are fucking clueless. Yes, the €1 cup nonsense should have been explained better (basically, buy first drink, swap your cup when you get second, and repeat. Yes it's €1 extra, but it's not a bad souvenir to take home - has the line up on the side etc). But these are all teething problems, and it's honestly a pretty decent little festival if you can get past the niggles. 

[stiltzkin]

17 minutes ago, the wonderwhy said:

Which bars you hitting for no queues? 

You want the mondo/thunder bitch tent bar. Smallest queues by far. 

 

And yeah, tent will be jam packed. Justice filled it and then some, you could barely move. 

[robmongascy]

Can I point out that we were allowed to bring our own water in today

[ghostdancer1]

9 minutes ago, stiltzkin said:

Bar and food queues/prices are pretty standard. I've yet to queue more than 5-10 for a beer. I appreciate there are busier times, but pick your bar, pick your timing. If you queue at peak times, what do you expect? Yes, prices ain't pretty, but it's no worse than a UK festival imo.

I'd expect them to have enough staff to be pumping out pints non-stop, an organised queue system, and little more than a few minutes wait, like most festivals seem to manage, even at peak time.

pouring pints to order, not enough staff, broken tills, no organised queue is amateur shit.

[stiltzkin]

3 minutes ago, ghostdancer1 said:

I'd expect them to have enough staff to be pumping out pints non-stop, an organised queue system, and little more than a few minutes wait, like most festivals seem to manage, even at peak time.

pouring pints to order, not enough staff, broken tills, no organised queue is amateur shit.

Ehhh, seems a little rose tinted to me mate. Leeds fest was never as organised as that to my memory. Sure, better than this, but then again - learn to queue like a pro . It could definitely be better, but it's hardly criminal. Eh, each to their own. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just less upset by it I guess. 

[AAlex]

What were the queues for the metro like getting out? We’ve got bus tickets (mainly to avoid the metro) but drops us off so far out the way we then need a 20 minute taxi so might try it if it’s not awful. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Holy shit!  Queens of the Stone Age looks fucking crazy.

[AAlex]

Seems to be a lot more people walking round with beer today, managed to pick my merch pack up from the stand without too much issue. If yesterday had gone like today I’d have thought it was the perfect festival. 

Heard they got no end of abuse on instagram, to the tune of “Mad Cool? More like Auschwitz” hope everyone else has experienced the same today! 

[scatteredscreens]

Umm Massive Attack forgot they're playing?

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

41 minutes ago, James96 said:

Umm Massive Attack forgot they're playing?

Hey this day was going to well, better to fuck things up in the end by having the electronic headliner going mia with the stage ready.

Well fucking done mad cool.

 

(And if they started playing, cause I gave up after 30 mins delay, more shame on the organization)

[Float]

So fucking ridiculous how this Massive Attack no show has been handled. 

[Andrej]

soooo...did massive attack perform in the end or not ? we left after waiting for 35 minutes after their stage time.....

[Mash011]

Word is they've now put up on the screens (90 minutes late) that Massive Attack were cancelled due to sound bleed from another stage. That's bafflingly shitty. Sounded like they were pulling it back today but after this Mad Cool can absolutely fuck off, not that I'm there but they're never getting my money. 

[JSmurphy]

lmao i just waited that entire time for Massive Attack

[Float]

They cancelled as he said the sound from other stages would interfere. Bellend.

now stuck in hour long queue to get bus home that wasn’t even an issue yesterday but they’ve ballsed that up too.

 

seruously don’t come to this shithole festival 

[Float]

They cancelled as he said the sound from other stages would interfere. Bellend.

now stuck in hour long queue to get bus home that wasn’t even an issue yesterday but they’ve ballsed that up too.

 

seruously don’t come to this shithole festival 

[AAlex]

Here’s the statement, not sure what to make of it... Id already left so as a neutral it seems like they’re trying to make Massive Attack sound like divas... was it really that bad? 

[Bury420]

just met the tour manager of Paul Kalkbrenner and he said the backstage organisation at the loop is an absolute nightmare. Nothing working. Maybe Massive Attack were just fed up with it.

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

3 minutes ago, alexlloyd said:

Here’s the statement, not sure what to make of it... Id already left so as a neutral it seems like they’re trying to make Massive Attack sound like divas... was it really that bad? 

Beyond ridiculous, there were no interferences. If there is something this festival is doing well is the sound. Other than that it deserve to burst into flames. 

Fuck me the day I gave up Werchter for this, spending 300 euros for the single day tickets. What a joke.