From Woodstock to Live Aid to Live 8, music festivals can
make or break both a music promoter and a music artist.
At first sight, the concept of a music festival per se is a
logistical nightmare in anybody’s mind. How do you control the weather, the
artists’ performance, the sound quality, the crowd’s behaviour et al?
With so many obstacles in play, why do promoters continue
with the concept of a music festival?
Recent data released in Australia indicates that people in
the 18-35 age bracket remain keen to attend music festivals, thus it’s a youth
thing.
This being said, we are only touching the surface with this
revelation. A youth audience will pay to attend a music festival if the music
acts are appealing. This is a particularly important point, because Australian
music promoters are generally filling their festivals with unknown local acts,
on the pretense that they will “become” a major act on the back of their live
performance.
Thirty years ago, the Narara Music Festival on New South
Wales Central Coast was an artistic and financial success because the headline
acts were Simple Minds, The Pretenders, The Eurhythmics and [the relatively
unknown] Def Leppard. Great musicians who could all cut it live. The following
year, Narara took a risk by leveraging off the “goodwill” of its name, and cut
its costs by hosting only local acts. That was the final Narara Music Festival.
Nothing has changed in 40 plus years of music festivals.
Yes, it’s going to be hot [or wet], crowded and uncomfortable, however all is
forgiven if a promoter can attract great live acts.
