Thanks Diabolik. The first part is what I was looking for. As long as they don't play shows all the time. I'm not talking about making the day longer. If we moved Cage to friday, Helstar and Sacred Oath would have nice long sets. I just wanted some bands that would have people saying "I get to see them, them AND Cage, and see Sacred Oath with Helstar the next night for one low price." The "them,them" is where I need the fill in. There's still a chance for Manilla Road and Slauter Xstroyes.
Trust me. We have thought of everything you're saying, and much more. Adding locals, to me, is only letting 4-5 people come for free. You and I shouldn't be so harsh on locals tho, they deserve our support and the scene as a whole needs it.
Most of the bands mentioned above tour frequently. Someone mentioned Skeletonwitch. I think this is their third tour in the last year. If anyone passes on bands that they may never see again, it's their loss. We really don't need them anyway. We want a solid fan base of fest supporters. And we're not going to be a show that hosts bands that tour all the time. If they happen to be coming thru at the same time, maybe, but we want to bring bands out that wouldn't come otherwise. If there are no bands that fit the bill, fine, we keep it one day. Less work for us. I don't know if anyone has considered this, but this is a very time consuming and expensive venture.