This will be my last commentary on this so let's all just drop it
and not let it ruin the kickass weekend we all had!!!!
My comments were not directed at anyone in particular but more
of our bubble finally bursting after the three of us hearing various
shit over the years about our fest and other fests in general. We
always appreciate constructive criticism, use it to better the fest,
better people's experiences in every aspect and while most of you
guys may have attended, there are quite a few others that didn't
for reasons other than their taste in the lineup. Things finally came
to a head and, well, what can I say, some shit just had to be said.
Fact: 180 paid on Friday, 241 paid on Sat....how fucking pathetic
is that??? $15/day to see even ONE band each night should have
gotten at LEAST 300 people in the door each night....Atheist alone
should have gotten at least 500 people in for their last midwest
show ever. Hell, even $18 just to come one night is a steal if you
were only a fan of one of the main bands. Granted, we were behind the
eight ball with only six weeks to promote the final lineup due to all
the bullshit it took to finalize it but come on, we promoted harder
than ever, had more exposure in the newspapers and on the web and
we couldn't get at least 300 people each night? I still can't believe
it and I can't believe that there aren't more fans of these bands out
there. That unto itself is the mind boggler...especially when there were
no other big metal shows in town to compete with it....supposedly, Chicago
has been one of the top selling metal markets for years...where the fuck
are all the metal heads??
Fact: Say what you mean, mean what you say and forgetaboutit! We're not
looking for ass kissers or anything of the like!
Fact: Yes, moving to a new venue once again didn't help matters as we
didn't have an established home where people knew what to expect.
Yes, it sucked balls last year that the hotel wasn't closer (think about
us having to drive bands back and forth while trying to run things...that
sucked!) but this year, one was right across the street. However, for
locals, that shouldn't even been an issue unless you live 60+ min away.
Fact: The sound, stage and lights kick ass! Yes, it was a bit loud for
a while but the mix was still killer once things got rolling each night.
Fact: There was pizza at the venue, the bar in the back of the room
had it and it was pretty goddamn good too! Sorry that I didn't find out
sooner but you guys should have been able to sniff it out.
Fact: You can't go in/out and they don't have premium beer since it's not
in their business model (ie: they don't sell enough to make it worth it)...big
faakin deal.
Fact: Everyone I talked to had a blast, the fans and bands were great, the
hotel let us party all hours of the night and we all had an amazing time!
Fact: We appreciate all of you guys and everyone that helped to make
Powerfest one of THEE BEST fests in the US....that was straight from enough
band's and fan's mouth's to justify it!
Fact: FAH-Q to all that missed out on a great weekend of friends, metal and
mayhem for lame ass reasons....hopefully, we'll get to do it all next year times 10!
That is all...thanks for listening...over!
