The setlists have been a surprise so far. Not insofar as they are lacking in quality material, far from it. Or having too much new material that the crowds have never heard before. Far from that too. It's the fact that they have pretty much been carbon copies of one another. The Hip have always retained a certain number of songs from one show to the next. That has Always been a part of their make-up and one knows that going in. But 3 bang-ons? It's not like we're talking 3 shows spaced out across the country like a Montreal > Toronto > Vancouver run. People can't really make that kind of run in general. The distances between Peterborough > Watertown > Bobcaygeon are much more logistically manageable for a resourceful and dedicated fan.
I'm sure there are many hardcore Hipheads in SW Ontario that will be looking to dump tickets depending on how these next couple of shows out east shake out. I know I wouldn't be all that impressed if I were holding a run of tickets to various shows and knew I had no chance of seeing anything different than I already had. Of course now that I live in Vegas, beggars can't be choosers right? That's my little disclaimer as I sit here and Opine. Because I would be ecstatic if they flew out here tomorrow and dropped that same setlist on me here. That being said...
So why? One theory I've heard and I can buy is it's because of the making of a DVD. Maybe they want to get the best take? Does that explain why someone wears the same outfit night after night? I won't even go there because who the fuck knows. At the end of the day this is their band. That means they can play whatever they want wherever they want. We get no say. We just get to choose whether or not we buy the next ticket.
Speaking of tickets, people don't seem overly happy with their ticket experience from the Bobcaygeon event. Nothing to do with the band, but rather the overall experience at the venue. The shuttle service seemed like it was a major cluster-fuck as did the concessions of food and in particular, beer. The VIP Prison looked like a lot of fun too. This has more to do with the company(s) organizing the event than the bands so please understand that. The bands have a choice of whether their fans are best served by doing business with said company again.
There are people who know how to set-up and run these things really well and can create a great experience for all and there are others who don't know what they're doing and skimp across the board on things like Port-a-potties, event staff and general game-planning to best serve their own profits. As I've mentioned before, the government laws regarding alcohol sales at these type of thing really limit what the organizer can do as far as process. They do not limit investment in paying to present the best experience possible. I also know that there is no government limitations on the amount of portable washrooms. There is a minimum standard based on numbers. Do you think they exceeded this?
I'm sure there were many positive experiences too and again, everyone has the choice. Will you attend another Big Music Fest if the same people run it?
A link to an article out of Watertown. Seems the band demanded that regular ticket buyers be allowed into the reserved seating area. I'm 99% sure the extra money paid by the reserve ticket holders will NOT be refunded.
I love The Hip. Don't get me wrong. If I didn't I wouldn't be wasting my time on this little endeavor. That doesn't mean I won't call Bullshit when I see it. From the band or any company relating.
This is an Op-Ed piece. If you have anything to add, clairify, get off your chest, etc I ALWAYS welcome your input no matter what view you're representing.
Long live The Hip. Now mix up that fucking setlist will ya?
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