I’ve been waiting for this day for quite some time now and I just don’t feel whole again like I had expected. Is it Interpol, is the ridiculous $425 I am supposed to drop or maybe it’s the fact that I have had such a shitty week not even SXSW can make it better.
Let us begin with Interpol. In the big scheme of things it doesn’t make any sense for a band like Interpol to play the festival or at least not be part of the line-up. But then of course rumors, along with an initial list said that they would be playing. Today the official list did come out and their name was very apparently missing. Now I realize I will get to see them at Coachella but it will also be with a few thousand sweaty drugged out people. I rather see them in an intimate setting and at a festival like SXSW . So most likely they will play but it will be one of those super secret, announced at the last minute things. My relationship with Capitol is not what I would like it to be and I am worried that disaster may occur and I won’t get in. This leads me to my next point…press passes.
I won’t name names, I won’t be specific but despite my job, company and previous involvement in Austin but since when did press passes have a dollar amount? I called bullshit on this but still nothing. I am not going down there to pay to interview bands on top of having to drop massive amounts of cash on the a hotel, flight and what not. Now of course this isn’t just for me this is for all registrants who are expected to pay that amount for their badge. I realize these people have to make money but I think it is absolutely outrageous. Why should music cost so much? They are going out of their way to make it an environmentally friendly festival well while you are at it why not make it affordable to the normal fan who doesn’t have 500 bucks to drop to see bands. I can understand a figure somewhere around 250 but the badges are just too fucking expensive.
I really didn’t think I would ever get down on SXSW but from I have never encountered such blatant rudeness in a professional setting. I hate that people should have to pay all this money to see all these amazing bands. It gets to the point where you have to be somebody or have some real cash to go there and that’s not right. Of course there has to be money to pay these bands, there has to be profit but something tells me those badges are paying for more that five days of music.
Don’t get me wrong I am still really excited about some of the artists who will be there. Its going to be an amazing five days but its also going to force me to eat Macaroni and Cheese for months at a time. I like compromise but I just don’t see any here.
Let us begin with Interpol. In the big scheme of things it doesn’t make any sense for a band like Interpol to play the festival or at least not be part of the line-up. But then of course rumors, along with an initial list said that they would be playing. Today the official list did come out and their name was very apparently missing. Now I realize I will get to see them at Coachella but it will also be with a few thousand sweaty drugged out people. I rather see them in an intimate setting and at a festival like SXSW . So most likely they will play but it will be one of those super secret, announced at the last minute things. My relationship with Capitol is not what I would like it to be and I am worried that disaster may occur and I won’t get in. This leads me to my next point…press passes.
I won’t name names, I won’t be specific but despite my job, company and previous involvement in Austin but since when did press passes have a dollar amount? I called bullshit on this but still nothing. I am not going down there to pay to interview bands on top of having to drop massive amounts of cash on the a hotel, flight and what not. Now of course this isn’t just for me this is for all registrants who are expected to pay that amount for their badge. I realize these people have to make money but I think it is absolutely outrageous. Why should music cost so much? They are going out of their way to make it an environmentally friendly festival well while you are at it why not make it affordable to the normal fan who doesn’t have 500 bucks to drop to see bands. I can understand a figure somewhere around 250 but the badges are just too fucking expensive.
I really didn’t think I would ever get down on SXSW but from I have never encountered such blatant rudeness in a professional setting. I hate that people should have to pay all this money to see all these amazing bands. It gets to the point where you have to be somebody or have some real cash to go there and that’s not right. Of course there has to be money to pay these bands, there has to be profit but something tells me those badges are paying for more that five days of music.
Don’t get me wrong I am still really excited about some of the artists who will be there. Its going to be an amazing five days but its also going to force me to eat Macaroni and Cheese for months at a time. I like compromise but I just don’t see any here.
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