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www.stluciastar.com
JUNE 16, 2018 THE STAR
And The The Week Is
E
ven millennials (oblivious as are so many of anything that predates their arrival) are likely to have heard about the long ago event that changed the history of rock ‘n’ roll. Conceived as “three days of peace and music” by John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfield and Michael Lang, the plan was to make enough money from the event to build a recording studio near the arty New York town of Woodstock. When the promoters could not find an appropriate venue in the town itself they decided to hold the festival on a 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, 50 miles or so from Mayor Lindsay’s Big Apple. By the August 15, 1969 date of the festival close to 190,000 tickets had been sold and a maximum audience of 200,000 anticipated. But judging by the early arrivals, it occurred to the promoters that they had bitten a lot more than they could possibly swallow. Fearing the crowd would prove beyond control, they opened up the concert to everyone—free of charge. Close to half a million people attended, jamming the roads around Bethel for eight miles. Adding to the resultant chaos were heavy rains that turned the fields into a muddy mess, inadequate bathroom facilities, and a shortage of first aid tents. Still, there were
only two serious casualties: a teenager who was accidentally run over in her sleeping bag by a tractor, and a young man who died from a drug overdose. Among the performers were then up-and-coming stars Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Joe Cocker and Ritchie Havens, now music legends. In the aftermath of Woodstock ’69 new laws were enacted that today serve patrons and performers at music festivals such as Coachella that takes place over two April weekends in Indio, California. In 2016 the Indio City Council decided to allow an increase in the attendance cap from 99,000 to 126,000. All camping attendees must be at least 18 years old, holders of IDs or accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and in possession of their own valid festival passes for entrance. Then there is Glastonbury. Considered a major cultural event in Britain, according to related brochures, “the festival is inspired by the hippie counterculture and free festival movements.” Since 1981 it has been held every year, except for “the fallow years”—taken mostly at 5-year intervals, intended to give the land, the local population and organizers a break. The next Glastonbury is scheduled for 2019, 2018 being
a fallow year. Since the UK’s terror attacks in 2017 security at the festivals has become even tighter than before. Ticket holders expect as a matter of course to be searched by security personnel. They are directed in advance what to wear (no large back packs) and carry (displayed IDs and other tags)—nothing in plastic bags. Assistant chief constable Caroline Peters announced ahead of the 2017 Glastonbury that there would be “high visibility of officers on the boundaries of the site helping security with searches. While we want everyone going to have a great time, public safety is always our priority.” Unlike in previous years, there would be “no facilities in the car parks and fans will be required to wait in their vehicles until the gates are opened.” It would appear that in Saint Lucia it is easier to acquire permits to stage festivals than it is to organize protest marches and political rallies. Which is not to say related laws, at any rate, on paper, are in harmony with the popular notion that when it comes to public entertainment anything goes. It is, according to our statute books, illegal for individuals under age 18 to visit places where liquor is
Despite that most open-air music festivals and other part perhaps the obvious differences have ever
