I'm so over mega-festivals

When the first Lollapalooza took place I was unable to attend. I had a good excuse though, since I was overseas. I always regretted missing that lineup (Ice-T, Nine Inch Nails, Siouxsie Souix..the list goes on), and envied all who've told me they got to go.

As the years passed, I got to attend some great ones (Does anyone remember "The Gathering of the Tribes"?) culminating in last years Detour Festival.

As time goes by though, I'm finding that what I liked about festivals is becoming less and less important. That is, to see bands we might not be able to see normally because a large crowd is offsetting costs. Bonnaroo has Metallica and Kanye, Glastonbury has Oasis and Jay-Z...but really, who cares? If you saw those artists individually, wouldn't you be seeing them in a giant crowd regardless?

Contrasted with that is my experience at Coachella a couple of years ago. I loved seeing Nine Black Alps, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and White Rose Movement all under the same tent. But damn was it crowded. Ladytron's light show was noticeably muted in the dusky light of their tent and I was frustrated to learn that they were going to be playing at club in L.A. just a couple of nights later. It all seemed so rushed, half-assed and complicated.

Festivals, to me, are supposed to be about gathering bands of like minds and styles and pulling together all those fans who normally can't fit in a single club and letting them co-mingle and cross pollinate. I think they should be concentrating on how many small acts they can get in, not how many big ones. The big bands will always fill stadiums, they aren't needed at festivals.

I know what you're saying: "But Connor, the draw of those big acts is what helps those festivals be successful..." I say that's crap. If Coachella were a bunch of quality artists, none of whom were platinum, I'll bet it would still be profitable and well respected. Plus, if I only knew half the bands at a show, isn't that the best time to be exposed to new stuff? I don't know about you, but my best memories of festivals are when I come back saying things like, "Band X was great, as usual, but then I saw this one band I'd never heard of before that blew me away! I'm going go to go get every track they've got!"

Sadly, I don't think that's where festivals are heading. They're hot, exspensive, restrictive, the bands get limited sets, lights and theatrics. Why would I go through all of that to see Adult. play when I could catch them two nights later at the Troubadour, up close and personal for longer and cheaper? Not to mention the fact that I got the chance to B.S. with them after the show.

I think I'm done with festivals...except maybe Detour...it felt more like a carnival to me than a festival.

What do all of you think? Planning any big festival trips soon? What have been your bad and good experiences?