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A common complaint I kept hearing over and over this year about acts that played the Which Stage was the band being good but the venue's sound, view and general set up sucking. So I figure now might be the time for us to try and petition some basic changes.
What would you guys like to see done to improve the Which Stage? What are the specific problems as you see it?
i've always hated which stage. the layout, how the sound is spotty. some spots it sounds great, some spots it sounds horrible. also no video screens. and there always seem to be bands that are too big to be playing which stage which equals humongous crowds. but this year some of the best shows i saw were on which stage, tmv, nin, yeah yeah yeahs, govt. mule and in the past white stripes was probably the best show i've ever seen at roo, looking back on it. i guess the only show that ever let me down was flaming lips in 07, the sound where we were was horrible and we left early. but they could definitely make some improvements there.
Yea, I hate that stage and so many good acts end up there. First, that sound stage/booth is annoyingly and perfectly in the way, but I'm not sure there's anything they can do about that. But to add insult to injury, they put beer stands right next to it. Why block all that view? A line of shady trees sits right behind this area, and it is so crappy that if you want to get some relief from the sun, you have to sacrifice your view.
Second, is there any way they could reposition the stage? It is directly under the sun nearly the entire day, and the spots under the trees are few and fill up fast. Not to mention that as the sun moves, you end up losing your shade anyway.
Finally, yea, the sound sucks. I don't know if it has anything to do with its close proximity to the What Stage. It just seems like the music gets scattered all over the place.
Post by itrainmonkeys on Jun 20, 2009 13:38:23 GMT -5
Which stage + hot sun + no shade (it fills up quick) = hard to have a great time at a day show. Late night it's great but during the day it can be brutal. Had to skip most of animal collective to stay out the heat.
If they don't add screens.....they should do something about leveling the field a bit......maybe trying to make it higher towards the back so more people can see
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Did it seem bigger to anybody but me this year? It seemed like they moved the bleachers back a bit and created a bit more space on the right hand side. That was good.
The lack of screens is still a head-scratcher. I had thought that maybe the way the stage was laid out that the sun would shine directly on it and that's why they skipped them but I was concious of it this year and that's not the case.
They might as well move the soundboard since the location doesn't seem to be helping their mixing any. It's not something that has really ever stuck out to me but I hear it a lot on this board.
Also, did they open up the bleachers to GA this year or did I just happen to catch them at times when security was lax?
I agree with all of these things. It's always disappointing to see a high quality act on the Which Stage with a bad acoustic layout. Did anyone else notice the constant bass that bled through into the back of the crowd? It made some shows almost not worth listening to.
Providing an outlet and a voice for music lovers to unite under the common theme of music for all. Join The Pondo Army to show your allegiance to musical freedom! Fighting for no censorship of the arts & music education in schools, The Pondo Army will triumph! The Pondo Army Movement
Follow me on twitter@Pondoknowsbest
I wish they could fix the way the Which stage drowns out the other stages some time.when I left NIN I could still hear them at all the other stages. I feel like I also watched Jack Johnson in 05 underneath a tree (that lots of people were climbing to almost the top) that isn't there any more. That's just my .02
I wish they could fix the way the Which stage drowns out the other stages some time.when I left NIN I could still hear them at all the other stages. I feel like I also watched Jack Johnson in 05 underneath a tree (that lots of people were climbing to almost the top) that isn't there any more. That's just my .02
Post by steveternal on Jun 20, 2009 17:53:48 GMT -5
1. Expand size by moving the fence on either side outward. Cut in to the space for What Stage if you need to, that place is bigger than necessary anyway. 2. Move that damn beer tent right in the middle of the field. If possible, also move the accompanying soundboard area, or at least move it back significantly. 3. Add small viewing screens, like What. 4. Do whatever you need to to improve the sound.
I have always thought that they needed some screens, and do something about the sound. That's about it though. Anything else really isn't feasable. Moving any of the fences would cause too many problems on Production Rd, and it's already way too small as is. For those of you that aren't aware, Production Rd lies directly behind Which and What stage, and runs all the way to West Broadway from the back 40. It's also not on the map, so don't bother looking for it if you don't already know what it is. I'm sure they have discussed making it larger or changing the location, but it simply isn't in the cards for them. There are a bunch of things you don't see behind those stages, like artist and guest hospatality, that make it real difficult for them to make space.
This year felt like the most crowded year ever, especially back in the staff section and on Production Rd. Typically it isn't a problem to cross Production Rd after Friday afternoon, but it was jammed up all week this year. Strange, but I'm sure the last thing they want to do is decrease the size of one of their main roads
I dont have one bad thing to say about any of the tents or that WHAT but there is some work that needs to be done with the WHICH. and im very surprised it hasnt happend yet.
[white stripes was probably the best show i've ever seen at roo, /quote]
indeed...!
Def. screens needed...If they are going to compete with Rothbury for festie dollars, they better ante up some better conditions in several different areas...my guess is it will continue to evolve-slowly
suppose anyone from AC ever looks at this board? it would be nice...
which stage is the one element of the entire festival i don't absolutely love. I like the intimacy of the tents much better than the stages but also really like the overwhelming scale of late/headliner what shows. which is just like strangely thrown in the middle. i feel like my favorite shows have been up and coming bands having breakout shows at this and that and then artists that are a step up from that and already deserve to play epic shows sometimes end up just making bonnaroo another stop on the tour. i enjoyed it immensely from the rail but some people complained band of horses could have used a little more energy but they sure were cooking in that sun. at least give the artists some shade!
Lose the beer tent for sure. There is nothing you can do about the trees, and obviously you have to have the soundboard where it is, but screens are a must, and certainly better sound. There is only one speaker column on each side (correct me if I'm wrong) so they could add a column or two on each side, not just for volume but for better sound dispersion.
this thread needs to be emailed to the bonnaroo people. where do i address it? they need to see that it is totally unanimous, by 50 people so far, that there should be changes.
I always hate when I see a band I like scheduled for the Which Stage especially when it's a day show. Got lucky with MMJ last year and NIN this year at night though.
What about draping some of those huge, cloth sun-screens out from the stage? You know what I'm talking about? I've seen them other places, a lot in Europe. They also use them sometimes over the top teir of seats at outdoor arenas. They don't block all the sun, but they're sure better than nothing.
Post by groovy_uv802 on Jun 24, 2009 13:03:54 GMT -5
I agree, it comes down to the lay out of centeroo. Its like they got drunk and just dropped stages and text around in a circle. Better design of centeroo would enable better music quality and better traffic flows as well as help with mud. The most likely reason why they have not, is the whole icon that centeroo is and the familiarity over the past eight years, and becomes difficult to make these changes. The univeristy of Tennessee college of architecture almost had a studio class that would redesign Bonnaroo for the semester. I think this would be a great idea, maybe they can have a redesign of Bonnaroo competition? any thoughts maybe time for a new thread of that
