ZOO8: the worst festival ever? Attendees speak out
There's anger in the ranks, as attendees of ZOO8 - held over the weekend in Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Kent - have voiced their disgust at the quality of the festival, on-site health and safety, and the value for money it offered.
The three-day event - July 4-6 - featured Mark Ronson, The Cribs (pictured), Lethal Bizzle, Young Knives and British Sea Power. Dizzee Rascal dropped out at the last minute (presumably to celebrate his number one somewhere else), Athlete did not play as they had not been paid, and a number of other acts reportedly cancelled. The festival's second stage was closed for good on the Saturday due to a faulty tent pole.
Gigwise.com reports that "facilities at the festival were below standard and improper organisation meant delays of up to five hours getting into the event".
Comments on the festival's Facebook page aren't entirely positive, either.
'Liam' comments: "I cant believe how fucking shit this was. Would have had more fun camping in my back garden with some heroin and a razor blade." 'Will' says: "Shambles. That's all I have to say, perhaps a budget and accountant would come in handy for next year's festival... if there ever is one".
And 'Thomas' certainly doesn't hide his feelings:
"This was complete rubbish and between me and my friends we've lost over 2,000 quid because of this. Where's my fucking money back?
"Any why were you still having the complete cheek to sell programmes for the event on Sunday when nothing was happening that was on there? Ridiculous - you should of been giving them away as a souvenir of what a shit organisation you are and how you have raked in everyone's money when they are mostly completely blind to it.
"Bring on ofcom and trading standards - I hope you get fucked for it!"
Did you attend ZOO8? (Official site here.) Was it as bad as people are making out? Just what did - or rather didn't - happen?
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British Sea Power
Young Knives
The Cribs
this makes me wish
i had gone.
I've read
that the organisers were arrested. And that Mark Ronson was paid in pound coins.
paging Bamos to thread.
Bamos to thread!
Well, the forum isn't there any more...
Conveniently timed eh?
possibly a mix of
tickets and transport for a big group of mates?
i was there.
everything you've heard is true.
p.s. i didn't pay.
it was...
...a shambles, I and a number of my friends bands played the event. Stage times were being altered, as were the stages bands were playing at the last minute. The security didnt have a clue what was going on an promoters and organisers could not be contacted. Big named acts were being replaced on the main stages by unknown bands. There were loads of fights and it was a complete mess.
The list of complaints could go on and on.
I feel sorry for the Aspinall Foundation and Port Lympne Zoo as apparently they had to step in and pay some of the bands because the promoters couldnt. Hopefully people realise it wasnt their fault.
haha
glad i didnt go to this, heard it started fucking up on friday on the local news
It's a facebook comment
You can't expect them to have any idea of how the real world actually works. Trading Standards probably a better bet though, yes.
It did sound ludicrous.
I think there were 8 arenas listed on the website.
but two grand?? They could have gone on holiday for that
or to a good festival, at least.
*shakes fist*
get ofsted involved as well.
:D
Seems normal to me...
I do hope Ronson was ripped off
you know, on account of him being a cock and all.
There are two ways of looking at it.
1. I just seem to haemorrhage money when I go to festivals due to my desire to buy the round for as many people as possible.
or
2. I once spent £4000 on a bean bag.
I feel sorry for ANYONE who attended this festival
I hope they get some sort of refund.
...
Attendants deserve it for liking gash acts.
I only know about this due to the terms "Lily Allen" and "Botch" calling me like a siren...
This and Wild In The Country
bad week for festivals I guess. Hopefully they'll get rained in a little numbers wise next year then and the line-ups will improve as a result.
It's probably best summed up
by a post last week on Lucky Soul's blog I came across last night when reading up on this - can't remember the exact wording apart from the times, but it was something like "we are playing Zoo Thousand this weekend and will be onstage at 2.30pm. The programme says we will be on at 5.40pm, but that's wrong." Three hours!
There were SOME good acts.
I expect most of the gooduns pulled out though.
Wow, that looks terrible.
Organisers apparently marched off site? No drinking water on site after a while? Sounds like a complete mess.
good christ
Was it made of handstitched unicorn eyelids and solid gold beans?
Point 1 indicates you'd be a useful person to have around at a festival.
It's not just the lineups
It's the general organisation. There's too many cowboy outfits/well meaning people who don't appreciate how much organisation needs to go into holding a successful event. At least the shambles that was Fflam last year and Wild in the Country were cancelled (albeit at the last minute and pretty shoddily) rather than going ahead with an even worse experience for everyone.
Your name is Jack
and I claim my £5.
Mere teething problems, allegedly
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7493040.stm
I like how the organisers shut down the forum to quell any suggestion of disenchantment, and within hours they're being related instead in a story on the BBC news ticker.
Shocking
Surely there's quite bad health implications without there being drinking water? Something like that's more than a teething problem..
Definitely
Field Day had teething problems (long queues for the bar, shoddy sound on the mainstage). Zoo Festival just sounds like an absolute fucking nightmare. This sounds more like a cavity than a teething problem.
what a terrible festival it seems
the 2nd stage was closed for a bit on the saturday, and then fully on sunday! Jesus.
Sounds more like being kerbstomped..
I was at Field Day, and whilst that had it's problems there was enough good stuff to outweigh the bad. (Basically Electrelane, Liars, and finding a spot in the sun for a nap)
Having that many bands pull out, no clean toilets etc makes you wonder how the organisers got the backing to put the festival on in the first place. Not to mention what happened with the budgets... (the story of Mark Ronson being paid in pound coins is funny though)
It was unbelievably badly organised
How can it take so long to get so few people into the site? If the 20,000 people they claimed the site would hold had've turned up, there'd have been mayhem.
same
for Frank Turner, message on his blog saying he wasn't going to play as he was told he probably wasn't going to get paid!
Picture of
The Hives at the Zoo is the highlight of my day so far.
imagine
what would have happened if 20,000 people had turned up to camp! the site was practically brimming as it was.
who were
the promoters?
Frank Turner's blog
from the day before the festival:
"I won't be playing ZOO8 festival tomorrow. Sorry for anyone expecting to see me down there. Basically the deal is this: I'm a working musician, I earn little money and my budgets are shoestring. I can't afford to take risks with running a whole paid-up band and crew and fuel down to Kent for a risk of not getting paid. No blame for anyone, I just can't afford those risks. Apologies."
Are you
Mrs Zoo8?
'Bring on ofcom'
fuck it, why the hell not. Get MI5 involved too.
Oh and I don't believe your claim that......
Port Lympne Zoo demanded more money on the day, surely you had a legal contract in place months before the event took place?
Why would they set out to attempt to ruin an event which was helping to raise money for the Aspinall Foundation?
Your version of events makes no sense at all.
Post history...
..hmmm..
Pitchforks out.
"The best part was the amazing french sausage+potato i ate"
Hahaha, definitely signs of a bad festival then!
GET ME
NICKY CAMPBELL...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/contact_index.shtml sign up if you went do it do it do it
More to the point
why would they then fork out their own money just so that some of the bands actually did play when they were going to pack up and leave without doing so?
It amazes me that promoters usually seem incapable of admitting that it's been a shambles after these kinds of events.
bullshit.
I spoke to Dizzee's agent on Friday. He wasn't paid the deposit for his fee in advance as the contract said. Neither were most of the other acts from the same agency.
They didn't sell enough tickets to be able to pay Ronson or Dizzee up front.
Except the fucking mess they left
what with being unable to organise
- water
- toilets
- security/stewards
- money to pay the bands they'd booked
- a safe marquee for their second biggest stage
- money to pay their local crews
- getting x thousand people onsite
Your version would make sense, if the zoo wasn't now left out of pocket and with a reputation quite possibly in tatters and the promoters had been capable of sorting out the basic things that a festival of any size would need before even thinking about bands and stuff.
yeh that did well out of
that deal didnt they? lucky old them.
your evil conspiracy, the 'negative version thats been touted around' is what every person who's been says, what every booking agent says, what every band says. are they all lying? why would they do that?
Erm...
The negative statements that have flooded message boards across teh internetz all seem to be first hand accounts of what actually happened, from performers and punters alike. I'm with the majority on this one. And it sounds like NO hard work was done by the organisers, hence the mess they're probably in now.
I'm sorry, but none of this rings true...........
you're talking about a zoo, not the Russian mafia!
Besides which, referring back to my previous post...what about the legal contract?
You must have had one in place, clearly stating exactly how much money they would be getting (or what proportion of the overall 'take') and signed by all parties concerned.
As such it would be impossible for the zoo to 'extort' money from the organisers even if they were minded to do so (which I SERIOUSLY doubt).
So why the loyalty to
defending the name of Zoo8 unless you have a business/marketing interest in it seeing as everyone else who seems to have gone as a paying punter had as much fun as Boy George at a Klan rally?
Organise ??
Doesn't sound like anyone organised any fucking thing !!
maybe they threatened
them with a baboon. 'give us some fucking money or we'll get you with our baboon'.
something like that.
Next year
missthing organises Pissupinbrewery09.
Punters bemoan lack of beer.
missthing
if Dizzee 'did a runner with the money' then he would face criminal liability for theft, an action for breach of contract or an action in tort for unjust enrichment.
not likely is it, you utter cretin
i felt sorry
for the people going to this festival, BEFORE all this this happened. I mean, did you see the line-up?
Fear not all you festivalgoers
Look at the festival's name:
ZOO8
At the most they can do a ZOO9, then they're screwed. Because as Chris Morris will tell you, "10 into ZOO won't go..."
Each post more nonsensical than the last........
What is your connection to Z008?
We all know that you're talking out of your VIP backstage area, but it would be interesting to know why.
that name is TMd
btw...
if they hire a spokesman
who doesnt no the difference between 'insecure' and 'unsecure' then it speaks volumes for the festival as a whole.
"On Saturday the infrastructure became insecure and was then fixed and the evening went ahead in there. When the high winds picked up on Sunday, it was necessary to close that down."
I sincerely hope you weren't involved in ZOO8
All you're doing is confirming everyone's point that the organisers did not give one shit about anything that's important to making a successful festival. You need a good kick in the nuts.
that doesnt even make sense
and you havent answered the valid questions asked of you. this kind of thing is just going to do your more damage in the long term.
That sentence was way too long.
*pause for air*
They have monkeys in capes?!?!!
Awesome.
1 post...
...have any involvement with these artists by any chance? Fair enough they took to the stage, but what unknown band would not take to the stage to play infront of a few thousand people?
this is gonna run and run
i like it
So Dizzee was paid up front then was he?
ZOO8
07 Jul 2008 02:09:30 pm
Dizzee would like to apologize to those of you who attended ZOO8 expecting to see him perform.
With constant rumors over the weeks leading up to the event, that in part due to poor ticket sales the festival was in jeopardy our agents Primary Talent advised us to withdraw from the concert, as we had not received payment in full for the show.
Although a deposit had been paid the promoters of ZOO8 missed 3 scheduled payments and we had failed to receive any payment by late afternoon on Friday the 4th of July.
Due to the fact that at least ten other acts with our agent had failed to receive any form of payment, we followed Primary's advice and withdrew from the show.
Sincere Apologies,
Dirtee Stank Recordings
I am certainly
going to take the word of an annonymous person who wont admit her involvement in the festival rather than any posts from anyone that paid to go, any of the acts, or any of their promoters.
But more importantly,
I thought, hey, like its not about the money its about the music? Surely they all should have played anyway?
Yours
SarcasticDevilsadvocateposter#1
bet 5 quid missthing
is the creation of one of those pr companies who post false accounts on websites praising their clients or spreading rumours to deflect attention from bad news stories
is there a word for people who perform that role? a proper word other than 'scum'?
nah
its definitely a joke account.
mark ronson
probably has a scrooge mcduck style pound coin swimming pool thanks to the zutons
Nice rant
but your spelling is hideous!
I would have checked it before sending!!
I love how you put 'by Abigail Stephenson' at the end
It's so cute!
Age 18 3/4 :D
Zoo8: EPIC FAIL
err yeah
but you have to remember that the Holloways were supposed to be headlining the 2nd stage but the tent got closed down and Bizzle also got moved up a stage.
Lies
I had the funniest weekend of my life... but then i had a free ticket, camped in the staff site (which was empty after most of them walked out on Saturday) and left before the rain came along on Sunday.
I haven't read all the comments, but in case no-one else has mentioned it; gallows were fucking amazing.
it sounded exciting
"A bloke near us had his tent taken, stole all his possessions and they also burnt all his clothes. Security didn’t seem too fussed about this at all and explained that unfortunately there is nothing they can do; it’s just one of those things. "
My god.
'astroturfing'
As in false grass roots. That's one term I've heard. There may be more appropriate ones. It's very common - although I doubt zoo8 could afford / be arsed to employ astroturfers. Especially since the organisers are probably dragging a suitcase full of money to the costa del sol as we type.
"just one of those things"
if had a pound for every time someone burnt all my clothes at a festival..
Something about...........
'Wow dat wuz well random!!!!11'
good point
well made
Other way around
surely?
^5
: D
hey
the infrastructure has feelings too you know!
UPDATE
"We ran out of money," say organisers.
you = liar
half the bands didnt turn up because they werent paid their deposits like, MONTHS AGO.
yeh
exactly what he said applies to us. only, replace crew, with lea, and replace no blame for anyone with blame matt dice.
sorry if anyone was expecting us, we were quite looking forward to it as well..
x
i feel bad for the people who went
but this comments board is worth its weight in lols.
i think we can all call it a "qualified success".
How the fuck did you get into Bristol?
Please transfer to the meeja studiez course at UWE with immediate effect!
yeah
it was close but this beats the zoo8 forum, I've had a right laugh.
...
"Our biggest problem was one of miscalculation over cash-flow," said Danny Blanche, co-director.
Rough translation "I'm an incompetant cunt who can't use a calculator / spreadsheet"
mind you, the line-up looked shite, so I'm not surpirsed the cashflow was a problem...must have undersold massively
The Rushes!
yay...
who?
Anyway, looks like a Feeling gig with some shit support. Festival my arse.
and here I was
a little annoyed that Z008 clashed with Rock Werchter as it looked like a good little festival. Sounds like a shambles compared to the superb organisation at Werchter, sod British festivals; European ones are where it's at.
How awful
that the zoo had to step in to pay Ash. Don't think it's an over-reaction to have a regulating authority step in on it as some laws were clearly broken on the health and safety, and contract between customer and promoter front.
i also attended
Rock Werchter being my first ever european festival despite going to at least 50 in the uk in the last 25 years !!I won't ever go to a large uk festival again !! I saw no drugs ,no fights ,no crime and only several pissed up people who were all very good natured !! The stages more or less ran like clockwork the only cancellation i heard about was babyshambles (to be expected -(why they book these junkies is beyond me !!)There was no long walk between stages and an incredible atmosphere that pisses on large corporate uk festivals ! A far better choice of headliners rem neil young and radiohead than glastonbury - a much later finish ,shuttle buses that ran virtually every 5 minutes , - free travel to the nearest town from any station in belgium !! Only downside was stinking bogs and poor choice of food but that happens at virtually every festival !
Going back to zoo festival i will give my money and respect to the bands who played and not not those who didnt !!Most bands play free festivals when they are on the way up or when it suits their marketing needs ! Its obviously bands like the Hives,Cribs Gallows just love playing live whereas the bands that cancelled where selfish bastards who only thought of themselves when confronted with a diffciult situation !!Im sure the organisers budgetted for a bigger crowd hence the financial problems they ran into . The finances proabbly also resulted in the problesm with the toilets,showers etc not being fixed!!However from what ive read all the bands that played were on the whole excellent !! Why the hell have a VIP area at a festival ? Its not needed and asks for trouble . A zero tolerance level towards drugs and underage drinking would solve lots of the other problems !!And im afraid lots of people on here are slagging off the festival like they did Field day last year without giving it proper thought !! That was a wicked festival and the queues at the bar actually made it better as there were less pissheads around than normal !!A festival is an open air event where you go to see live music -if you dont like queues ,lots of pissed people ,camping in bad conditions and all the crime that goes with it in the uk then just get a day ticket or go abroad as i did !!!The uk is completley full of yobs these days without the respect and good manners that the other europeans still have . Get real please !!
What about
If I want to get pissed, and you know, not fight or cause any trouble, but just have fun?
Wonderful closing line:
"We'll definitely be back in 2009." Yeah, you and you alone, my friend.
People from work are trying to make me go to that
I feel bad for saying No!
*because I'm a nice person
not because I like any of those bands
There's a world of difference between knowingly playing a free festival,
and not being paid if you expect to be.
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