RKNet Blog... Thing

While covetously staring at the ATP Festival site, I noted the following announcement:

An extra date has been added to the ATP Festival featuring My Bloody Valentine.

There are still tickets available, from what I can see, but they probably won’t last long. They’re 25 pounds each (approximately 48.95 USD according to xe.com) and absolutely worth every penny.

And because the brains behind ATP can’t be satisfied with taunting me with just one absolutely unmissable show, they’re also heavily promoting a large, multi-act show. Pitchfork is assisting in curating this show, featuring the likes of the mighty Ween, the soothing sounds of Sebadoh, and the always enjoyable Of Montreal.

The details of the festival itself make all the US festivals I’ve read about look tragically bourgeois and haphazard by comparison. For your festival ticket price of 140GBP (274.07 USD), you get:

The event is held in a holiday camp so your ticket includes a pass to the festival + 3 nights chalet accommodation which is self catered and has private bathrooms and private bedrooms, a kitchen with cooking facilities and a lounge with a colour TV. The TV has one channel programmed by Pitchfork and one by ATP.

~ ATP Festival Website

To put that in perspective, VIP treatment for the Gathering of the Vibes cost $385(USD) and was still basically camping, unless you were lucky enough to have a camper of your very own. Campers are not cheap items by any stretch of the imagination, and neither is a quality tent set up, so staying comfortably for the entirety of the festival was by no-means cheap. The festival was held in a very large public park, which - to the best of my knowledge - was not set up for camping.

Doesn’t really stack up, value-wise, with the proposed admission/accommodation deal ATP has to offer if the information provided in the FAQ is to be completely believed. Unless I win the lotto, knock over a liquor store, or find some kind of sugar daddy (or momma, I’m flexible), I’m not going. If any of you are, be sure to take lots of photos and share. If recording is allowed, encouraged, or doable by way of l33t skillz, please do.

When I was at the Gathering of the Vibes earlier this year, there was a peace demonstration on Sunday (the last day). The theme was unity. Flags of all the world were given out, and each country’s name was spoken aloud. Incidentally, I think they skipped a few names - notably Israel by way of repeating Ireland - but I wasn’t paying strictest attention so I couldn’t say for sure. The whole thing was very somber and very poignant - and by that I mean self-inflated and dull as hell. Perhaps if I’d been down where the flags were being waved, where the most activity was taking place, it might have felt more meaningful and genuine.

Instead I present you with a much more entertaining reading of the countries of the world. This is from years ago so it’s not really accurate with the current and apparently a few were skipped.