Newport Folk Festival Organizers Poll Fans on Lineup Issue
The Newport Folk Fest is currently engaged in an enlightening and rather candid discussion of the effect a radius clause has on scheduling, promoting and announcing a festival such as it. In a series of rapid tweets coming from the fest’s official account @Newportfolkfest organizers are trying to gauge fan reaction to not being able to announce big name headliners for next year’s fest due to clauses already put in place by other festivals preventing acts from being promoted within a defined area (radius) of the other fest. Basically, Newport can either announce before the festival all of the artists slated to perform which would force them to avoid the radius clause’d “big name” acts, or have those well-known headliners but make no announcement of who they are before they take the stage. The Twitter account is asking for fans’ input and have been quick to respond to replies.
This is pretty interesting and I am wondering if this is why Metallica was just announced last week to play Voodoo Fest. I found that late announcement surprising, but this clause could explain why…
Tough for smaller fests for sure.
^^ Metallica got added to that Voodoo for Green Day, as they had to drop out due to Billie Joe going to rehab after freaking out on stage last month
I think Newport should just go ahead and book the bigger names, they have had a pretty good track record the past couple of years of selling out pretty early. The fans will go no matter what.
Been to no less than 4 NFF’s… While it’s safe to say ‘bring on the big names’ because it’s easier to identify with them, in truth I can’t remember how many times I would be walking around and just stop in awe at a singer I’d never heard before…Bright Eyes could have stopped a clock, Keller Williams was awsome,and Brandi Carlisle showed the best is yet to come with her talent, but you (usually)know what youre getting w/ the A list-ers. And watching a thousand people come into the park just before a headliner in the afternoon to take the last 6″ of space, well that sucks. No need to bring on examples (Parrotheads) hehe.