Trainwreck: Woodstock 99 on Netflix

[NorthFaceofthelaundrypile]

Has anyone watched this as yet? I watched it yesterday, and found it so disturbing. I’d have hated to have been in the midst of it.

[badbaduncle]

@Pinkflipflop85

@1990s I think that was the year of the gatecrashers...

Yes. Over 280k people on 120k tickets. Then it rained. Happy insanity though, lots and lots of good vibes 🤩
I was working for a charity and we were given lots of big donations by garecrashers who felt bad 😂

[badbaduncle]

I hate to admit this but several of my cousins took down an entire fence and made a lot of money admitting mostly Liverpudlians 😂😂😂

[MarshaBradyo]

Not heard of this. Sounds interesting will watch tonight

[ShirleyJackson]

I watched it all in one go. Couldn’t look away. It was horrendous.

The organisers still won’t admit responsibility. Infuriating people.

[skgnome]

Watched last night
things that happened were so wrong, and it summed perfectly the wrong side of 90s “culture”
I couldn’t believe the organiser still trying to gloss things over!
also the cost cutting measures!

[TheVanguardSix]

I watched the first part of it (haven't been able to since because I've had guests staying) but it really, really, really triggered my memories of teenagers in American high school, which I graduated from in 1990. I really hated certain aspects of growing up in the States, like high school (traumatic!)... and this documentary shows exactly why. Dealing with the frat boy mentality on a daily basis in high school was, I am certain, far worse than traversing a sewage pond.
There's no way my parents would have let me go off to that festival. I was really struck by how young the festival goers were... and remember, our drinking age is 21 so we really don't have a fucking clue when it comes to holding our drink.

[TheVanguardSix]

And that Michael Lang promotor...Jesus. It's like, "Would you like another lobotomy, sir, or are you enough of a numbskull as is?"

Michael Lang: "I'd like more money on my money, please, with an extra side of money at ANY cost."

"Mr. Lang. That doesn't really answer the question. However, I am impressed. That's the most you've ever spoken."

[AmbushedByCake1]

I watched it all last night. Horrifying. How on Earth was it ok to be selling tickets to 14 year olds. And having a nu metal line up and then feigning surprise at the kind of crowd it attracted. And then one wanting to take responsibility. I would have been interested to know what profit they made on it.

[Rollingdownland]

I was at Glastonbury 1999 and saw loads of people coming in and out through holes in the fence. It didn't feel dodgy though - everyone was stoned and it was a nice atmosphere.

I watched the Woodstock thing and it looked AWFUL. They were trying to portray that whole generation (mine!) as violent and aggressive because of the Fight Club film, which I thought a little unfair. In England, at least, at that time everyone was taking E and getting excited about Britpop and it didn't feel aggressive at all!

[MrsMop1964]

I haven't seen it, but I feel like I have because my 18 year old has been watching it then coming to see me every so often and describing the entire thing because she's shocked and absolutely furious at the organisers!

[Binkybix]

Also just binged the whole thing - made me shudder.

[Roundlampshade]

DH and 15 year old DS watched the first part (I started watching about half way through). Which episode is the girl in the van and do I need to be careful letting DS watch this bit?

[SequinsandStilettos]

An eyewitness mentions seeing an unconscious girl with knickers round her ankles and a bloke pulling his pants up.
Third episode.
Personally, I'd watch it with your DS, as no other details given and no footage but gives you the perfect opportunity to discuss enthusiastic consent.

[SequinsandStilettos]

The HBO doc from last year on the same topic, mentioned upthread, is available on Nowtv. If you put Music Box into the search box, it will come up. It is episode 1.

[Helpmethinkofasolution]

As someone who went to loads of UK heavy metal festivals aged 15-22 as a young girl, getting intoxicated, wearing PVC skirts and dresses, I never, ever felt unsafe. I never had any untoward attention.
Which makes me think that this might be far more about the 'frat boy' mentality, people who can't handle their alcohol and the drumming up of energy due to zeitgeist (post columbine) rather than being emblematic of the heavy metal scene.

[chilling19]

I watched it last night. It seemed to me that Woodstock 69 = hope, Woodstock 99 = no hope.

[SequinsandStilettos]

I agree that you would not have had the same vibe at, say, Monsters of Rock at Donnington. Reading could get lairy, bottles of piss during Slipknot, but most heavy rock festivals were/are fine. Thinking also of Rock im Park/Rock am Ring.
What the HBO doc does very well (and I really do recommend it as a counterpart/accompanying feature as it is less countdown disaster movie and much more nuanced) is briefly examine how soft rock/heavy rock then grunge were different to nu-metal.
Hope is another interesting way of looking at it but important to note that some mistakes from Woodstock 69 were repeated 30 years later (sanitation, drugs, food) but what we learn from history is that we don't learn from history...WS69 mythologies when was not all rosy either.
iloveclassicrock.com/the-bad-side-of-woodstock-69/

[SequinsandStilettos]

John Scher comes across as a complete and utter twunt in both documentaries with his victim-blaming. What a cock.

[HRTQueen]

I watched it last night couldn’t turn it off

it was horrific but shows how easily crowds can get out of control seeing the young women crowd surfing just thrown about was so I comfortable

im not shocked about the sexual assaults I remember at raves and full moon parties hearing about women being assaulted/raped and avoiding certain areas

drug culture was very different in the 90’s compared to the 60’s this is when coke started being so readily available mixed with alcohol, bands that riled the crowd up what could possibly do wrong

and refusing to take any responsibility from the organisers was shocking

[MarshaBradyo]

Watched it too

The heat, asphalt, lack of water looked so dangerous

Then lack of security, vibe and fire from candles

[kittykarate]

I actually think the HBO documentary did a better job of highlighting the casual sexual assault and the injuries caused by the heat/bad planning. In both documentaries John Scher came across as a a rape apologist and sexual assault minimiser. The Netflix definitely showed how some problems were caused b cost cutting (security/sanitation).

I don't think it was necessarily the 'music' that was the issue, but there are definitely some bands you think 'The audience for this will be a pack of young, thick as mince, agressive coke heads' so you would possibly skip it. I think in some ways it shows the skills of a place like Glastonbury to make a lineup that doesn't concentrate on one type of thing too much, to manage a large number of people in one place and to try and keep people mostly in one piece.

[ChagSameachDoreen]

@badbaduncle

I hate to admit this but several of my cousins took down an entire fence and made a lot of money admitting mostly Liverpudlians 😂😂😂

I'm not sure such a blithe tone is particularly fitting for this thread.

[ProfYaffle]

@Helpmethinkofasolution

As someone who went to loads of UK heavy metal festivals aged 15-22 as a young girl, getting intoxicated, wearing PVC skirts and dresses, I never, ever felt unsafe. I never had any untoward attention.
Which makes me think that this might be far more about the 'frat boy' mentality, people who can't handle their alcohol and the drumming up of energy due to zeitgeist (post columbine) rather than being emblematic of the heavy metal scene.

Agree with this. I went to a lot of 'old' metal festivals in the late 80s and early 90s (including Donnington 1988 when people died) and don't recognise the atmosphere at Woodstock 99 at all. The 'frat boy' culture seemed to be very different.

[DillonPanthersTexas]

The area in front of the stage looked terrifying. I have been in a fair few mosh pits in my time but that just looked hideous, real frat house pissed up aggression.

There also seemed to be quite a few very naïve folk on day three of the festival still thinking it was some kind of love in hippyfest of the 1969 vintage.

[dreamingbohemian]

Agree the nu metal scene was really different from the heavy metal/grunge scene. From what I understand nu metal wasn't so huge in the UK? (I didn't move here til some years later). It absolutely took over in the US and it was mostly these young white asshole men, it was all about being aggro and nihilistic, and putting women and 'beta males' back in their place. Like toxic masculinity just roaring back against any progress made earlier in the 90s.

Someone said that the Woodstock 99 crowd grew up and stormed the Capitol in January 2021 and I totally see that. You wonder how Trump could get elected after saying you gotta grab women by the pussy, well Woodstock 99 helps explain that.