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The DO’s and DON’Ts of Summer Music festivals
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I know every blogger has done this before, but usually they’re boring and full of lame advice about wearing sunscreen and drinking lots of water which you should already know. I thought I’d mix it up a bit by explaining the Dos and DON’Ts through my recent experience at Summafieldayze which took place at the Gold Coast on January 2nd.
DO: Dress appropriately
Basically you can’t wear skinny jeans to a music festival in the middle of summer. I went to my first Summafieldayze in tight jeans and Chucks and almost died from overheating/sand in my shoes. I quickly learned you need to dress light and comfortably, though don’t be a massive dag about it if you can avoid it. As tacky as they are, those fluro kids had it right with their singlets and shorts and slip on shoes. Also, don’t wear thongs when you know there’s a good chance of rain/mud. You will lose them and have to risk walking through pee later in the evening.
DON’T: Wear new shoes
My friend did this and while they looked comfortable, they gave her such bad blisters she couldn’t walk for days afterwards. Wear shoes that are well-worn and comfortable while also being disposable should you lose them in a massive mud pit. If you know it will be raining and therefore muddy, gum boots are great but make sure they fit as those suckers can cause nasty blisters.
DO: Medicate Yourself
If you suffer from any medical conditions, take what you need with you in a safe compartment of your bag and don’t rely on the ambo’s there to help you. I get migraines and only took some weak-ass pain killers with me which did bugger all when I was hit with a killer migraine of doom at the end of the night. Sitting on a bus with drunk/high festival-goers when you have a migraine blows big time, so assume the worst and take extra precautions (especially if you have a life-threatening condition, naturally).
DON’T: Forget to plan
It seems obvious, but I made this mistake very mistake the other day at Sumamfieldayze. For some reason we couldn’t find the timetable on the website so didn’t know who was on when until we got a timetable from someone else on the bus on our way there. As a result we missed one of the main acts we wanted to see because we assumed they’d be on a lot later than they actually were. We also left an hour later than we originally wanted to, and because the Gold Coast is just hopeless with organising festivals 90% of the time, it took us THREE hours to get from Surfers Paradise to the Spit, which is really only a 5-10 minute drive on a regular day. If we’d spent more time working out the plan instead of buying and consuming booze, we would have made it there a lot earlier and not had to hang around screeching morons for three too may hours. On the upside though, we managed to find someone willing to take us to the festival gates by jetski which was hilariously awesome.
DO: Drink before you get there
If you’re planning to drink at a music festival like this one, make sure you have saved your pennies. For a crazy $10.50 you can get a can of a premixed drink that is only mid-strength. Oh yes. I suggest having a few drinks before hand to get the day started and then go easy at the festival because you will send yourself broke if you try and get wasted there. Other options included getting into the VIP area which usually sells full strength drinks for less or just take drugs. Seriously, anything over $8 for a mid-strength drink is highway robbery and only encourages people to take drugs. I’m not saying I am condoning drug use, I’m just saying that for a lot of people it’s more economical to have a pill for around $30 than try and get drunk at a festival. For another perspective on this, check out this article by Sam Cleveland on The Punch.
DON’T: Rely on your phone too much
By the end of the night it’s likely you won’t be able to get reception, or like me your phone will go flat because you used it to take photos/update Facebook. If you’re worried about losing your friends, agree on a meeting point and wait there at the end of the night, or else just make your own way home. I have notoriously poor luck with mobiles at festivals, namely because friends give me their to hold which is a right pain in the butt when you end up losing them!
DO: make sure you have the next day off
I have tried to go to work the day after a big festival and it sucks. If you can do it, take the next day off work and recuperate. No one likes a hungover asshole in the office so get over your misery in the privacy of your own home and then get back to your routine the day after.
DONT: Go to a festival if it’s not your thing
I’ve gone to festivals with friends who were only going for one artist, and generally hate the style of music that dominates the day. Man it’s a massive downer. They either end up getting watsed and acting like a crazy fool and missing that one artist they came to see anyway. Or they bitch and moan about all the “losers” there, how shit the music is and what a terrible day it’s been. Nip this in the bud with a friend who’s looking at going to the next festival because they like whoever’s headlining. Remind them of all of the other acts who they hate and show them photos of patrons from previous years. Or even better, tell ‘em to get a life and stop hating so much. Both are good.
| Originally published at rubyvelour.com |