What Have We Learned From Woodstock Anniversary Events?

After two Woodstock anniversaries have we learned anything? Maybe, maybe not. Woodstock promoter Michael Lang is said to be planning a Woodstock 40th anniversary event this year. Gibson.com reports that Lang is/was thinking about two free shows, one to be held in NY and one to possibly be held in Germany at a controversial airfield that used to be a favorite of Adolf Hitler’s. Honestly I could care less about it being held at Hitler’s favorite airfield, he’s dead and gone. The fact that he wants to take this classic American event overseas is what I don’t like.

I wonder why he wants to make it a free event. Is it even possible to put such an event together for free admission? This is something that should be planned well over a year in advance. Lang is trying to get some of the original performing artists to return, the ones that are still alive anyway. I would also try to invite bands not in the hard rock or metal genre. As much as I love heavy metal, Woodstock is not the event for it.

The main problem with Woodstock ‘94 was security and people jumping the fences. By making Woodstock ‘09 a free event you will have more people showing up thinking they can get in because it’s “free”. There was also the issue with people turning port-o-let liquids in to mud pits among other smaller problems.

Woodstock ‘99 was an atrocity. I like some of the bands that played on that bill but honestly if they didn’t see a riot in the works then they are just stupid. They had the event in the middle of the summer on an airfield. The temperature and humidity was high and then they wanted to charge high prices for water. Granted, 10 years later $4.00 for a bottle of water is your average price and food is about the same now as it was back then, but then those prices were high. Honestly in the summer time water should be provided for free at the least from a tap or allow people to bring their own in sealed bottles. Between alleged rapes, groping and other criminal activity, this sure didn’t seem like a Woodstock Event. Adding bands like Rage Against The Machine and Limp Bizkit and you’re bound to have trouble.

I’m seriously hoping that Michael Lang thinks thing through and we can avoid the mistakes that were made from Woodstock ‘94 and ‘99 and put together an even that will be remembered not for the bad things but for the good things like the original Woodstock was remembered for. Hopefully they plan this with their hearts and not their wallets.

Michael, if you’re listening I have two names for this event that would be great additions; Bob Dylan and David Gilmour. They would be great for a Woodstock event. I could probably think of a few more that would fit well but those are the two that immediately come to mind.

Image: Newscom.