ZoSoRose went to an EDM festival and now wants to complain about it

[ZoSoRose]

I am going to sound like a really old man or one of those annoying "ohmygod!mygenerationissostupid!!!" people in this rant so here goes,

Here in Detroit there is a big techno/edm/whatever festival every year called DEMF or Movement or something. Some of you may have heard about it. This year I was dragged to it on Sunday. The chick I'm dating has gone for the past 4 years and wanted me to go for at least one day. Since I was broke she at least paid for most of the day. I've always been a bit of a music snob, but I have gotten a lot more open minded over the years (especially this past year). Still, I like loud guitars, and melodies, and instruments. Whatever, I went into this with an open mind.

We got there early, so it wasn't too crowded. I've been to festivals before- Lollapalooza, Metallica's Orion festival, and small ones like Uproar and Detroit's Motor and Music festival- so I knew what to expect, a bunch of merch and food stalls, different stages everywhere, gimmick tents, the works. I have never really been to an electronic thing before.

I guess I had a little fun so I will talk about that first. Here are some pros- it was a new experience so that can be a good thing. One part was cool cause we had a good, elevated spot, and were dancing with like a cool view of a iight show and the river and shit. That was kind of fun, but I got bored of that in 40 minutes and we were in that spot for like 3 hours. I also had some really good (but over priced) chicken fingers. That was pretty neat. Grinding is also kind of stupid and for horny teenagers imo, but whatever, that was fine for a bit. There was some good eye candy there too with the women. Still, my favorite part was the chicken tenders.

Now for the cons- I thought it'd be people playing keyboard or some shit like that, like that crazy electronic music with the weird robot-animal noises. I don't like that stuff, but its at least "interesting". Nope. The whole fucking day was literally the same god damn shit. 16 hours of monotonous, loud, empty, meaningless shit. The same fucking tempo- "do dododo do dododo do dododo..." nonstop. Every fucking DJ did the same thing. There was no melody in anything, nothing on top of the boring rhythms, no changes, no songs... just do dododo do dododo nonstop. And what the fuck do the DJ's even do? They didn't play any keyboard or even do anything, they just hopped up and down without even controlling the music, it was all just pre recorded. Why even have them and a stage? Honestly, the music wasn't like offensive and it was not good. It was worse, it was just nothing. It was pointless and empty. I don't like a lot of hip hop. I don't like dubstep. People don't like rock n' roll. Etc. Regardless of how I feel about certain genres, all of that at least has some sort of purpose. This shit was literally just monotonous nothing which had the sole existence of letting people do the same boring zombie dance for hours upon hours. I guess that is its purpose, but how can you just move back and forth for 10+ hours?! Its fucking madness.

You hear older people complain about my generation (I'm 23) and how the music and we don't stand for anything. This kind of thing was like a testament to that. It was just this emotionless, soul-eating, zombie gathering. Everyone just stood there in a haze of indifference. Obviously, this sort of thing doesn't represent everyone my age. There's still a lot of great music and wonderful people out there (and I'm sure there were great people full of personality at the festival too). Whatever, it just wasn't for me. I'm probably sounding ridiculous and sounding so off the mark. Maybe I just didn't get it. I didn't complain at all, I was a trooper and acted fine. It wasn't my thing and someone paid for me to go so I wasn't going to rain on anyone's parade.

Oh, and then after it was over we went to an after party show at 1am. Guess what that was? The same fucking thing! For an additional 4 hours! The last 2 hours were actual torture. I was on the brink of insanity and had the urge to start punching everyone around me. Funny thing is, if I did, they all would have probably still not reacted or done anything. Fucking idiots!

Edited May 26, 2015 by ZoSoRose

[magisme]

The chick I'm dating has gone for the past 4 years and wanted me to go for at least one day.

[Cosmo]

Man... Never do that again. Once you go to an EDM "concert", you never come back the same.

[Anguyen92]

Oh, and then after it was over we went to an after party show at 1am. Guess what that was? The same fucking thing! For an additional 4 hours! The last 2 hours were actual torture. I was on the brink of insanity and had the urge to start punching everyone around me. Funny thing is, if I did, they all would have probably still not reacted or done anything. Fucking idiots!

Yep. This all sounds like an EDM festival/show to me. I stumbled upon watching an EDM festival called Ultra on the video game streaming site, Twitch, a few months back. I have no problem with EDM or Trance or any of that kind (I do like Lindsey Stirling that incorporates these elements and mainly incorporates some pleasant violin playing). The main gripe I have, for the most part of the festival, is the performance end where it's mainly just a bunch of DJs just bouncing around and fist-pumping and telling everyone to get hyped or something like that and doing stuff on the turntable that does seem pre-recorded where the guy may as well not be here and the crowd would not even notice he was there in the 1st place.

The only saving grace of that stream experience was that I was chatting it up with some people in the chatbox and we were mainly poking fun at it and yeah, there were some good sounds/performances during some parts of the festival..... I guess.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Anguyen92

[Jakey Styley]

I think the music can be fun in a concert experience for some time, but the music lacks any merit at all, it's just terrible if youre not on drugs and surrounded by a bunch of people also on drugs. One of my least favorite crowds of people, too.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Jakey Styley

[GivenToFly]

I saw Pendulum live once. It was at my university's end of year megabash and it was in one of the tents there so you could just walk in. The rest of my group had scattered so I went in by myself. It was pretty amazing, I enjoyed myself immensely, although I wouldn't have expected it before. Later I tried listening to their music but I couldn't get into it outside of the concert setting. The live experience almost always makes music better.

[The Black]

Ah man, I love those parties to be honest. But I'm more into

Hardcore

Crossbreed (hardcore drum & bass)

[KeyserSoze]

I hate this culture/fad/movement etc. so much.

About 3 years ago I saw Modestep/Borgore/Skrillex back to back to back at Voodoo Fest.

That day, I mainly went to see Modestep, due to the fact that they actually fucking play INSTRUMENTS and don't just stand there with a pair of Beats around there neck jumping up and down like a fucking retard. And, to me at least, they give off this kind of post-hardcore/metalcore techno vibe so I thought it would be cool to check out there energy live.

I got to the festival early and went and checked out Coheed and Cambria on the main stage before moving toward the EDM side of the festival grounds. If I remember correctly, Modestep played around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. By the time my friends and I got to the stage, there was a handful of people there, and we walked up to the front and got right behind the barrier (I'd say there was about 3 rows of people between us and the barrier)

The house DJ got off stage and Modestep came on and literally blew me away! They were loud and fucking insane! But like you said, that was fun for about 40 minutes. And for some reason, there was a fuck up where some chick named Dev(?) was suppost to play, but she didn't show up, so modesteps set was cut 10 minutes short.

By the time Modestep were done, I turned around and there were ravers as far as the eye can fucking see. I figured there was absolutely no way I was getting out of this shit show, so I stayed. Biggest. Mistake. Of. My. Life 20 minutes later, Borgore comes out and explains what happend and proceeds to blast through an hour and a half of the dododo do do bullshit you explained to everyone earlier. Except for the fact that borgore is an ex Deathcore singer, so he encouraged mosh pits. Multiple times.

Now it's fairly apparent that if you are 20something and you dress like you have a severe case of autism and your standing outside in the blistering heat at 4 in the afternoon to watch borgore, you probably have never been in a hardcore mosh pit. Plus, how the fuck do you mosh to something that slow? The whole crowd lost there shit and holes opened everywhere. Some turned into dance parties/battles but a good lot of them turned into fights. Soooo many dude-bros took the phrase "mosh" as a chance to beat the piss out of whoever was standing next to them. My friend got trampled and nobody bothered to pick him up. I had to pick at least 5 people off of him while everyone else continued to dance around us.

Crowd surfers got destroyed. Anyone who was crowd surfing and made it up to within 5 feet of the barrier was immediately thrown back toward the crowd by this small little Roidhead Asian guy who complained that his girlfriend was getting hurt. His girlfriend was literally 4 feet tall. And I can understand if she was actually getting hurt, but she made no attempted to even "surf" the people. She literally watched as a foot went right into her face!! After about 3 more times of this bull fuckery he went INSANE. He got in EVERYONES face. Screaming at them for encouraging crowd surfing.

Eventually Borgore got off stage and the sun had set. Skrillex came out to end out the whole festival and for 2 and a half hours it was literally the same ol shit. About 30 minutes into his set, I look behind me and I see a big pit form so of course I think it's one of those dance battle/party pits. I hear everyone go "OHHHHHH" and I see this round white dude stand up with blood covering his face. He turns around and BAM this black dudes fist lands right across his face. What the fuck?! At that point I wanted to leave so bad but I was packed in like a sardine with thousands of moving bodies all around me.

I've talked to people who actually enjoy this shit and not a single one of them can tell me that they can do a day like that sober.

It makes no sense to me what so ever.

[drtydane]

Yea if you had taken Molly like everyone else there you would have had fun.

[OmarBradley]

I saw Pendulum live once. It was at my university's end of year megabash and it was in one of the tents there so you could just walk in. The rest of my group had scattered so I went in by myself. It was pretty amazing, I enjoyed myself immensely, although I wouldn't have expected it before. Later I tried listening to their music but I couldn't get into it outside of the concert setting. The live experience almost always makes music better.

Pendulum is different, they're real musicians. I like a lot of Pendulum, so far it's the only electronic music artist I like. And my idiot friends (who go to Ultra, etc.) have tried to show me plenty. I actually discovered Pendulum long before the "EDM" scene became popular.

[Daedalus]

... just do dododo do dododo nonstop.

So, they played Heartbreaker from the Stones?

[Gordon Comstock]

I also had some really good (but over priced) chicken fingers. That was pretty neat. Grinding is also kind of stupid and for horny teenagers imo, but whatever, that was fine for a bit. There was some good eye candy there too with the women. Still, my favorite part was the chicken tenders.

Sorry you had to endure that zoso but you lasted longer than I would have.

[ZoSoRose]

I also had some really good (but over priced) chicken fingers. That was pretty neat. Grinding is also kind of stupid and for horny teenagers imo, but whatever, that was fine for a bit. There was some good eye candy there too with the women. Still, my favorite part was the chicken tenders.

Sorry you had to endure that zoso but you lasted longer than I would have.

I'm so proud of myself. I also hate myself for doing it lol

[J Dog]

That sounds like absolute hell.

I will admit I'm a fan of grinding though.

[DR DOOM]

Even when dumping fuckloads of pills I've never enjoyed a rave...lord knows I have tried.

[Amir]

I went to see Kavinsky in a warehouse once and enjoyed that. He even "played" YCBM, slowing down and extending the drum intro.

The chick I'm dating has gone for the past 4 years and wanted me to go for at least one day.

[Johnny Drama]

At least it probably like it wasn't like it is here in Australia 'ull of roided up wankers trying to "fuckin smash cunts brah".

I've been to at least 5 raves sober. Music ain't the best but it was an alright time. What shits me about these fuckin pinger cunts is that they act like their music is te shit but:

1. Arrive whenever they want to see their DJ etc. of choice.

2. Leave whenever.

3. The cunts aren't even mixing anything. Half the time they're just playing shit off a laptop and jumping about. Fuck off and play something you fucking waste of proteins and bodily fluids.

[Bono]

My guess is the music actually did sound different and you just don't have an ear for it. I used to dj for a lot of years and I became very aware of thinsg that were happening in the music that others with "less trained ears" didn't even notice and things I'd have never noticed before I started doing it. To me it was awesome, to them they were like "huh?". I've been to "raves" as they were called back in the day(maybe they still are) and always had a great time. I enjoy that kind of music in the right setting. Maybe that particular festival was just shit, I can't say I wasn't there but I'd love to go to Electric Daisy Carnival and Tomorrowland and I know it would be awesome.

Props to you though for going to something your girlfriend enjoys yet you don't. She probably appreciates that and is more likely to partake in something you enjoy that maybe she's not a huge fan of.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Bono

[dalsh327]

I wonder what the people who started house music in Chicago & Detroit that watched it eventually evolve into EDM feel when they go to these shows now. I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has. To me it just seems like a lot of musicians realized they could make more money layering beats and sounds into a laptop, travel around the world, and make way more money at a time rock clubs were dying. Rock festivals are far from dead.

It's not even about who's on stage at those festivals unless they have a light show and do something theatrical.

[Anguyen92]

This picture reminded me of something when I watched a set at that Ultra stream in the tent. There were friken visual screens on the ceiling of the tent. I was like, "Whoa, dude. What is this voodoo stuff?"

Edited May 27, 2015 by Anguyen92

[ZoSoRose]

My guess is the music actually did sound different and you just don't have an ear for it. I used to dj for a lot of years and I became very aware of thinsg that were happening in the music that others with "less trained ears" didn't even notice and things I'd have never noticed before I started doing it. To me it was awesome, to them they were like "huh?". I've been to "raves" as they were called back in the day(maybe they still are) and always had a great time. I enjoy that kind of music in the right setting. Maybe that particular festival was just shit, I can't say I wasn't there but I'd love to go to Electric Daisy Carnival and Tomorrowland and I know it would be awesome.

Props to you though for going to something your girlfriend enjoys yet you don't. She probably appreciates that and is more likely to partake in something you enjoy that maybe she's not a huge fan of.

Yeah, she was appreciative and super happy I went

[Len Cnut]

First of all you're looking for melody in the wrong place, it's not melody based music, it's rhythm based. Secondly, i dunno what EDM is but it's just basically like raves back in the day I'm assuming? You gotta be pillin' for it really, yes the music is repetitive and goes on and on but thats the point, you're supposed to get lost in the fuckin' beat.

If you can enjoy hip hop you have approached the principle behind a lot of rave and thats the repetitive beat, it's stripping the shit down to it's fundamental elements, like African drums.

The real problem is all you smelly metallers approach this shit with pre-concieved prejudice

[ZoSoRose]

First of all you're looking for melody in the wrong place, it's not melody based music, it's rhythm based. Secondly, i dunno what EDM is but it's just basically like raves back in the day I'm assuming? You gotta be pillin' for it really, yes the music is repetitive and goes on and on but thats the point, you're supposed to get lost in the fuckin' beat.

If you can enjoy hip hop you have approached the principle behind a lot of rave and thats the repetitive beat, it's stripping the shit down to it's fundamental elements, like African drums.

The real problem is all you smelly metallers approach this shit with pre-concieved prejudice

I think hip hop is mostly bollocks too if that helps

[Len Cnut]

First of all you're looking for melody in the wrong place, it's not melody based music, it's rhythm based. Secondly, i dunno what EDM is but it's just basically like raves back in the day I'm assuming? You gotta be pillin' for it really, yes the music is repetitive and goes on and on but thats the point, you're supposed to get lost in the fuckin' beat.

If you can enjoy hip hop you have approached the principle behind a lot of rave and thats the repetitive beat, it's stripping the shit down to it's fundamental elements, like African drums.

The real problem is all you smelly metallers approach this shit with pre-concieved prejudice

I think hip hop is mostly bollocks too if that helps

Reggae works on a similar principle too?

[ZoSoRose]

First of all you're looking for melody in the wrong place, it's not melody based music, it's rhythm based. Secondly, i dunno what EDM is but it's just basically like raves back in the day I'm assuming? You gotta be pillin' for it really, yes the music is repetitive and goes on and on but thats the point, you're supposed to get lost in the fuckin' beat.

If you can enjoy hip hop you have approached the principle behind a lot of rave and thats the repetitive beat, it's stripping the shit down to it's fundamental elements, like African drums.

The real problem is all you smelly metallers approach this shit with pre-concieved prejudice

I think hip hop is mostly bollocks too if that helps

Reggae works on a similar principle too?

Naw, reggae is chill

Keep in mind, len, its just my shitty opinions lol