Rocking The Daisies 2008 began for me on Saturday afternoon, when we arrived in a queue, about a 500m long. Fortunately, the ground had dried up, so people weren’t getting stuck, which apparently happened continually on Friday. We managed to get through the queue fairly quickly and with VIP access cards, we didn’t park too far away – Most people had to park and walk a kilometer to the camping area – not cool!
I’ve been to tons of outdoor psytrance parties, but I can honestly say that I’ve never seen this many people before! I heard someone say something like 23,000 people – madness! The photograph below is just one area of about 10!
As the sun went down, it got so unbelievably freezing, shiver material! The wind blasted from every direction and literally every second tent was either getting blown away or smashed, but this didn’t stop any of us from getting up and going for a good dance. The only band I can really report on is Plush, I watched their whole act and it was darn good. Personally, I think the bands were a little too soft and relaxed, we all needed some harder music to get the blood flowing, but the bands still performed fantastically!
Thanks to Zee, who brought a gas cooker, Zee, Lulie, Liz, Warren and I bunched up into a tent with the cooker, which kept us warm. This involved a couple brandy and cokes and, obviously, some bingers ;)
All in all, is was definitely worth going, just a bit of an upset about the parking situation and the weather, but when has that ever stopped anyone anyway?
I tweeted as much as I could, unfortunately the mobile reception was awful!
Oooh, sounds like the perfect camping weekend to me! So jealous I couldn’t make it.
It was great fun! Well, there will be plenty of other outdoor events now that summer is here :)
should have taken yr laptop along and used the skyrove connection to connect to the net…
Ah ye, and I have plenty of SkyRove credit! I saw Henk walking around, didn’t realise he was providing SkyRove at the event..
Who is Julie?
Muahhahaha, ooooops!
sorry to sound like a pretentious souf afican git just back from overseas, but that is what I am: the music at RTD was so below par. Us trio (another SA returnee and a European friend) battled to stay focused or even awake – the music was so crap. I waited for dj ivan to play the last set at 2.30 sat night (I sort of kept awake thinking finally something good would come) but was so beat I chucked in the towel an hour in. Though I think something must have come of his set because he is kinda good.
But my point is we are so mediocre in SA in so many departments. We gotta get sharper. When you go to small clubs in London, Berlin or Barcelona or even the big events, then you know what music is. The music here is so pap in comparison and yet there is so much pretension about it. Come on, we should be producing world stars not echolaliacs.
But, hey, a very big thumbs up to SA people. They are much nicer, friendlier than Europeans. RTD was great for that!!
I guess it depends on your flavour of music then. If you’re a hard rock fan, then I can understand you saying this, but the bands were advertised way before the event, so you knew what you were install for :)
The bands were tame, I have to admit, it was a mellow concert, but I love the more relaxed stuff, so it was good for me :)
As far as the DJ’s go, well, it was a rock concert, so I didn’t bother with the electro music and what not.
I think the event was brilliant, despite the freezing cold weather and wind :)
Thanks Gus for your really honest comment – I bought two tickets for the sat/sun but never ended up going – all I been reading from the people that actually got inside is good feedback & felt kinda down about not going – now I feel a bit better for losing out on the R440 – yes the venue is situated directly in a wind channel & they actually generate electricity at a wind farm in Darling. I am pretty sure the organisers would be moving it to some other place.
After reading about mud, and possibility of being turned away even with a ticket, the COLD wind (I DONT do cold wind) especially when a tent was gonna be my home, the camping space being less because of the mud (I DONT do cramped camping places) and the cars were parked kilometres away and the queue being kilometres long too. . .blame Chris also for confirming that he was there and in a queue on the Saturday which I thought would have been cleared by then?
but this wont stop me from being at VORTEX in December, in fact if anything, I think I should catch the winter clearance sales and purchase some gum boots…
Anastacia…
I’m surprised you DO gum boots..!
Rocking the Daisies 2009 – http://imod.co.za/index.php/2009/09/18/rocking-the-daisies/