Pemberton fest ends with musical high, logistical woes
Last Updated: Monday, July 28, 2008 | 10:42 AM ET
CBC News
Flamboyant U.S. rap star Jay-Z delivered a crowd-pleasing set at the Pemberton Music Festival on Sunday. (Laura Thompson/CBC)Closing with two blistering performances from music world heavyweights Jay-Z and Coldplay, the fledgling Pemberton Music Festival wrapped Sunday night with mixed reviews from visiting fans and locals from the tiny B.C. community.
After taking in a packed lineup of emerging and established performers ranging from Vampire Weekend to Tom Petty, more than 30,000 fans gave a thunderous welcome Sunday evening to rap icon Jay-Z, who arrived via helicopter and performed hits like 99 Problems and A Hard Knock Life.
"To come up and here and get this much love, don't think I don't appreciate it," Jay-Z declared. "I appreciate each and every one of y'all out there."
Chris Martin and his band Coldplay gave a high-energy performance to close the Pemberton festival Sunday. (Laura Thompson/CBC) The flamboyant U.S. rap star was followed by British rockers Coldplay, who delivered a set of past chart-toppers (including Clocks, Yellow, The Scientist) mixed with songs from their latest album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.
"Well, you braved hours of traffic and rain and all those kinds of things, all to take a chance on a new festival," frontman Chris Martin told the crowd.
"We certainly feel very privileged to be playing while you're all going back to your carpark," he quipped.
Musical triumph, organizational 'hiccups'
Snarled traffic, shuttles moving at a snail's pace, long queues for food and showers and dusty-turned-muddy conditions due to rain were among the organizational snags that put a damper on the inaugural event, which saw Canadians like The Tragically Hip, Buck 65, Metric, Wintersleep and Kathleen Edwards take the stage, as well as high-profile international bands such as Nine Inch Nails and Death Cab for Cutie.
However, organizers said they have learned valuable lessons.
"Every great festival has its hiccups at the beginning," Shane Bourbonnais of Live Nation Canada said at a Sunday afternoon press conference.
The Flaming Lips' lead singer Wayne Coyne rolls above the Pemberton Music Festival audience on Saturday. (Laura Thompson/CBC) "Obviously there are always kinks. We've identified all those issues, we're taking notes and figuring out how we'll improve on those issues," he said, adding that he's already heard from seven bands interested in taking the stage for a follow-up edition.
Attendees offered mixed reviews.
"You want to come out with a positive experience," said Tanya Pak, who was waiting for a shuttle.
"[There were] so many great, great bands and it's so lovely here, but we're stressed out now. I don't know if I'd want to come back next year.
Rob Hepburn, on the other hand, was willing to look past missteps during this inaugural edition.
"I think everyone understands that this is the first year the festival's going on, and we're all just excited to be here. The setting's so great that everyone's just willing to forgive it," he said.
Festival not lucrative for all businesses
Locals also had mixed feelings about the festival, which organizers had predicted would bring an estimated $9 million to the surrounding community over the three-day event.
CBCNews.ca blogger Laura Thompson reported that sales at nearby hardware and grocery stores were up 50 per cent, but others were not so fortunate.
"We have a bar setup and dining room, so we hoped for an evening scene," said Mike Richmond, owner of the Pony Espresso. "We thought [with] 40,000 to 50,000 people in town, we figured some people would be coming into town [from the festival grounds] in the evening.
Concert-goers get back on the shuttle buses at the festival's end. (CBC) "I think a lot of people had bad experiences getting to their campsites and to the festival in the first place, so they're turned off the shuttles," Richmond said.
"And then they're not turning around and saying, 'Honey, let's get outta here for a couple of hours' because they may not get back for six hours and they don't want to chance missing the bands."
Neal Harrison, owner/chef at Fat Duck Cuisine, was also disappointed in the weekend take.
"For us, it's tough. We're not seeing the numbers we thought we would," Harrison said. "I wouldn't say it's going to be an economic boom."
With files from the Canadian Press
