Comments on: St Jerome’s Laneway Festival Infuriates Punters

By: Jemima

Jemima — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:34:27 +0000

The sydney show was brilliant. There’s always plenty of space and two park areas to chill out in the shade. There is also a bar (semi)open for the festival. There’s always line for the loos, and there’s a bit of pushing and shoving to get to the front, but really it’s nothing i don’t expected at a festival. Compared to mammoth fests like BDO, laneway is a breeze. I’ve been last year and this year and it’s my favourite festival.

it’s such a shock to learn of the shambles that is the melbourne leg of the festival. i had always assumed that melbourne, being the festival’s home town, would be the best set up and most enjoyable of the shows. it doesn’t even sound like syd and melbourne were the same festival…

By: Kate Thompson

Kate Thompson — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:35:30 +0000

St Jeromes was great last year - shame that the expansion (# of stages, # of tickets) had such a negative effect. I’m glad I couldn’t make it.

Clearly the organisers need to re-think the strategy and decide: is it an intimate and distinct ‘laneway’ festival or is it competing with BDO?

By: Henny Penny

Henny Penny — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:33:34 +0000

The chickens have come home to roost. Screwing the punters once again. Last year was border-line, but this is a complete sham and indicative of the way business is done by the clown. That’s right you fat, obnoxious, greedy bugger, reach into those deep pockets and refund our money! Won’t ever be supporting Jerome, his events or any of his bars again.

By: alexio

alexio — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:47:58 +0000

How is quoting people that experienced this first-hand ’speculation’? My experience of the festival was actually worse than this article describes it, I spent so long standing in a queue - the security guards told us we were not allowed to sit - that I wasn’t able to walk on Monday. People were crying. Some of the hundreds of VIPs were trying to bribe guards to get in. It was a complete shambles.

By: tim

tim — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:38:11 +0000

What a shame. I attended the Brisbane festival and it was the total opposite, the grounds were big and easily accessible, there was plenty of space to move between stages and there were no queues for toilets or the bar, it was actually one of the best run festivals I’ve been to.

By: Cassie

Cassie — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:47:24 +0000

Speculation, Bob? How so?

By: Old Louise

Old Louise — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:24:18 +0000

I’m so not surprised. In 2005 it was hideous! vowed never to go again - dangerous bottle necks, couldn’t buy drinks, couldn’t get to the toilet, over crowded bogansville. Somehow managed to forget this and went along last year - OMG it was just as terrible. Took over an hour to move between stages 20 metres away from one another. They said there were pass outs then we got dinner and they said only passouts till 7pm. Then wouldn’t let us bring dinner in even though they’d run outta food inside. ended up standing still except for that two hours of my life i’ll never get back lining up to use the bathroom. Had a free ticket this year but there was no way in hell I’d go again. So disappointing they still hadn’t learned from all the shit that happened in the previous years. Hope y’all get a refund.

By: Samone

Samone — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:10:49 +0000

Last years St. Jerome’s was not greatly smaller than this years, but was a huge success (in my eyes).

This article is not speculation. It is views expressed by people like me, who attended, and were greatly disappointed and feel horribly chjeated by what occurred. Last year The Prests rocked the Lonsdale st stage the plac was packed up to Swanson, but the vibe was electric. This year it was ridden with anger, and generl “Fuck You JEROME!”-ness.

Not to mention the fact that I could hear the conversation of the unenthusiastic people talking behind me in Daedelus, just 4 rows from the front, due to PATHETIC sound levels.

I was trying to dance, and kept getting buzz-killed by someone complaining they weren’t at Girl Talk!

We made the smart move when The Temper Trap played, watched them from the line, and made it to Four Tet at 6.45, right as he began.

By: lb

lb — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:11:23 +0000

Nick, your right, Hold Steady are a great band, but when you pay $100 and wait in a queue for over an hour to see girltalk, its pretty disgraceful that you can’t.

Such a ridiculously ill planned event! And Thanks a lot Jerome, blame the people who feed and cloth you cause you cant accept responsibility for a shite festival.

I want my money back, because the only thing I got out of this festival was a urinary tract infection for not being able to use a bathroom. Or yeah and possibly a bit of dehydration from lack of water. So much for the concern of your patrons.

By: David

David — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:47:53 +0000

Worst organized Festival I have attended, and that was the most non-apologetic statement I have ever read. I lined up 1.5hrs to see GirlTalk only to be told that they were not letting any more people in. What a waste of a hard earned $100.

Check out what other people had to say.
http://blogs.theage.com.au/yoursay/archives/2009/02/st_jeromes_fest.html?page=fullpage#comments