A little late for some of the big music festivals. But keep some of these tips in mind! (Some indeed are just hilarious.)
Keep in mind that these really aren't in a particular order, and you can apply some of these things to local concerts as well. Good luck & have fun!
1. Don't be an asshole! Yep, you read that right. Don't sit in the corner and just listen to the bands, get up there and have some fun. Make new friends, ect. Be happy that you're an exciting event!
2. Keep $20 in your wallet at all times. Yes, merch is tempting. And of course you're going to want to wipe your wallet out. But DON'T. Consider this $20 emergency cash, because you never know what could happen.
3. Avoid the Porta Potty! You should already know this one. Before going to the said music festival, be sure to stop at a gas station and use the restroom ahead of time. Only use the porta potty if it is absolutely necessary. If its not, avoid it at all costs. Don't even stand by it!
4. Drinks lots of water. Staying hydrated is important, especially if the festival is in the hot summer months. OR have a beer. And if you have one beer you might as well have two...or three...or however many.
5. Can't take a hit? STAY OUT OF THE PIT. Pretty simple. If you can't take a nice punch, then stay as far away from the pit as possible. Because in all honesty, no one wants to hear you wine and cry because you've been punched or elbowed. You know that it is a possibility in that area, so deal with the consequences.
6. Wear closed toe shoes. This mainly applies to the females. It may be hot during some of the months you go to these festivals, but never wear flipflops. You risk stepping on things that you don't want to, people stepping on you and injuring your feet, and not to mention they aren't very comfortable in the long run.
7. Don't over do the makeup. We've all seen it before, the girls who wear to much makeup and then the heat ends up melting it off. Just be sure you know the right amount. We all know the amount of attractive people who attend these festivals, so be sure to look good, just not overdone.
8. Map. If you can find a talking map like Dora has, then go for it! But if not a regular map of where the festival is held will suffice. This just helps you make sure that you aren't missing your favorite band and that you know how to get to the stage. In most cases the venue (or whatever) will have this. Even if it does cost $5.
9. Arrive Early...Or on time. The only reason I'm even putting this is because of the simplest thing...parking. It's really hard to go to the festival if you're stuck driving around looking for somewhere to park. Some of these places have a sort of parking attendant thing where they help you out, but most of the time you're left to your own vulturing.
10. Snacks. Not 100% necessary, but the food can get expensive. (Also a reason to keep the emergency $20) No one wants to have to pay $4 for a little bag of chips, ect. We know you want to spend all that money on merch, so save some money by packing a little snack.
11. Backpack. This should be probably number one. But a backpack is a really good idea. You can keep all the essentials in there. From your own bottle of water to snacks, and even that map that we talked about earlier.
12. Forecast. Pretty much all music festivals are outside, so its good to know what the weather is planning on doing that day. I suggest looking the day before, then dressing appropriately according to the weather.
13. Pen & Paper. Not a necessity, but it is a good idea to have this on hand if you know that there will be some bands that will be doing a meet and greet. If you don't want to bring this, that's fine. Most the time the bands will have a poster you can buy for a price that they'll sign for you. Plus its always a good idea to help out the bands financially.
14. Be polite. This may be a hard concept for some people to rap their heads around, but being nice will get you much farther. If you fall down in the mosh pit and you were nice to the person standing next to you before, they'll probably be more inclined to help you up. Also, it's sort of the right thing to do.
15. Personal Space. While in the crowd watching the band, do not expect this. This rule more or less is about respecting the musicians personal space. No one likes it when you're up in their face and being pushy.
16. Entitlement. Don't expect that just because you bought these concert tickets that every band should have a meet & greet. And certainly do not expect them to get off of the stage and go straight to the signing tent. They need a rest, you think you're tired after a festival, imagine how tired they are! Also remember to try and say thank you if a band meets with you. They're taking time out to speak with you and sign things even though we all know that they would probably much rather take a nap.
Keep in mind that these really aren't in a particular order, and you can apply some of these things to local concerts as well. Good luck & have fun!
1. Don't be an asshole! Yep, you read that right. Don't sit in the corner and just listen to the bands, get up there and have some fun. Make new friends, ect. Be happy that you're an exciting event!
2. Keep $20 in your wallet at all times. Yes, merch is tempting. And of course you're going to want to wipe your wallet out. But DON'T. Consider this $20 emergency cash, because you never know what could happen.
3. Avoid the Porta Potty! You should already know this one. Before going to the said music festival, be sure to stop at a gas station and use the restroom ahead of time. Only use the porta potty if it is absolutely necessary. If its not, avoid it at all costs. Don't even stand by it!
4. Drinks lots of water. Staying hydrated is important, especially if the festival is in the hot summer months. OR have a beer. And if you have one beer you might as well have two...or three...or however many.
5. Can't take a hit? STAY OUT OF THE PIT. Pretty simple. If you can't take a nice punch, then stay as far away from the pit as possible. Because in all honesty, no one wants to hear you wine and cry because you've been punched or elbowed. You know that it is a possibility in that area, so deal with the consequences.
6. Wear closed toe shoes. This mainly applies to the females. It may be hot during some of the months you go to these festivals, but never wear flipflops. You risk stepping on things that you don't want to, people stepping on you and injuring your feet, and not to mention they aren't very comfortable in the long run.
7. Don't over do the makeup. We've all seen it before, the girls who wear to much makeup and then the heat ends up melting it off. Just be sure you know the right amount. We all know the amount of attractive people who attend these festivals, so be sure to look good, just not overdone.
8. Map. If you can find a talking map like Dora has, then go for it! But if not a regular map of where the festival is held will suffice. This just helps you make sure that you aren't missing your favorite band and that you know how to get to the stage. In most cases the venue (or whatever) will have this. Even if it does cost $5.
9. Arrive Early...Or on time. The only reason I'm even putting this is because of the simplest thing...parking. It's really hard to go to the festival if you're stuck driving around looking for somewhere to park. Some of these places have a sort of parking attendant thing where they help you out, but most of the time you're left to your own vulturing.
10. Snacks. Not 100% necessary, but the food can get expensive. (Also a reason to keep the emergency $20) No one wants to have to pay $4 for a little bag of chips, ect. We know you want to spend all that money on merch, so save some money by packing a little snack.
11. Backpack. This should be probably number one. But a backpack is a really good idea. You can keep all the essentials in there. From your own bottle of water to snacks, and even that map that we talked about earlier.
12. Forecast. Pretty much all music festivals are outside, so its good to know what the weather is planning on doing that day. I suggest looking the day before, then dressing appropriately according to the weather.
13. Pen & Paper. Not a necessity, but it is a good idea to have this on hand if you know that there will be some bands that will be doing a meet and greet. If you don't want to bring this, that's fine. Most the time the bands will have a poster you can buy for a price that they'll sign for you. Plus its always a good idea to help out the bands financially.
14. Be polite. This may be a hard concept for some people to rap their heads around, but being nice will get you much farther. If you fall down in the mosh pit and you were nice to the person standing next to you before, they'll probably be more inclined to help you up. Also, it's sort of the right thing to do.
15. Personal Space. While in the crowd watching the band, do not expect this. This rule more or less is about respecting the musicians personal space. No one likes it when you're up in their face and being pushy.
16. Entitlement. Don't expect that just because you bought these concert tickets that every band should have a meet & greet. And certainly do not expect them to get off of the stage and go straight to the signing tent. They need a rest, you think you're tired after a festival, imagine how tired they are! Also remember to try and say thank you if a band meets with you. They're taking time out to speak with you and sign things even though we all know that they would probably much rather take a nap.