Rock Festivals are suppose to be fun, relaxing, and everything a festival should be. Yet, what would happen if that festival was sketchy and scummy. Introducing the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, a repeated disaster I have experienced.
What is the Blue Ridge Rock Festival?
The Blue Ridge Rock Festival is a rock festival, along with being a company, located in Virginia, where rock fans and the bands they love can rock out, eat & drink, etc.
Who runs Blue Ridge Rock Fest?
A man named Jonathon Slye, who is allegedly a con-artist and criminal like his father, who also allegedly is also a criminal.
What is your experience? When did I find out about this festival?
I found out this festival back in the year 2021, when my father, who is also enjoys rock n' roll like I do, introduced the festival to me from his phone. Hyped, we bought tickets to the festival, which turned into excitement since this was our first ever concert together as father and daughter, so, immediately, as excited as we were, collected everything we needed for the trip like lawn chairs, phones, chargers, etc., into a bag. Our original plan was going to be spending the night in a hotel nearby, so we got an air mattress for me to sleep on. Though as the festival got closer, we were sent wristbands to be scanned, which was our ticket to getting in the event.
When the day came, we traveled all the way to Danville, Virgina, parked our car, where we were told to, then headed our way to a long line of people, who were waiting for a shuttle, which is basically just a bus. Although before then, we prepared ourselves with sunscreen and everything, waited in a long while for the shuttles, full of people waiting for the same thing. However, come to find out, Blue Ridge didn't have enough buses for as many people that were there, which had been 2,000 or more (correct me if I am wrong), due to the overselling of tickets and poor organization. With this, and how frustrated we were with this situation, we thought that it didn't make since for non-campers to park away from the venue, but campers got to camp closer to the venue, especially between the two spaces, the one we parked at was bigger. Yet, due to this problem and how impatient everyone was getting, including us (me and my father), ended up walking along with many other people to the venue.
Arriving at the venue, we had a great time in my opinion, got to see at least all the bands, except for some bands, because of overlapping times in the schedule of the entire event itself and along with the fact that we almost missed a whole set of a band we truly love, due to the walking. However, with no fixes, these issues carried over throughout the entire event. Along with this, the venue they picked wasn't good either, since some of the ground left dust filling in the air after walking on it, which affected my father's lungs and the ground that was way too hard on our feet to walk on, despite walking around with hiking boots that my father and I had that were made for these types of festivals. Which, with my sensory issues and pain, I could barely gather the energy to walk or want to walk anymore. This includes the walking on the way back to the parking area. I mean when I tell you my feet were in pain, imaging your feet being bricks on fire. With these environment issues, we had to take a day off, before going back the next day since we signed up for all four days. However, overall, in my opinion, this experience would not be as bad as what we were to encounter for the next two years.
Fast forward to 2022, where a lot of changes would technically be made for the festival. For instance, the location changed from the Amphitheater, the setting from last time, to the Virginia International Raceway, and along with what we all hoped would be the shuttle issue being fixed. However, upon arrival, waiting in a long ass line again, but longer than last year's, we waited until turned to see six buses coming in, but when getting to the pickup area, finally, sometimes they would pick which line to go, since we were put in three single-filed lines. Plus, along with that, we were deceived again with the shuttle issue became a lot worse than last time, considering people were not allowed to walk or they would be told to go home and be banned from the festival with a cut-off wristband, despite how the number of shuttles that came, to the point, where people were missing bands again, especially us. Even on the way back it was worse since the wait time was so long. I even heard that one group of people had to wait until 3:00 am in the morning for their shuttle to arrive, despite the festival closing at midnight. Can you imagine? As for the environment issues, all we had was that stupid hill that no one liked. Ever. Which still made my feet hurt, but not as bad since I took an Aleve before then. Although, due how bad the shuttles were, we decided not to go back or so we thought.
Fast forward to this year, 2023, even though we had planned not to go back, however, we changed our minds due to the lineup, but were feeling kind of better due to their claims about the changes they had made this time around.
Here are the quotes as proof of their claims:
"From Increased Signage to removal of the "Hill" and many things in between, throughout this year we have been continually rolling out exciting announcements addressing each of your top voted for areas of improvement/suggestions for 2023." -> Quote 1 (Blue Ridge Rock Fest.)
"There was just one remaining key area left to publicly resolve and it was, by far, your most voted for item of improvement: Shuttle Buses." -> Quote 2 (Blue Ridge Rock Fest.)
"Then, in addition...we are pleased to share that we have officially acquired shuttle buses! Over thirty buses are now already present and on-site at Virginia International Raceway, with many still on the way over the next month. These buses are all fully cleaned and tested." -> Quote 3 (Blue Ridge Rock Fest.)
On the day that we went, Thursday, the only day we went, we saw that yes, the hill thing was fixed, since it was not mandatory, but you could face it if you wanted to and yes, the shuttles were sort of fixed too. Though, I guess my father and I were one of the lucky ones, who were able to get in the venue with no problems, other than the threat of the storm, despite some people not being able to, because they were telling people that either due to the storm, they were not allowing a lot of people in or the place would shut down soon that day. Though, when entering the venue, everything seemed fine, I even tried to look for some people I knew, some ex-friends from the non-profit before I left and bought an Evanescence shirt before deciding to watch Highly Suspect and staying near those stages in front of for the rest of the day since all the bands we wanted to see where going to be playing there. Measuring this, it goes into about maybe a five second estimate of time until the storm hit.
At first, it was just a little sprinkle of rain that poured down from light to heavy, which the both of us just put on our ponchos and watched the show for a bit until the high winds came, making everything from harmless to severely dangerous. I mean I couldn't see anything out of my glasses or eyes for a whole minute before opening my eyes to my mostly foggy & soaked glasses that were my guide, along with my father, on trying to find my way out. Which, only for a moment, the rain stopped as we got towards the open area near the entrance, where many people stood either talking, near the booths, watching their bands, sitting down, or stood there confused like we were. Which, everything had been fine again, until all of sudden a few lightning rays struck a little here and there. With this confusion, we asked the security guard what to do, only to be answered with "I don't know what it's going but everyone is directed to go to the shuttles or campground, if we were camping.". Which we weren't, so we headed for shuttles, especially after, another guard I presume, shouted for everyone to leave and head for the shuttles or campgrounds, depending on what whether they were camping or not. When leaving the area, though from day, I remember seeing people hiding under different booths for shelter as the wind blew on through as we walked towards the shuttle line. To which, we approached the line for shuttles, the shuttle problem from the last year, happened again, leaving us out in the open with nothing to protect us from the lightning or even hail that struck us when we walked to the shuttle line, leaving my father to push me in front of him, so he could take the pain of the hail or most of it since I also had most of our stuff in a clear backpack, except for the one lawn chair. While leaving, and the storm now passed, everyone was now drenched, soaked, mentally scarred according to some, bruised a bit, miserable, etc., all while waiting for the damn shuttles to get here. Yet, what upsets me is hearing that disabled people, my people, who had accommodations for the festival, had to fend for themselves as well. Like seriously? SERIOUSLY? Anyways, after four hours and so, we were finally able to get on a shuttle and get to our vehicle, leaving for the night both miserable and disappointed about what happened today, especially knowing we probably wouldn't get a refund and that there were bands that we really wanted to see like Evanescence (hence the shirt), Three Days Grace, etc. However, to make it up, I got some ice cream and Nesquik strawberry-flavored milk at a familiar gas station from last year. And that sums up my experiences of Blue Rock Festival for all three years. Though, I hear it got worse through the rest of the three days.
What about the other days? And was there anything else bad?
While my father and I only went one day, I had heard some stuff that went down after the other three days. Turns out, from what I know after speaking with a couple, who are actual friends of mine, an Instagram story post, and many videos, I saw things went sour more than ever. I even found more research on my own as I write this post for you all.
Though some things that happened the whole time were things like:
- Lots of trash everywhere, including the bathrooms that were filled with it.
- Overpriced food
- Gear of the bands there were almost rained out.
However, as for the other days, here's what happened:
Friday:
Everything seemed fine, but from some videos I watched, people were turned away from the event like Thursday, due to another storm threat. However, on Facebook, from one guy's experience in his video, a whole another story was being told, for there were posts about different bands like one of my favorites, Flyleaf, playing that day from other people inside. From what I heard & saw, this only happened, because they over sold tickets like in 2021 and wanted to save face with the storm. However, it seems that there more than that, due to things like terrible service, along with no fixes to the other things I mentioned, overscheduling with the bands, and no communication either from the company to the bands as well.
Saturday - As for this day, it was said to cancelled as well, due to "another storm", however, according to many actual experiences and things behind the scenes now out, it was actually due to another. It is said that that the real reason that the event got canceled was due to the fact that the stagehands were being mistreated from malnourishment, little pay, no preparation for them, little rest, and so much more mistreatment, to the point, where they went on strike with a warning note to the company that they were leaving, due to the bullshit that they had encountered. However, with fear instilled in the company that runs the festival, they only said the weather was the cause, so they can't give any refunds back to the fans at all or pay the stagehands either.
Sunday - This day was also cancelled, due to the same weather lie and things that were done on Saturday.
Are there repercussions being told right now?
Well, I am not sure, I know that no one has gotten any refunds at all and there is some debate about the weather things, because hardcore metal heads don't care about safety of anyone, let alone their own. Though, after watching many videos upon videos, including hearing from the mouths of two of my actual friends, an Attorney General is involved in this situation is currently being investigated as well. This is considering how two laws were broken and violated. Both Labor laws for the stagehands and the ADA (the Americans with Disabilities Act that covers all disabilities, like Autism and even mental illnesses like General Anxiety Disorder (I think)), due to the fact that people, who signed up for accommodations for their experience of the festival, ONLY TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES DURING THE STORM, like what?! That part upsets me the most.
Conclusion
My conclusion for this post is this, for my experience, while I know that Blue Ridge can't control the weather and I won't be mad at them for that. However, what I am going to do is put accountability on them for failing to execute a better evacuation plan or providing shelter in a dangerous situation, both for the bands, the fans, and many others. As for what else happened with the stagehands, the bands, the campers, along with their stuff, the vendors (from what I hear), and so many other people, things also were shit. However, the fucked-up part of this is the no-refund thing, because of that, and the other laws Jonathon Slye broke within his company, Slye should be jail and fired. As for whether my father and I will go back, that is a no. As for everyone else, I don't know if they will return of not, but I hope not. Though, from what I hear, Blue Rock Ridge Festival will actually be shut down instead, so fingers crossed. And before I end this, to the people who are defending Slye and Blue Ridge Rock Fest, excluding the stagehands, shut up and sit down. Thanks.
And that's it, my lovelies! If you want more posts like this or other topics, please follow, comment, and share for more! So, with that, I hope you all have a good day! Bye!
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