Phases of the Moon cancelled

then i find this. not my cup of tea, but it makes me sad that the promoters tried to pull one over on their fans

5newsonline.com/2015/06/23/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-thunder-on-the-mountain-organizers/

Too bad about Phases. Last year was a stacked lineup but the location and logistics were poor. Local cops were overly zealous if I remember correctly, the rain hurt them bad and they couldn't figure out how to get anyone inside. People spent HOURS in line. It was much much longer than Lockn 1st year.

This year the venue was switched to a proven location and the lineup was scaled back but still solid. Top half are all good bands just not "WOW" bands. Bottom half are by and large unknown to me but probably good local and regional bands that just don't come near me.

Interesting that both of these, Phases and Thunder on the Mountain, were scheduled for Mulberry Mountain. Phases claims that the only road into the venue is closed. Wakarussa was there in June but 2016 seems to be the only fest scheduled on the Mulberry Mountain website. Just weird. Honestly I didn't even know that they were doing Phases again and I think that may have been a bigger problem than any road conditions.

I have to wonder about Phases though. I got an Email last week saying to buy tickets now because they were going up to ye next tier. They had to have seen this coming a week ago.

I am not sure about shady, but it is pretty clear to me that the market is oversaturated right now.  There is a shake-out coming.  Often that happens with things like last-minute cancellations, which may owe more to poor business decisions and execution than to deception.  

I am more familiar w/ the jam-band oriented music festivals, but there is a whole wider world out there which is a bubble right now.  

A friend of mine in the music business got into the festival format early (such as Bonnaroo) in the US, modeled after the European's--that's not to say there weren't already fests going on here; someone I worked with used to go to a country fest called "jamboree" years ago. I think Willie's picnic and Charlie Daniels' "volunteer jam" were just one day affairs?

There is more money to be made putting the band in one place and having the crowd travel, then in having the huge expenses in touring (including venue fees)--that was one of the major business factors in moving to the fest format. You also concentrated the merch and other profit centers, which is often where the money is, not so much in the gate.

Repeat business seems to be a crucial factor, so they want to make sure each experience is positive so you won't go elsewhere next year. However, a promoter not concerned with more than a fast buck, would set up a shoddy fest, get the money, not care how it goes, and not repeat. I sense the opposite with our promoters; they seemed willing to lose money on the first years to establish a firm foothold; they bought land; seem invested in the long haul.

But of course like everything else, competition will spread the market thin. Gas hikes or recessions can thin the herd. A serious weather event requiring cancellation is insured, but can kill the momentum and scare the market for following years.

As for not getting money back on a melt-down (like Powder Ridge, as you described it), this is a risk we all face when we pay in advance; our only security is that the promoters will want to protect their reputations, and there would be no recourse if they went under. I don't worry about our guys, but it may be a concern with the lesser-known, a first-timer or a fest that seems to be struggling.

After all, Virginia State Fair went bankrupt....

I'm guessing there's insurance required against the potential loss on the business end. Any promoter no matter how well intentioned would be crazy not to have it and may in fact be required by law. LOCKN does sound like.long term investment. The early tickets remind me of a CSA!. It's my kind of investing- in good music and time with good people!