The release of set times for your favourite music festival is often the source of just as much disappointment and frustration as it is joy and excitement. Often you’re basically given a list of all the clashes you’ll have to put up with.
However, one fan of US producer RL Grime, who’ll soon be touching down in Australia for Field Day festival, isn’t simply going to take what he thinks is an obvious case of timetable mismanagement lying down.
Dean Evans is upset with the organisers of Field Day for putting the trap favourite on at 5pm and even launched a Change.org petition to get them to change it and move Grime to what Evans feels is a time more befitting an artist of Grime’s stature.
“RL Grime has been given the 5pm slot at Field Day which is basically an insult for an artist of his talent,” he writes. “Being one of the best, if not the best artist on the lineup he deserves to close Field Day or at least have a slot after 7pm.”
This is how Evans sees the timetable: “RL then BOYZ NOIZE then ZEDS DEAD, WOULD BE PERFECT. RL has already had two sold out shows in Sydney this year alone which obviously shows his significance at Field Day.”
For what’s not exactly the most pressing issue of our times (sorry, Dean), the petition has managed to garner considerable support. It’s racked up just under 700 signatures, 300 short of its goal of 1,000.
However, Field Day promoter Fuzzy aren’t having it. In an email from Fuzzy director John Wall to Evans, obtained by Pedestrian.tv, the promoter basically eviscerates Evans’ campaign and explains their reasoning for putting Grime on at 5pm.
“We’re sorry that you there is something wrong with the current set time and we appreciate your effort to communicate this to us and to try to get us to change it,” he writes. “However, it definitely won’t be changed, for a number of reasons”
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with the current time, it is 5 hours after doors open. We’ve had bigger acts play earlier without them or any customers complaining.”
“There is no musical reason to move him later amongst the house acts, musically he fits much better where he is. Almost nobody arrives at Field Day later than 5pm – the place will be full, he’ll play to a capacity crowd and he doesn’t clash with anyone similar on other stages.”
“His set time is in no way the slightest bit disrespectful. We have contracted the acts to play the times they are playing and would be in breach of contract with other acts if we move them.”
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“This years’ Field Day set times are about the most positively received we’ve had. As you are a big RL Grime fan and you know a lot of other fans, you think that he is the most important artist playing.”
“However he isn’t as popular with Field Day ticket buyers as Disclosure, Flight Facilities or Golden Features. As well as not making musical sense, moving him would make other people less happy with the set times.”
“It’s a shame that you and your friends think there’s something wrong with a main stage, peak time set for your favourite act. If he was on an hour or two after doors you’d have a point, but that’s not the case here.”
And that, ladies and gentleman, is how you lay a major smack-down on someone.
