Chaos d'anthologie: Woodstock 99

The documentary is good - but the event itself - was just a massive failure on soooo many levels! Everyone from the artists, to the promoters, to the fans - all pitched in together to create a massive embarrassment, and a shameful event! There's nothing good that can be said about Woodstock 99 - it's just a terrible example of human greed and depravity!!!

I happened across this documentary by accident, and being a huge music fan, I was intrigued by the subject. What unfolded was more of a statement of the social status of the US at the time than the music scene. The thing I took away from this was the unbelievable naivety of the organisers, the lack of understanding of the current music scene and the rampant capitalism of the licenced vendors. Back in the '60s, the music scene was all peace and love and hippies. Hendrix, Lennon, Crosby Stills and Nash, Santana. All mellow stuff. Cut to post grunge USA, the music is angry, violent and aggressive. Korn, Limp Bizkit, Chilli Peppers, Rage Against The Machine. Add to that the appalling facilities, price gouging for food and drink and the 100c + weather. It is almost an A-Z of how not to organise a rock festival. The scenes of 300,000 people undulating to Limp Bizkit on stage is mesmerising, and must have been intoxicating for the artists. The organisers seem to ty and deflect blame on the artists for getting the crowd over excited, particularly Korn, Limp Biskitz and RHCP. That is literally their job FFS! Recommended viewing for any music fans, or anyone interested in the Mob Rules mentality.

So Michael Lang, the organizer of the original Woodstock, sells his soul, if he ever had one, to help put on what he hopes will be a money-making Woodstock II in Rome, NY. The lesson being that we are idealists when young, but realists when we grow up. Unfortunately he and his partners were out of touch with the young people who showed up in 1999, who felt robbed by expensive food and disrespected by "the man." Lang went from hippie to "the man." In the end, this documentary does not tell us if W2 made money, but to many of the attendees it was the event of a lifetime, despite the chaos. Based on this three episode docu, I'm glad I wasn't there.

It develops as an apocalypse anouncement. The conditions of this festival resemble a mix between Mad Max and Spring Breakers. The sexual agressiveness and the hate that you see in those images are overwhelming.

A good watch for those who want to organise a festival on what NOT to do and what is crucial to have onsite.

And just because Woodstock is in the title it does not mean the crowd are hippies... The organisers were so naive and Lang was so careless and uninterested.

Let's just say it right now and get it over with - Trainwreck: Woodstock 99 is easily one of the best documentaries Netflix nas come up with in recent years; it's partly because most of those has been utter crap, but in a way, Trainwreck can really hold up its own. And if you're a fan of seeing things go south (and you are, aren't you, why else would you be here?), then you'll enjoy every bit of this one.

But of course, Oscar for best documentary short contender this one is not. And it isn't for the lack of trying - it's properly produced, nicely put together, with a clear vision almost till the end. Because -much like the event it's trying to portray- it's towards the end where things really start to fall apart. Are there repercussions? Ramifications? What do we really feel about the festival, 20+ years later? Have we learned anything or, was this documentary -again, much like the event- just an excuse to see s#it burn? Is saying, no plans for another Woodstock, really it?

A good documentary is a pure and simple art form - it's a music piece, an opera. It must come together effortlessly and it must make sense from the start till the end - here, you're left with an unfinished symphony. Unless this has always been the idea. Much unlike the even it's trying to portray.