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I have never been to a massive rave Los Angeles, and I tend to stay away from overbooked and overhyped events like the ones held by Giant, Insomniac, or Spundae. But when I heard that The Chemical Brothers was headlining the Nocturnal Wonderland, I was eager to check it out. And even though I get easily clusterphobic in large crowds, especially in an environment full of loud music and wandering e-heads, I wanted to give this event a shot; and when you love electronic music, like I do, it's just something you have to deal with.
First of all the entrance process to the event was confusing and disorganized. Everyone was funnelled like rats through various gates and waiting areas, where we were constantly being placed in never-ending lines by clueless yellow jackets. Although it was a little nippy outside, the parking structure, which was used as the entry point, was hotter than hell. It was hot, sweaty, smelly, and dreary. The ground was littered with club flyers that were being distributed outside the venue, and there were no porto potties nearby as you waited in line. It was not a good way to welcome your guests to a venue that is supposed to be a party
I brought my DSLR camera to the event with the hopes of taking photographs for LAist, and even though their web site said that still cameras were welcome in the venue, I was turned away because my camera was deemed "too professional". Since when did having a nice camera become a basis for discrimination? I didn't really understand that policy, and tried to argue my case with their supervisor, but after awhile I realized he wasn't going to give in, my camera was just too good for this damn festival, so I went back to my car and dropped off my camera.
When I finally got in, it was a sea of people, music, and food, it was full sensory overload, but not in a good way. There was not a lot of space to sit down, so everyone pretty much had to sit on the ground if they wanted to get off their feet. Because the event was an 18+ event, we were allowed to drink in designated alcohol areas only. And after forking out $13 for a drink we were not allowed to walk around with it, now that sucks! Every 14-year old with a fake ID was there; which made it really creepy in a Chris-Hanson-Dateline-NBC kinda way.
I have to admit the primary reason I wanted to go this event was to see The Chemical Brothers. For the past decade they have provided me amazing tunes for my workout and runs, so when I saw the stage setup, I was initially concerned. The venue was dominated by three major sound stages. The centerpiece, where the main acts played, was an enormous outdoor stage planked by projection screens. On each side of the center stage were two humungous tents grinding out music just as loud as the main stage. The problem with this setup was that the music from all three stages competed with one another, and it was difficult for a single dominant sound to emerge. Unless you were up front on the stage or drugged out of your mind, the music was going to be confusing. So when the Chemical Brothers came out, everyone stormed the already crowded front stage. But since I'm a little clusterphobic that left me near the back where all the e-tards were doing there light shows for their friends.
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons opened their set with an inspired performance. With a towering, edgy and spectacular projection show behind them, the duo was a the top of their game. The audience was quick to connect with them, and it truly felt as if the party was finally on. If you strayed too far from the front stage, you were quickly bombard by bass and music from other tents and stages that surrounded the four corners of the venue. Their two-hour set provided a good variety of old and new from their long catalog; Galvanize, Black Rockin' Beats, Saturate, and Out of Control were quick hits with the audience.
Paul Van Dyk followed The Chemical Brothers, and helped continue the energy of the night. But it became clear to me early on that due to the venue's setup it was going to be difficult for me to really get into the music. So I spent the rest of the night hanging out with friends, and telling Burning Man stories to those who would listen. I felt like a missionary, trying to convert heathens.
Concerts are supposed to be about the music, and the creative energy that fluctuates between the audience and the performer. The Chemical Brothers and PVD are masters of carefully knitting a crowd's experience with their music. Despite the various distractions of the venue setup and the poor logistics by the organizers, it was the music that prevailed. Their performance was sensational and inspired. It is the main reason why thousands clamor to these events. But how much do we have to endure before these organizers "get it"? We are not cattle.
Would I attend another Nocturnal Wonderland? Probably not. Would I see PVD and The Chemical Brothers in a more intimate venue? Hell yeah!
Photo by Caesar Sebastian via Flickr
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Thanks for the review. I know what you mean about GIant and Spundae.
Just curious tho... did you intend to coin a new word "clusterphobic" or did you mean claustrophobic?
always so interesting to hear about someone's experience at an event i also attended. i had a very different experience, but i'm lucky. i live 2 blocks away from where the show was held so i pre-partied at my pad and strolled over around 11. i was prepared for an entrance nightmare, but we were practically whisked in - it was a little disconcerting how quickly we made it in, especially considering the fact that we had will call tickets. once inside, er, outside, it was very crowded but it was a fun adult-carnival kinda scene. it took a little too long to get a drink, but as a festival regular i'm pretty used to the alcohol segregation - fact of life. but dude, anyone who has even a hint of claustrophobia would NOT have had a good time, so i empathize. but the chemical brothers were SICK and the visual presentation was one of the best i'd ever seen. i made it pretty close to the stage so the sound bleed-over wasn't an issue for me, but i could see how that would be annoying. the larger environment of downtown LA was a pretty incredible backdrop and made for a surreal backdrop [surely there must have been a gazillion accidents on the 110 cuz of the rubbernecking, right?]. sorry you had a bum experience man.
The guy who wrote this review must have planned on having a horrible time. I have traveled the world to attend music festival & this event was top notch. I think he might be mad that he couldn't take his camera in?
to #3 if you think this event was top notch, then you need to get out more often...
My advice to all is buy VIP tickets at least a month in advance for cheap. The entrance was not a problem, I enjoyed an open bar with great beer and vodka, and was able to stroll around the party as I pleased not feeling "stuck" in crowd.
The Chemical Brothers were amazing!!!
I agree with #2 I thought the CB's killed it and the visual light show was off the richter! I'm not a Paul Van Dyk fan like everyone else so
I jiffied over to see Sharam play and that was a blast!
Girls where dancing on top of speakers and the crowd was loving it.
One thing I will say about this festival is that as the years go by I start feeling old. Simply because what happened to the baggy pants and colorful clothing. Now you get these girls that are half-naked in their underwear and with all the drugs involved at this parties it just makes me nervous.
I much rather go to Avalon or Vanguard where everything is a little more controlled. Really can't stand the boulders of cracked out kids
while I'm trying to dance.
Overall I had a good time but I also had VIP tickets because hey 2 drink minimum!! (each time you go up to the bar)
--Work smart not hard
Nocturnal was an amazing Festival. Very well organised.