Netflix tip of the day: Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99
And you thought Fyre Festival was bad? Well, then you don't know what you're in for with this new three-part docuseries about Woodstock ’99. I personally didn't register those two numbers at the end and thought: huh? Woodstock was all about peace, love, sex, and drugs, right? What could possibly have gone wrong? Well, it was indeed very peaceful during the 1969 edition. Then there was another edition in 1994 and in 1999. After watching this docu, it really won't surprise you that Woodstock was never brought back.
Because describing this three-day festival as a ‘trainwreck’ is actually still positive. Hoooly shitballs, what a complete anarchy this was. But with a bizarrely good lineup. If I had been a bit older in 1999, I would have absolutely wanted to be there. I should mention that I used to be a (failed) skater girl and a big fan of Limp Bizkit and Korn, two bands that performed at Woodstock ’99. After watching this docu, I rewatched the entire concert of Limp Bizkit and really: WOW. What an energy. Fred Durst was really a boss back then, you can't deny that. Be sure to check out their closing act: a cover of Faith (the original is by George Michael) where Fred Durst even goes crowdsurfing on a plank. Bizarre.
But anyway, as you might imagine, so much bombastic music and an exuberant crowd also come with some downsides. Especially if you didn't really account for the scorching heat that people had to deal with and decided to make all food and drinks four times as expensive. Above 40 degrees and then water bottles for about nine dollars (which in 1999 is the same as about twenty euros), that doesn't really make visitors happy.
And when 500,000 people are boiling hot, don't know where their tents are, and are mostly very angry, what do you get? Yes, you get exactly Woodstock ’99. Water pipes were destroyed, people were literally rolling in the shit, fires were started everywhere on the last night, and sound towers were toppled. A complete anarchy, but luckily everything was filmed, because among others, MTV was there all weekend to report.
The footage is incredibly impressive (also of the performances by the way, like those of Limp Bizkit and the Red Hot Chili Peppers where Flea was completely naked on stage), but the aftermath was much more horrific: thousands of women complained that they were sexually assaulted and even raped. Some staff members were also witnesses, who share their stories.
Really, I can't recommend this docuseries enough, because I found it so awesome. Among other things, because it's the bands of my youth, but also because it captures the whole atmosphere so well and shows how that atmosphere turned into complete chaos. I give it a 9/10.
Image: Netflix
