GCSSS, Oxfordshire ---> Saturday 22nd June

[FredTheBaddie]

quote:

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Originally posted by Fred The Baddie:

Well, each to his own, I had a good time ! I sometimes think this site is geared too much towards trance and hard house, but that's just my opinion.

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P.S. I actually meant this website, not the Gatecrasher site. Just to clarify.

[Ikon]

Found this -

 

Gatecrasher Pull Global

Posted on: 24 June

 

Gatecrasher, in an act of unparalleled unprofessionalism, axed superstar DJ Carl Cox's arena on the morning of Saturday's festival. The arena, which Carl had spent some 5 months creating, both in its hi-tech laser and sound system and in sourcing its bill of international talent,was set to be the highlight of the annual dance festival. Carl has also invested a large amount of money on visuals for the arena to make a difference.

 

This arena had been our sole project for the last few months. I had a passion in creating something genuinely different for the festival, to give something back to the punters, something that would justify the £45 price ticket alone. It also cost us a hell of a lot of money as it was meant to hold 3000 punters, it had a carefully constructed wooden rain-proof dance floor and the best sound system in the world.

 

The story actually goes back further than this. Last year I played the GCSSS festival and swore never to do it again as the sound was terrible, no one could see the DJ box and I got aload of emails from kids saying it was the worst they had ever seen me play. After that I refused ever to play again at Gatecrasher, but the organisers courted me with my own tent, and promised we would work together to create an arena I was happy with.

 

I spent the whole year talking this up to the press, and everyone I knew. I also managed to get a great bill from all around the world, including Umek, Valentino, Misstress Barbara and Green Velvet. It was a real step forward for not just me, but the whole clubbing / festival crossover.

 

Cracks first started to appear this week when the organisers announced that we would have to share our tent with Groove Armada and the Chemicals, because apparently two of the tents were damaged at Purple in the Park and they could not find replacements. We said OK, and went away to think about the right times that they should play so as to keep the flow right in the tent.

 

After meetings all week we finally thought we'd sorted it Friday. I awoke Saturday expecting my dream - the Carl Cox Global Arena - to come true after 6 months planning. I then got a call at midday callously saying 'with a gun to their heads' a decision had been made to keep the Chemical Generation Arena and diminish the Global Arena. The organisers were telling disgruntled clubbers who had travelled from afar especially to hear me that the arena was cancelled as the tent had a leak. These same clubbers have been demanding a full refund.

 

I was overcome with absolute disbelief and disgust. Their only alternative they offered me was to play after the Chemicals but without our bill of carefully selected DJs from around the world. Their sheer unprofessionalism is disgusting. I could not agree to play and leave all of my arena DJs I had booked to stand and watch. This would have been unfair on them. We were told by an employee in the cash office they had sold 22,000 tickets in advance, and only had 200 people purchase tickets on the day.

 

This is not going to deter us. The Arena will happen very soon. Watch this space. Speaking of which, I'm also doing Space in Ibiza over the summer. The Global Arena is alive, despite the best efforts of Gatecrasher. This is just a chink in our armour.

[Rob D]

Just found it on carl cox website. i am going to get nasty with them about this, its disgusting. please CTW people boycott gatecrasher from now. In my eyes they have gone from being the best to the worst.

[Rob D]

I have been looking more into, and the whole thing was a pile of piss, and while I appreciate that the tidy arena was fantastic for those, and i did really enjoy the acts and djs i saw, the event was shite and please no one ever go to gatecrasher or buy their stuff. For further proof go to their website, and their message forum and check the number of really hacked off people. They are a bunch of complete wankers and I hope they fail and go bust. I am going to write to major magazines and kick up as much fuss as possible because if someone doesn't, then they will keep fleecing people. If I could get the support of you guys, that would be brilliant.

 

Cheers

 

Rob

[Tara]

Sorry to jump in and spoil your slanging match but I just want to say that GC SSS was the best f**king night of my life!!!!!

 

Sure the sound in some of the arenas was a bit dodgy, but the people were great, tidy arena was banging, shops were good, queues were short and security was relaxed.

 

I will be going to every GC SSS for at least the next 10 years providing its as good as 2002

[alasdairm]

i appreciate it looks very poor of them at this stage, but there are two sides to every coin - what do Gatecrasher have to say about the reasons for the short-notice changes?

 

alasdair

[SarahPVC]

i had a wikid time but i do appreciate how people must be pissed off about the Carl Cox thing - i would be kicking up an absolute outrage if the tidy trax tent was cancelled. I have emailed gatecrasher to complain on behalf of people as i believe we all paid enough for our tickets!!

[FredTheBaddie]

Yeah, he was I remember seeing his name on the website... Sure it was him, black with massive dreads ?!?!

[TidyTraxGrant]

Any response from them yet as to why ?

[Freano]

They probably got so many complaints they cant reply to any!!! I read a little bit about the history of carl cox at crasher, last year the [censored] him over and the7y have obviously done it again this year. Utter bastards, you cant mess around a quality guy and DJ like Coxy, hes the godfather of quality! top guy, top DJ, hope he boycotts it from now on.

They only cancelled the arena on the morning of the event!!

[SarahPVC]

They havnt responded to my email yet, maybe i should sent it once a day until they do!

[TidyTraxGrant]

you'll prob be lucky if you get a reply at all, they are probably being directed straight to the trash !

 

not a fan of cox, although to do that to any respectable DJ takes the piss, specially events people like crasher

[James]

Tara - I'm with you

 

Sarah - nice one - its about time we spoke out more - we dont have any investors to please so I'm telling ya there are gonna be a lot of clubs given a wake-up call - especially about drinking water... (not GCSSS of course) Watch this space - CTW speaks its mind and will filter out the sh*t once and for all.

 

James

 

[ 25 June 2002, 12:13: Message edited by: James ]

[CreamyC]

Maybe I'm just easily pleased but I didn't find it too bad at all! I can however understand peoples annoyance at the Carl Cox thing, if they had done that to PVD then I would of also been pissed off about it! But then again this is coming from someone who would been happy with one tent and one pisser to piss in all night!

[Rob D]

I have sent many emails off, including one to the promoters personal email, and I am yet to get any response. I've also written to DJ, and I hope they print my letter.