Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Surely I'm not the only one on this board that suffers from some sort of anxiety disorder. For myself and others Bonnaroo can be an amazing weekend but also pretty terrifying with all the large shoulder to shoulder crowds.
Figured we can all discuss tips we use to keep it "cool" at Bonnaroo during the shows. I personally dope up on Ativan and stay towards the back and chill.
Post by popsicle sarah on Dec 3, 2011 21:32:00 GMT -5
I've struggled with anxiety in the past and I have a huge phobia of crowds. There have been many times at Roo and other festivals/concerts when I've had to exit a packed crowd because of it. It's way less prevalent when I've been drinking. But like you I almost never opt to try to get close for shows. I always say I'm going to get close for this show and that show, but I always chicken out. It's easier during the day for me. After the sun goes sown I can get panicked pretty quickly.
We were decently close for Tool in 2007a and I ended up having to sit for a lot of the show so I couldn't tell how surrounded we were.
Yea the What Stage crowds really get to me. I had a pretty bad panic attack during Jay-Z in '10. I was farely deep in the crowd on the left side and I got a 2nd hand buzz of something which really set it off. I start making my way out of the crowd to get to the other side and over to This Tent for an early Deadmau5 spot and I realized how fucking DEEP and packed that crowd was. I literally almost started running out of that crowd haha. Unfortuantely it didnt let up once out of the crowd and I was forced to enjoy Deadmau5 (my favorite) while seated on a bench at The Fountain
Post by fearofpride on Dec 3, 2011 22:34:13 GMT -5
the back can be nice, i also enjoy catching some 60-75% shows. It keeps you moving, and sense your entering and exciting shows in progress it eliminates the silent waiting period when there's nothing but the crowd. Obviously there's shows you want to see in their entirety, and for those i imagine you'll brace yourself and suffer the crowd. But finding chunks of the day when you can try to see as many people as possible can helkp with crowd axiety, atleast in my experience.
I almost always chill at the back at shows, not a big fan of having no space whatsoever or feeling stuck. It helps that I'm really tall so I can always see past people. You can always find me in the back right corner of the tents
Surely I'm not the only one on this board that suffers from some sort of anxiety disorder. For myself and others Bonnaroo can be an amazing weekend but also pretty terrifying with all the large shoulder to shoulder crowds.
Figured we can all discuss tips we use to keep it "cool" at Bonnaroo during the shows. I personally dope up on Ativan and stay towards the back and chill.
Man it's kind of crazy....I struggle with anxiety in busy crowds like in department stores and such and really struggle in small groups (i guess because it is a little more intimate), but I'm so comfortable at huge music festivals. I don't know what it is maybe the vibes the crowd is putting off but I can wander the festival grounds out of my mind and keep my shit together.
i personally don't have extreme anxiety (no attacks or medicine or anything) but i canNOT stand when i'm at a show and it is so crowed people are bumping into to you non-stop etc. all i think about the whole show is how random sweaty dudes are touching me. i am a big fan of the personal bubble. haha
my biggest tip is actually to go up on the sides. i have found no matter what the concert setting if you swing alllll the way out one one side and go in towards the front it is always less crowded. may not have THE BEST VIEW EVER. but it is more about hearing and feeling good anyway.
Post by funkybuttlovin on Dec 4, 2011 17:44:01 GMT -5
I get a little anxiety sometimes debating on the intensity of the show. Gogol, for example was the most intense show I've ever been a part of and it got to me. I made my way to the left side towards VIP and got a space on the divider and sat up on it for the remainder of the show.
Surely I'm not the only one on this board that suffers from some sort of anxiety disorder. For myself and others Bonnaroo can be an amazing weekend but also pretty terrifying with all the large shoulder to shoulder crowds.
Figured we can all discuss tips we use to keep it "cool" at Bonnaroo during the shows. I personally dope up on Ativan and stay towards the back and chill.
Man it's kind of crazy....I struggle with anxiety in busy crowds like in department stores and such and really struggle in small groups (i guess because it is a little more intimate), but I'm so comfortable at huge music festivals. I don't know what it is maybe the vibes the crowd is putting off but I can wander the festival grounds out of my mind and keep my poop together.
I'm the same way with crowds. I can hardly stand to be in a packed mall or store but the crowds at a festival or show don't bother me that much. There have been a few times at Roo that I've felt my anxiety creep up on me enough that I've had to get some space where there is less noise.
If you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks you may want to think before you consume certain chemicals. When you factor in the stress from the crowd, noise, weather, and physical exertion it could set you up for a really bad night. Also, if you take any medication, such as Ativan, make sure you carry it with you into Centeroo.
Man it's kind of crazy....I struggle with anxiety in busy crowds like in department stores and such and really struggle in small groups (i guess because it is a little more intimate), but I'm so comfortable at huge music festivals. I don't know what it is maybe the vibes the crowd is putting off but I can wander the festival grounds out of my mind and keep my poop together.
I'm the same way with crowds. I can hardly stand to be in a packed mall or store but the crowds at a festival or show don't bother me that much. There have been a few times at Roo that I've felt my anxiety creep up on me enough that I've had to get some space where there is less noise.
If you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks you may want to think before you consume certain chemicals. When you factor in the stress from the crowd, noise, weather, and physical exertion it could set you up for a really bad night. Also, if you take any medication, such as Ativan, make sure you carry it with you into Centeroo.
Yea I dont partake in any party favors at roo, other than alcohol. And I keep my bottle of Ativan in plain site in my backpack and the security always flips out when they find it and assume its some drugs im re-selling. They usually make me show my ID then still give me shit.
Post by purplefuzzystuff on Dec 4, 2011 19:40:59 GMT -5
I don't really have an anxiety problem and big crowds don't make me nervous or anything, they might annoy me but I don't feel personal discomfort when faced with them. That being said every year I manage to have at least one panic attack type thing at roo. By now I am able to figure out the precursors to one and I can take preventative measures.
I am 4'11 and my main reason for going to roo, aside from hearing the music is photographing bands. I don't get a photo/press pass so if I want photos I have to be in the front. This can be overwhelming for anyone, but especially for someone of my height. I usually take the side of the stage approach as well. I normally get to a show I want to see super early to ensure a good spot and I make sure I am against the railing. That is my safe place/comfort zone. So if you are an avid show viewer just adopt that railing as your solid foundation, it definitely makes a difference. I know for a fact that when I take a few steps from that railing I have nothing solid to put my hands on, and I'm surrounded by shoulders and sweaty backs I become a shaking, hyperventilating mess.
If I start to feel like I am about to freak out I will bend at my hips and left my arms hang slack and just breath for a little while, it usually loosens up the tension I am feeling and by focusing on my breathing and the stretching of my back I stop thinking about all the people and the noise. It's like tiny meditation. So really that's all I can say, find something solid, a wall, the railing, etc. If you cant find something solid then just focus on your breathing, close your eyes and breath. It all sounds really hokey but I know it works
lol doin this at roo for me would 100% insure a panic attack. i partook during phish in 09 against my better judgement and had to lay down facefirst in the grass for about an hour lol.
Yeah, among other things. But that is a rational fear. Thursday night in 2008 we stayed in the same tent for several shows back to back (MGMT, Battles, Vampire Weekend I think), making our way closer and closer as time went on. By the time VW came on I'd seen 3 girls pass out around me. I'm short and being in a hot crowd like that only exacerbates the feeling of not being able to breath.
In the past my anxiety stemmed from irrational fears... fear of sudden death or impending doom, heart attack, everyone watching you, etc. I don't really struggle with this type of anxiety anymore. I feel as though I get anxiety at music festivals and shows because I have rational fears of things that could and have gone wrong before.
I've been to roughly 20 festivals in the last 5 years and I've learned my limits (and learned that I have limits lol). Part of it is probably getting older, but if I wouldn't have learned my lesson several times early on then I probably wouldn't have continued to go to festivals. For someone who suffers from some sort of social anxiety it is even more important to meet basic needs like food, sleep, and hydration. A lack of any of these WILL make any symptoms of anxiety way worse.
I'm afraid of being trampled in a big crowd. When people start pushing I always get freaked out and have to get away. If there's lots of room the amount of people doesn't usually bother me.
Post by champagne cory on Dec 5, 2011 0:37:23 GMT -5
My friends have nick named me Grandpa because I feel the same way about the large crowds, and especially the young kids that push their way to the front after you've been waiting all day to see a certain band.
At the What, I always hang out in the back. Last row to be exact. Right in front of the place where there is I <3 Spicy Pie, BBQ and a Beer Vendor. It has great views of the stage, no one in your way so you can dance, and close to the portos. Plus it's easy to find your friends.
My family has a history of panic attacks, but something catastrophic has to happen to trigger the first one. After that, the simple anxiety of wondering about when the next panic attack will come is sometimes enough to set them off.
It is possible to control them, I had two panic attacks in the span of 3 months (my "catastrophic event" was a car crash where I nearly died). Doctors all said that they weren't panic attacks, they said one was dehydration and one I was concussed. I played football for 12 years, I rocked my own block dozens of times, I know what a concussion feels like, I have never in my life fallen limp and unconscious at a concert before (like I did at this year's Mountain Jam, one of the two panic attacks), despite sometimes having wayyy too much medicine. The other time I was merely standing on the train into the city and fell over. Hadn't gone out the night before, had been getting good sleep, was working out regularly. Moments before I passed out I was thinking about the car accident.
Basically, that site delves into what my Dad explained to me. Panic attacks & anxiety are completely in your control. I've had moments occasionally where I felt the starting of a panic attack, but was able to mentally block it from happening.
There are a few books that I can't remember the titles to off them top of my head, but they're worth reading.
As for Roo, I just can't imagine having a panic attack or something of that nature on the Farm. It is truly, at least for me, the happiest place on Earth. I only made my group relocate once at last year's Roo, and that was for Eminem (we had been leaning on the pit fence for the Black Keys, I went to catch some Buffalo Springfield, came back to the area being 5x as crowded).
My first suggestion would be to make the people you're with aware of it. I went with my three best friends, who all knew that I had been having these issues. They weren't constantly checking on me, but when I brought up moving spots for Eminem, they all saw the look on my face and did it without complaints. It helps to be there with people that are understanding, first and foremost.
Surely I'm not the only one on this board that suffers from some sort of anxiety disorder. For myself and others Bonnaroo can be an amazing weekend but also pretty terrifying with all the large shoulder to shoulder crowds.
Figured we can all discuss tips we use to keep it "cool" at Bonnaroo during the shows. I personally dope up on Ativan and stay towards the back and chill.
Man it's kind of crazy....I struggle with anxiety in busy crowds like in department stores and such and really struggle in small groups (i guess because it is a little more intimate), but I'm so comfortable at huge music festivals. I don't know what it is maybe the vibes the crowd is putting off but I can wander the festival grounds out of my mind and keep my poop together.
This ^^^
I suffer from anxiety in smaller groups, but I feel at home at a place like Bonnaroo. The causes of my anxiety just don't exist in the Bonnaroo world.
A lot of us have situational anxiety. Take me to a random doctor's office and I may fall to pieces, put me in the middle of the farm and I've died and gone to heaven.
That being said, hang towards the back or side. Is the anxiety better or worse with tents vs stages?
Post by Dave Maynar on Dec 6, 2011 13:23:46 GMT -5
Like others have said, I am generally uncomfortable around crowds of people. I have always seemed to be better at Roo though. I think it's something about the size of the crowd that makes me feel like I am able to go through unnoticed which keeps me okay. The best thing to do is try to recognize what specifics make you more anxious and do what you can to manage those. For example, in my many years of school, I never, ever sat in the front half of the class if I could help it because I knew that it would drive me crazy.
I think there was another thread about this somewhere, but I've had some issues with anxiety at Roo. I always manage to overcome it with mind bullets. It can be completely random while I'm there. One time I had a massive episode while at camp and another smaller one while fighting the herd after Arcade Fire. I agree that it's best to be mindful of the way your body works and know when to find a happy place before you have a crazy person freak-out before Ben Folds and get led to first aid where you spend the rest of the day strung out on Valium. Just sayin...
Man it's kind of crazy....I struggle with anxiety in busy crowds like in department stores and such and really struggle in small groups (i guess because it is a little more intimate), but I'm so comfortable at huge music festivals. I don't know what it is maybe the vibes the crowd is putting off but I can wander the festival grounds out of my mind and keep my poop together.
This ^^^
I suffer from anxiety in smaller groups, but I feel at home at a place like Bonnaroo. The causes of my anxiety just don't exist in the Bonnaroo world.
i'm completely the same way! BIG crowds offset my anxiety big time. like I cannot stand traffic I get a heart attack if a car gets close to me I stat breathing heavy and get all panicky.
alot of my personal problems i think stem from social behavior, so i get a severe amount of anxiety when im in small contained groups and the people im with are new people. i've been known to sweat and all thats on my mind is "will they like me?!"
but BONNAROO (and most all concert settings), that anxiety goes away. probably because even though im surrounding by 80,000 new people in very adverse weather circumstances, i know they are 80,000 people just like me all here to enjoy music.calms me down.
I can get a little nervous.. But that stems from my time in the service and over seas. Most of the time I can keep it cool, especially after seven Bonnaroos
A lot of us have situational anxiety. Take me to a random doctor's office and I may fall to pieces, put me in the middle of the farm and I've died and gone to heaven.
Right on! I take medication daily for anxiety, but it's the full time nurse/single mom to a kindergartener (whose father DOES NOT get him for his court ordered every other weekend- bastard)/half time student/only 24 hours in a day/BF in Nashville/OMG what's for dinner?! juggling that gets me, not fun time on the farm.
A lot of us have situational anxiety. Take me to a random doctor's office and I may fall to pieces, put me in the middle of the farm and I've died and gone to heaven.
Bonnaroo is prone to make a person very anxious at times...I say do what makes you feel most comfortable because Bonnaroo can be very uncomfortable....heat, rain, mud, friggin people everywhere, loud noise ( I mean music), heat, long lines, etc........
If I could request one item into bonnaroo, it would be a foldable chair.
And for anxiety.....I do take some prescribed medicine but normally leave it locked in my car before heading to Centeroo. The last thing you need is your medicine thrown away.
I suffer from anxiety in smaller groups, but I feel at home at a place like Bonnaroo. The causes of my anxiety just don't exist in the Bonnaroo world.
i'm completely the same way! BIG crowds offset my anxiety big time. like I cannot stand traffic I get a heart attack if a car gets close to me I stat breathing heavy and get all panicky.
alot of my personal problems i think stem from social behavior, so i get a severe amount of anxiety when im in small contained groups and the people im with are new people. i've been known to sweat and all thats on my mind is "will they like me?!"
but BONNAROO (and most all concert settings), that anxiety goes away. probably because even though im surrounding by 80,000 new people in very adverse weather circumstances, i know they are 80,000 people just like me all here to enjoy music.calms me down.
this is exactly how i am!! i think that i'm so focused on staying alive in the heat that i can't even think about the crowds.
Now I want some and a Dos Equis Amber. Mmmm.
