Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 is a new documentary series on Netflix that showcases the rise and disastrous fall of the festival, which was held on an abandoned airforce base in the small town of Rome in Central New York State. The series chronicles the inception of the festival to its demise. Woodstock '99 was held 30 years after the original Woodstock festival, which took place in 1969 in Bethel, New York. In 1994, there was also a Woodstock festival, which was held on Winston Farm in Saugerties, New York. Woodstock '94 also turned into a disaster, according to Wikipedia,

The major issues related to security, when attendees arrived, left or returned to the site, and the official concert food-beverage-vendor policy initially restricting attendees from entering with supplies of food, drinks and above all, alcohol. With the concert site mostly enclosed by simple chain link fences, there was hardly any difficulty for many attendees to enter freely with beer and other banned items. The security staff, along with the entrance and exit staff, could not continue reasonable monitoring of the increasing number of people entering, and exiting, while at the same time maintaining safety, security and a peaceful atmosphere.

 

Credit: Netflix via Youtube

The Disastrous Nightmare Festival Woodstock '99 Happened In Rome, NY

Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the central part of the state.

In 2000, according to the U.S. Census Rome had a population of 34,950.

Woodstock '99 Festival Was Held At Griffiss Air Force Base In Rome, New York

Location: Rome, New York
Total Acreage: 3,689 Acres
Closed: September 1995

In 1993, Griffiss AFB was on the list of bases slated for realignment and/or closure under BRAC. As a result of the various national defense missions carried out at the former Griffiss AFB since 1942, hazardous and toxic substances were used and hazardous wastes were generated, stored, or disposed of at various sites on the installation.

 

Credit: Bullhunter57 via Youtube

Where Did Woodstock '99 Go Wrong? Why Did It Turn Into A Trainwreck?

Get our free mobile app

Woodstock '99 had more than 10 times the population of Rome in attendance. American Songwriter estimates 400,000 people attended the event during the four days, which organizers originally estimated would bring out about 250,000 people,

The 30th-anniversary edition of the event, which had an estimated attendance of 400,000, failed to provide basic facilities such as water, food, toilets, or security measures.

 

Credit: Weird History via Youtube

The major culprits were oppressive summer heat, jacked-up prices, violent party crashers, and a lack of logistical oversight. When more than 220,000 people arrived to Oneida County that weekend, no one - especially the festival's organizers - were prepared for what was about to happen.

 

From various accounts, there was a horrific lack of facilities. Attendees describe porta potties overflowing. The grass was scattered with garbage and waste. It was extraordinarily hot and the show was held on a tarmac. The lineup of artists created tons of aggression. There was not enough security and they were unarmed. There were drugs. Food and water were overpriced, and by the end of the festival, there was price gouging by vendors. Water fountains had really long lines and wait times for free water. On top of that, the free water was tainted with feces. There was a lack of respect for attendees, there was a lack of respect from attendees for the grounds, and there was a lack of respect and safety for women,

Police investigated four instances of rape that occurred during the concert. At least five rapes and numerous other sexual assaults and harassment were reported to authorities. Eyewitnesses reported a crowd-surfing woman being pulled down into the crowd and gang-raped in the mosh pit during Limp Bizkit's set. A volunteer also reported seeing a gang-rape during the Korn performance.

By the last day of the festival, the overall feeling of frustration, exhaustion, and anger had taken over.  Multiple fires were lit during Red Hot Chili Peppers' performance.

How Many People Died At Woodstock '99?

According to Newsweek, three people died in the chaos at Woodstock '99.

David G. DeRosia, 24, died from a heat-related illness at University Hospital in Syracuse, New York. Tara K. Weaver, 28, was killed after being hit by a car as she left the concert, and a 44-year-old, who had a pre-existing heart condition, died of cardiac arrest at the Woodstock campsite.

There were over 5,000 injuries and medical emergencies during the festival. After watching the docu-series, I'm really actually surprised that there weren't more deaths and injuries.

Woodstock '99 Had A Superstar Lineup Of Performers During The Festival

Notable performers during the course of the festival included Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, DMX, The Offspring, Korn, Bush, Limp Bizkit, George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars, The Roots, Insane Clown Posse, Wyclef Jean with the Refugee Allstars, Moby, Counting Crows, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, Everclear, Ice Cube, Willie Nelson Creed, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Godsmack, Megadeth, and Everlast.

The Netflix docu-series Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 is definitely a must-watch!