h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

8 dead and 20 to 30 injured - this is the headline that will always be associated with the Roskilde Festival 2000, it's 30th year too.

I was one of the lucky ones, I was not near to the crowd that crushed those people nor did I know any of the victims. Still, you could not help that you felt part of the terrible loss.

One of the most important things about a music festival like Roskilde, is the sense of togetherness. Okay a lot of people are drunk or on drugs, but that only has a small part to play in the way people act at festivals. For the time you are at the festival, you are able to forget some of the social graces that have become 'normal' in todays life. You can walk up to some and just chat, joke or just share a moment.

That same atomosphere changed in the space of an hour after the accident occured. It felt like an emtional shockwave ran across the entire site.

I did at the time and still do now, believe the festival organisers were correct in continuing with the festival. Even putting bands back on the stage where Pearl Jam was playing before.

To force that many people (about 100,000) at midnight out of the site would of been mayhem.

The Cure cancelled as they where due to play straight after Pearl Jam, which was understandable. The next day both Oasis (who was missing one of the brothers anyway) and Pet Shop Boys cancelled too. Now at the time I agreed with the festival organisers, they said it was wrong for these bands to cancel and they would not get paid. Now I am not so sure. The story from the bands was that by not playing they would be showing their respect for the dead, which is one point of view. My problem is that all but one other band (Live, US) DID play. Not only that it felt that by playing and saying some words, these other bands showed more respect than Oasis/PSB's.

It is a tough morale dilema, which is better to play or not to play?

The problem is made worse for me, as both bands where already in Copenhagen which was not very far from the festival. Why could they not come to the festival and say something in person? Scared I think.

I am sorry if it is true that these bands canceled due to a showing of respect, because I am not sure I believe them. Therefore I will NOT attend ANYTHING that these bands are involved with. Maybe if enough people do the same, then they will see how hurtfull it can be when no one turns up?

So to summarise, do please go to a festival somewhere soon. They are one of the greatest events on the earth. Be careful if you are going to be anyway near the front of the stage. If you see someone in any kind of trouble there, stop and help. I was unsure if I would write an article review of the festival or not (as I said I would before), after writing this entry I think I will. Not least as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives on Friday 30th of June 2000 at Roskilde Festival.