Blue Ridge Rock Festival stagehands speak out

[@BeccsLovesDrewski]

Thank you for continuing to cover this!

[@jessicaj7510]

Thank you for covering this story and thank you for the stagehands for coming forward. I really hope 50,000 of us didn't get scammed out of our money. It was a traumatizing experience to attend this festival and to now have our experiences denied as "misinformation".

[@yongyea4147]

We did not intentionally scam you. Read the fine print.

[@hell_pike9150]

You guys need to find lawyers and sue them and make them pay everyone back!!!

[@itskatietano]

@@yongyea4147 we were still scammed, and are continuing to be scammed. the lies to cover up how horrible the entire festival was so that refunds will not be issued

[@petef.4361]

@@hell_pike9150 Yes I was wondering this too. Can the people who attended this event get together and file some kind of lawsuit? I feel like everyone should get their money back, and the people responsible for organizing this event should be held responsible. My comment is not directed at the innocent staff who tried their best to show up and do their jobs.

[@realSethMeyers]

​@@yongyea4147you're either actually an employee and a moron or a troll who has no idea what they're talking about. I work for a band that played there. It was a mess, bordering on criminal. Sit down and shut your unintelligent mouth.

[@monmixer]

Very good, they should have walked out. I'm a union stagehand and when stages are being built you have to provide your crew with food and water along with onsite EMT's while people are climbing at all times. If you want them to stay onsite they need to have showers, places to sleep, breakfast , lunch and dinner.

[@yongyea4147]

Complain complain complain that's all I hear coming out of your mouth. Look at the bright side.

[@riggingrich]

Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

[@monmixer]

@@riggingrich 100%

[@TheOneTrueAJ]

I remember in 2021 when Blue Ridge asked for feedback and I sent them a long email on behalf of my band being scammed to play the festival. All the rising acts paid for that festival in pay to play. They took their word back on everything we agreed upon. We went there with no special treatment and were not allowed back stage after our set. We even had to pay for parking. Really wish our story got out. Only reason I was found at this year's Blue ridge was because tickets fell in my lap. Even still a mistake.

[@yongyea4147]

You should have signed a contract. That's poor foresight. It's your fault. Don't pass the blame on us.

[@hell_pike9150]

This guy has been commenting everywhere defending the organizanisers. Ignore him he's probably one of the scammers who made money off this

[@titanfighter12]

@@yongyea4147 hope you never work again, you clearly were raised by animals

[@humanbeing2420]

@@yongyea4147I'm sure they signed contracts - that's standard in the industry. The problem is enforcing it when one side breaches it. For a small band with no money, hiring lawyers and suing makes little sense.

[@RobGM2]

What I have heard is, Jonathan Sly operates like a conman.

[@radicalh5393]

It's in his blood, think his grandpa was involved in some multi million dollar scheme back then

[@brandonthompson8413]

Appears that he is one.

[@metalmamasue3680]

I seriousIy beIieve he shouId be criminaIIy charged for his greedy, negIigent failure.

[@yongyea4147]

YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!!!

[@veraray4441]

I am so proud of these two men for speaking out for every stage hand. Without them there are no concerts or events. Because the ones who took the money and ran will never be on camera. Because they are abusers. There is no excuse for treating people like this. Sons I am so sorry there has been no respect. But this Mama is so behind you on this. Thank you to this channel and this reporter for airing this terrible situation for everyone. And making the rest of the nation aware.

[@setituptoblowitup]

Never heard of a stage hand you mean a rhodie?

[@yongyea4147]

Lazy complainers is all they are.

[@setituptoblowitup]

@@yongyea4147 yup metal festival and comfortable don't ever mix prepare to be brutalized 👊🤘✌️💪

[@captainhowdy2369]

We want our refund!

[@veraray4441]

Lol that may be a long while since they are radio/camera silent😢😡

[@captainhowdy2369]

@@veraray4441 Yeah, it’s so ridiculous. They make promises, then delete the post and go completely silent. They are just heading for court in the long run.

[@yongyea4147]

Nope. We're not giving you a refund. Read the fine print. Educate yourself.

[@yongyea4147]

@@user-pv8xk6yd2q we will not let the credit card companies do that.

[@captainhowdy2369]

@@yongyea4147 Yeah, I read the fine print and multiple post blue ridge have posted stating that they’ll be giving refunds. Keep moving and comment on something you actually know about.

[@georgearrivals]

I found Jon Slye's burner account 😂😂😂

[@LemonheadTed]

We need an update!!!

[@MotoMatt418]

Rebranding as the Blue Ridge Fyre Fest next year

[@yongyea4147]

We will not Fyer the organizers of this festival. They tried their best. This was an act of God. Read the fine print.

[@MotoMatt418]

@@yongyea4147 That’s incorrect.

[@kero1640]

​@@yongyea4147this was an act of greed.

[@riggingrich]

As in it was an insurance claim, "Act of God" in the fine print?

[@SMDoktorPepper]

Never mess with the crew. No stagehands means no show. And we put up with a LOT. If they are this upset, the producers REALLY screwed the pooch...along with the fans and everyone else they could scam cash from.

[@hell_pike9150]

They made something like 30 million in ticket sales, they only paid $2.7 million to the artists... There's no excuse for them not being able to provide for all the guests. They made plenty of money to do that. They treated this whole thing like a big scam

[@Baphometrose]

Thank you for covering this!

[@its_justJohn]

Reaching out to IATSE? Is there a local involved in your labor agreements?

[@yongyea4147]

Nope.

[@jayflores9280]

This was my first time going... Seems to me it will be the last

[@Alexandria87]

Same!

[@metalmamasue3680]

My son said the exact same thing. His first and Iast.

[@yongyea4147]

Thank you for your business.

[@woodward_alan]

Thanks for the update

[@yongyea4147]

Thanks for your business.

[@woodward_alan]

@@yongyea4147 no.... thank you for your business

[@missycostello7193]

I'm still upset about the turn out.. everyone there that paid months in advance especially deserve a full refund.. dream vacation turned into a pointless trip that was really hard to turn around. =/

[@XBret64]

A year of planning, hundreds of dollars of camping gear, 14 and a half hour drive, 5 hour wait in line to get our camping spot; only a day and a half of fun. Big disappointment.

[@ian.swift.31614]

there is no way anyone's getting money back lol. if you do it'll be for just the ticket cost.

[@yongyea4147]

It wasn't that bad. You're just complaining to gain unwarranted sympathy.

[@zachbriggs5277]

Wasted thousands on this mess, thank you for this video!

[@yongyea4147]

No. Thank you.

[@Se7encirclesr7]

Thank you for speaking out on this....

[@yongyea4147]

No. Thank you.

[@rodbelding9523]

A few of my friends went to this and I'm literally fascinated by what an unorganized disaster it was.

[@metalmamasue3680]

It was, my son was there. We've been going to shows for years and I have been for decades and I've never, ever heard of such a totaI 💩 show in my Iife. The promoter has a Iot to answer for, worst production ever in my Iifetime. They didn't have enough water to drink, Corey TayIor from Slipknot paid for catering so the bands and their crews had food, and the promoter soId way more tickets than they couId even begin to safely accommodate all those peopIe. When you have tens of thousands of peopIe at an event, you better be running things as best you can and that absolutely failed on an epic scale. It's a miracle someone wasn't seriousIy harmed or kiIIed and you know they wouId bIame it on the music or metaI bands themseIves if that happened. I've seen hundreds of shows and never once feIt unsafe. My son said he never feIt more unsafe. And that's saying a Iot in over 40 years of seeing hundreds of Iive bands myself and taking him or him going himself for 17 of those years.

[@yongyea4147]

It was organized. You must not know the definition of the word. Educate yourself.

[@riggingrich]

There are good shows and bad shows to work, and for festival stagehands to just walkout, that would have to be a Very Bad Sh!tshow.

[@theasylist2913]

I was there at Blue Ridge Rock Fest and the security guards did their damnedest to keep everything under control even though they were mistreated understaffed horribly paid and all of that they still did their best to help out the festival to the best of their abilities and I commend the security guards for that in the stage hands and everyone else who worked there also want to say thanks to the bus drivers that came out and helped with the festival as well because there were bus drivers that came out to drive people and I know at least for the bus that me and my friends were on that bus driver was driving non-stop all throughout the night and still had to go pick up students in the morning butt to the people that Blue Ridge Rock Fest thank you for trying your damnedest even though you were understaffed underpaid and mistreated thank y'all for still trying to make the festival worth seeing for the fans

[@warcriminal7976]

Big thank you!

[@yongyea4147]

And we thank you for attending and not complaining.

[@Njsjdjdjdj]

In Danville-that sounds about right

[@crwdancing]

Can we start a petition to sue the company and get our refunds back?

[@yongyea4147]

No you cannot. Educate yourself. Read the fine print.

[@aspirationrecords]

Lol they havent responded? Thats a SHOCKER

[@yongyea4147]

And we will continue not responding.

[@kreamykadina8415]

actually good news reporting on this, especially as refunds have yet to go out and if i'm honest, me and others aren't getting it...

[@DaggetSWG]

Emphasize that these are union boys, and the union wants to hold people accountable.

[@setituptoblowitup]

Mom always crashes the 🎉🥳😐

[@dr.strangelove7696]

You’d think, charging local bands thousands of dollars each to play there, they’d be able to afford water for these guys. Greed poisoning…

[@yongyea4147]

We didn't intend to do that.

[@dr.strangelove7696]

Do what? The water thing? Or charge local bands thousands of dollars to play there? You know, y’all could have a battle of the bands every year to see who plays. But it wouldn’t make you any money would it? Remember when people would do things for the love of it?

[@Metal.mike89]

All I’ve been hearing about is how absolutely terrible this festival truly was

[@yongyea4147]

It wasn't that bad. Fake news. Educate yourself.

[@GekkoGear]

Theyre not gonna return those messages lol theyre laughing their way to the bank with all these peoples money

[@ian.swift.31614]

Blue Ridge Fyre Fest

[@yongyea4147]

We are not going to refund you either. Thank you for the kind words though.

[@unholyvillain7237]

We better get refunds!!!

[@yongyea4147]

No refunds. Read the fine print. We are tired of you people asking for refunds.

[@Obsequie]

This is why RiotFest is the best fest.

[@petershortland478]

Come to Europe u will change your mind;)

[@yongyea4147]

You are a saint and a scholar.

[@WompRok]

Giardia

[@kleepo7733]

Hopefully Blue Ridge is cancelled next year so these bands can go other places and played for other fans. Not everybody's interested in going to a large campground see bands. Imagine being at a campground and then have to deal with bad weather? Cancel it altogether and let bands go somewhere else in to play it's that simple.

[@charleschi843]

Should have great lower prices next year!

[@KansaSCaymanS]

Yeah, because they probably won’t be able to get any big name bands to sign on.

[@class5bodyworks]

Don't count on it. This is a big grifting money grab. Should be boycotts

[@ian.swift.31614]

you think the bands didn't get paid? Lol. why do you think they're being silent on this? They are contractually obligated to be quiet, or else they won't get paid. Hence the silence. @@KansaSCaymanS

[@KansaSCaymanS]

@@ian.swift.31614 Oh I’m sure the bands are expecting to get paid for this cluster f**k, which is why the promoter doesn’t want to give refunds. But I bet many of them won’t be eager to sign on for next year if it’s at the same venue with the same (mis)management.

[@charleschi843]

True story. It was a mess for the bands too. @@KansaSCaymanS

[@himebaughchris4026]

Cowboys From Haifa! 😂

[@ian.swift.31614]

jumpdafunkup y'all.

[@colonelhstinkmeaner8547]

Lol

[@hazysativa3045]

My dad went to Bull Island festival in 72 and says this was paradise compared to that.

[@brandonthompson8413]

No it wasn't

[@hazysativa3045]

@@brandonthompson8413 A group of people killed a cow and tried to eat it. It was far worse than this.

[@brandonthompson8413]

@@hazysativa3045 Worse than criminally endangering 50-60k people and stealing their money? Doubt it.

[@yongyea4147]

@@brandonthompson8413 you need to CALM down and stop yelling!!!

[@yongyea4147]

@@brandonthompson8413 and yes it was. Educate yourself.

[@dfates2650]

Lol Taylor, u should’ve tried staying at the campgrounds cause those living conditions look like a 4 star hotel compared to what we had…at least u could use the toilet whenever u wanted lol

[@yongyea4147]

No truer words. You are a saint and a scholar. All I hear is a bunch of complaining.

[@potcommitted5355]

Ya right, Like those 2 really care about showers that much! Was that their one chance that month to take a shower? Something else was going on to make them walk out and leave everybody hanging.

[@lordhelmit1499]

Are you nuts? They are working outside for 10+ hours a day in the 98° humid southern Virginia summer heat, and they're human beings so they sweat. A lot. A shower before retiring to your on-site campsite is not exactly unexpected.

[@hell_pike9150]

You only shower once a month?

[@yongyea4147]

Laziness at it's finest. Give me a break.

[@hell_pike9150]

Your mother wasn't lazy. 5 Stars

[@Cheeseburger.Launch.Sequence]

Pop music is always a shitshow. Get what you pay for haha.

[@samantoniak1657]

this was an alternative metal festival…

[@Cheeseburger.Launch.Sequence]

@@samantoniak1657 Its pop music. Pop metal.

[@yongyea4147]

You are a saint and a scholar

[@questioneverything42]

I went to Grateful dead tour & ive seen worst lot weather ever! The only 1 show was canceled in there 50 years. The difference hippies are family & we took care of each other!! Sorry such a crappy show. It does happens definitely needs to requires a rebate for tickes & some of the bands that got screwed !