Harvest Festival Offer Ticket Swap Following 2nd Announcement Backlash

Yesterday’s announcement of the second lot of acts that would be joining the Harvest Festival bill also contained a unique surprise for attendees of the Melbourne leg of the festival.

Along with the addition of the likes of Silversun Pickups, Los Campesinos!, Crazy P(enis) and ‘Come On, Eileen’ jukebox, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, was the announcement that Melbourne punters would be getting a second date added to the touring Festival following the November 11th date at Werribee Park selling out.

With tickets for the newly-added November 10th date going on sale this morning at 9am, it seemed like a good idea and win/win situation right?

Not quite, if the wave of disgruntled ticketholders are to be heard, taking to social media and Twitter to voice their displeasure with the addition of a second date.

Facebook users vented their frustrations at having to attend the sold-out crowds of the Sunday event when they could’ve held out for a Saturday ticket and a lighter crowd, one user commenting: “Thanks for screwing over all the loyal people who booked tickets for the Sunday show first. Not a great move to build up brand loyalty!”

“As someone who was pretty unimpressed with the disorganisation evident last year, but who gave Harvest a 2nd chance this year, I can only say this. Doom on you Harvest” wrote another commenter. With many more voicing their annoyance; particularly Foundation ticket-holders.

The Foundation program was created by Harvest Festival promoters to compensate for the poor organisation of Melbourne’s debut event last year, including teething problems like an obscure ticketing system for alcohol, understaffed food tents and severe queueing for toilets.

Festival boss, AJ Maddah and co-promoter Declan Forde described last year’s issues as a “major cock-up” which was a “source of deep embarrassment,” before vowing to fix the problems of last year, starting with the Foundation program.

To further quell the tide of dissent, Maddah has tweeted (of couse) today, that Foundation members to the original Sunday leg of the show, would be able to freely attend the Saturday performance as well:

If you are a Foundation Member who bought tix for Melb, you can use your card to attend either Sat or Sun. Your choice. #harvest2012

— AJ (@iamnotshouting) August 21, 2012

While there is yet to be an official Harvest announcement as to how the scheme will work, presumably it will involve the previously detailed card – the unique customer ID and barcode issued to Foundation members that “will become your ticket to all future Harvest events when you activate it online by paying for your ticket.”

If that sounds like a logistical nightmare, again, Maddah assures naysayers that it won’t be an issue:

@crikeyboy not at all. We’re holding back on sales to make sure there is room.

— AJ (@iamnotshouting) August 22, 2012

Bold words; and if that’s the case then perhaps we can expect many flocking to Saturday’s event, balancing out numbers to a comfortable level for both days – but it is a bit of a gamble.

It’s best to give Maddah and Harvest Festival the benefit of the doubt, especially considering their caution and promises of making good after last year’s problems.