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Reactions are mixed to the Woodstock 50th anniversary line-up

Andrew Trendell

"Did a 13-year-old book Woodstock?"

Last night saw the line-up for the 50th anniversary of Woodstock being announced, and the bill has divided opinion among many.

The original Woodstock was held in the Catskill Mountains near New York City between August 15–18 in 1969, and was famed as the pinnacle of ‘The Summer Of Love’ when more than 400,000 people flocked to see the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Joan Baez and many more.

Woodstock ’94 celebrated the 25th anniversary in Saugerties and saw Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Peter Gabriel and Gil-Scott Heron perform, while Woodstock ’99 was held in Upstate New York and marred by incidents of violence and sexual assault. Limp Bizkit, The Offspring, KoRn, Bush, Sheryl Crow, Moby, and Creed were all among the performers that year.

Now, it’s been confirmed that the ‘Woodstock 50’ celebration festival will be held at New York’s Watkins Glen and will feature The Killers, Dead & Company, Jay Z, Miley Cyrus, Chance The Rapper, Imagine Dragons, The Black Keys, The Raconteurs among the line-up.

Many are thrilled about the big names on the bill, and how it reflects modern music and culture in 2019.

“People are grumbling that the Woodstock 50 line up isn’t just folk and rock,” wrote one Twitter user. “Surely Woodstock was cutting edge music of the era and so Woodstock 50 should be too.”

Another added: “The line-up looks very Coachella-ish. But, slightly better. Santana, John Fogerty, The Killers, Robert Plant, Greta Van Fleet and Jay-Z is more than enough.”

Others, however, are less than impressed. Many feel that the bill doesn’t quite live up to the legacy or ‘vibe’ that Woodstock is supposed to represent.

“It’s like the people who made the Woodstock lineup didn’t know what Woodstock was,” wrote one disappointed Twitter user. “Where is Lana Del Rey? Gambino? Maybe even Demarco? Where is that 60/70s vibe? Give me an epic revival for one of the greatest rock festivals of all time, like geez.”

Another added: “Imagine telling your kids you saw Imagine Dragons at Woodstock and your kids immediately punching you in the face.”

The festival will not take place on the original Woodstock site, with the town of Bethel organising its own celebratory event on the same weekend. That bill includes the likes of Ringo Starr, Arlo Guthrie, and Santana.