Promoters could take a cue from the canny Coachella crew

REVOLVER: BRIAN BOYDon music

THIS LOOKS to be a rough year for the weekender music bash, what with all the fretting going on in festival land – no Glastonbury, no Oxegen and a lot of others considering their options and peering again at last year’s overdraft. Confidence has been drained from the market and bookers and promoters will tell you in exasperated tones– that they simply can’t afford to pay the astronomic fees still being charged by bands who won’t bend in the current stagnant climate.

All of which makes it even more remarkable that the organisers of Coachella, one of the world’s biggest and best music festivals, are doing something in April that has never been tried before. They will hold their usual three-day beano in the Californian desert, then the following week do it all again with the same acts. Or as they put it: “same line-up, same art, same place, different people”.

Very loosely, Coachella, is modelled on European giants Glastonbury and Roskilde. A bit like a band who are allowed to develop over a series of albums, the festival (which has been running since 1999) was a money- loser for many a year. As they found their footing, the organisers realised that it wasn’t just enough just to throw a number of big stars onto the stages, and they began to really listen to and take on board what festivalgoers were telling them about their Coachella experience.

Because it’s way out near Palm Springs, it’s a bit of a trek to get there for most people. But through constant feedback the Coachella crew gradually unveiled a complete festival experience that is very much based on punters’ likes and dislikes. They are now in the enviable position of being able to guarantee a sell-out without even revealing the line-up.

This year’s Groundhog Weekend was prompted by the many complaints from last year that the tickets went too fast and many regulars had to pay up to $600 on the secondary ticket market rather than the $250-odd official price.

“We know many of you were unable to attend last year – we were truly surprised by the overwhelming response and remain honoured by your passion and enthusiasm,” the organisers said in a statement when announcing 2012’s double whammy. “We know some of you purchased through non-legitimate sources and were inconvenienced, gouged or totally scammed.”

It’s not just that the Coachella people actually take the time to talk to their customer base and sympathise with their plight, it’s also that they are willing to work with people’s finances. As with a growing number of festivals, they have a “layaway” pricing plan where you can put 10 per cent of the ticket price down and then pay eight equal monthly payments.

They knew from last year’s sell-out (headline acts included Kanye West and Arcade Fire) that the audience make-up was beginning to change: “The thought of this selling out super quick, and the only people who get to go are the people who bought the first minute or bought tickets for more than they sold for didn’t seem great to us,” they say.

“We didn’t want to go with more people and ruin the experience. We didn’t want to raise the ticket price. So we decided to add another weekend.”

The key thing is that, despite demand far outstripping supply, there is no increase in the ticket price. This way, genuine fans and not just early-bird freaks and the super-rich get to experience the wonders of Coachella.

It pays to listen and learn from the people whose money you are taking. Other festivals please fall into line Coachella style.

The full line-up for the 2012 festival, which includes The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Cliff, Arctic Monkeys, The Shins, Florence the Machine and Bon Iver, is on coachella.com

MIXED BAG

- The UK Forestry Commission has turned rock promoter and will put on a series of gigs (in forests, naturally) this year by Madness, Will Young and The Darkness. Excellent idea!

- Sugababes to reform, but does anyone know who’s who these days – there seems to be a few dozen of them.