Recently, HBO released a documentary called "Woodstock 99: Peace Love and Rage" (trailer below). I saw it and thought it was pretty accurate to my experience.
Now Netflix releases their own called "Trainwreck: Woodstock 99" trailer below) If this one is anything like the HBO special, you will be shocked.
I will not be shocked as I was at Woodstock 99. It was every much the disaster that is is being portrayed. We arrived on Day 1 and we had high hopes for a good time, but that positive attitude was gone by early afternoon. Overpriced water, overflowing toilets, and anger was on the menu for the day and the days to come. We stayed for most of Day 1 but watched from the fringes as anywhere near the front of the stage was clearly too dangerous.
We arrived on Day 2 and we were lucky to have backstage passes. We watched most of that day from the backstage area. The sea of people out front was dirty, angry and violent. There were many people (mostly women) being dragged over the wall in an effort to save them from the horrors of the pit.
We decided after Day 2 that we could no longer stand around and watch this disintegration of anything even close to peace and love. We only say anger and violence. We left after day 2 and drove to Niagara Falls where we watched the fire and mayhem of the final night from the safety of a restaurant TV there.
I will watch the new doc, but from the trailer, I can already tell it'll be as accurate as the HBO doc was.
Watch it...and take heed when going to any future festival.... because it could happen again.