Music

The AUX Survival Guide to Vans Warped Tour

by Anne T. Donahue

Every year, music lovers take to Vans’ Warped Tour in droves, braving the heat, rain, wind and everything else for a chance to catch some great music and mingle with their favourite bands.  However, no festival is without the token survival guide, since nearly every year shoes get lost, mud gets strewn and the inevitable heat stroke sinks in.  However, with the Warped Tour being held indoors this year, you can spare the sunscreen and outdoor tent, but you should probably remember these essentials:

1) Lace-up Shoes

While slip-ons or skate shoes seem comfortable, trendy or the badass alternative to Chuck Taylors, if you plan on partaking in a crowd surf, your favourite kicks will probably no longer be yours.  (After all, how many times have your friends lost shoes in the pit?)  While there’s no need to bust out your trainers or gym shoes circa the early 2000’s, if you want to give it your all to your favourite band, you should probably remember that while you sing the praises of slipping on your favourite shoes, they’ll be just as easy to remove when you’re riding high above the sea of attendees – and let’s face it, you’re probably not going to get them back.

2) Water

It might seem like an obvious statement, but few things are as big of a buzzkill as passing out in the midst of an oversize, moshing, dance-happy crowd (and your fellow concert-goers will agree).  So whether you bring your own or you bring enough cash to stock up, hydration is the only thing that will get you through the 40-plus acts set to appear – or at least prevent you from being the person who passes out front row centre in front of your favourite band.)

3) Ear Plugs

Not just for the grown-ups or those in fear of perpetual headaches, earplugs are an essential tool to make it through a festival that boasts the loudest in punk, metal and rock ‘n roll.  If you’re new to the festival circuit, you’ve yet to understand the sorrows of going to bed with ears a-ringing, but if you’re well-accustomed, damage control should begin as soon as possible.  Why?  Because that annoying sound you’re haunted by is the last time you’ll ever hear at that frequency again.

4) Fellow Music Aficionados

Few things are as terrible as attending a highly-anticipated show with friends who could care less, so when you’re selecting your concert-going posse, make sure you go with friends who appreciate the band and the Tour as much as you do.  If you’re looking to mosh, don’t go with friends who care to sit idly in the back, and if you’re looking to nonchalantly foot-tap and lean, then a) you should probably re-think attending Vans in the first place and b) don’t go with your friend who defines “hardcore”.

5) Carefully-Chosen Camera

Unless you’re given proper media accreditation, you should probably leave your digital SLR at home and embrace the classic point-and-shoot or digital wholeheartedly.  Why?  Because while amazing photos are incredibly tempting, losing or breaking something you’ve spent months saving up for is likely one of the sole ways to dampen your concert-going spirit.  If you’re one to stand off to the side and observe, then bringing an investment camera is entirely plausible, but if you’re hoping to get some serious “action shots” from the midst of the highly energetic crowd, you should prepare yourself for the fact that they may be the last photos your camera will ever see.

6) Cash

We may live in a digital age, but busting out a debit card or Visa in the midst of a several metre-long merch line is a sure fire way to bring a world of resentment upon yourself.  While you shouldn’t bring enough money that it would define a national tragedy if you lost it, you should have enough cash on you that buying lunch, drinks or a band t-shirt isn’t a total stretch.  If you’re paranoid, bring only a small amount and utilize the ATMs wholeheartedly, but when you see the inevitable two (or more) dollar surcharge, you may think otherwise.

7) A Decent-Size Bag

Note: few things are as irritating as being side-checked by someone wielding a camper-sized backpack, so when you’re selecting a holder for your wordly goods, remember how you felt the last time you were forced to stand behind someone and their life-sized bag.  That being said, tiny purses for the ladies and pockets for the guys may not suffice, so when you’re packing for the days’ events, bring something that simply holds what you need and can fit a band t-shirt or two (since the rules of band tees still fully apply).

8) A Sharpie

It’s no secret that the Vans’ Warped Tour is famous for introducing musicians to fans on a personal level, and few things are worse than stopping to chat with your favourite guitarist only to realize that each of you are pen-less when you’ve got just enough room on your poster or album insert for his autograph (the horror!). Hence, bring a Sharpie.  You may not meet anybody, but if you do, you avoid the awkward and desperate “do you have a pen?!” plea while the prepared person to your left chit-chats with your hero as he signs vinyl and t-shirts.

9) The Right Attitude

This might sound odd or pretentious, but if you’re set to attend a festival that sells out religiously every year, you’re bound to run into fellow concert-goers who wield the power to annoy and infuriate you.  (Cue: life-size backpack guy, over-zealous mosher, over-emotional and groping couple, etc.)  Therefore, it’s essential to adopt a cavalier demeanour that will prevent you from getting kicked out as a result of your “I said don’t touch me!” free-for-all.  This doesn’t give you permission to adopt a false sense of entitlement, ignore a situation that need not be or to re-introduce yourself as Buzz Killington, but by refusing to partake in or witness the inevitable ridiculousness that will surround you, you’ll have a much better time than the person who takes up the ever-popular “this was my spot!” crusade.

10) Hand Sanitizer

Capping off such a list with something so “ordinary” might seem boring, but after you’ve been touching the sweaty crowd-surfers and braving the public restrooms, the last thing you want to do is put your hands on the hotdog you’re about to eat.  Nearly every festival survival guide will contain this key ingredient, so don’t assume it’s something only your mother would bring.  Just remember the last guy you moshed alongside before you eat a handful of Skittles – because part of his DNA is probably still all over you.