How to make solo festival attendance worthwhile

Last updated:2019/4/11

The person behind Rockin’ Life
The person behind Rockin’ Life. A late-twenties-ish office worker based somewhere in Kansai. I like music just a tiny bit more than most people, and within music genres, I like rock just a tiny bit more. I prefer Uniqlo over “Yabai T-Shirts Yasan,” delicious melon bread over the band “Oishikuru Melonpan,” and “Three O’Clock Rock” (as in a 3 p.m. snack) over “ONE OK ROCK.” My current dream for the future is to not go bald.

These days, as various festivals are gaining momentum, aren’t more people going to festivals alone? I’d like to offer some suggestions here on how those people can enjoy themselves.

Go to a festival alone

festival

Some people say that’s impossible, while others say that way is easier on the mind.

The spring festival season is approaching, and while some people have already decided to attend, they haven’t decided who to go with. I imagine some are worried they’ll end up going alone if things stay this way.

I want you to feel at ease.

Joining alone is surprisingly fun.

That said, I think it’s worth reconsidering what kind of presence or demeanor would make going solo more meaningful.

I’d like to think about this issue while considering several possible patterns.

Case 1: Use communication skills

http://o-dan

net/ja/

The best example of how using this makes solo participation worthwhile.

What do you mean?

Let's try a simulation.

First, from the moment it’s decided that I’ll be attending alone, I’ll keep emphasizing on Twitter that I’m going solo.

Since I'm a loner, I'd say something like, 'If you see me, please come talk to me.'

The essence of this message is something like: “I’m lonely on my own, but I feel a bit embarrassed to ask someone to go with me, and I don’t really have friends I’m that close to anyway. So if you’re in a similar situation, it’s okay to ask me to go together. That said, I’m picky too, so I might turn you down sometimes. If that happens, I’m sorry.”

Well, even if I’m not actually that calculating, it’s precisely because I’m on my own that I can move freely. I’ll make the most of that advantage, drop in on each follower’s group as if I were snacking from place to place, and prepare here to commit to a wide-but-shallow style of socializing.

By lining up a few people in advance who might be available to meet if I reach out when I have free time, I can go solo to the concerts I want to immerse myself in alone, and when I want to have a lively time with everyone, I’ll play up being alone on Twitter and run a strategy to find companions.

Of course,You can also just enjoy chatting with people during meal and break times.。

In short, even while saying they're a loner,A strategy to fully mobilize social skills more than anyone else and enjoy the festival more systematically than anyone.。

However, you can’t do this without communication skills.

If someone who lacks social skills does this, they might meet their followers, but be unable to communicate properly, creating an awkward atmosphere for both sides and risking the whole thing falling apart.

To make matters worse, it could even throw off your schedule to the point where you can’t see the show you were aiming for (including due to restrictions), so be careful.

You need to carefully plan things out while taking your own skill level into account.

Case 2: Focus solely on enjoying the live performance

Live

Precisely because you're on your own, you can move the way you like.

A strategy of making the most of its biggest advantage and just enjoying the live show to the fullest.

If you go with friends, there’ll be interruptions like, “I wanna eat,” “I kinda need to use the bathroom,” “I want to see that,” or “Ugh, the Wall of Death is scary—let’s watch from farther back,” but when you’re alone, none of that happens.

When couples go to a festival together, there are often pairs where a mismatch in enthusiasm between the man and the woman creates an awkward vibe (including boyfriends who go out of their way to protect their girlfriends even in the mosh pit). If both start worrying about each other, it might become difficult to get the full 100% enjoyment out of the live show.

However,If you’re alone, there’s no need to worry about that.It is.

MoreoverThe schedule is completely flexible.。

Whether to go in first or to watch from behind—it's all up to me.

If a band looks like it might get restricted and crowded, you can secure a spot by lining up early, and you can also manage a complex schedule—like leaving after this song to go catch the next band.

Also, if it’s a band with lots of stage-diving, being up front just turns you into a machine for catching divers, so this time I might watch from a bit farther back. Or, if a band tends to have excessive moshing at the front and oversized circle pits in the middle, I’ll stake out a spot in between so I can escape either way. You can come up with these kinds of detailed strategies to enjoy the show comfortably.

Feeling lonely while waiting?

People like that should just stick to Twitter.

If you share your thoughts, the other person might respond with something like “Lucky you,” and reading other people’s impressions can make you feel somehow connected to someone.

Also, if you’re craving more concrete reactions, like a popular band’s setlist, for example,TOSHI-LOWIf you post an ultra-spot-on MC report on Twitter, it’ll get retweeted like crazy.

This creates an almost omnipotent feeling, as if you’ve accomplished something amazing, and it makes it easy to dispel any sense of loneliness.

Above all, watching a live show alone and focusing on it is surprisingly good.

The thrill of enduring the wait, focusing on the stage, the lights dimming, and then the long-awaited band’s name slamming onto the giant screen up front is simply unparalleled.

If I had been chattering away with my friends right up until the last moment, I wouldn’t have been able to experience this sense of awe.

No doubt, you'll be able to enjoy the festival live show more luxuriously than anyone else.

Case 3: Enjoying at a smaller stage

Kyoto Grand OperationIf that's the case, we could watch a basketball game,Lady KureIt can also be quite enjoyable to indulge in things like New Year’s calligraphy or drawing fortunes at booths that have nothing to do with the live show.

You can hardly enjoy it this way if you go with friends who are hardcore about live shows.

If you usually go with friends but find yourself solo today and aren’t sure what to do, I think it could be a good chance to enjoy the festival from a different angle than usual.

It feels like enjoying a festival the way you’d enjoy a trip.

Wouldn't it be interesting to just keep watching a couple flirting on their picnic blanket?

Wouldn't it also be something of a pleasure to devote oneself to such people-watching?

However, since the characteristics around this can differ from festival to festival, you'll need to look into various things each time you go to a different one.

If you're going to do it, I recommend doing something that can be a topic of conversation as much as possible.

If you enjoy it like, “Wait, you went all the way to the festival and did that?!” you’re guaranteed to have a blast talking about the fest with your real-life friends later!

Come to think of it, there used to be someone doing otagei at the back of a concert who drew a lot of attention.

In any case,I think there are plenty of interesting things at festivals besides the live performances, so why not make good use of the free time you have when you’re on your own and enjoy it?This is the proposal.