Weather Puts Damper On Sloss Fest

BIRMINGHAM, AL - If there is one predictable aspect of Alabama weather, it's that it is unpredictable, especially in the summer, when a sunny day can turn to thunderstorms and back to sun all in an hour. This became a central issue over the weekend during the Sloss Music and Arts festival.

(For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

As hundreds of festival-goers were made to huddle under a viaduct due to lightning in the area, minutes turned to hours as people were left to wonder what the festival organizers were going to do. The festival was billed as a "rain or shine" event, which gave the impression that it would not be cancelled due to weather. This left the hoards of music fans - who paid anywhere between $130 to $500 to attend the festival - less than pleased.

Saturday, the festival was halted around 3 p.m. due to lightning, and resumed at 6:45 with a revised schedule that included the cancellation of several artists. Confusion arose after security told ticket-holders to exit the premises, with no word on when - or if - the festival would resume.

Sunday was a repeat of the weather situation, with music being stopped around 4 p.m. and delayed almost five hours. Disgruntled fans responded to the Sloss Fest Twitter account with some unflattering feedback, with some asking for a refund, others angry over lack of communication and some questioning the organizers' motives for the decision to keep festival-goers huddled under the viaduct for several hours.

"Our concern is your safety," said a Sloss Fest official over the P.A. system under the viaduct Sunday. "There is a storm passing through and we are not cancelling. Please be patient. This storm should pass through and we are expecting a beautiful night and should be back to rocking soon."

Organizers asked that everyone check the Sloss Fest Twitter account for updates, but as bands were cancelled, the bands themselves were the only accounts taking to Twitter to announce the cancellation. For instance, War on Drugs tweeted that their show had been cancelled, but the Sloss Twitter account did not make that announcement until more than 30 minutes after that. Other artists did the same, announcing they had been cancelled well before the festival organizers made the announcement.

One couple, who drove to Birmingham from Memphis for the festival, had paid $350 apiece for VIP passes, and said they were able to see none of the artists they had come to see. "They said it was rain or shine, which to me means rain or shine," said George Douglas of Memphis. "We spent $700 and bought $10 drinks so we could spent five hours under an overpass in Birmingham."

Douglas said he and his wife would not be back. That sentiment was shared by many disgruntled festival-goers, including one who was shouting at organizers about wanting his money back. "You're so worried about our safety that you're going to make us leave and walk to our cars while there's lightning?" he shouted. "Guess it just matters to y'all that we get struck by lightning somewhere else."

The festival did resume Sunday night at 9:15, starting with Griz, and continued until midnight as Chris Stapleton closed out the festival in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd.

Organizers issued a statement Monday addressing the concerns of this year's festival-goers.

"The safety of our fans, performers, and staff is our number one priority," The statement said. "As many of you know, weather in Alabama can be very unpredictable, and over the weekend our festival organizers were in constant contact with on-site Emergency Management Agency officials and the National Weather Service gathering important details on constantly developing and evolving weather conditions. Reports of multiple lightning strikes within a close proximity to the festival set in motion official protocols designed to ensure the safety of everyone on-site. These protocols are standard and followed by outdoor music festivals and sporting events across North America."

The statement also said, "We remain committed to bringing fans in our home state the best music festival experience possible, and unfortunately, the inclement weather prevented us from delivering that experience as planned."

A survey will be sent out in the next couple weeks so that feedback can be adequately obtained.

Photos by Michael Seale/Patch