It is with great regret and a heavy heart that we report to you a young fan has passed away while attending the Kansas City leg of the 2010 Warped Tour. The official cause of death is still unknown, however there are rumors of dehydration leading to the incident. Many Warped Tour festivals take place outside, where fans endure midday summer heat to see their favorite acts. I’ve noticed first-hand that many venues exploit this situation by gauging prices on anything from a damn band schedule, to a sandwich or bag of chips, to the necessary bottle of water.
Is $10 too much to charge for a bottle of water?
The festival grounds that hosted the Kansas City leg apparently didn’t think so. Bridge Nine Records confirmed that fans were being charged $10 for bottled water, while temperatures neared 100 F degrees. I understand, hydration is a personal responsibility, and that their are sinks with potable water in the restrooms, but when does the venue realize that their price-gauging is unnecessary and could be detrimental to festival attendees. How much money do they honestly think they can get from us before the show ends? It is absolutely appalling and unethical.
I have been to festivals in Europe where large containers of water are strategically placed throughout the grounds, providing FREE access to drinking water for all fans. Why can this not happen in the capitalist-driven US? Hopefully, this tragic, unnecessary death of a fan will open their eyes to what their greed is actually costing them.