‘It was an absolute Fyre Festival.’ Before Miami contestants were enlisted to save the world, another group signed up in Montreal. But where were the cameras?
Fyre Fest — the ill-planned and ill-fated music launch of a failed festival startup called FyreCo — was meant, among other things, to offer a platform for young up-and-comers to show off their creativity. FyreFest did exactly that and it also did the job of showcasing where the real stars of today’s music industry are, even if only on an oversize screen in their bedrooms.
Fyre Festival was meant to be something of a reality TV experiment, like the first season of “The Voice,” where competitors compete to perform their own songs under a spotlight in front of an audience, all while pretending to be from different parts of the world. In the end, a contestant from each continent emerged. “This was going to be a show where people could be put in the spotlight and be judged on their artistry,” said one Fyre Festival contestant, and at least one of those winners is here now, in one of the final acts to take the stage at Fyre Fest.
Just as much to Fyre’s benefit as the contestants, who took part in a publicity stunt gone wildly awry, and who had been told they might be appearing in front of the real stars of tomorrow — namely Beyoncé and Jay Z and Beyoncé’s husband, Khalil Mack — Fyre Fest would have been a great opportunity for the press and music industry. In fact, Fyre Fest did exactly what “The Voice” did for music industry professionals, with many of its contestants eventually earning media and recognition.
The one thing Fyre Fest wouldn’t do, however, that other reality television shows did, was provide the real stars of today an opportunity to shine in front of the media the way they do onstage.
For that, there was a different reality television show, the Fyre Fest, that was not only well-funded and managed, but also did what it was supposed to do: It did what music industry professionals were supposed to be doing themselves: show everyone, in a public forum, all that they do onstage.
There was one last thing Fyre Fest couldn’t do — it couldn’
