Austin360 blogs > ACL Festival > Archives > 2006 > September > 17 > Entry
Rain interrupts Tom Petty set
With Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers about a half-hour into their set, the rain that had doused the ACL Festival early Sunday returned in full effect, with many in the crowd bolting for the exits. The downpour forced a mid-set rain delay for the album-rock standard-bearers, but the band was back onstage by 9:35 p.m.
(photo by Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: 2006 Scene Reports
Comments
By Donna
September 18, 2006 08:52 AM | Link to this
Stuck it out through the rain and waited…patiently for one of the best performances all weekend! I didn’t notice any sound problems at this stage except for Van Morrison. Rain did not keep Tom from delivering great music.
By matt
September 18, 2006 08:40 AM | Link to this
the sound system was very low. I could barely hear the sound guy say “don’t eat the brown acid” but others were less fortunate
By Cliff
September 18, 2006 08:30 AM | Link to this
This was my first ACL fest, all in all the sound was fine for a festival, and I’m a sound engineer. The problem with AT&T stage is that the system wasn’t designed for the capacity of the headliner crowd. Not big enough or powerful enough. They should do a better job on videos and delays.
By david
September 18, 2006 08:23 AM | Link to this
I’ve noticed bad sound at the AMD pretty consistently. The Elvis Costello set was destroyed by bad sound. From where I was for Van Morrison the sound was ok, but others told me their experience was bad. I thought the sound was bad at ATT at times as well, Gnarls Barkley and Raconteurs notable examples.
Word will get out that the sound sucks and people will stop coming.
By feelinfree2jamm
September 18, 2006 06:33 AM | Link to this
As a musician who loathes all recurring “big-box” festivals for their crass commercialism, high prices, low fidelity and all-around greed, you suckers got what you deserved.
Death to ACL Fest, South by So(-what)uthwest, and all of its ilk.
By brad
September 18, 2006 12:10 AM | Link to this
Sound was great! I’m glad we stuck around. Not sure Petty felt the sound was bad, but the set was great none-the-less. Props to Petty for coming back out and playing a full set!
By nattybobo
September 17, 2006 11:41 PM | Link to this
Please ask Tom Petty to come back at the end of his tour an do a makeup show! The sound was terrible and he seemed aware of the issue. If the sound was better, we would have stayed in the rain. I know he could sell out any venue within 40 miles! Come back soon Tom! Till then I Wont Back Down even when my American Girl is Free Fallin during Mary Janes Las Dance!
By Dan
September 17, 2006 11:22 PM | Link to this
Same thing happened during Willie’s set the night before. Speaker placement was terrible!! They needed speakers further back also.
By Sarah
September 17, 2006 10:50 PM | Link to this
I think there was something wrong with the sound at the AT&T stage all weekend. Sound on Van Morrison was also horrible. We could still hear and the bass and drums from John Mayer while we were 500 feet back from Van! With someone as rocking as Tom Petty we should have been able to hear it on the bus all the way home (while we were running from the rain!).
By Tim
September 17, 2006 10:35 PM | Link to this
Now maybe more than the first 50 rows of people will be able to hear him! The volume was WAY LOW for his set. It was a weak ending to the weekend.