Hard Festival 2011 Sees 16 Hospitalizations, 17 Arrests

There were 16 hospitalizations and 17 arrests in the aftermath of Saturday's HARD Summer Music Festival, a day-long concert at the Los Angeles State Historic Park.

In all, 31 required medical treatment, of which 16 were taken to the hospital, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A phonecall to the LAPD confirmed that 17 people were arrested. Of those arrests, 16 were for felonies like alcohol and narcotic intoxication and one was for a robbery on a nearby street. LAPD spokesperson officer Gregory Baek said that while he does not have specific information on the felony arrests, most were probably arrested for inhaling or using prohibited medications like ecstasy and marijuana.

HARDfest drew talent such as DUCK SAUCE, Chromeo, RATATAT, DIGITALISM, and Dillon Francis to three stages and a tent set up within the park. ABC Los Angeles estimates that 30,000 people attended this year's HARDfest, while last year's event drew an estimated 100,000 people to the venue.

While both CBS and ABC characterized the event as a "rave," LA Weekly points out that HARDfest is more like a concert festival.

It took months of planning and over two dozen Los Angeles Fire Department emergency responders to adequately prepare for HARDfest, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The LAFS is already in planning mode for HARD's upcoming Haunted Mansion, a concert festival scheduled for the weekend before Halloween at the Shrine Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles.

Comments

[patman77]

03:22 PM on 08/09/2011

boneroo

[wolfenbergenstein]

02:32 PM on 08/09/2011

So you know. As of January 2011, it is only considered an infraction with a maximum fine of $100 for simple personal marijuana posession in CALI. No arrest just a ticket. And public intoxication is also only a misdemeanor. Considering the place is locked down like a prison with riot police, drug dogs, and undercovers the arrest numbers are pretty small. @Pacorvettelover2 out here in CALI we actually have a pretty awesome peaceful festival scene. Plus don't believe the media, they try to paint the picture that these festivals are dangerous places but it's quite the opposite. To all those who don't understand the music, don't hate just don't go. I like that the only crime that has a victim, robbery, happened outside the festival and am 99% sure it was some thug in the area preying on a happy peaceful festival goer. LASTLY, last years hard summer had only 10,000 people not 100,000 as your article reads. They only had 2 stages last year, this year 4. Next time you want to talk bad about our scene please do your homework!! Or maybe you should write an article about how LA profits from these events like all the vendors, food trucks, portable toilet company, METRO ticket sales, hotels, hired security, LA historic park, and even convenient stores in the area.

Peace & Love from the party people who attend these events!!! The more you try to shut us down, the stronger we get.

[BrunoDJ]

02:16 PM on 08/09/2011

IN OTHER NEWS: Thousands of concert-goers peacefully and responsibly enjoy day-long music festival.

[SoloDolo]

03:05 PM on 08/09/2011

Congress??

[pacorvettelover2]

12:10 PM on 08/09/2011

Them PEACE - LOVE & MUSIC Days are over. I been to over 200 concerts in my life time, When John Lennon was shot & THE POPE & President all with in a 12 month period in early 80's I knew the good old peaceful days of living were over for good , After seeing WOODSTOCK 1994 on fire and being destroyed, I knew them great concert days were over. But I just dont blame the new generations but the city and states they are in. Underage drinking has been going on for over 70 years or more . Everybody did when they were 17 - 20 years young..Unless you didnt have a mouth. Your never going to stop that , Specially at a concert. When cops start to lock up people for smoking pot and drinking. Your going to have a RIOT. When cities charge $50.00 to park a car like in NYC "Went to see Paul McCartney @ YANKEES STADIUM SEPT 16 - $50.00 TO PARK AFTER DRIVING 3 HOURS AND PAYING TOLLS / GAS AND $155.00 FOR TICKET & $15.00 FOR A STEAK SANDWICH $7.00 FOR A BOTTLE OF WATER" I WANTED TO START A RIOT AND THE CITY Made me feel this way! THE CITIES TRY TO TAKE EVERY PENNY YOU GOT TO ENJOY YOUR SELF !. BUT AS FOR SMOKING POT AND DRINKING BEER, YOU DONT GO LOCKING KIDS UP FOR THAT ONLY TO MAKE MORE $$$ FOR BAIL AND FINES. GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

[360Dunk]

11:04 AM on 08/09/2011

HARDfest had nothing to do with an orgy?

[rogiec123]

10:27 AM on 08/09/2011

So much for the Woodstock effect. This is not the governments fault, this is the human thug mentality at it's best.

[anniee214]

09:48 AM on 08/09/2011

At Woodstock we had between 100,000 and a million hippies (depending on whose stats you believe). Yet NO ONE was arrested, there were NO fights--just a weekend of Peace and music. Some kids were hospitalized for bad acid trips, but that was it. The only violence was the weather!

[cmcclarty]

11:11 AM on 08/09/2011

But look at what happened down the road at woodstock gen x tore the place up guess they didnt learn from there grandparents.

[wolfenbergenstein]

02:43 PM on 08/09/2011

Sounds like EDC vegas this year minus the weather!!! The new peace, love generation is here but the media wants to shut us down just like I imagination mainstream medias reaction to woodstock at the time. It is actually extremely strange how similar the times are except production companies throwing these events are extremely organized and descently profitable allowing these events to continue. We are too big now; Coachella, Lollapoloza, Bonnaroo, EDC, Ultra, Sasquatch, Glastonbury, T in the Park, Ibiza, Burning Man, Earthdance, Reggae on the River, Sunsplash, the list goes on and on.

[anniee214]

01:42 PM on 08/10/2011

There is a movie about how Woodstock came about--or almost didn't come about. Unfortunately, for the new peace and love generation, capitalism rules. Interesting tidbit--the only time the New York State Thruway was closed was during Woodstock--hippies (like me) turned it into a parking lot--there weren't enough tow trucks in new York to clear it out. Ahh--the good ol' days. Now many of us hippies are retired--and many of us haven't changed our hopes and dreams!

[FredVenice]

09:26 AM on 08/09/2011

as we cut back on all govt costs, we will hopefully stop wasting the fireman and police attention to such events, look at the money we can save, as the tea party is trying to help us accomplish, just rely on the sponsors and those that attend

[Tyler Muller]

08:22 AM on 08/09/2011

I'd be more interested of hearing of a California concert where nobody is hospitalized and only a couple people are arrested. Some people cannot really handle being near lots of people and loud music without losing it.

[Eric Graff]

08:02 AM on 08/09/2011

Arrest potheads=high taxes, for what point? A felony for smoking pot=high taxes, happy now?

[cmcclarty]

11:20 AM on 08/09/2011

They smoke more then just pot at raves. Percasets heroin huffing NOS etc.

[brod26113]

07:28 AM on 08/09/2011

Perhaps these events should be televised on a station you have to pay extra for.

[Ted Cantu]

07:27 AM on 08/09/2011

DUCK SAUCE? LOL what do they specialize in ? Wok and Roll?

[dbrockskk]

08:18 AM on 08/09/2011

Wok and Egg Roll

[anniee214]

09:45 AM on 08/09/2011

Thank you for your sense of humor. I was having a bad day and you gave me a much needed laugh!

[sakovkt]

07:12 AM on 08/09/2011

This whole "youth culutre" is getting out of hand due to its unscrupulous exploitation by everyone from "music" promoters to academics with, apparently, a course requriement to protest something as part of "Civil Disobediance 101".

During Viet NAm, kids were getting conscripted into a mismanaged war of debateable merit, and I say debatable, because there are good arguements both for and against it.

However, it was mismanged, although compared to Iraq, Afgahnistan and Libya, it compares as a work of Napoleon.

Plus, there is no draft. It's all volkunteer.

Kids, today, have nothing to protest but the lack of opportunity in a depressed job market but, if you go to college, you are supposed to be a leader in the economy and create opportunity.

So if you quit the drugs, you'll find the musci ins't really that good to begin with, and maybe that you've better things to do that jump up and down around some no talent wierdo whos emajor claim to fame is, basically, being weird.

[SoloDolo]

03:13 PM on 08/09/2011

As a musician, and not a raver. Who are you to tell anyone that any music isnt that good? Sounds like you got old and cynical. Have fun with that. Ill keep making music.

[Kalie]

04:48 PM on 08/09/2011

Everyone's reality is better than everyone else's.

[varrick81]

06:58 AM on 08/09/2011

Race riot?