Deadmau5 Rants Against Ultra Music Festival

Well, here's guessing at least one DJ/producer won't be invited back to play Miami's massive Ultra Music Festival, despite very prominent roster spots in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011: Canadian progressive house and headgear enthusiast Deadmau5 railed against the festival in a 12-minute UStream video posted to YouTube, with complaints ranging from price to contract exclusivity to, well, you name it.

"I don't know if I'm playing Ultra or not...because I don't really care," he began, apparently in response to a fan inquiry, before reading this year's list of acts ("Tiesto, Kraftwerk, Carl Cox...") and concluding, "I can almost pretty much guarantee you I'm not playing -- not because of the other acts, I just mean because these are all, like -- the promoter is probably bankrupt at this point."

Despite acknowledging the cost of headliners' contracts, he shortly railed against the price of tickets at this year's three-day Bayfront Park throwdown: "$595 for a ticket? Wow, someone's laughing to the bank."

"Ultra to me is like the definition of insanity," he complained. "It's doing the same f---ing thing ever year, expecting different results every time, you know? It's fun and it's cool and it's great and if you've never been, go, but if you're one of those dudes that go every year, it's like, why would you go again?...I hate these f---ing festival things...It's a bit much. I would rather spend like $100 or like $50 or whatever to see my favorite act as opposed to f---ing doshing out $600 to see all these f---ing people."

(Note: Tickets to see Deadmau5 spin New Year's Day at the Fontainebleau range from $125 to a whopping $15,000.)

Deadmau5 (real name: Joel Thomas Zimmerman) went on to tirade against Ultra's exclusive contracts, which prevent participants from "playing up to 8 gigs that week, easily", the number of major acts on the roster ("I don't even want to be a part of that pissing contest"), having a set cut short if the festival goes long, "competing" against festival programmers and other acts, and making promoters happy -- suggesting the organizers of Ultra are "kids" given "six million dollars."

"It's like, dude, am I here to have fun and play some music and make a lot of people happy, or...?," he asked, finishing the thought with an expression his mother probably regrets.

Here's guessing Deadmau5 is, in fact, out for the first option, but he'll be doing it somewhere else this March, and probably every March after -- just as, apparently, he likes it.

Comments

[Yfran Eafra Garcia]

08:00 PM on 01/02/2012

He's not just against Ultra, he's against the concept of ALL festivals - shouldn't just pick on Ultra here. Pretty stupid if you think about it. You are forced to pay $300 even if you just want to see one or two DJs - not to mention the possibility they could be playing at the same time. His problem is with festivals in the sense that it pits DJs against each other. This has nothing to do with anything else really...He's not bitter, he's just stating the facts made possible by his experiences. Good points, even though I will still be at Ultra.

[The Intellectual]

07:58 PM on 12/30/2011

Been to Ultra multiple times in Miami. Tickets are getting ridiculous but the event is amazing none the less. Stayed one year at the Intercontinental and had a blast.

[Jebbushnot]

03:44 PM on 12/30/2011

Let's all lose sleep tonight over this story!!!!

[hamdinger]

03:16 PM on 12/30/2011

Wow, this guy is all over the place! First he says the promoter is probably bankrupt, but at the same time mysteriously laughing all the way to the bank... WTF? He says ticket prices are too high, but he never complained about it when he was benefiting from those ticket sales. He quotes the $595 VIP ticket prices, but never mentions that general admission is half that price and early bird tickets cost even less ($149)! I've been going to Ultra for many years and the musical value/experience is simply unmatched! This rant sounds like nothing more that bitter grapes from a washed up outcast DJ. Good riddance you big baby! ps 5 isn't a letter.

[puffmysnake]

04:24 PM on 12/30/2011

lol, washed up and outcast? the dude sold out his tour multiple nights in a row in the same city all across the nation. I see value in many of your points but they you start to stray the way of selective thinking yourself at the end.

[hamdinger]

10:10 PM on 12/30/2011

That's fair... I just have no respect for whiners, especially millionaire whiners. I'd probably be defending him now if he hadn't dissed Ulra and just and had bowed out gracefully. Peace