It was supposed to be a celebration of ’60s harmony with a ’90s twist.
Instead, Woodstock ’99 gave us overpriced pizza and water and overflowing Port-a-potties that attendees mistook for mud pits to play in.
The chaos-fueled soundtrack of Korn, Limp Biz-kit and Kid Rock didn’t help matters.
Fans were primed for aggression, not kumbaya.
It reminds me of another fun doc about a f*cked up festival: “Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened” (that doc is also on Netflix).
Trailer for “Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99”
Watch “Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99”
You can stream “Trainwreck” on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81280924 (it’s a Netflix Original series so it should stay there.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 90/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 81/100 (Users); 88/100 (Critics)
Release Date: August 3, 2022
My Review of “Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99”
Woodstock ’99 was supposed to bring back the peace and love of the original festival, but instead, it turned into one of the biggest disasters in music history.
This doc tells the wild story of how poor planning, greed, and chaos turned a celebration into a nightmare.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Port-a-potties overflowed, and people jumped into the toxic sludge thinking it was mud.
- When the free water stations stopped working, organizers sold water for $4 a bottle as temperatures soared past 100 degrees and people couldn’t find shade.
When Money Matters More
Jamie Crawford directed this Netflix doc (he’s also done deep dives like “The Spy Who Stole the Atom Bomb”), and it runs just under three hours. It looks at how Woodstock ’99 fell apart.
The festival’s organizers—Michael Lang and John Scher—wanted to make money.
They charged crazy prices for food and water, slashed costs on safety and staffing, and didn’t prepare for the massive crowds.
They also booked bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Metallica. The music was great, but it added to the chaos. Instead of peace and love, the lineup leaned into late-’90s rage.
Fans were primed for aggression, not kumbaya.
What You Missed
- The doc includes stories from people who were there. One security guard says he quit mid-festival because he couldn’t handle the violence.
- There’s shocking footage of overflowing toilets and workers trying—and failing—to clean them up.
- A local youth group gave out free food and water to help people stay safe, but organizers shut them down because they weren’t making money.
- Medical tents were packed with people suffering from heatstroke, dehydration, and injuries. Over 700 people were hurt, and the doc talks about the many assaults that went ignored.
The Music Added Fuel
The music at Woodstock ’99 was unforgettable, but for all the wrong reasons. Korn’s opening set sent shockwaves through the crowd—it felt like the ground was shaking.
When Limp Bizkit played, the energy went from wild to destructive. Fred Durst encouraged the crowd to let loose when they played “Break Stuff”.
That ended with fans breaking just about everything around them.
They even tore wood from the stage and used it to smash things.
Then the Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage. When they played Hendrix’s “Fire,” people lit everything they could find.
The festival grounds looked like a war zone by the end.
Why the Festival Fell Apart
The doc dives into why it happened including how MTV in the ’90s pushed a lot of macho music and attitudes.
Woodstock ’99 ended up being a reflection of that culture—frustrated and angry.
The organizers tried to recreate the magic of the ’60s, but it just didn’t work. Instead, it became a symbol of everything going wrong at the time.
Wrap Up
“Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99” is one of the best docs you’ll see on someone screwing up a festival ( although I think “Fyre” is even more F*cked up).
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc