The airhorns, bass drops and predictable structure of EDM has made it the perfect soundtrack for young people to do drugs in fields together. Unfortunately, that has meant a number of deaths at EDM festivals over the years. Most recently, two teenagers died of drug overdoses at Los Angeles' HARD Summer in July. Now, L.A. County officials are strongly evaluating the pros and cons of banning EDM festivals on any county-owned land.
"Ultimately, in the interest of public safety, a ban of electronic music festivals at County-owned properties remains a possibility that will continue to be evaluated," the organization said in a statement [via Digital Music News]. "While the Board supports musical events in the County, what is of paramount importance is the health and safety of the youth attending these events"
While no decision has been made on that front just yet, they have enforced a new EDM festival task force, called simply the "Electronic Music Task Force." In a statement to Billboard, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said, "I want to emphasize that our efforts around this motion, above all, are about the health and safety of those attending these events," adding that the task force will "develop recommendations for enforceable health and safety measures and procedures, that would be required for all electronic music festivals on County-owned property."
The task force will conduct more research into festival drug overdoses in an effort to prevent future ones from happening. They've also placed stricter regulations on the Live Nation-owned HARD organization. The company has cancelled their September 10 event HARD Presents... A Night at Fairplex, and their upcoming HARD Day of the Dead festival will now be restricted to those 21 years old and older.
Naturally, plenty of people are a full-on ban of EDM festivals on county land. But would it really be such a bad thing? After all, a Footloose-style EDM movie might do a lot better than some of the other EDM movies out there.
"Ultimately, in the interest of public safety, a ban of electronic music festivals at County-owned properties remains a possibility that will continue to be evaluated," the organization said in a statement [via Digital Music News]. "While the Board supports musical events in the County, what is of paramount importance is the health and safety of the youth attending these events"
While no decision has been made on that front just yet, they have enforced a new EDM festival task force, called simply the "Electronic Music Task Force." In a statement to Billboard, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said, "I want to emphasize that our efforts around this motion, above all, are about the health and safety of those attending these events," adding that the task force will "develop recommendations for enforceable health and safety measures and procedures, that would be required for all electronic music festivals on County-owned property."
The task force will conduct more research into festival drug overdoses in an effort to prevent future ones from happening. They've also placed stricter regulations on the Live Nation-owned HARD organization. The company has cancelled their September 10 event HARD Presents... A Night at Fairplex, and their upcoming HARD Day of the Dead festival will now be restricted to those 21 years old and older.
Naturally, plenty of people are a full-on ban of EDM festivals on county land. But would it really be such a bad thing? After all, a Footloose-style EDM movie might do a lot better than some of the other EDM movies out there.
