Rumors rose recently suggesting the the Electric Daisy Carnival music festival in Las Vegas would be implementing random drug tests as this year's event. Organizers for the EDM-centric music event told Dancing Astronaut that these rumors were false.
"This story 100% false," read the statement from Insomniac, the promoter. "It's nothing more than an irresponsible and totally inaccurate spoof intended to scare the amazing fans who attend EDC Las Vegas. While there won't be any random drug testing, we will be giving out plenty of random hugs!"
We, being musical libertarians, are glad that the live music world hasn't come to this, but frankly it wouldn't be surprising if EDM festivals start engaging in this sort of policy soon. Although hospitalizations and deaths at festivals are low relatively when compared to club shows, the headlines they generate at grander events pressure promoters to resort to less attendee-friendly policies.
Electric Daisy has been particularly problematic, tallying seven deaths across the last four years. Last year contributed two names to that tally: Montgomery Tsang collapsed at the Las vegas event and died at the hospital (later confirmed to be drug-related) and Anthony Anaya was found dead in his hotel room the next night, also as the result of an overdose. The festival had been held in Los Angeles until a 15 year-old died of overdose during 2010, and another 100 were hospitalized.
If a year without fatality is a cause for celebration, there might be a problem. Constitutionally, we can't get behind random drug testing, but Insomniac might consider it for PR purposes alone.
Electric Daisy will host four events during 2015: Puerto Rico (February), Mexico (February/March), New York (May) and Las Vegas (June).
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