Superfly co-founder explains why Kanye West was chosen to headline Bonnaroo after the 2008 fiasco

Kanye West was revealed as one of the headliners on Bonnaroo's 2014 lineup, which was announced during the festvial's annual BLAM! festivities. However, his booking has been quite polarizing. In 2008, a mixture of production issues, last-minute schedule changes and requests from West's camp delayed a late night set and left fans waiting in front of an empty stage until the sun was starting to rise. By the time he took the stage, the impact of his glow-in-the-dark show was ruined. Neither West nor the festival promoters were happy about the situtation, and fans have been bitter ever since. Anti-Kanye graffiti is almost a staple in many port-a-potties and on the walls across the venue.

Now, six years later, some Bonnaroovians are unhappy with the festival's decision to invite West back.

In an interview with Relix, Rick Farman, co-founder of Superfly, the production company behind Bonnaroo, explained the thinking behind adding the controversial headliner.

"First and foremost, we think Kanye is one of the most prolific and groundbreaking artists of this generation," Farman explains. "He's hugely influential. His albums are as great and as acclaimed as they get. He's also a great live performer. He takes a lot of chances and he's adventurous with the live space. All those things are what Bonnaroo performers are about. That's why we booked him [in 2008].

Farman thinks that West's return to The Farm will be his chance for redemption. "Everyone has moved on-it's in the past," he continues. "We're happy he wants to come back to Bonnaroo and is embracing this. It's a great opportunity for everyone to look forward, and we think it's a great opportunity for the Bonnaroo community to show what it's made of. It goes back to what Bonnaroo stands for: It's about having good time, radiating positivity and that whole message. We couldn't be more excited about what we think has the potential to be another historic Bonnaroo moment."

Whether you're for or against West's addition to the lineup, his presence probably won't deter fans from buying tickets to the festival, which boasts an impressive lineup this year, including headlining sets from Elton John and Jack White.

What do you think about Kanye West as a Bonnaroo headliner? Let us know in the comments section below!

Tags

Bonnaroo