With the possible exception of John Fogerty, whom promoters say they "would very much like to have," the three-day, 30th anniversary event won't feature any of the original Woodstock acts.
In fact, this year's slate--officially released Friday--is nothing like the one that featured Joplin, Hendrix, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and other icons of the day.
Your dad's Woodstock wouldn't know what to make of such diverse acts as the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Foo Fighters, DMX, Everlast, Ice Cube, Korn, Limp Bizkit, the Offspring, Sugar Ray and Rage Against the Machine, all inked to play on multiple stages July 23-25 at Griffiss Park, an abandoned Air Force base in Rome, New York. A crowd of about 250,000 people is expected.
Other big names include the Dave Matthews Band, Jewel, Alanis Morissette, Willie Nelson and George Clinton.
Meanwhile, a host of major acts who played 1994's 25th anniversary Woodstock gig--Metallica, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sheryl Crow, Live and Collective Soul--are also booked for the big mud bath.
Organizers say they expect to sign five or six more bands, including more rappers. Another possible addition: the reconstituted Guns N' Roses (with lead singer Axl Rose as the only original member), which was strongly rumored last week to be ready to sign on. Promoters now list the chances of booking GNR as "50-50."
"It would depend on how well they're coming along with recordings and whether they're ready to do it," said promoter Michael Lang, who also hyped the '69 and '94 editions.
GNR has reportedly been in the studio for about a year working on a new album.
As for managing the potentially raucous event ("Three more days of mud, noise and logistical nightmares?" Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich quipped. "Wouldn't miss it for the world.") organizers promise better security than the previous two Woodstocks.
For example, the six-foot chainlink fence that allowed gatecrashers to overcrowd previous events will be replaced by a 12-foot plywood fence backed with steel girders.
Individual tickets starting at $150 (ouch!) go on sale April 25 through Ticketmaster. Transportation-inclusive tour packages (starting at $249) go on sale April 18. Addition information is available at Woodstock.com.
The scheduled European Woodstock show was recently scrapped for at least a year. "It became clear that for Woodstock to be a safe and successful event in Europe more time was needed," Lang said.