Kickstarter

Our Story

“Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come.” – Victor Hugo

An idea came in 1996, borrowed from an already established festival. An idea to put management of the stage into the hands of the people who play music. To bring a European festival environment to the San Francisco Bay Area and to place new, upcoming bands in that environment. This idea was the Tidal Wave.

The Tidal Wave was born from the now defunct Making Waves Festival and brings you two full days of free heavy music. In 2012, the Tidal Wave celebrates its 13th year of putting on the heaviest outdoor free music festival on the west coast!

There is nothing quite like the Tidal Wave anywhere in the world. This isn’t just any ordinary music festival put on by corporate interests; this is a free, two-day, fourteen band, outdoor heavy metal music festival leaning towards the underground. This year, the Tidal Wave features not only veteran acts, but many young and hungry bands as well. From the traditional metal of Huntress and Slough Feg to the raging thrash of Ghoul and Hell-Fire and of course the immensely talented kids in Haunted By Heroes, this year’s lineup kicks ass yet again.

In order for this festival to happen however, the bands need to be paid, and the many expenses incurred by organizing a large scale concert such as the Tidal Wave must be taken care of. These expenses include an onsite E.M.T., a full fifteen man security crew, venue permits and insurance for the concert. Between the bands, the tech crew and the volunteers, nearly everyone takes a pay cut so that the Tidal Wave can happen. At the end of the day, the final cost of putting on the festival comes to about $25,000.

This is where you, the music fan, come in. With your donations and support, this festival can be put on for everyone to attend for free and enjoy two days of world-class heavy metal music. In the 1980s, the San Francisco Bay Area was known as one of the greatest heavy music scenes around. In 2012, the Tidal Wave intends to prove that the worldwide metal community is bonded just as strongly as the bay was all those years ago. A donation to Tidal Wave isn’t merely showing support for a concert, it’s a display of brotherhood and camaraderie towards fellow music lovers.

The Tidal Wave has a responsibility to the bay area- to produce just as high a quality concert as the original do-it-yourself promoter, Chet Helms. San Francisco is the home and birthplace of do-it-yourself music events; the Tidal Wave has been keeping this tradition alive for over a decade. This is a show put together by people who truly love heavy music. Nearly all of those who have helped produce the Tidal Wave over the years have done so for little to no pay; the idea of a free open-air heavy metal festival has been enough to make them put the show on again and again.

If you want to be a part of one of the most socially engaging music movements in America, you might want to join us. This is an invitation for you to join our ranks, to raise your fists in the air, and dig deep in your wallets........for METAL!

Our Minds Conjoin as one- and as we do- we become one mind- MASTERMIND- and WE CREATE some thing AWESOME

Fundraising Methods

1. In addition to Kickstarter, we have a PayPal donation link that we plan on promoting via social media such as Facebook, and on physical media such as flyers and cards that we will hand out at local events and to businesses.

2. Individuals and/or businesses that want to sponsor the Tidal Wave are sold advertising for the duration of the gig, such as banners on the stage backdrop, and also company logos and designs being on the "programme" or the flyer.

3. Merchandise such as t-shirts and patches will be made available for sale at the event.

4. Raffle tickets will be sold during the show for prizes that are donated by individuals, sponsors or other groups. In the past these items have included guitars, concert tickets, skateboards. We also are not adverse to motorcycles....Just Saying.

Our Longterm Goal

Our objective isn’t merely to have a festival for this year. Ultimately, we want the Tidal Wave to become an autonomous annual festival. The Tidal Wave deserves to grow beyond the scope of the small amount of people who work to put it together, and to become a guaranteed event for Bay Area residents to look forward to every year.

Maybe even to set  a standard for you to follow.... to do something like this in YOUR town!