Friends of Bill [Archive] - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Message Board

simon82895

02-01-2009, 07:39 PM

If you don't know what I'm talking about please don't bother responding. My wife and I are coming out from New Jersey for a wedding the week after Coachella and are attending the festival for the first time. Looking for sober people to hang with. Better yet if we can get a place to stay nearby that would even be better. We're staying near Palm Springs the following week. Still need to figure out lodging.

If you can help, I would certainly appreciate it.
Simon in New Jersey

Courtney

02-01-2009, 07:45 PM

Welcome to the board, Simon! Coachella is probably one of the best music festivals for sober attendees because the experience is not at all geared around drinking or getting drunk.

But you should probably move quickly to book lodging if you're planning to do something other than camping, because hotels and house rentals get filled very quickly.

vinylmartyr

02-01-2009, 07:46 PM

I been sober almost 2 years. I know a few sober people who go every year. I would love to talk with you at the fest. I know where there are meetings at in the area.

simon82895

02-01-2009, 07:51 PM

Worse comes to worse we can always stay with her cousin. Meetings would be awesome too. Between us we have a little over 26 years. Nowadays it's nice to actually remember stuff I did the night before! The lineup looks good too.

imapixie

02-01-2009, 08:27 PM

I have over 3 years and have been to the festival for the past 2 and am going this time =)
We are planning on camping off site in a trailor though...I am a little worried about camping on site, me being not a party-er...

simon82895

02-01-2009, 08:35 PM

I remember there used to be a group at Grateful Dead concerts near the end of their tenure called The Wharf Rats that was a bunch of 12 steppers that hung during their shows. I got sober 3 weeks after Garcia died in 1995. I've learned you can have just as much fun without drinking.

involvelemons

02-12-2009, 10:19 AM

I am sobes 3.5 years. Went to Coachella 2004 drunk, went to 06, 07 and 08 sober. Coachella is my favorite time of the year, but also one of the roughest sobriety wise. Let's have a meeting! Heard there was one last year.

Westy

02-12-2009, 10:35 AM

I was sober for about 3 years, but took up drinking again after a vacation to England. It is literally impossible for me to walk past a pub and not go in.

natelan

02-12-2009, 11:07 AM

Seriously, Bill pissed in my mother's face once. True story.

My name isn't Bill though...

involvelemons

02-12-2009, 12:10 PM

It's all good. Sober now, used to be sober, drinking, maybe wanna get sober someday... I have respect for all of that. Good vibes only.

blackchango

02-12-2009, 04:20 PM

Bob Forest of thelonious monster and the bicycle thief once told me that there's meetings at the festival.This was a couple of years ago when he was a Counselor at Las Encinas.
Apparently he and Paul Tollet are good friends.Oh yeah have a great fuking time, I hope you find a place to stay. :)

simon82895

02-12-2009, 05:39 PM

Found our lodging which is good. Now looking forward to the festival. From what I understand it is a pain in the ass getting in and out of there if you are driving. Is there public transportation to and from Palm Springs?

As far as meetings go, I can always call the local Intergroup office for some in the area. It would be nice to meet up with sober people. Most drinking events I can handle with no problem. Some extra support would certainly be welcomed.

vinylmartyr

02-13-2009, 07:23 PM

Fellowship hall in Palm Desert is the Best Place for meetings.

45940 Portola Ave
Palm Desert, CA 92260

http://www.aainthedesert.org/meetings/meeting.php?city=Palm+Desert

I know they have some sobriety stuff going on in the artist village. I saw a M.A.P. tent set up. Linton Kwesi Johnson asked me for rolling papers back there. I would have loved to have gotten high with him if I was still getting loaded..

Cheddar's Cousin

02-13-2009, 07:46 PM

Hard core steppers meet at the ABC Club

http://www.palmspringslife.com/Palm-Springs-Life/Medical-Guide/Extended-Medical-Listings/index.php/city/Indio/name/ABC-Club/listing/23590/

vinylmartyr

02-13-2009, 09:11 PM

I been to the ABC club. Mostly for CA meetings.

Shooters08

02-13-2009, 10:11 PM

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f368/gregcoll3000/bill3.jpg

involvelemons

02-14-2009, 01:58 AM

Personally, I am totally willing to start a meeting at the festival. Wherever two or more are gathered, right? I'll even bring a copy of chapter 3 and chapter 5 readings to make it official.
I would like to meet on the grass, probably around noon or a time we can agree on when there aren't too many bands playing. Any thoughts, anyone?

Corporate Cannibal

02-19-2009, 06:55 PM

http://xs136.xs.to/xs136/09084/bill_cosby361.gif

koryp

03-07-2009, 06:42 PM

This will be great. My girlfriend and I are making our first coachella this year. It'll be great to meet some others in recovery while we are there. I'll be watching the post.

ugachaka

03-22-2009, 08:30 AM

dj-atom

03-23-2009, 06:52 AM

tel that s.o.b bill he still owes me $10 and i want it back

koryp

03-26-2009, 01:31 PM

my wife and i arent sober, but we are not lunatics, if you need a place to stay we have a room in our house available a/c, shower, breakfast. we just want mellow people to let the room to. we are also well within walking distance, and are respectful of your wishes to "coachella in sobriety" ugachakarock@hotmail.com

Thanks for the offer, it's very tempting. We've been planning to camp and I think we'll stick with that plan. We hate to feel like we're missing out on anything and camping just seems like the way to catch every last ounce of the coachella experience.

dj-atom

03-31-2009, 06:54 AM

bill can suck my cock and when i see him..................watcha

involvelemons

04-07-2009, 09:55 AM

koryp

04-07-2009, 01:21 PM

Hey guys. Thanks for the responses.
I've gotten responses from a good handful of people who are down to have a meeting, and I'm thinking that (to avoid posts like the genius above me) we can compile email addresses and start an email thread to decide when and where to have the meeting once the set times are released.
Keep Personal Messaging me with yr email addresses, phone numbers, whatever.
We're making this happen.
SOBERCHELLA 09.
haha...

Best,
Joseph

I don't know, I kinda like the comments. I know I said way worse shit about recovery, AA, NA, etc before I needed it. Come to think about it, I still sometimes talk shit about it, but that's just me. Looking forward to seeing you next week.
Soberchella '09

sfx monger

04-07-2009, 02:54 PM

Even though I love my substances, Coachella is still incredibly awesome sober. I know it sounds cheesy, but at coachella you really do get high on life, its "pure" inebriation

involvelemons

04-08-2009, 07:32 AM

I don't know, I kinda like the comments. I know I said way worse shit about recovery, AA, NA, etc before I needed it. Come to think about it, I still sometimes talk shit about it, but that's just me. Looking forward to seeing you next week.
Soberchella '09

Haha. I talk shit sometimes, too.
Thanks for stopping me from taking myself too seriously. :)

involvelemons

04-14-2009, 09:46 AM

*Bump*

Keep PM'ing me names and emails. Anxiously waiting the set times so that we can decide when and where to meet.
Also, I'm considering hitting a meeting in Indio. Carpool? My car seats 5 (and maybe a couple illegally in the cargo area in the back? haha)

fromage

04-14-2009, 03:17 PM

Yeah. A little over 3 yrs and headn' down solo this year from Tahoe. A tad worried but will travel with a plan. I'd love to do a meeting on site. I will be going to the one in dtown Indio while I'm there. There is also an NA meeting. Text me anyone, please: 530-386-4828.

koryp

04-14-2009, 04:30 PM

Bonovan

04-15-2009, 01:18 AM

This will be my first Coachella, and I am only coming Saturday. I am 21 years sober, ten years a widow (yes, stayed sober through hubby's death) & would love to hook up with other friends of Bill for a meeting.

Involvelemons - Will PM you.

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee130/nasavemylife2006/75x75.jpg

fromage

04-15-2009, 07:47 AM

I just looked at the Intergroup site for the Desert. Meeting Fri and Sat @ 7am. I plan to go to both. Location: ABC Club. 44375 Palm St. I remembered it being a little tricky to find so I've included a link to their site with a map link. [URL="http://www.aainthedesert.org/meetings/meeting.php?city=Indio"] When I went there two years ago there was also a CA or NA meeting going on at the same time. Would love to go with other interested parties. Text-530-386-4828

involvelemons

04-24-2009, 01:30 AM

RARGHGH!
We had so much fun.
And we spent a lot less money on drinks than the non-sobers.

lolz.

<3 you guys

Bonovan

04-25-2009, 09:28 AM

RARGHGH!
We had so much fun.
And we spent a lot less money on drinks than the non-sobers.

lolz.

<3 you guys

Beng sober at Coachella > Being drunk naked wizard getting tazed at Coachella.... we spent a lot less money on bail and legal fees than some non-sobers.

<3 u 2

JustSteve

04-25-2009, 09:33 AM

ooh, "non-sobers"...what a stupid moniker.

morphous12

04-26-2009, 02:03 AM

Hi. Glad I found this thread.

I am a friend of Bill - have been since January of 2000.

I have attended 8 Coachella festivals, all without drinking or drugging.

involvelemons

04-26-2009, 02:28 AM

Hi. Glad I found this thread.

I am a friend of Bill - have been since January of 2000.

I have attended 8 Coachella festivals, all without drinking or drugging.

Sweet man. We had a little meeting every day during the fest this year and had an awesome experience + made some cool new friends.
Feel free to follow this thread or scout for whatever the new one might be next year to join us for soberchella '10.

Monklish

04-26-2009, 06:23 AM

ooh, "non-sobers"...what a stupid moniker.

Hey dani, how come I got reprimanded for hassling the teetotalers and Steve gets away with it? this is discrimination. I'm being discriminated against just because I'm not constantly on the verge of death like he is.

involvelemons

04-27-2009, 12:02 AM

Hey dani, how come I got reprimanded for hassling the teetotalers and Steve gets away with it? this is discrimination. I'm being discriminated against just because I'm not constantly on the verge of death like he is.

Haha. "Teetotalers."
I'm totes going to start referring to myself as that.
Sounds exotic. And vaguely British.