Yellowknife (Feb 25/04) - Yellowknife musicians are divided about whether or not the Cabin Fever Music Festival on Sunday was a success.

Aaron Hernandez performed at the Cabin Fever Music Festival on Sunday. - Jennifer Geens/NNSL photo

The DND gym at the Multiplex can hold 400 people. The Recording Artists' Association of the NWT (RAANT) sold 250 tickets, but emcee Steve Smith said only about 160 people actually showed up.

"It was about the same number of people as we had at the Monkey Tree last year," said Smith.

"It was a great success but the turnout was a little poor," said Guy Langlois, president of RAANT and the event organizer.

But the event met certain requirements that will help RAANT seek federal funding for future events.

They brought an artist in from another province, paid the participating musicians and promoted the arts through a concurrent arts fair in the lobby.

"We had to take some risks, but the gains are far more than the risks. There will always be some negative feedback," said Langlois.

Last year's Cabin Fever Music Festival was the kick-off for the fledgling musicians' organization.

RAANT's mandate is to bring musicians together and find them places to play. To that extent, the festival was a success.

"People had a good time," said Smith.

But Travis Armour of the band Anodyne said Sunday's concert "didn't go too well. These things do better when they're later in the day and in a more social place."

The timing of the concert, which was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. last Sunday, was a sore point for some musicians. They made their concerns about the early start time known the week before the event, but to no avail.

"My advice would be to listen more to the people who are part of the festival before plans are set in stone," said Armour.

He also said scheduling the acoustic acts (like Leela Gilday and headliner Ian MacDonald) last and the rock bands earlier was a bad choice.

Norm Glowach of Rough Touch said his band had a fine time at the festival.

"There was some confusion over our playing time, but it wasn't a big deal and we were able to work around it," he said.