Let’s discuss a violation that earned attention about the recent Coachella event around the Golden Rule.
I’m leading with music theory today because I’m speaking from the perspective of someone that hasn’t performed on a stage the size of one that I’m discussing.
How Do I Practice The Golden Rule on a stage like Coachella?
Keeping the environment safe, making yourself approachable, and operating with an upgrade the surrounding area mindset while enjoying yourself will enforce the golden rule in a highly effective way at a stage like Coachella.
FESTIVAL BUDDY GOLDEN RULE #1: You are responsible for your buddy’s (and rest of the audience’s) safety
The Golden Rule of festivals is to keep the environment as safe for you as you would want for everyone else.
Safety should be a number 1 priority for everybody at the festival.
It’s usually valued so much that it gets the cooperation of security and everybody else to make sure everybody else’s experience is in fact safe.
That could be things such as keeping entry and exit points clear for the appropriate traffic to flow through, or not bringing too many people on stage with you and creating a fire hazard.
THE SECOND RULE OF FESTIVAL BUDDIES: Enjoy Yourself The Same Way You Would Have Guests Enjoy Themselves
You’re at a festival at this point! You should expect to have fun and make it the same way for everybody else around you.
There might be a group of friends next to you trying to enjoy the show.
It wouldn’t hurt to introduce yourself, whether you’re alone or in a group too.
Being approachable is a quality that’s supremely slept on and could be demonstrated enough to where it changes the experience of the entire venue if done correctly.
For those unaware of what the golden rule, it means to do for others the same thing that they would do to you. It’s one of the core foundational principle of success.
We learn to apply this in our lives individually among each other, but what about when you’re sharing a stage with several other artists?
I believe the concept is the same, but there’s a slightly unique circumstance that happens in where you have to scale and even parallel the point.
I’m going off speculation and the muscle of my memory, but I recall Justin Bieber selling a portion of his catalog (masters specifically) to some of his greatest hits.
If that’s how it really went down then that’s where integrity should kick in.
I’m not saying Justin Bieber doesn’t have that by the way.
It’s simply judging things from a fair perspective. Put it this way: a label paid something close to $200 million and ultimately acquired the rights to songs he made. You don’t perform them then! He’s made music after that point, so give the new sounds a chance to get some spotlight.
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The golden rule applies here because you’re honoring the value of fund you acquired. That an equivalent exchange that should be honored.
I’ve came to the conclusion that it had to be that issue or not honoring the rules of the venue.
I’m going off the fact he headline, so there wasn’t anyone going on after him, but the location itself has what I’d believe to be strict guidelines. Your set has to end on time.
That’s another demonstration of exercising the golden rule. If you were putting on an event and wanna keep everything running smoothly, set times have to end as scheduled.
THE THIRD RULE OF BEING A FESTIVAL BUDDY: UPGRADE the rest of the audience by personally taking positive actions
Upgrading the experience of the venue should be top priority for everyone that’s part of the show.
There’s gonna be plenty of pictures being taken, videos shot, people dancing, and everything else you could think of.
You should be able to spend enough money to enjoy yourself, avoid confrontation, and keep it player.
You’re not on a job there, although you may, but for the majority I’m speaking to, you can have fun.
Just keeping everybody else’s fun in mind too can enhance everything.
It’s like Chucky said in the Bride of Chucky, “a true classic never goes out of style.” And that’s a quote I’ll mix into this message here.
Fundamentals are the basics and typically are the things that captivate prospects into a genuine interest in whatever was displayed. If we apply it to Bieber here with this Coachella performance, we’re discussing another artist here that has about 2 decades worth of history that many would easily label as successful.
I got a chance to watch the performance live on YouTube with my Music subscription. And could confirm that he shared his earlier work that revealed some of what’s considered the basics of success.
I’ve tried making music from several different backgrounds. Pop, hip hop, country feels, and even other music genres. I’ve gotten to experience the challenge of sharing these contrasting sounds because I understand that it calls for winning over people way different than me, whether that’s from having different traditions, expectations or whatever.
I’m confident with each day moving forward that I’ll get to the point I need to be in order to expand this audience.
Justin however, showed clips that included him working with mentors. The focus of the music proved he stayed concentrated on his own material. Love. That’s what I got out of it, and clearly the Coachella production team got that too. There were a few shots of him singing to his wife in the crowd.
I don’t wanna yap, but if this would be a direct message to Justin Bieber, it would be to stick to the methods that got him to Headlining such a prestigious event. You sold that work which you performed, so you have to let it go.
I’ve mentioned on other platforms how intellectual property can easily be leveraged.
That’s where some of your greatest work should be cherished, but incorporate more of that forward motion mindset. If you need insurance in that it’ll work again, let’s take a moment to reflect on Pareto’s Principle: that earlier work got you up to that point. It’s your job as an A list celebrity to find the time to revisit what sparked that fire and duplicate it (if you got it in you to do it again).
Final Thoughts
Justin Bieber is an incredible artist that even my Aunt would likely agree with as being my “+1” for that live Coachella event.
There’s things that might not be public about this claim exactly, but once a success rule got alleged to be violated, I felt compelled to speak up.
Call this criticism if you want, but at least allow me to add that it’s constructive too!
If there was a lesson out of this, I’d want it to be that it’s much more trickier to apply the Golden Rule when you have an individual that’s a brand combined with the likes of a high end event. There has to be a happy medium that could be satisfied in a situation like this, but these are my thoughts. And as an artist myself, this was one of the toughest things I had to do yet.
Comments (6)
Interesting topic that highlights how even top performers are still expected to follow basic principles and standards. I’ve seen that talent and success may open doors, but respect, discipline, and accountability are what help sustain long-term success. In my opinion, rules should apply to everyone equally, no matter how famous or accomplished they are. Do you think high-level performers face harsher consequences because of their visibility, or should they be held to an even higher standard?
This article raises an important point about how even highly skilled performers can struggle when they ignore fundamental principles that contribute to long-term success. I found the discussion especially interesting because it shows that talent alone is often not enough without consistency, discipline, and accountability.
One question I had while reading is whether you think these kinds of setbacks are more often caused by external pressure and stress, or by overconfidence after reaching a certain level of success. It would also be interesting to hear whether the same patterns tend to appear across different industries and professions, not just among high-level performers in competitive fields. Thank you for sharing such a thought-provoking article.
Great article. I really appreciate how you connected high-level performance with basic success principles like respect, discipline, accountability, and the Golden Rule. It’s easy to assume that once someone reaches a certain level of fame or success, the fundamentals no longer matter as much — but in reality, those basics become even more important because more people are watching.
I also like the point about honoring agreements, timing, ownership, and the overall structure of an event. Whether someone is an artist, entrepreneur, athlete, or leader, long-term success is not just about talent. It’s about character, consistency, and respecting the people and systems that helped create the opportunity.
This was a thoughtful reminder that no one outgrows the principles that helped them succeed in the first place. Thanks for sharing such a helpful perspective.
You made a good point about fundamentals still mattering even when someone reaches the top level. A lot of artists probably think success gives them more freedom to ignore basic rules, but audiences and event organizers still expect professionalism. I also think your point about selling music rights was interesting because most people never think about that side of the business.
Do you think fans care about those ownership issues though, or do they just wanna hear the classic songs no matter who owns them? And if an artist sells their catalog, should there actually be limits on performing those songs live later on?
I really enjoyed reading your perspective on treating others with the same respect and care we would give ourselves. It resonated with me because I make a conscious effort to practice this every day when meeting people. I’ve found that even a simple act of kindness or genuine respect can completely change the tone of an interaction. I especially appreciated your reminder that these small actions matter. Have you noticed that living this way has influenced the people around you over time? Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful article.
The single act of kindness absolutely contributes to the tone. Being more thoughtful keeps you on the side of success when considering we’re naturally supportive of positive outcomes. Think of how most collaborations are dependent on having personalities that attract everyone in our lives.