Camp Flog Gnaw

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Lore & Background

The festival started as the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Carnival in 2012, which was not part of a tour called Camp Flog Gnaw; that tour name was used for Odd Future's 2013 tour. The name 'Camp Flog Gnaw' became the festival's name starting in 2013, when it was called Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, with the Odd Future titling phased out by 2015. The name 'Camp Flog Gnaw' is also the fictional camp where Tyler, the Creator's 2013 concept album Wolf takes place. In a 2023 interview with Nardwuar, Tyler explained that the Flog Gnaw title came from designing a seal for a fictional camp inspired by a series of 'Summer Camp Mixes' he had put together. The name itself, Tyler said, 'is just Golf Wang backwards, which is just Wolf Gang with the 2 first letters switched.' A notable controversy occurred in 2019 when rumors of a special guest—hoped by fans to be Frank Ocean—turned out to be Drake. Many attendees booed Drake during his set, and though he finished his performance, he was visibly upset and cut it slightly short. Tyler later expressed his disappointment about the situation through a post on Twitter.

In Their Own Story

The gates open at four, and the first thing you notice is the smell—charred corn, sweet butter, the faint metallic tang of the new stage paint still drying in the August heat. A kid in a Golf Wang tee is trying to get a balloon animal shaped like a wolf from a vendor whose tent is draped in hand-painted bunting. Somewhere behind the main stage, a bass line thumps low enough that you feel it in your molars before you hear it. A woman in a sun hat argues good-naturedly with a food truck cook about the amount of hot sauce. The sky is that impossible California lavender, and the whole field is a mess of color, noise, and people who look like they belong in someone else's group chat. Tyler's voice crackles over the PA, warm and slightly drunk on the afternoon, and for a moment the whole camp goes quiet the way a classroom goes quiet when the teacher finally stops talking. Then the music drops, and the quiet shatters into a thousand small, joyful screams. This is what it's for. This is the whole point.

Reader's Guide

Identity & Philosophy: Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival is a music festival and carnival created by Tyler, the Creator. It features carnival games and rides, including a massive Ferris wheel, food vendors, and a myriad of notable artists. The festival is always held on a weekend, with past editions at the end of October or middle of November (except the first on September 30, 2012). Since 2023, the festivals have been live-streamed via Amazon Prime and Twitch. The name 'Camp Flog Gnaw' originated from the Odd Future tour of the same name, and later became the fictional camp from Tyler's album Wolf. Tyler explained in a 2023 Nardwuar interview that 'Flog Gnaw' is 'Golf Wang backwards, which is just Wolf Gang with the 2 first letters switched.' The 2019 festival saw a controversy when special guest Drake was booed offstage by disappointed fans who had hoped for Frank Ocean; Tyler expressed disappointment on Twitter.

Did You Know?

• The festival was originally called the ODD FUTURE WOLF GANG KILL THEM ALL Carnival or Odd Future carnival.
• The name 'Flog Gnaw' is 'Golf Wang backwards, which is just Wolf Gang with the 2 first letters switched,' according to Tyler in a 2023 Nardwuar interview.
• Camp Flog Gnaw was also the name of the Odd Future tour in 2013, and later became the fictional camp in Tyler's 2013 album Wolf. The first carnival in 2012 was not part of that tour.
• In 2019, special guest Drake was booed by attendees who had hoped for Frank Ocean; he finished his set but was visibly upset and cut it slightly short.
• Since 2022, the festivals have been live-streamed via Amazon Prime.