At the risk of turning this into a Monty Python sketch...  1 mile?   You were lucky!!  Our three gigs were across London in different areas,  we took the tube.
 
Shame it didn't work out for you though.  Despite everything you would have enjoyed it.

Honestly, if we COULD take the tube, it would have been better.  Unfortunately, the great idea of public transport has hit only a few of our major metropolitan areas here in the USA.  

Speaking of sketches, I'm thinking more like the Scene from "The Jerk", where Steve Martin is lugging his earthly possessions down the street.  That's what we would look like.  

No, we WOULD have enjoyed it, but I can think of spending money and time on more enjoyable enterprises than that.  

Several years ago one of my engineers (Jason) synth pop band was invited to play at SXSW as part of the promo for their upcoming CD release.  They were slated to play in one of the "better" venues just after Ozomatli.  If you're not familiar with that band they are a large multi-ethnic affair that plays a mashed up world, rock, rap, funk, party style that is infectious, exciting and crowd pleasing to say the least.  They open their shows by all dancing and playing as they enter the hall, moving through the audience and by the time they hit the stage the audience is on their feet and the house is rockin.  Big time. 
 
Jason, his bandmates, and his record label folks all thought this could not have been any better as Ozomatli would work the crowd into a frenzy and then they'd come on and drive them to an even higher fever pitch.  They, themselves, were actually a very exciting and crowd pleasing bunch in their own right.
 
Only trouble was nobody told them that Ozomatli sometimes closes their shows at clubs by dancing back out through the audience and having them follow the band out into the street conga line style.  Which they did.  And, it being SXSW where there are bands literally everywhere...most of the audience did not come back in to see Jason's bunch.  They just conga'd up the street and went where Ozomatli went an on to other venues.  Jason said they played to about 20 people. 
 
And, of course, about a year later they had also lost their record deal, the band split up and Jason went back to just being my chief engineer. 
 
Rock and Roll at it's finest.
 
 

If the band I was in had gone to this gig, we probably would have lost at least one drummer to some bizarre circumstances...
(Heh, we were Spinal Tap before there was a Spinal Tap!)
 
Since there's a backline, you could always rent one of these (or similar):
 

 
 

craigb
If the band I was in had gone to this gig, we probably would have lost at least one drummer to some bizarre circumstances...
(Heh, we were Spinal Tap before there was a Spinal Tap!)
 
Since there's a backline, you could always rent one of these (or similar):
 

 
 

We have one of those and a garden cart.  It would still take us two trips with two guys.  So you know my earlier estimate of 1 mile there and 1 mile back.  Times that by 2.  

Plus, there's no way are we leaving our Female singer by herself at the club while we find parking and lug equipment.  That would NOT be cool.  She just had ACL surgery not too long ago and walking for extended periods of time really screws with her.

If there was a way for us to drop stuff off at the end of the block and transport to the mouth of the club, we'd do it, but they won't let us.

You have NO groupies/clingons/band moms/temp. roadies to help hump the gear or stay with the singer?

craigb
You have NO groupies/clingons/band moms/temp. roadies to help hump the gear or stay with the singer?

We are playing 733 miles away in a town we have never played in.  

Ah.  In that case, I go back to my original comment.  I don't see enough ROI in the effort.

craigb
Ah.  In that case, I go back to my original comment.  I don't see enough ROI in the effort.

ROI = Return on Investment?

If so, than I wholeheartedly agree.

There are different seasons for things. Based on what you're saying, this festival doesn't sound like it's a good fit for you at this time. At another point in time, perhaps in another place, a similar festival gig might be perfect. If this one doesn't work out, let it go with no regrets. Focus on what will work for you instead.
 
If I were in your place and if I was young and stupid, I would endure an awful lot of hardship to make this gig happen. Now that I'm old and stupid, I'd pass on it. It just wouldn't be worth it to me. I've done the horrible gigs with ridiculous load-in/load-out scenarios, no money, and no upside of any kind. I've played in those rooms where the band outnumbered the crowd. (They still got the full show, by the way, because that's what we came to do, with or without a crowd.) I've played with the promise of exposure and/or possible future benefits only to find out that we were used.