Cracker: Gimme Shelter
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Wonder who would have complained if he couldn't get his nice glass of wine because there was a mob of beer swillers/drunken yobs under the awning huddling out of the rain
Just saying,
It easy to complain if you don't have to deal with the public and the hassle -
Any time you're shoving someone because they asked a question, you're being a dick.
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@Raymond – no, it’s easy to complain when that person is being a) unreasonable and b) violent. I’ve managed more bars than I can remember and while I’ve certainly encountered a few dickheads over that time, I’ve never behaved or condoned behaviour like that. I made it pretty clear in the blog that there were absolutely no issues with customers getting access to the bar, and that I understood why he might’ve been justified in moving people on if there were. To characterise the dozen or so people (including me, I guess you’re saying) as a mob of beer swilling drunken yobs isn’t really engaging constructively.
Just saying.
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Its all just about "crowd control" now, And keeping people off your front lawn.
The new millennium is really starting to kick(haha) in. But then you would expect wild pessimism from me. -
I wonder if it was a different security company than usual... they seemed to be a bit more stroppy than in previous years. I also received a shove in the chest when accidentally walking the wrong way into an exit lane. Unnecessary. When you're a 120kg security guard, you can afford to ask someone to go the other way - I'm hardly going to put up a fight.
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There was some odd behaviour from the security at the MIA show; trying to take her microphone off her when she was jumping in to the audience and trying to kick audience members offstage between encores.
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Saw a bit of this myself, and the incongruity of insisting people enter or exit from the right lane, while others nonchalantly peed behind a tree, was rather stark.
There was a bottle neck under the south stand that at one point became a bit frightening, as some impatient people started to suggest we all push. Blocking access from one side of the food vendors to the other made it almost impassable, until you got your little blue wrist band (why can't they do this at the gate?), allowing you to duck through the Lilypad.
Anyway, feel like I'm bitchin', though your observations did fit with my own. When you're standing in a plastic poncho, with rain running down your neck, the little things like common human decency matter.
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Damian like you I have worked bars, in my case motor bike conventions etc
And I know when you are sober and you are dealing with people who have been drinking and maybe partaking of drugs (legal etc) how you see something and they see it are two different planets
That said I wasn't there and assult is unacceptable
The point about the mob was not the 12 of you there but who might be under cover if the owner didnn't keep the area clear of non customers -
I wonder if the wine bar was feeling bitter on account of low sales, and not inclined to indulge anyone who wasn't paying them to take advantage of a "free" facility. That said, the bouncer could have said "The rain shelter is for paying customers, I'm sorry. If one of you buys a glass of wine, I'm sure it will be fine". But security with that kind of articulacy can be hard to find. Definitely pushing people around who aren't misbehaving is a stupid thing to do, and a stupid thing for management to condone. You never know when one of them is going to be a reporter on a site perused by thousands of music lovers.
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Anyway, how was the music?
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See? That right there is why I don't do the BDO - well, yes, there is the small matter of really disliking loud music. Speaking of security guards, is it my imagination or is there a little bit of OTT about the security at the Powerstation? I went, for the very first time, to the PS to see Phoenix Foundation. And the amount of security people there was ludicrous.
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recordari, in reply to
Anyway, how was the music?
Expected a lot from Crystal Castles, but as one of my friends said, she (the lead singer) was too wrapped up in her artiness to notice her mic was turned off. They started late, played 4 songs, and then it was on to the next.
Enjoyed Phoenix Foundation immensely.
Shifted listlessly between other acts lacking traction.
Alliteration notwithstanding, Shihad seemed to get the crowd going, but I had one of those moments when the intro started ‘oh, this is what I saw at the Powerstation last year. Have I finally reached my Shihad saturation level?’ Yes.
There was some pure purple haze guitar madness in Lilyworld during the afternoon, including, according to someone in the know, a well known double Bass player, last name Orange, first name, can’t remember. Was quite awesome.
Primal Scream were I suspect legendary, and there were certainly some classic moments of the bits I saw. If anyone stayed the whole set, did they play Higher Than the Sun? That’s always been a favourite, and shame if I missed it.
Maybe I’m not the person to do this. As noted, it was not my best work, in terms of preparedness, for either the weather or the masses of people. I’m more hopeful for Laneways, somehow.
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Two recent events:
A friend of mine, a slip of a pretty, young, little blond girlie girl who is all flimsy frocks and champagne, was punched from behind in the side of the head by a huge bouncer, she was knocked to the ground and lost two teeth -all outside a well-known upmarket Viaduct bar - for simply failing to hear the bouncer telling people to get off the steps. The management did nothing, and she found it took a lawyer to get the police to take the assault seriously.
Another girl I know, equally young, pretty and mild mannered, was beaten up in the women's toilets of an Auckland nightclub by a guy who she told get out. She got bad concussion and bled profusely. The security staff accused her of being drunk (read concussed from having her head repeatedly bashed against a concrete wall) and refused to call the police. She had to do that herself.
Management refuse to take incidents seriously whether it is caused by or filtered through security. The police are increasingly perceived as bone idle, they would rather not be bothered with "pub fights". Patrons rely on security - yet it is an almost totally unregulated industry and open to any bozo who is big - and bad - enough.
It is not good enough. The whole security industry is in dire need of serious reform, and has been for years.
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Exactly why I refuse to go to Big Day Out (and something which a lot of the media, who have access to VIP facilities, ignore).
I've been to festivals overseas where there are a range of bars with different operators (including the excellent Worker's Beer Company). If you look under age, you might be ID'd at the point of service, but there are no "beer ghettos" - once you've bought a drink you can carry it wherever you want.
This doesn't seem to lead to the breakdown of society.
Also, here in NZ, Pirongia races (at least up until 2006) had a bar, where you could buy beers to drink anywhere around the track, or you could BYO. Again, society didn't break down, and they didn't have license problems. (Possibly because there's one law for mainstream activities like horseracing and another for youth).
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Anyway, how was the music?
First band I heard (not through choice) was Airbourne on the main stage – a desperate Australian AC/DC knockoff who must surely be contenders for shittest band in the world.
First thing I saw that I liked was CSS, who were infectious, accessible and a bundle o’ Brazilian fun. I’d go and see them again any day.
I also really liked Kody and Bic, who played as a duo (she on drums, he on keyboard) and already have a good little batch of noisy pop songs. Probably won’t appeal to many owners of Bic’s albums, though. I’d moved on before they played Siouxsie and the Banshees’ ‘Hong Kong Garden’.
Went back to the East Lounge for a rest and toilet break, thus caching Lupe Fiasco, who had a guitarist squalling over everything and was okay if you like that sort of thing.
Crystal Castles were tolerable in the tent, and then Kora just rocked the top field. Or, rather, funked. They were even funkier than I recall them being when I’ve seen them before.
Saw a wee bit of John Butler Trio, which seemed alright. Then Shihad, who turned it on without, I think, reaching quite the heights of their last appearance on the main stage – perhaps because there just weren’t as many people in the stadium as last time.
Then Iggy and the Stooges, who also weren’t quite as good as last time – which may simply be because I will always prefer the Ron Asheton Stooges to the James Williamson Stooges. ‘Shake Appeal’ (with a stage full of dancers from the crowd) and ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ were especially good.
Heard a few seconds of Rammstein on the way out of the stadium and nary a note of Tool, which is just how I wanted it. I don’t get Tool, at all.
Met up with a few friends at the Silent Disco (always a pleasant diversion), then went to wait for LCD Soundsystem in the tent. Sadly, they were delayed about 20 minutes with a technical problem, meaning a 100% clash with Primal Scream.
Most of my mates departed for the Primals, but me and my buddy Nat stayed at LCD – and I don’t regret that at all. They opened, finally, with an epic exploration of ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ and finished with ‘All My Friends’. I like this band a lot on record – but I just plain adore them live. They’re maginificent. Easily my favourite of the day. (I hear Primal Screen were wonderful too.)
Went over to catch a bit of Phoenix Foundation, who sounded pretty good – but by that time it was really starting to rain, so we went back to the tent for Booka Shade, who was okay, if not quite the glorious groove experience I’d been expecting.
Then it was M.I.A., who was … uncompromising. It was more like a sound system than a show – I can recall only two actual tunes, ‘Steppin’ Up’ and ‘Born Free’ – and while the beats were very bangin’, I did have a sense of waiting for something more to happen. We left about 11.45 and walked back to the car in the rain.
Good Big Day Out. And I like the new Boiler Room tent. Having no sides makes for much better access and egress and a much cooler tent.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Exactly why I refuse to go to Big Day Out (and something which a lot of the media, who have access to VIP facilities, ignore).
I think bar access is the least of the benefits of a pass to the Immortals Lounge, which is where journalists, suppliers, friends blaggers, etc, get put. (VIP would be overstating the case, really.) It’s more respite from the noise and easier access to toilets.
I’ve been hanging around long enough to now be allowed to purchase a block of 10 East Lounge tickets, which aren’t cheap but are kinda necessary at my age. I’ve done my time out there in the field. But, again, the bar wasn’t much of an issue. I bought two beers all day.
I’ve been to festivals overseas where there are a range of bars with different operators (including the excellent Worker’s Beer Company). If you look under age, you might be ID’d at the point of service, but there are no “beer ghettos” – once you’ve bought a drink you can carry it wherever you want.
This doesn’t seem to lead to the breakdown of society.
It made for a nastier festival when the BDO had easier access to booze. It felt markedly less safe than it does now. I’ve been to Glastonbury and enjoyed the Workers’ Beer Company tent, but that’s a completely different environment, with far more space. And, it must be said, a different culture. New Zealanders still seem to struggle with alcohol and large events.
It does irritate me a bit the way they’re going with the gate searches – going through every tiny pocket in a woman’s bag, tipping out some guy’s whole packet of tobacco looking for joints.
At least they weren’t handing people over to police when they found drugs. But it’s absurd to suppose that people won’t consume recreational drugs at this event, and the promoters actually rely on alcohol not being the general drug of choice. If it was, they’d be in trouble.
And this won’t stop people bringing illicit drugs. It just means they’ll hide them better.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Two recent events:
If you're sure of the details, I don't mind you naming the offending establishments. Naming and shaming seems like the right thing to do in this case.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
And I know when you are sober and you are dealing with people who have been drinking and maybe partaking of drugs (legal etc) how you see something and they see it are two different planets
The crowd culture at the BDO is pretty remarkable. People will stop and step back to make way for each other. It's not like a wine festival or something -- those things get a bit hairy. So you really aren't talking about a drunken mob.
That said I wasn’t there and assult is unacceptable
Utterly, utterly unacceptable. I trust that this incident will get back to the promoters, who may wish to have words with the licence-holder.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
I wonder if it was a different security company than usual… they seemed to be a bit more stroppy than in previous years. I also received a shove in the chest when accidentally walking the wrong way into an exit lane. Unnecessary. When you’re a 120kg security guard, you can afford to ask someone to go the other way – I’m hardly going to put up a fight.
Not just unnecessary, unacceptable. Again, I trust this will come to the promoters' attention. BDO punters are asked to exercise respect and tolerance towards each other on the day. If the so-called security can't do the same, then another firm should be hired.
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recordari, in reply to
Naming and shaming seems like the right thing to do in this case.
I'm a bit surprised by this. But if you're sure that's wise, then who I am to contradict.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
I’m a bit surprised by this. But if you’re sure that’s wise, then who I am to contradict.
If it happened, then it's fine to report that it happened.
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I didn't get my pockets checked and didn't have any hassle all day. That said, I had a really lazy day and mostly just sat in the main stands until giggling at Rammstein got tired and we were too wet and cold, we couldn't get near the tent so we headed home.
I couldn't be bothered queuing to buy beer and the food options were all horrible so I didn't do much of that either. The coffee, as seems to be usual at the BDO, was fantastic. Well done whoever is in charge of that!
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recordari, in reply to
Guess I was thinking both of the need for surety in these things, and the fact that they both may be before the courts. I certainly hope they are.
There has definitely been a sea change in what I remember of security in the 80s and early 90s. It helped knowing all the bouncers by name, but the general feeling once inside a club, and I'm probably being pretty narrow in my field here, was that it was safe, and you had to try pretty hard to get thrown out, which of course some people did. But there weren't as many brawls making it onto the 6 o'clock news, as has been the case recently.
BDO punters are asked to exercise respect and tolerance towards each other on the day. If the so-called security can't do the same, then another firm should be hired.
Definitely saw evidence of the changed mentality Damian and others have covered here. I kept looking for the sheep dip.
The coffee, as seems to be usual at the BDO, was fantastic. Well done whoever is in charge of that!
Yes it was. Being my stimulant of choice, that's quite important.
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lotech, in reply to
I think the BDO deserves credit for keeping the event all ages while still having more than enough bars for the majority. The next large scale event similar to the BDO I imagine is Rhythm & Vines and there the crowd can drink everywhere (and by wine by the bottle). It gets messy very quickly.
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The only* bizarre crowd control issue I noticed was when trying to get into the "D" so that I could be as close as possible for The Stooges and Rammestein. When I got to the entrance of the D there was a big red light and hundreds of people (all very pleasant and polite I must add) waiting around in the rain for it to go green. When it went green after I had been waiting a full half hour, the crush to get into the entrance of the D was far more unpleasant and intense than any mosh pit I have ever been in. The D system seemed counter-productive, and I really don't see it accomplishing anything.
And once I got in there I was so glad I did - both Iggy and Rammestein were fantastic! So much fun, and rocked so hard. Best band of the day was Grinderman though; Nick Cave can do no wrong, despite the technical difficulties and shitty shitty weather.*Disclaimer: I did not go into any of the licensed areas since I couldn't be bothered queuing for a beer in what was decidedly not beer weather, and as a smoker I kept my distance from the security staff (they should have a designated smoking area for an event that goes on all day). This lack of contact with BDO staff possibly contributed to my lack of negative experiences with them.
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