We Want Music Not Mayhem - have your say
 Gigging - is today's music scene part of the rip off culture - are punters getting fleeced?
Music in essence is mayhem! and we love our gigging mayhem - but then again there's mayhem and then there's mayhem is there not? do we get the sort of mayhem we want?
Most of us go to gigs and festivals because it's fun and we are well into our music - it's kinda cool - we like quite literally to rock and roll, and we expect to have a damn fine unforgettable time, whatever else you say about it, music is a strong force with a lot of power. We love music and we especially love live music!
The music industry is worth billions - and it's seen as quite glam - there are lots of people ready, willing and able to tap into the huge pot of gold available! That's fair enough - the law of supply and demand - lets face it we want our gigs - and we want to rawk 'n roll the night away as often as we can - where else are we gonna get that kinda freedom now? But is it all cool rawk 'n roll out there? is it shit on a stick or just utter crappolla? when you think about it how often do you go to a gig full of promise that to your astonishment turns out to be a gig full of aggravating bollocks? is there too much organisational mayhem getting about?
It isn't usually the performer who gets it wrong - in fact it's real rare to go to a gig where you don't get a great performance - isn't it? Production staff don't get much recognition for what they do - but hey - don't they do a freaking great job? next time you go to a gig have a look at what they've managed to put on - they don't get paid a lot but there's some mega talent out there.
There's lots of the great and the good in the music industry - we love rock and roll! But hell on a stick - aren't there some problems with the rip off culture at some of our venues?
Are music fans getting good value for money or are we just seen as dispensable fodder in the great market place of rip off Britain? Do we actually get what we pay for at our gigs or are we just getting a shit deal at some of our venues? Do our views actually count - have we got a voice? - does anyone out there listen to us?
Are we happy to pay over the odds for tickets? and when we do does that guarantee a good ticket? how often do we have to spend hours trying to get hold of them while website's crash and phone lines are constantly engaged? how come touts get them but we don't? should they be auctioned off to the highest bidder?
When we get there are we looked upon as customers or cattle? How often do you find plenty of traffic stewards in attendance forcefully directing you into a parking space of their choice - often at great cost - some of these venues charge you £20+ to park then you find that when you want to leave the venue there's not a traffic steward in sight - a mega free for all - and hours to wait without moving so much as an inch? OK it might not be easy for them - but does it really have to be that hard? do we have to have a great night ruined by this level of chaos?
How often have you traveled miles to see a gig - only to find shite, over priced crap food on offer? watered down drink at hugely inflated prices? how often have you paid over the odds for a crap seat at a big stadium gig? how often is the sound quality lousy?
How often are you bored to tears at a gig where they have no video screen and don't even put on any background sound to take your mind of the fact that you're stood there in all weathers like a prize pratt? Oh the endless waiting! ...and after all that you can't see a thing! How often do security go over the top? abuse their power? just why are you stopped from taking things into the arena when you then find them openly on sale once you're in? why can't you take in enough water?
We want value for money - but the question is are we getting it? or is there just too much shite going down? too many unnecessary aggravations that are spoiling our gigs - does this have an effect on how the crowd behave? let us know what you think..... Have your say here
Some chaos at gigs just isn't down to the venue or the organisers though - is it? let's be honest - there have been problems at some of our well loved festivals over the last few years. A small minority of tiny minded individuals have managed to permeate some of our top gigs and cause the wrong kind of mayhem for the vast majority of fun loving festival goers. This not only puts the festivals future in jeopardy but it causes significant safety issues and takes valuable resources away from some of the more fun elements of our most loved and trusted festivals.
Safeconcerts would like to see a revolutionary change for this year and for all future years because we think that festivals are hugely important - they're a part of our culture and heritage - they can reach out to everybody - we simply can't imagine the summer without them and we think there's major opportunities to show everyone that there's far more good than bad getting about. Don't risk the festivals' future and don't risk the safety of you and those around you - there's a chance for us all to work together and to protect the future of our festivals - and it relies on everybody getting a very clear but simple message. MUSIC NOT MAYHEM - or at least let's make sure there's the right sort of mayhem going down!
Essentially festivals are about having fun, and a lot of it, in a great environment with some great people, you just never know who you might meet or what might happen - why not support the campaign for Music Not Mayhem at festivals!! - we really believe that most of us go to festivals to have as much fun as it's possible to have, we sure want to be on the edge and we want 'em raw BUT we don't want riots, violence and aggression - we want fun and a lot of it - real cool people don't need to riot! We so don't want to be ripped off!
So - support our festivals - why not visit our shop and get yourself a brand new Music Not Mayhem t-shirt? ethically sourced and printed and quite a cool design - available now. Shop here for Music Not Mayhem T-shirts!
Show 'em you'll be good (ish) but show 'em that you want value for money and you want to be treated with respect. You have a voice - make it count. Tell us about your gig experiences
 
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Your Comments
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Hi there and welcome to the forum - so sorry that you had such a bad time.
Organisers really do need to take the safety of the people who attend their events far more seriously than many do - and if they have booked a firm to undertake work for the festival then they must accept some resonsibility. It would have been appropriate if they had investigated your complaint immediately - but you've discovered as we have that it is utterly impossible to get the correct attention to your problem at these events - and afterwards? well - they just want to forget it.
They hide behind pretending that they are 'too busy' at the event and want to forget all about it afterwards in general.
Can't say it often enough though - if folk have a significant problem like this one at an event - call the police immediately.
Please don't let it put you off going to festivals though - yes there are some real aggravations and sometimes things go badly wrong as they did for you - but there are some great festivals and some great times to be had.
Medusa [13th Nov 2007 11:59]
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The End of the Road Festival Experience.
This is mine and my friends experience of The End of the Road Festival.
When we got to Salisbury station we found out where we were meant to wait. The bus was late by about 30 mins but we weren't worried. The bus driver got out and people cued up with their tickets. He seemed a friendly person at the time and apologised for the late running of the bus. He blamed the festival organisers and said it had something to do with the bus being free last year but not this year. He also said that the bus capacity was 15 so not everyone would get on. He looked at our tickets and said we could get on the bus. I got in and sat behind the drivers seat. My friend passed the bags and I piled them on top of me to make room for him to get on. There were some people on the bus already and others followed. I noticed that three others got on from a different direction to us but when the bus driver came back he didn't seem to notice or be worried. I'm not sure what happened next but I think the bus driver was finishing a cigarette or doing something but one of the three that got on complained and said he wanted the driver to hurry up. The driver then said he didn't remember saying they could get on and asked to see their tickets. They said they didn't know they were meant to have tickets and so he told them to get off. We didn't think that he was being unreasonable and he wasn't being rude just assertive. They got off and one had a go at the one who had complained and they moved on. The bus driver went and got some others who got on. He went to the drivers door and started looking in his pockets. I said in a friendly way “Have you lost your keys?” and he said calmly “No there here somewhere”. He spent a few more seconds looking for his keys and got in. He then completely without warning leaned over the drivers seat and started screaming at me. He was asking if I wanted my head pushed through the window and was threatening to punch my face in and was swearing uncontrollably. It was a very frightening and distressing experience not least because I was stuck under our bags and had no means of defense. I said that I didn't want to be punched or anything and he then said “Are you going to calm down now?” which was weird but I just said “ Yes I want to be calm.”. He then started screaming “What are you looking at? Do you want some as well?” to another passenger. What sounded like a young child started screaming and the other passenger said that everybody just wanted to get to the festival. The bus driver had another go at the other passenger and then seemed to notice the child who was now in hysterics. The bus driver became really remorseful and looked like he was about to cry. It was like he was drunk or on drugs. I could smell drink on him. He said to I assume the mother “I'm sorry about your baby but I have had a very stressful day.” he seemed to back down a bit and I decided to leave. I said that I wasn't going to take this and I didn't feel safe in the bus and I was getting off. My friend and I removed our bags and the other passenger said he was getting off also. We walked back to the station with the other passenger and decided to get a taxi. Someone else joined us and we told them of our experience on the way to the festival. We decided to just get to the festival and make a complaint there. When we got to the festival and went to sign in we told the stewards what had happened. They were shocked and told us to make a complaint at the Oxfam tent, Oxfam were stewarding the event. The people at the tent were also shocked and took our details and said that or lead me to believe that they would do something about it. I felt confident that Oxfam would sort it out and this driver would be removed from driving the bus. We went on, set up our tents and enjoyed the rest of the evening.
The next day I decided to find out what had been done. I decided before I went to the Oxfam tent I would see if the bus driver was still being used to drive the bus. I went to the entrance of the festival and was shocked to see the bus driver standing by a bus smoking. I went back to the Oxfam tent complained and asked what was going on. I impressed upon them the danger I felt there was to other festival goers but I found the response of the Oxfam steward whiny and feeble. He said “we have no power... it's up to the orgainsers... we have to do what we are told...”. I told the steward that I felt this was wrong and they could and should put more pressure on the festival organisers and he told me that he would bring it up again at the next meeting. I asked when that was and he told me that there might be one that afternoon or if not there might be one the next morning. He then said he didn't think that they would take much interest and that they would probably say that they wouldn't do anything as they would have no one to drive the bus, which I thought was a pathetic thing to say. I then asked if they could put me through to the management and organisers so I could contact them directly. The steward said that they had no way of contacting the management or organisers and that unless one of them walked past or popped in there was no way to pass on my details until possibly the next morning. I left my details anyway and wandered around for a bit.
I decided to go back to the entrance and find someone from security. I explained the situation and they tried to contact someone from the management but again in the end I was asked to leave my details and they said they would contact me when they got through.
I went back to the main area and then found a help point. I explained again what had happened to the woman on the stall. She made a few calls and managed to get through to someone.
Two men came over and one introduced himself as Philip Wicks, the other didn't speak the whole time. I told him what had happened and that I thought that something should be done about the bus driver. Mr Wicks said that he had spoken to the driver and that the driver had said he asked us to leave the bus because we didn't have tickets. Luckily I had the tickets in my pocket and showed them to Mr Wicks. Mr Wicks examined them and said he accepted that we did have tickets when we boarded the bus. I restated that I felt that the bus driver was dangerous and I thought he had been drinking. Mr Wicks was very dismissive and said that he had spoken to the driver and asked him if he had been drinking, he said the bus driver had told him he had not been drinking and he was teetotal. I found this a stupid thing to say and said that I didn't think the bus driver would admit to doing wrong or drinking. I also told him that I didn't believe that it was safe for the bus driver to be used anymore as he could at any time attack someone or worse crash and kill some people. Mr Wicks said “That risk is for me to take”. I reminded Mr Wicks of the violent and abusive behavior I and other passengers had received. Mr Wicks said to me “Angry. Not abusive. He was just angry.” in an exceptionally patronising way. I said that we did not feel safe with that bus driver and were concerned about transport and getting back to the station at the end of the festival. Mr Wicks said “Well it's your choice and not my problem.” basically he couldn't care less. I turned to leave and as I walked off Mr Wicks said “Enjoy the rest of the festival.” which I think says a lot about him. I don't think Mr Wicks had any interest in what happened and was more interested in putting an end to it. I think he considered me an annoyance.
I went back to my friend and explained what had happened. He was as disgusted with the festival organisers as I was. We decided that we couldn't enjoy the festival now and didn't believe it was a safe environment. We ordered a taxi and waited at the main road. We had both spent a lot of money for us and had taken time off from work. Train tickets, bus tickets and festival tickets all added up cost us a large amount. Transport alone came to £157 (what with the extra spent on taxis) and the festival tickets were around £200.
We went to the nearest police station, which was closed for the weekend. After a number of attempts using the phone outside the station someone eventually came out and I made my complaint there. This was to make a record and so that if anything happened I could say I told the police.
Since then we have complained and asked for our money back. After a lot of pushing Festival Coaches have paid back the £10 we paid but have offered no apology or expected or indeed denied fault. They have offered no payment for the taxi we had to take instead of the bus. They said they now believe this is and end to it. They might. Their last email was on Friday, 5 October 2007. And we received a letter and a paypal payment after that.
The festival organisers have written back and said that they were disgusted (now) with the actions of the bus driver and won't be using festival coaches in future. But have offered no proof on this. We have asked them about a refund but they have not made any statement on this since 17 September 2007. However I have received two emails from them. One asking me to vote them as best festival and another telling me about some other gig. So they are still alive.
We are not asking for much. Just the money back we wasted on The End of the Road Festival. Not food, drink or time wasted. A proper apology from The End of the Road Festival team, Philip Wicks and Festival Coaches would be nice as well but I don't believe they really see what happened was wrong and that they have responsibility.
This was our first experience of going to a festival. I'm not sure we will go to another but maybe. I work for a charity and my friend is a nurse. We are not the sort of people who want to cause trouble or like to complain. But we want to raise this with other people and stop this from happening again to others. We want to show that the festival organisers are not people who care about their customers and are happy to risk the safety of their customers.
http://www.myspace.com/endoftheroadfestivalexp
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=278848004&blogID=327565499
Colin
Unregistered User [12th Nov 2007 20:24]
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