Violent gangs of youths pretend to be innocent because they killed people. Shocker.
Ok great, that still doesnt make it right to try and force your way in when the police is allready stopping you.
[deleted]
“People potentially culpable of the death of at least one person say they were right to be there and not at fault for said death”
Many would have, however there will be many who did not have tickets but tried to force their way in too. Having a ticket also does not excuse the behaviour seen at the event either. It will take time to find out exactly what went wrong and what percentage of those trying to force their way in had no tickets, however it does not change that a lot of the crowd involved in this endangered others just to try and get in quicker.
If inside was full and there were 3000 people outside the venue as reported, it seems like most of the people outside likely didn’t have tickets? How many tickets were sold in total?
Anecdotal and not trying to draw any conclusions prior to proper examination, but my experience of O2 venues in London has been that they seem to have very poor organisation in terms of spreading the audience through a venue and staff that are disinterested, underskilled, understaffed, or a mixture of all of the above.
At a gig I went to at Kentish Town Forum my group got absolutely pinned at the back of the standing section, pinned against the front of house, and struggled to get out, with venue staff/photogs pushing through and causing more people to fill into an already crammed space. Honestly the worst experience I’ve ever had at a gig, I spent most of the gig anxious rather than enjoying the performance.
If everyone inside had tickets, and most if not all outside had tickets, something has gone very wrong.
I can see this will be the security and police fault
I took my daughter to gig there a few years ago. The queue formed along an alley down the side of the building, probably similar to what is described in the article. I would imagine that is how they always do it.
Very different situation though, it wasn’t a band I would have chosen to see myself and it was mainly teenagers with quite a few parents. The queue was very quiet, with most people sitting down.
It didn’t feel like kettling, it was just a place to queue without blocking the main road. But as I said, a very different situation.
Almost certainly, anyone who goes to concerts knows that ticket holders don’t all arrive at 7pm. Get a heady mix of people who want to crash it, genuine fans with tickets who are determined to get in, just pressure of sheer numbers can cause crushes. It is not what people assume, a simplistic idea that people at the back are pushing those in front, who are pushing too, making the people at the front crushed. You *can’t* as an individual push hard enough! Stand at the back at a crowded concert and people will just be standing round, by the front people are like sardines. If it isn’t managed right, it can be deadly.
11 comments
Violent gangs of youths pretend to be innocent because they killed people. Shocker.
Ok great, that still doesnt make it right to try and force your way in when the police is allready stopping you.
[deleted]
“People potentially culpable of the death of at least one person say they were right to be there and not at fault for said death”
Many would have, however there will be many who did not have tickets but tried to force their way in too. Having a ticket also does not excuse the behaviour seen at the event either. It will take time to find out exactly what went wrong and what percentage of those trying to force their way in had no tickets, however it does not change that a lot of the crowd involved in this endangered others just to try and get in quicker.
If inside was full and there were 3000 people outside the venue as reported, it seems like most of the people outside likely didn’t have tickets? How many tickets were sold in total?
Anecdotal and not trying to draw any conclusions prior to proper examination, but my experience of O2 venues in London has been that they seem to have very poor organisation in terms of spreading the audience through a venue and staff that are disinterested, underskilled, understaffed, or a mixture of all of the above.
At a gig I went to at Kentish Town Forum my group got absolutely pinned at the back of the standing section, pinned against the front of house, and struggled to get out, with venue staff/photogs pushing through and causing more people to fill into an already crammed space. Honestly the worst experience I’ve ever had at a gig, I spent most of the gig anxious rather than enjoying the performance.
If everyone inside had tickets, and most if not all outside had tickets, something has gone very wrong.
I can see this will be the security and police fault
I took my daughter to gig there a few years ago. The queue formed along an alley down the side of the building, probably similar to what is described in the article. I would imagine that is how they always do it.
Very different situation though, it wasn’t a band I would have chosen to see myself and it was mainly teenagers with quite a few parents. The queue was very quiet, with most people sitting down.
It didn’t feel like kettling, it was just a place to queue without blocking the main road. But as I said, a very different situation.
Almost certainly, anyone who goes to concerts knows that ticket holders don’t all arrive at 7pm. Get a heady mix of people who want to crash it, genuine fans with tickets who are determined to get in, just pressure of sheer numbers can cause crushes. It is not what people assume, a simplistic idea that people at the back are pushing those in front, who are pushing too, making the people at the front crushed. You *can’t* as an individual push hard enough! Stand at the back at a crowded concert and people will just be standing round, by the front people are like sardines. If it isn’t managed right, it can be deadly.