Am I turning into a miserable old git or are arseholes becoming more prolific?

[Dymetrie]

So last night me and Mrs Dym headed over to Wembley Arena for the Prodigy concert.

I've been a fan of the Prodigy since the early nineties and was looking forward to seeing them live for the fifth time, plus the tickets had been a birthday present from my brother and sister.

Whilst on the Metropolitan Line there were some unsavoury types (you know the ones, loud, brash, bloody annoying) who were also on their way to the gig. Not really a problem with them as they were just high spirited.

Once at the gig we ended up sat next to a couple, the bloke was very lively (he was dancing to Dizzee Rascal, the support act!) and a little bit drunk. Absolutely fine, even if he did spill a bit of beer and stepped on my foot.

However, once Dizzee Rascal (Nice pair of lads, very lively, no idea what they were going on about but I did enjoy them performing The Ting Ting's "What's My Name" as their opening track :D) had finished Mrs Dym headed off to the loo.

I was happily sitting in my seat, enjoying the 'Old Skool' DJ set whilst the stage was prepared when there was a tussle on the set of stairs right next to me.

The tussle resulted in one of the lads being thrown down the set of stairs (a good 20-30 feet) into the concrete barrier. From the looks of things he had a broken wrist. The people sat (well they were standing) in front of me decided to have a shout at the guy that did it, and then the steward (an SIA licenced door supervisor) turned up and the guy who had been ranting and raving (and blatantly assaulted someone quite badly) went back to his chair.

Hmm.... Surely he should be escorted out of the premises and handed over to the Police... No?

When Mrs Dym returned from the toilets she was quite shaken up as someone had started throwing around green paint (which had gone all over her coat and top) whilst she was in the queue for the loos...

Hmm... Surely bag checks on the way in should have picked up on that... No?

The general atmosphere in the area where we were sitting was very tense and quite aggressive, so after quite a bit of thinking, we decided to leave.

Very dissapointing as, despite having been at the venue for over two hours, we'd not managed to see the band we were there to see.

We made a complaint with the venue security on the way out and they did comment that it had been very rowdy and aggressive during the performance the previous evening as well.

Also, whilst at reception complaining, a young couple who were seriously the worse for wear (either from drugs or just alcohol) had a stand up row right next to us which resulted in 5 security guards escorting them out of the venue (the last we saw of them the girl was having a stand-off with a Land Rover Freelander on Bridge Road outside the tube station).

I've been going to gigs for nearly fifteen years now and this is the first time I've ever left early because of the atmosphere and general demeanour of the other people there. If you're a fan of Spaced then it's like the clubbing episode and Brian's phobia of clubs after what happened to him in the 80s.

Good point of the evening was that we picked up a curry at the Indian just round the corner from the new flat and it was remarkably good (Feek, you have to try that next time you come over, it was soooooo much better than the attempted kebab last weekend :D).

Going to see Berkoff's interpretation of On The Waterfront next Friday night, hopefully the clientele there will be more civilised!

[Mark]

Firstly, you have someone else to look after now, which has probably changed your outlook on things somewhat, and secondly, yes, the 'security' should have done their job, but obviously didn't. OK, so they can't be everywhere and may well have missed the incident with the guy going down the stairs, but bag searches are routine nowadays. That pot of paint could just as easily been a knife or worse.

[Feek]

Doesn't sound good, Dym. I'd be writing to the promoters about that, especially as you didn't get to see the band you went there specifically to see.

[Zirax]

:( Yep people are getting worse. Had a number of instances where people have no common curtosy. I feel like the odd one out for having some.

On the road the past few weeks I've had at least four incidents where I thought my car was going to be written off. Most at roundabouts where someone was turning off and signalling, then at the last second swerve round the roundabout nearly taking mine and the bloke next to me out.

I probably already am at the miserable git stage, but people's attitude every day grinds me down. I've found I've become a very strong cynic, especially when at work. I keep saying "Prove me wrong". No one has yet and that's sad :(

[Fayshun]

Aresholes are becoming more prolific. A sad reflection on modern life :(

[Ben M]

It sounds atrocious. But I am still jealous, I'd give a nut to see Prodigy live :D

[Pebs]

I think certain situations lend themselves to people being arseholes than others. Certain bands/types of music/sports events/public holidays etc. eg Christmas is OK, but summer bank holidays are a nightmare, everyone sits around getting bladdered in the sun and by 8pm they want to kill each other.

[G|mp]

1, You were sitting down at a Prodigy gig :'(

2, I saw them in 93 and the gig was just as rowdy if not more so and has been everytime since, the music is aggressive and loud

3, You get it at gigs, some people are just pricks

[Wryel]

I've never experienced anything like that, but most of the gigs I've been to are either bands or electronic acts/DJs. I think the fact it was the Prodigy was definitely a contributing factor.

[divine]

Security at gigs is awful now.

I once (completely unknowingly at the time) took a penknife into a gig that'd i'd been using earlier in the evening to open wine bottles with and had forgotten was in my pocket. Obviously, virtually strip searching everyone is a bit OTT but it did make me realise quite how easy it would be to take 'contraband' pretty much wherever I wanted.

[Fayshun]

Like ^^ they said, it depends on the gig, I got turned over by the doorstaff going into Antiworld, they found Tampax in my pocket, and that's the last I saw of them all night until we left about 6 in the morning.

I didn't see one incidence of aggro that night. Mind you most people were off their heads on E.

[Jingo]

Carling Academy is pretty good at Bristol - on most gigs (hell, even Ramshackle) they have the security metal detectors/pocket searches.

It takes a while to get through sure, but what's a bit of waiting compared to a much safer night out? :)

[Garp]

Last gig I went to at the Brixton academy the security were doing thorough scans of everyone, metal detectors at the door and the works. Forgot i had a 3/4 drunk bottle of water, that got chucked. Had to prove my gate remote wasn't a knife too :)

[Dymetrie]

1, You were sitting down at a Prodigy gig :'(

2, I saw them in 93 and the gig was just as rowdy if not more so and has been everytime since, the music is aggressive and loud

3, You get it at gigs, some people are just pricks

1. My brother and sister bought the tickets, no choice on seating/standing :(

2. I'd seen them 4 times since '96, the first time was at Brixton Academy and we were right at the front! It's never been anything like how it was last night.

3. Have to agree with that, but then again people are capable of being pricks everywhere!

most of the gigs I've been to are either bands or electronic acts/DJs.

Insert shock, Prodigy not an electronic act, headline here :p

[Pheebs]

I think I will have to agree that people are getting worse too.

I look at like.. the IOW festival. Quite a few years back, I went along for a day and night and it was such a lovely atmosphere. People were chilled, during performances some were sat, some sharing beers, all hugging very lovable and chilled out.

2-3years on I went back... and prodigy were head lining. I'm quite amazed I didn't get stamped all over when I saw them. It wasn't *that* bad but there were certainly some fist fighting going on and I was being thrown about everywhere (I wasn't jumping and yet I was so squashed in with people that I was being lifted up and down by everyone else). On top of that, people were just randomly having a whizz next to you in a cup, which inevitably got knocked over. Was disgusting. And they were lobbing bottles of wee and things. Not just on the prodigy night mind you, though it was the worst behaviour the whole weekend. Coldplay managed to calm the crowd a fair bit.

But yeh. I guess there were more people there too... bigger names and what not with Coldplay, The Foos and Prodigy headlining. But to me... even though there are more people I just canny understand why people would resort to throwing a bottle of wee over the crowd to spray out everywhere :(


Not been to a festival since :(

[Dymetrie]

That sounds awful Pheebs! I know that when I saw Prodigy and the Foos at V97 there were a load of muppets throwing bottles, but at least they were empty!

I think that what got to me most was not that it was rowdy, I expect that, but that there was an incredible amount of aggression and animosity :(

Of course, maybe I just didn't see it before through my younger eyes...

[Jonny69]

Of course, maybe I just didn't see it before through my younger eyes...
REM at the cricket bowl in Southampton last summer, I thought it was a bit pushy-shovy, but I had to just put it down to me being an old git, used to a bit of space. UNKLE, now there's another story, most chilled out laid back crowd. Well worth getting to one of them.

[Wryel]

Insert shock, Prodigy not an electronic act, headline here :p

Uh, oh yeah! They're not your 'average' electronic act though.