In the sixth episode of Ralston and Sink’s Virtual Podcast, our intrepid music commentators delve into the scary world of mass mayhem that’s rocked major public concerts, plus event security in general.
Happy Throngs: Is security a concern for fans? Probably not for most of them.
(Photo/Anthony Norkus)
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Should concertgoers and musicians fret over their security and safety at festivals and venues?
Sadly, some tragic events involving crowds gathered in public places have focused attention on an issue that most bands and their fans have probably rarely thought about in the past:
• Nov. 13, 2015 – Eagles of Death Metal concert at Bataclan in Paris. Terrorists wielding automatic rifles and grenades attack concertgoers leaving 89 dead. The band escapes through a backstage door.
Packed in Tight: Exuberant fans. (Photo/Katy Batdorff)
• June 12, 2016 – “Latin Night” at Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. – A shooter in a hate crime incident kills 49 people and wounds 58 others.
• May 22, 2017 – Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom. Terrorist attack involving a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb explodes as fans are preparing to leave the arena. Three people are killed, more than 500 injured.
• Oct. 1, 2017 – Route 91 Harvest country music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. A gunman on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel fires rounds on concertgoers below leaving 58 people dead and 546 injured.
Then, of course, there was the Feb. 20, 2003 incident involving Jack Russell’s Great White concert at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. A fast-moving fire caused by band pyrotechnics engulfed the club in less than six minutes. In all, 100 people were killed and 230 injured in the nightclub that was over-capacity.
There have been many other recent tragedies in public places that don’t necessarily involve music. But because concerts and festivals draw big crowds, it certainly makes them a potential target.
So what about security in general at these shows? What do you do as a musician when an unruly fan tries to get too close or wants more than just a requested song? And how about protecting all that expensive gear that too often gets stolen after a gig?
Just a few things that musician Ralston Bowles and Local Spins editor John Sinkevics touched on in the sixth episode of the RSVP Music Chat. Leave your own comment via voice message through SpeakPipe here or leave a message below. Or suggest another topic for a future podcast.
RSVP MUSIC CHAT: Episode No. 6 (11/6/17)
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