The Valentinos – Crowd Control
August 21st 2006 00:42
On Friday night I saw The Valentinos at Spectrum Nightclub on Oxford Street in Sydney. It was a sell out gig with two support bands, Johnny Boy and Young and Restless. This was the first time I saw The Valentinos and I can’t say it was worth the wait. They are a good band, don’t get me wrong, but after sitting through the woeful wailings of Johnny Boy, a band that have come up about 10 years too late, and then two DJ sets of abhorrent, mindless, doof music, I was over it. They could have played the sweetest set I’d ever heard, they could have caused a riot, they could have shot fireworks out of their butts and I wouldn’t have cared. And I can’t really blame the band. It was the crowd. Never in my life have I attended a gig that was fat to bursting with trendy, 'wannabe' idiots. I’ve had my fair share of mosh pits, crowd surfing and those absolutely ridiculous circle pits where people randomly slam into each other – it’s a shame nobody ever gets any sense knocked into them.
The club itself was beautifully set up with rungs of glow sticks all bound together, hanging from the ceiling. It was an awesome effect and really gave the space a great atmosphere. I enjoyed this atmosphere while I could, before the countless amounts of drunken idiots began pulling the glow sticks down and randomly throwing them at innocent bystanders. Then people started to get vindictive and this random throwing became targeted pegging. It was Glowstick Wars and my friends and I were in the crossfire. I love a riotous gig as much as the next person and I may have suddenly turned into a nanna whilst writing this but I don’t think I’ve ever been so disappointed in a crowd. What is it that causes people to become complete morons when they’re out in public and in large groups? Is it a group moron mentality or are people just gradually getting stupider? I got kicked, shoved, knocked over a few times, I had drinks spilled on me, glow sticks thrown at my head and drunken bogans squishing me into the walls while they danced some drunken, frenzied, I don’t give a hoot about anyone else jive. I’m all for people having a good time but not at the expense of other people. If someone had of gotten crushed to death, the majority of the crowd wouldn’t have batted an eyelid. In fact, one of my favourite moments was when a guy walked straight into my friend, savagely pushed past her, spilled his drink all over her and then demanded an apology from her. Was he serious? “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”*
Despite all these antics, I feel it incumbent upon me to mention here that the night wasn’t a complete disaster. I’m glad we got there early because we got to see the first support band called Young and Restless. And I have to say that this band is one of the best new bands I’ve heard in a good while. Their singer Karina should change her name to Crooner because she can scream and wail like a banshee and still bang out the tunes with a strong, throaty abandon. They are tight, angry and give a shmick performance. I’d have gone and paid my money just to see them alone. If you get a chance, go out and see this hot little band from Canberra. I can guarantee they won’t disappoint, even if the crowd does.
I love gigs and I love going out and getting down with other people who love music but the crowd on Friday night left much to be desired. They were rude, snotty, self important and incredibly discourteous. They absolutely ruined the vibe of the night and had me wanting to leave before The Valentinos had even played. Shame on you Sydney kids, shame on you. Here’s a crazy idea…how about we try and cut each other a bit of slack, be a bit more courteous and try to promote the kind of atmosphere where everybody can enjoy the night. Three words are all we need: “Excuse me, please.”
Check out Young and Restless at www.youngandrestless.org
* Quote from Zoolander, 2001, Drake Sather and Ben Stiller.
The club itself was beautifully set up with rungs of glow sticks all bound together, hanging from the ceiling. It was an awesome effect and really gave the space a great atmosphere. I enjoyed this atmosphere while I could, before the countless amounts of drunken idiots began pulling the glow sticks down and randomly throwing them at innocent bystanders. Then people started to get vindictive and this random throwing became targeted pegging. It was Glowstick Wars and my friends and I were in the crossfire. I love a riotous gig as much as the next person and I may have suddenly turned into a nanna whilst writing this but I don’t think I’ve ever been so disappointed in a crowd. What is it that causes people to become complete morons when they’re out in public and in large groups? Is it a group moron mentality or are people just gradually getting stupider? I got kicked, shoved, knocked over a few times, I had drinks spilled on me, glow sticks thrown at my head and drunken bogans squishing me into the walls while they danced some drunken, frenzied, I don’t give a hoot about anyone else jive. I’m all for people having a good time but not at the expense of other people. If someone had of gotten crushed to death, the majority of the crowd wouldn’t have batted an eyelid. In fact, one of my favourite moments was when a guy walked straight into my friend, savagely pushed past her, spilled his drink all over her and then demanded an apology from her. Was he serious? “I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”*
Despite all these antics, I feel it incumbent upon me to mention here that the night wasn’t a complete disaster. I’m glad we got there early because we got to see the first support band called Young and Restless. And I have to say that this band is one of the best new bands I’ve heard in a good while. Their singer Karina should change her name to Crooner because she can scream and wail like a banshee and still bang out the tunes with a strong, throaty abandon. They are tight, angry and give a shmick performance. I’d have gone and paid my money just to see them alone. If you get a chance, go out and see this hot little band from Canberra. I can guarantee they won’t disappoint, even if the crowd does.
I love gigs and I love going out and getting down with other people who love music but the crowd on Friday night left much to be desired. They were rude, snotty, self important and incredibly discourteous. They absolutely ruined the vibe of the night and had me wanting to leave before The Valentinos had even played. Shame on you Sydney kids, shame on you. Here’s a crazy idea…how about we try and cut each other a bit of slack, be a bit more courteous and try to promote the kind of atmosphere where everybody can enjoy the night. Three words are all we need: “Excuse me, please.”
Check out Young and Restless at www.youngandrestless.org
* Quote from Zoolander, 2001, Drake Sather and Ben Stiller.
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