Now, I've mentioned before that I work security, and that means I have friends who work security as well. It's certainly provided some interesting stories, both good and bad. Today, we're going to focus on the bad. The bad stories tend to happen at the "safe" concerts that are considered mainstream, which is the worst part. I say this because these are the shows that parents are most likely to go with their kids to, or to permit their children to attend. Allow me to peel back the curtain of "safety," and tell you some stories of what goes on.
Recently, Lady Gaga played two nights at Rogers Arena, and a friend of mine had to suffer the indignity of working both. A couple of the stories she told me stuck out, besides the usual incidents of pot-smoking and parents purchasing booze to for their children, as especially disturbing. This is in addition to the confirmed reports of high school girls wearing only caution tape, too! The first night, my friend witnessed a girl of around 17 years of age so intoxicated that she shit herself. This girl was so messed up, she shit herself, and it ran down her legs all the way to the floor. The 17 year old girl, who had to be on some heavy-duty stuff, didn't even care. That's messed up, people, really! I have had no reports of anything like that happening at Slipknot, or Alice Cooper, Heaven & Hell, or any of the other rock and metal shows I've worked, or had friends who have worked. This happened at the concert for a mainstream pop act, who parents more than likely would have happily bought tickets for their children to see. It's not even the worst story from those two nights, though.
The worst incident that my friend was directly involved in happened on the second night. A young woman with an approximately 6 year-old child at her side was visibly smoking dope whilst in the entrance line, and even when she got to the door. My friend refused this woman entry due to the fact she was intoxicated, and the woman went ballistic. My friend called for her supervisor to come and speak with the woman, which is proper procedure when somebody is getting irate, while the increasingly aggressive woman screamed about the cost and attempted to get physical with my friend. When things got physical, police were requested, and while the woman was asked to leave by the supervisor, she came back and demanded to speak with the venue manager. At this time, she was escorted off site by the police.
This is just a couple of stories from a pair of concerts for one mainstream artist, and this isn't exclusive. At a Jay Z concert in the summer of 2009, 20 people were ejected before the doors even opened, and cocaine was found in many of the public bathrooms during and after the show. Jay Z is another mainstream act, one that parents could consider a reputable person due to his various business ventures and relationship with Beyonce' Knowles. I've witnessed one of the vocalists for Broken Cyde proclaiming, "All you girls in the front row, I wanna lick yo' titties!" to a crowd of tween girls at the Warped Tour. I've even seen the craziness extend to ethnic pop concerts, where 10 people will suddenly start brawling in the VIP section before the show starts due to some sort of family fued. These are the shows that are considered "mainstream," and even "family-friendly," and yet this is just scratching the surface of what goes on.
I don't say these things to disparage the artists in question (Well, maybe Broken Cyde), but to warn parents. Yeah, you may see an act on Much Music and think it will be okay to buy tickets for your kids, or even take them yourself, to see a concert. I understand trusting your children, and in many cases you should, but with what goes on at a lot of these concerts, you can't trust the people around them. Be mindful of what your kids are going to see, be mindful of what they plan to wear, and be mindful of who they're going with. Last but not least, if you do go with them, you're not there to be the "fun" parent, buying them booze or encouraging slutty dress in an environment filled with questionable people. You're there to be a parent, and take care of them. Remember that last part the next time your kid wants to see the latest pop star live and in concert.
Jé-Pé
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