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Jimmy McGovern suggests arena shows are unsafe
Normally when people warn of "another Hillsborough", they're just being silly and histrionic. But Jimmy McGovern knows a lot about what happened in Sheffield that Saturday, and so when he wories that the conditions at big gigs are threatening to topple into disaster, it's worth taking him seriously:
Mr McGovern told the ECHO: “It’s important the documentary [his Hillsborough programme, just out on DVD] gets a modern audience as a lot of people who go the match weren’t even born at the time of Hillsborough.
“It should never be cost effective to take risks with public safety.
“If a disaster like this happens again it will be at a big rock concert where there is not an appropriate level of care.”
Or, possibly, at a festival where the safety of the main stage relies on enough people going to other stages instead. We probably should do more than just hope that McGovern is wrong.
3 comments:
It's an important issue, that along with worrying about sound levels would be sneered at.
But do we want to be like the US where all indoor gigs are seated? Perhaps we need segmented areas in arenas with restricted access to each.
Incidentally, I once came up with the idea of putting a series of horizontal metal barriers right across the arena. Each would be slightly lower than the last, starting at 6'5" at the back going down to 5'3" at the front. Everyone enters from the back and if you can walk under a barrier without bending, you may continue moving forwards. This has the dual benefits of reducing crushing and ensuring everyone can see the stage.
I don't know why it hasn't caught on.
Er, because people *would* bend down and continue moving forward? Then, as the crowd moved about, those people would find these metal barriers at head height.
Even then, what about people being pushed from behind into these metal barriers?
Bouncers would ensure people didn't bend down to go forwards.
Hell, if they can stop people smoking in the O2, they can stop tall people getting into the 5'5" section.
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