[VIN] wigan, my take

[Tim Stainthorpe]

What a let-down this was.
I got there early, thinking that as it is a huge gig there would be
seperate 'pens' at the front to segregate the crowds, but after queuing
for 4 hours and rushing down to the front to secure our space in the
pen, we were shocked to find that 30,000 people would all be crushed
together. Madness!
Anyway, John Martyn was fabulous and I really felt for him as a lot of
the crowd were morons and started booing. What they don't realise is
that without people like John, there would be no Verve. He's a fantastic
guitar player and you can see where Nick McCabe gets inspiration from!
 
Most of the crowd seemed to be 14 year old UH bandwagoner
Cast/Oasis/Blur fans, more intent on getting their faces on the TV
screens than enjoying the music and so John only stayed for 3 songs,
which was a shame.

Dj Shadow and James Lavelle were absent so Beck was next, and put on
decent show for the crowds. I was very near the front and it was
downright dangerous. I'm seasoned gig-goer and i've never seen anything
like this before. 30,000 people surging forward and crushing the people
at the front. I saw people being dragged out screaming, or un-concious.
And this was before the headliners came on!.

When Verve took the stage we were right on the barrier at the front but
it was bedlam. People were screaming to be taken out, and security were
constantly hauling petrified kids out. After a couple of songs it became
ridiculous. The person next to me became so crushed they passed out, and
my friend couldn't breathe and started being sick. I couldn't beleive
it. In the end we had to be taken out before we died. In the process the
security people removed my glasses for some reason and before i'd got my
breath back to ask for them I had been herded out of the side door,
practically blind. No matter how strongly I protested to stewards, none
of them were prepared to get my glasses for me and some were downright
offensive. In the end I had to listen to the rest of the set, as I had
to wait by this side door for my glasses, my view obstructed by a huge
fence. What I heard sounded pretty good. Not enough from ANS though, and
a couple from ASIH would have been nice.
When the gig finished I reminded the stewards and they said they'd
forgotten, and anyway I should go home and write to lost property! The
prospect of driving 200 miles, half blind didn't thrill me too much so I
persevered. About an hour after the gig had finished, I finally met
someone who'd help me. I'd given up with the security officials and
instead an Ambulance volunteer offered to help. Within 10 minutes of
asking him he re-appeared with my glasses, which looked as though they'd
been sat on. They were completely wrecked!

I'd driven 200 miles to see the greatest band on earth, play the gig of
their lives, but instead had a nightmare.

Anyway, i've written to the record company but don't expect to hear
anything...

Tim

-- 
"Don't need to start a revolution, in my mind's a flower, a solution
just gotta plant a lot of seed, love and peace is what we need
you gotta live life to gain illumination, mama left me at the soul
station
all this ain't helping much at all, I'm the one they call King Monkey"

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