Excuse-Me-Ers

[18Alex18]

On Saturday night I went to see Bloc Party and on Tuesday I went to see the Gaslight Anthem. As I always do with gigs, I got to each about 30 minutes early (7 for a 7:30 start) to be sure of being near-ish to the front. The problem is, you then feel obliged to stay in your position that you arrived so early to claim and desperately try not to go to the bar/toilet and risk losing your position.

Now, I know it's not very "rock n' roll" and all that, but the ignorance of people really does annoy me sometimes. The people who I'm talking about are the people who, push up to you, say "excuse me" and you let them through, only for them to stand right in front of you, clearly having turned up late and still expecting to get a great position. The problem is, they exploit you for not knowing why they are asking to be let through. They could easily have just been to the toilet and are trying to find their friends, so you, being a good kinded person let them through, but it drives me mad when people "excuse me" their way to the front as if they have a right to be there over everyone who's stood through the support acts for hours.

I branded these people "excuse-me-ers" after an incident at Gaslight Anthem. Two girls asked me to let them past about half way through Gaslight Anthem's set, only to stand right in front of me with huge handbags on which then slapped me in the face for the rest of the set to the point where I was leaning backwards to avoid them.

Has anyone else ever felt this way? Or am I just making a big deal of it?

Is there anything else that annoys you at gigs?

Edited June 7, 2009 by 18Alex18

[themuel]

No I completely agree, it is my biggest irritation at gigs/festivals etc. Completely inconsiderate and rude, a close second of course is people on shoulders, aaaargh.

[Grimmy]

On Saturday night I went to see Bloc Party and on Tuesday I went to see the Gaslight Anthem. As I always do with gigs, I got to each about 30 minutes early (7 for a 7:30 start) to be sure of being near-ish to the front. The problem is, you then feel obliged to stay in your position that you arrived so early to claim and desperately try not to go to the bar/toilet and risk losing your position.

Now, I know it's not very "rock n' roll" and all that, but the ignorance of people really does annoy me sometimes. The people who I'm talking about are the people who, push up to you, say "excuse me" and you let them through, only for them to stand right in front of you, clearly having turned up late and still expecting to get a great position. The problem is, they exploit you for not knowing why they are asking to be let through. They could easily have just been to the toilet and are trying to find their friends, so you, being a good kinded person let them through, but it drives me mad when people "excuse me" there way to the front as if they have a right to be there over everyone who's stood through the support acts for hours.

I branded these people "excuse-me-ers" after an incident at Gaslight Anthem. Two girls asked me to let them past about half way through Gaslight Anthem's set, only to stand right in front of me with huge handbags on which then slapped me in the face for the rest of the set to the point where I was leaning backwards to avoid them.

It always seems to be people aged between about 16-20 who disrespect everyone else there to get to where THEY want to be.

Has anyone else ever felt this way? Or am I just making a big deal of it?

Is there anything else that annoys you at gigs?

Edited February 7, 2009 by Grimmy

[18Alex18]

No I completely agree, it is my biggest irritation at gigs/festivals etc. Completely inconsiderate and rude, a close second of course is people on shoulders, aaaargh.

[18Alex18]

I'm with you there brother, never found it a problem until I started going to gigs with my girlfriend. I'm 6'2 so I can see over the crowd as long as I'm in a reasonable position but she's 5'2 so we tend to go early so that she can see what's going on. Now I see how many people do this, it's a pain in the arse and very bad manners.

I tend not to have any other problems with people at festivals but when I was younger I hated women dancing close behind me so that their boobs kept pushing against me, then I got a bit older and started to like it

[Joshuwarr]

I'm sorry but a lot of the time I can't just stand in one place for ages. I tend to need the toilet or want a drink which isn't unreasonable! If you let somebody past then you cant be shocked if they stand in front of you can you! If somebody told me no then I'd be cool with it and just stick with where I am or go to a different spot. Its a bloody gig at the end of the day, people are so paranoid about people around them. You should be dancing and having a good time so I find it hard to believe you'll be in that exact spot anyway. People on shoulders is annoying though. Fair enough if its for a minute at the most but when its rowdy people just doing it to purposefully look a tit then I dont agree.

Oh and I'd be a little concerned if somebody wished to spend their whole day at the Pyramid Stage!

[strudders]

No I completely agree, it is my biggest irritation at gigs/festivals etc. Completely inconsiderate and rude, a close second of course is people on shoulders, aaaargh.

[Grimmy]

I'm sorry but a lot of the time I can't just stand in one place for ages. I tend to need the toilet or want a drink which isn't unreasonable! If you let somebody past then you cant be shocked if they stand in front of you can you! If somebody told me no then I'd be cool with it and just stick with where I am or go to a different spot. Its a bloody gig at the end of the day, people are so paranoid about people around them. You should be dancing and having a good time so I find it hard to believe you'll be in that exact spot anyway. People on shoulders is annoying though. Fair enough if its for a minute at the most but when its rowdy people just doing it to purposefully look a tit then I dont agree.

Oh and I'd be a little concerned if somebody wished to spend their whole day at the Pyramid Stage!

[18Alex18]

I'm sorry but a lot of the time I can't just stand in one place for ages. I tend to need the toilet or want a drink which isn't unreasonable! If you let somebody past then you cant be shocked if they stand in front of you can you! If somebody told me no then I'd be cool with it and just stick with where I am or go to a different spot. Its a bloody gig at the end of the day, people are so paranoid about people around them. You should be dancing and having a good time so I find it hard to believe you'll be in that exact spot anyway. People on shoulders is annoying though. Fair enough if its for a minute at the most but when its rowdy people just doing it to purposefully look a tit then I dont agree.

Oh and I'd be a little concerned if somebody wished to spend their whole day at the Pyramid Stage!

[18Alex18]

He's not having a go at people moving, he has a problem with people asking him to move so that they can stand where he was standing or an inch in front. IMO the rule is you go as far as you can without pushing anyone out the way or asking anyone to move, you can generally get pretty far like that anyway at most gigs.

[lofichic]

Hmm. I think it depends. I will weave my way through a crowd at a festival to see someone I like, but not into the really densely packed front bit. At most Glasto crowds anyway, even up until the last headliner, the crowd will disperse to just a minimal packed front of 20-30 rows anyway, so you can wait until between sets to move.

What I find far more annoying is people right toward the front (anywhere in front of the sound desk really) who stand there with their mates gabbing through a band. At Bjork in 2007 I was stood next to a bloke emulating Dom Joly, on his phone constantly for the first 3 songs. What a tosser. (I doubt he stopped after 3, I had to move...)

It's all about showing a bit of respect for the people around you. If you are going to weave, be sensible about it. My actual full on festival pet hate is men without tops on at the front. I don't want your arms waving in the air and your armpits pressing in my face. It's not pleasant

Edited February 7, 2009 by lofichic

[Joshuwarr]

I think I understand your point a bit more now. I guess you have put across quite a fair case!

[stutheblue]

What I hate is when people sing really loudly and badly right in your ear.

If I wanted that I'd have gone to the local karaoke night when everybody is pissed.

The worst case when I was at a From the Jam concert and the bloke behind me obviously thought he was Paul Weller, and whatever way I moved he always seemed to be right in my left ear.

[disasterplan44]

Umbrellas. Sure, it keeps you dry but what about the people around you? They get the contents of the sky's drip try. Awesome.

[18Alex18]

A few examples of annoying things...

Has anyone ever been under one of these because I imagine that'd be very irritating!

The classic, poorly designed venue.

The sit-on-shoulders approach. Look at the discomfort of everyone around, especially the guy in front.

The umbrella which is tantamount to saying "Why won't you just rain on other people and leave me alone!"

[tylerdurden]

hmm i agree with it all, but what do you expect? everyone wants to be as close to the front as possible, which will involve people moving past people, that person may be you, if you let someone past the chances are they'll stand in front of you or even further forward than that. imagine if everyone turned up at a gig early and stood in rows people will move about, people will push forward, people will jump about etc. the umbrella and shoulders things a bit annoying though

[Boris]

Actually I agree. The excuse-me-ers are just selfishly tricking you cause they know you're not going to be a twat and start asking why they want to get past. I'd rather they just shoved past in fact.

[redmosquito]

I really hate it when people take loads of pictures. A few pics I have absolutely no problem with but a few years ago I went to see Pearl Jam at Wembley Arena and had to watch practically the whole gig on the girl in fronts camera screen because she just wouldn't take it down and it was right in front of my face and blocked my view of the stage. When she did take it down it was because she was taking pictures of herself and her mates so I had a flash going of in my face.

It was an amazing gig but ruined by some stupid woman who's pics of the band probably never came out very well as we weren't exactly close to the stage.

[Joshuwarr]

What I hate is when people moan about people jumping about and moshing. If you dont like it bloody move dont stand in the way of those trying to have a good time.

[disasterplan44]

I really hate it when people take loads of pictures. A few pics I have absolutely no problem with but a few years ago I went to see Pearl Jam at Wembley Arena and had to watch practically the whole gig on the girl in fronts camera screen because she just wouldn't take it down and it was right in front of my face and blocked my view of the stage. When she did take it down it was because she was taking pictures of herself and her mates so I had a flash going of in my face.

It was an amazing gig but ruined by some stupid woman who's pics of the band probably never came out very well as we weren't exactly close to the stage.

[Petewasbristol]

This is where the barrier is beautiful at festivals (For the Pyramid anyway). Seriously, get in front of the barrier to see an act you really like at Glasto and you don't get a single person pushing past you. You can turn around though and see people cursing and asking the security if they can jump over the bar (Which they can't!!).

Last year I watched, Cohen, Goldfrapp and verve and not one person pushed past me.

There were problems though with the JPS though, I can remember Glasvegas being a nightmarre for people pushing past, I just gave up and went in the end.

[mouth]

I really hate it when people take loads of pictures. A few pics I have absolutely no problem with but a few years ago I went to see Pearl Jam at Wembley Arena and had to watch practically the whole gig on the girl in fronts camera screen because she just wouldn't take it down and it was right in front of my face and blocked my view of the stage. When she did take it down it was because she was taking pictures of herself and her mates so I had a flash going of in my face.

It was an amazing gig but ruined by some stupid woman who's pics of the band probably never came out very well as we weren't exactly close to the stage.

[glasto_mongrel_2008]

I don't really mind too much, 9 times out of ten the only way you're gonna get a decent view anyway is if you're proper at the front or super tall. The way I see it there's already a few hundred/thousand folks in front of me, one more isn't gonna make a difference. What does piss me off though is when one person comes through and then everyone acts like a new bypass has opened right next to me and suddenly there's a hundred of the mongrels barging past.

[flibbitybob]

My actual full on festival pet hate is men without tops on at the front. I don't want your arms waving in the air and your armpits pressing in my face. It's not pleasant

[blue&white]

Great subject to get everyone on their soapboxes!

As I stand 6-3 I am very mindful of being an obstruction, so tend to get to gigs early so that anyone standing nearby has a choice to move to have a good view. When the gig is just about to start I tend to see who is standing behind, and frequently let anyone shorter stand in front - afterall, it is nice to get on with each other!

However, I seem to attract the 6-6+ guys who seem to think they can push past and stand in front of me, so it is a bit like a reversed domino effect.

Moving on to a bit of a rant, people on mobiles can really ruin things for me, and they tend to be at the quiet gigs! I tend to be very polite, asking them a few times, reminding that I'm not there to listen to them, but it rarely works - why? What does work is saying, fairly loudly "shut the f*** up", which does tend to work but then everyone around thinks you are an aggresive so and so!

People having a very public p*** in the middle of the crowd is another one! I'm all for everyone having a great time, me too, I'll be drinking all day long but then I'll do the right thing - the worst experience was in 2003 at Glasto just before Radiohead - totally rammed, and some guy who has just pushed in then thinks it is a good idea to have a p*** on the ground. But after 10 hours of drinking, he's going to be spraying everywhere - he had second thoughts when I told him "do that sonny and I'm going to s*** on your head" - he stopped!!!

And I'm surprised that no one has mentioned this, but FLAGS AT GLASTO! What's that all about, apart from your dear old mum knowing you're still alive, and so you can see yourself on your Sky+ recording.

Guess it is my old age!!!