Us Tall People

[MetaKate]

16 minutes ago, Sasperella said:

Well aren't you a sweetie for worrying about such things? Although, it makes me a bit sad that there must have been a lot of people complaining to you for you to become so hyper-aware of it!

My two cents is: Sure, you're a little on the tall side, but it's all relative isn't it? I have a friend coming this year who is 5ft 1. She's obviously not going to be telling everyone in front of her that they're too tall and can they kindly move please, or she wouldn't have time to do anything else. I suspect that, rather like @MetaKate, she is also used to it by now. You're probably only being told to move out of the way by people of average height or over. Plenty of taller people have stood in front of me at gigs (I'm 5 ft 10), it's just all part of the craic.

I say, think yourself lucky, get yourself a beer and have a grand old time  

 

I'm 5'2 and I went up on someone's shoulders the first time in September. I was honestly shocked to see the stage, realizing I never really had at a festival. Usually if I get a good spot i'm lucky to see the top half of the performer. 

It was a weird shift in perspective realizing that tall people get to see that all the time. 

In my perfect world there would be a stage split, everyone to one side of the stage would be regular chaos, stand with your friends, proceed as normal.... but the other side, organized by height. A perfect view for everyone involved. Something about perfection really kills my soul though and I'd probably end up on the chaos side unable to see like usual.

The only true solution is everyone gets jetpacks. 

 

[stuartbert two hats]

47 minutes ago, FakeEmpire said:

3. If you are a late comer, navigating through an already busy crowd, do not stop directly in front of someone shorter than you.  This goes for all of us.  It is very annoying when you get into a good spot and then just as the band starts, someone starts pushing in and stops directly in front of you making it too late for you to move without doing the same thing to someone else.

Hang on, isn't the logical conclusion of this that tall people must never be late? If everyone is shorter than them then this seems to be putting unreasonable restrictions on them.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

3 minutes ago, MetaKate said:

The only true solution is everyone gets jetpacks. 

Back To The Future said we'd have hoverboards by 2015...

[FakeEmpire]

1 minute ago, stuartbert two hats said:

Hang on, isn't the logical conclusion of this that tall people must never be late? If everyone is shorter than them then this seems to be putting unreasonable restrictions on them.

No, not at all.   I'm really referring to getting right up front in the busier sets . If you're late, try not to push all the way through where there are no noticeable gaps and stand in front of someone much shorter.

If I turn up to a set just as it's starting then I accept that I'm going to be a bit further back the crowd.   I don't think it's fair to force my way in and stop right in front of someone shorter if there's not really any room.

 

[Sasperella]

4 minutes ago, MetaKate said:

Something about perfection really kills my soul though and I'd probably end up on the chaos side unable to see like usual

Chaos wins. Especially chaos with jetpacks

[Tommy101]

I tend to be considerate when picking a spot, make sure the people behind me have a chance of seeing, swapping with them or others in my group if it helps but then as all the above have said it's not a queue, you have the right to be there as much as anyone else. 

I wouldn't tut at a shorter person because they can fit on a plane or an old theatre with the same leg room as me. You win some you lose some. 

[Hawros]

9 minutes ago, FakeEmpire said:

If I turn up to a set just as it's starting then I accept that I'm going to be a bit further back the crowd.   I don't think it's fair to force my way in and stop right in front of someone shorter if there's not really any room.

 

?Exactly this. I've got a gig friend who's taller than your average bear. His attitude is to get there early, then he's free of the guilt, people can form around him.

Obvs not as practical at festivals as regular gigs.

[Woffy]

I had to have a polite word with a large group in front of us at the Pyramid last time for Chic.

We were well towards the back third of the field and a group moved into the space in front of us - fair enough.

Some of them were tall, some weren't.

They then ALL proceeded to produce these small foldable steps which they then all stood on to create a wall of bodies completely blocking the stage.

[Sasperella]

3 minutes ago, Woffy said:

They then ALL proceeded to produce these small foldable steps which they then all stood on to create a wall of bodies completely blocking the stage.

? I mean, that really is some next-level shit! How polite were you able to be?

See, @wingnut2711 - you really have nothing to worry about! 

[MetaKate]

21 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

Hang on, isn't the logical conclusion of this that tall people must never be late? If everyone is shorter than them then this seems to be putting unreasonable restrictions on them.

I think theres also a massive difference between being taller than someone vs. Someone being short. I think if the person behind you can see over your shoulder then its negligable. 

I'm 5'2... if someone about 5'10 stands in front of me I just have to move an inch and see around their head which is not a problem. If I cant see over their shoulders is when my view is majorly obstructed as I just see a wall that is a body. 

So if you're say 6'2 and the person behind you is over 5'6 (which is an average womens height) then its probably not a massive issue as they can see over your shoulder. 

 

[Acid Loafers]

I'm not super tall and I just live with it. It's a lottery I lost and you won, no hard feelings. Enjoy the show and the view  

 

[Woffy]

10 minutes ago, Sasperella said:

? I mean, that really is some next-level shit! How polite were you able to be?

See, @wingnut2711 - you really have nothing to worry about! 

I just pointed out that it was a bit inconsiderate, plus we were towards the back of the field and pretty far away, so standing on something wouldn't really improve your view anyway. They looked a bit disgruntled, but all put their stool things away.

[Tranquility of Solitude]

Not much you can do about your height, and feel free to dance like a nutter and wave your arms about. Just don’t stand there with your arms aloft throughout the gig filming/taking pics with your phone. If you wanted to see the gig through an electronic medium you should have stayed home. 

At Larkin Poe recently the guy in front of my very short daughter spent the entire set doing this. We would have had words but my daughter asked me not to. 

[Woffy]

42 minutes ago, MetaKate said:

I'm 5'2 and I went up on someone's shoulders the first time in September.

Was that when your profile pic was taken or are you wearing a really weird sporran?

[giantkatestacks]

As others it is really only the last minuters that annoy me. At the Stones we were well in the thick of it and I just about had a view if I was on my tip toes with some occasional leaping and then a big group pushed in front (there wasnt a gap) and a tall person wearing a top hat stood right in front of me. Plus they then chatted all the way through. We shuffled our way slowly sideways throughout the set but it was annoying. 

[Sasperella]

2 minutes ago, Tranquility of Solitude said:

Just don’t stand there with your arms aloft throughout the gig filming/taking pics with your phone. If you wanted to see the gig through an electronic medium you should have stayed home. 

Yes! This is much much worse than being tall! You can't do anything about being tall, you can do something about being a dick

[Gingerfish79]

One or two people with their mates really isn't a 'big' problem, just inevitable at live music. The problem only really lasts for a song or two as the natural movement of a crowd at a gig means you rarely end up behind the same person for long.  

I have a much bigger issue with 'talkers' and people videoing the entire gig on a phone right in front so that I effectively have to watch on said phone.

[Iron14]

I'm 6ft7 and - whilst if it is obvious i'm blocking someone i'll ask them if they want to stand in front of me - it is no more my fault that i am tall than their fault that they are small(er). 

[FuzzyDunlop]

I am 6ft 3 /6ft 4 ish. Apart from standing in front of my 5ft 1 mate occasionally to get on her nerves - I try to be considerate, but it's not my fault I am tall, no more than it's someone else fault they are small. 

[amfy]

I am 5’10 & can end up on either end of this problem & definitely identify with tall person guilt. 

......but I actually think the best thing a tall person can do is enjoy it. The absolute worst is being stuck behind a tall person who just stands there, or worse, spends the whole gig chatting to their mate. Then they are like a wall between you & the atmosphere, which is actually worse than being a wall between you & the view!

There’s nothing worse than feeling the person who is blocking your view doesn’t even really want to be there! Absolute buzzkill.

 

[hfuhruhurr]

Everyone should move and keep moving - that would be fab.

We'd have no outer people crust where you can't get through.

No one would say "this is my spot"

No tall dude issues.

You'd meet a lot more people.

OK, so this is a mosh pit, bugger, thought I had an idea then.

[duke88]

I'm pretty short for a bloke. While it can be annoying to have some giant plonk themselves in front of you just before an act comes on, it's just one of those things. It's not their fault. You just get used to it. 

Even as a short arse myself, I will ask if someone wants to stand in front of me if I notice they are shorter than me and behind me. I was actually really chuffed when someone tutted at me for standing in front of them at a Staves gig once, first time I've ever been tall enough to block someone's view!

Would be much better if every venue had a sloped floor like Brixton Academy!

 

[Tdiz]

Maybe we should all just stand in height order before each act comes out on stage shortest at the front tallest at the back. Once you are in place you can't move. 

No Hats or flags allowed

Everyone is allowed to take one photo to show on social media that they are there doing a thing if they want.  No filming as the BBC do a pretty good job of this already.

Anyone who fails to comply with the rules above has to leave the festival.

 

[gigpusher]

I'm a short person and my only issue is when tall people barge in front of me at the last minute particularly when they are so tall they can easily see over my shoulders if they had stayed behind me. 

I know the problem well though as we have a tall friend (6 foot 5 inches) Our tactic is usually to turn up in plenty of time and when the gig starts I stand in front of him. It usually works but not always. At Glastonbury my golden rule is if someone's behaviour is bothering us we just move. It's not worth staying anywhere and getting annoyed about but we are lucky there are usually just 2 of us so we can mobilise pretty easily.  

[scaryclaireyfairy]

I'm 5'4 and long resigned to being lucky to see the screens for over-subscribed sets where finding a better angle is impossible. On the very rare occasions I've sheepishly asked if I can stand in front of a wall of talls that's suddenly appeared in a tight space, they've always been perfectly happy to let me.

Agree with @amfy that chatterers are far worse.