Isle of Pride

[Max Power]

8 minutes ago, manxfisherman said:

That kind of thing is completely insane.  

Apparently you cannot take your own suncream to the etihad for the football today.

I recently watched a documentary on Woodstock, you know, three days of peace, love and music. Well the organisers repeated the theme every few years with little bother. 

In 1999 they again secured a former military airfield in NY State and set about organising the acts of the day, Limp Bizkit, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Megadeth etc etc. 

On the weekend, it was blazing hot, they confiscated food and water on the gate to protect the concessions, the toilets and showers were a health hazard, queues for water at $4 a bottle. Security was inadequate and the combination of the aggressive music, drugs and alcohol, cheap as water, resulted in riots, fires and deaths. 

I'd hate to see this repeated at the Villa     

[tuono]

51 minutes ago, John Wright said:

Of course, but I’m not sure that the type of show/event/amount of alcohol is comparable. Or the risk of an attack. There are still some LGBTQI phobics around. Do we have militant members of PETA or meat exclusionary vegan vigilantes?

Those querying the reasons for searches should consider asking the organisers why it was necessary.  The cops and the organisers would have been in liaison prior to the event and the need to search people rationalised and agreed. Or just maybe there was some information which upped the risk assessments leading to the searches.  

[The Voice of Reason]

5 hours ago, John Wright said:

Not sure why AS should be the arbiter. 

Perhaps I should have said “who am I “ rather than “who are we”

As a non gay individual who thus was not subjected to the police harassment of that time I can say, as many in a similar position do, that it was disgusting and much worse.

I can also opine on the apology itself as it appears to be addressed to the Manx public as a whole ( through Claire Barber) rather than being restricted to the gay community.

However my opinion on the apology, albeit as valid as anyone else’s, is of much less value,than the opinions of those directly affected by the police actions.

AS came to symbolise those people, by going public and putting his head above the parapet. I’m not suggesting there weren’t others doing their bit but he was the one giving interviews to national newspapers etc and is the individual in most peoples minds associated with the struggle for reform.

I was at that infamous Tynwald where Alan Shea was booed and jeered by the baying mob.He nevertheless walked up to the hill, head held high. (“Respect”, I believe is what the young people say nowadays as praise)

That, together with his subsequent campaigning makes me give weight to his opinion.

There is no arbiter. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions as to whether the apology is sufficient but I think it’s worth taking into account the views of one who was in the middle of all this

 

[HeliX]

18 minutes ago, Max Power said:

aggressive music

Who are you, parents in the 60s? Come on now.

[HeliX]

6 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

Perhaps I should have said “who am I “ rather than “who are we”

As a non gay individual who thus was not subjected to the police harassment of that time I can say, as many in a similar position do, that it was disgusting and much worse.

I can also opine on the apology itself as it appears to be addressed to the Manx public as a whole ( through Claire Barber) rather than being restricted to the gay community.

However my opinion on the apology, albeit as valid as anyone else’s, is of much less value,than the opinions of those directly affected by the police actions.

AS came to symbolise those people, by going public and putting his head above the parapet. I’m not suggesting there weren’t others doing their bit but he was the one giving interviews to national newspapers etc and is the individual in most peoples minds associated with the struggle for reform.

I was at that infamous Tynwald where Alan Shea was booed and jeered by the baying mob.He nevertheless walked up to the hill, head held high. (“Respect”, I believe is what the young people say nowadays as praise)

That, together with his subsequent campaigning makes me give weight to his opinion.

There is no arbiter. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions as to whether the apology is sufficient but I think it’s worth taking into account the views of one who was in the middle of all this

 

I don't think the signs relate primarily to the historic actions of the police.

[Max Power]

5 minutes ago, HeliX said:

Who are you, parents in the 60s? Come on now.

Not my words, those of the organiser Michael Lang. They were appealing to the acts to tone it down but to no avail. Fred Durst refused point blank saying, "They came to see Limp Bizkit and that's what they will see." The crowd were wound up into a rage and with the other ingredients they exploded, have you heard any of these bands? I quite like most of them but I can see how it happened!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_'99

 

[Passing Time]

6 hours ago, John Wright said:

There’s all sorts.

Red & Yellow for Tynwald day.

pink for breast cancer awareness

green for 17 March

orange for leukaemia survivor

etc

Every single one you mentioned above also embraces LGBT...

[John Wright]

16 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

Every single one you mentioned above also embraces LGBT...

I think you’ve missed the point of flags, coloured illumination etc.

[Gladys]

14 hours ago, Passing Time said:

What kind of lighting would you suggest for the non gay people who are happy getting along with them?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_ally

[HeliX]

29 minutes ago, Max Power said:

Not my words, those of the organiser Michael Lang. They were appealing to the acts to tone it down but to no avail. Fred Durst refused point blank saying, "They came to see Limp Bizkit and that's what they will see." The crowd were wound up into a rage and with the other ingredients they exploded, have you heard any of these bands? I quite like most of them but I can see how it happened!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock_'99

 

Yes I've heard all of those bands. But it's the same nonsense parroted after Columbine etc. Aggressive music doesn't lead to aggression.

 

EDIT: I wouldn't really describe Limp Bizkit as aggressive, either. This is aggressive:

 

Edited August 14, 2022 by HeliX

[Max Power]

1 hour ago, HeliX said:

Yes I've heard all of those bands. But it's the same nonsense parroted after Columbine etc. Aggressive music doesn't lead to aggression.

 

EDIT: I wouldn't really describe Limp Bizkit as aggressive, either. This is aggressive:

 

I wouldn't have thought so either, but they were being inciteful on this occasion, more with speaking than in music I guess. 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2022 by Max Power

[HeliX]

14 minutes ago, Max Power said:

I wouldn't have thought so either, but they were being inciteful on this occasion, more with speaking than in music I guess. 

 

 

Deflection by the culpable organisers for an utter shit-show of an event in my view. I've been lucky enough to go to a lot of live shows, including those with attendances in the tens of thousands, metal crowds are by far the nicest. Yes, there's a lot of energy, but you won't find a set of fans more caring in any other genre in my experience. People getting knocked to the floor in a pit get picked up immediately by the people behind them, any time there's a medical issue (and there has been at a lot of the events I've been to - usually exhaustion/dehydration related), the crowd makes a path for EMS immediately. The heavier the band, the kinder the fans in my experience.

[Mr Helmut Fromage]

2 hours ago, HeliX said:

I don't think the signs relate primarily to the historic actions of the police.

They were displayed by one of the brought in acts - who returned to the stage to advise it was their opinion and not necessarily etc etc - possibly a telling off.

Family member making his annual trip home was there - coincidence in timing with Pride being on.

His comments were very positive about the event- saying he felt privileged to be there as a 50+ year old gay manxman - saying when he went to “further his career” in London 30 years ago he couldn’t have envisioned it ever happening here.

His comment on the Police- “only saw 2 of them should have been more alcohol, sun and a whole lot of possible ex’s is a potential nightmare”

[Declan]

5 hours ago, Max Power said:

I recently watched a documentary on Woodstock, you know, three days of peace, love and music. Well the organisers repeated the theme every few years with little bother. 

In 1999 they again secured a former military airfield in NY State and set about organising the acts of the day, Limp Bizkit, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Megadeth etc etc. 

On the weekend, it was blazing hot, they confiscated food and water on the gate to protect the concessions, the toilets and showers were a health hazard, queues for water at $4 a bottle. Security was inadequate and the combination of the aggressive music, drugs and alcohol, cheap as water, resulted in riots, fires and deaths. 

I'd hate to see this repeated at the Villa     

Yeah interesting documentary. That’s what happens when you ask the Boomer generation in America to run things.  They didn’t realise they were dealing with a different generation of festival goer. And they didn’t really have the experience of festival organisation the equivalent U.K. festivals had at that time. 
 

But we’re a generation on from then anyway. And it’s a very different event. Tracy Chapman covers may Talk About A Revolution but they’re not going to incite a riot. 
 

That said friends of mine had water confiscated. And the beer tent was selling canned water. Fortunately the Foraging Vintners stall was giving away water but there was a long queue. Even the hyper-corporate British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park has taps you can fill up your water bottle from. 
 

 

[Declan]

3 hours ago, Max Power said:

I wouldn't have thought so either, but they were being inciteful on this occasion, more with speaking than in music I guess. 

 

 

It’s absolutely a deflection from the audience but the performers have a responsibility to their fans in mosh pit. I’ve seen lots of bands - even notoriously chaotic ones - pause the show, tell everyone to step back and play a ballad when the situation demanded. In the documentary Bush did that the night before. 
 

But Fred Durst was a macho-bro type and he was having his moment and revelled in it.