80,000 people rocked out!
Over the weekend 80,000 people converged in Concord, NC for an epic concert festival,
Carolina Rebellion. There were 39 bands, three days, and multiple stages for these metal bands to head bang all weekend with their die hard fans. My husband, Jerry, and his friend, Marcus, attended the rock concert and had the most amazing time!
I couldn't help but ask them about security for an event of this size and type. They actually were pleasantly surprised at how tame the event was given the attendees and scope.
Of course there were mosh pits, but during many of these mosh pits if someone fell down those involved stopped to help the person up. I was shocked at this camaraderie, but it goes to show that perceptions are not everything. While this group of people may like to scream, jump around, and party hard, they actually do care about their fellow fans.
The bottles of water that they purchased had the lids off. I couldn't imagine why, but they explained. This was to prevent people from putting the caps between their fingers and using it like brass knuckles to punch people. Some people are way more creative than I'll ever be.
Jerry and Marcus also noted between Saturday and Sunday some things changed. On Saturday, they were able to purchase chicken on a skewer. This was an immediate red flag to me. If someone seriously thought this was a good idea, they were wrong. Thus, on Sunday the delicious appetizer wasn't sold. No surprise there.
Jerry noticed that there were a handful of young kids (around fifteen years old) in attendance, seemingly unsupervised. Although Jerry meant it when he said the concert was surprisingly tame, he also said there was no way he would bring our son to a concert like this. There was even a dad there with a five year old on his shoulders! Way too young for our taste. I'm not one to judge other people's parenting, but this seemed a little extreme.
It was apparent that this wasn't a place I would be interested in going (or sending our son), but Jerry and Marcus can hold their own. They knew what they were getting into and kept their guard up while they attended. Of course, they both knew that there would be attendees that were drunk, high, or both, and they were mindful of the dangers of being around people that are not necessarily in the right state of mind. Making smart decisions and understanding the crowd can be everything when you're deciding to go to an event like this. Jerry also made the decision that he would not be drinking while he was there, which allowed him to remain sharp to the people around him. It was such a smart plan to have for the two of them.
After each performance the group does a meet and greet. Jerry chuckled when he described some of the metal bands that wore black masks, spiked jewelry, or black eyeliner and mascara running down their faces. The part that made him laugh was when these bands turned out to have the best manners. It just goes to show you that being on stage is about putting on an awesome show, and not necessarily part of their off-stage personalities.
The performance stages were quite a distance from each other, which was different from the last time that Jerry attended one of these concerts. It allowed the next group to start the second that the group before them finished. Previously, the two main stages were side-by-side. This time around the stages were about a half mile to three-quarters of a mile apart.
While Jerry didn't necessarily like this aspect having to rush to get to the next stage if it was a band he wanted to hear, I actually thought this was genius. It caused the crowds to move and thus created a flow of traffic. It would disperse the crowd from the stage that was finished and allow people that wanted to see the next band on that stage an opportunity to get into place. Jerry is right in that it is tough if you want to see bands that are performing back to back on opposing stages to move from one stage to the next, but from a safety stand point you don't have people stuck in one place for hours at a time becoming restless.
I applaud the planners for Carolina Rebellion. It sounded like the event was organized, well thought out, and willing to adjust to any missteps that occurred over the weekend.
I'm going to stick to my tame education-based, government clients for the time being, but I can definitely understand the appeal for the thrill of concert planning. Kudos to those out there that take this on for a living.
If you have stories about planning concerts or concerts you've attended and you'd like to share, feel free to contact me or leave your stories in the comments!
I couldn't help but ask them about security for an event of this size and type. They actually were pleasantly surprised at how tame the event was given the attendees and scope.
Mosh Pits that Care?
Of course there were mosh pits, but during many of these mosh pits if someone fell down those involved stopped to help the person up. I was shocked at this camaraderie, but it goes to show that perceptions are not everything. While this group of people may like to scream, jump around, and party hard, they actually do care about their fellow fans.
Deadly Items
The bottles of water that they purchased had the lids off. I couldn't imagine why, but they explained. This was to prevent people from putting the caps between their fingers and using it like brass knuckles to punch people. Some people are way more creative than I'll ever be.
Jerry and Marcus also noted between Saturday and Sunday some things changed. On Saturday, they were able to purchase chicken on a skewer. This was an immediate red flag to me. If someone seriously thought this was a good idea, they were wrong. Thus, on Sunday the delicious appetizer wasn't sold. No surprise there.
Bring your Child to Metal Concert Day?
Jerry noticed that there were a handful of young kids (around fifteen years old) in attendance, seemingly unsupervised. Although Jerry meant it when he said the concert was surprisingly tame, he also said there was no way he would bring our son to a concert like this. There was even a dad there with a five year old on his shoulders! Way too young for our taste. I'm not one to judge other people's parenting, but this seemed a little extreme.
Know What You're Getting
It was apparent that this wasn't a place I would be interested in going (or sending our son), but Jerry and Marcus can hold their own. They knew what they were getting into and kept their guard up while they attended. Of course, they both knew that there would be attendees that were drunk, high, or both, and they were mindful of the dangers of being around people that are not necessarily in the right state of mind. Making smart decisions and understanding the crowd can be everything when you're deciding to go to an event like this. Jerry also made the decision that he would not be drinking while he was there, which allowed him to remain sharp to the people around him. It was such a smart plan to have for the two of them.
Behind the Scenes
After each performance the group does a meet and greet. Jerry chuckled when he described some of the metal bands that wore black masks, spiked jewelry, or black eyeliner and mascara running down their faces. The part that made him laugh was when these bands turned out to have the best manners. It just goes to show you that being on stage is about putting on an awesome show, and not necessarily part of their off-stage personalities.
Separating the Stages
The performance stages were quite a distance from each other, which was different from the last time that Jerry attended one of these concerts. It allowed the next group to start the second that the group before them finished. Previously, the two main stages were side-by-side. This time around the stages were about a half mile to three-quarters of a mile apart.
While Jerry didn't necessarily like this aspect having to rush to get to the next stage if it was a band he wanted to hear, I actually thought this was genius. It caused the crowds to move and thus created a flow of traffic. It would disperse the crowd from the stage that was finished and allow people that wanted to see the next band on that stage an opportunity to get into place. Jerry is right in that it is tough if you want to see bands that are performing back to back on opposing stages to move from one stage to the next, but from a safety stand point you don't have people stuck in one place for hours at a time becoming restless.
Kudos
I applaud the planners for Carolina Rebellion. It sounded like the event was organized, well thought out, and willing to adjust to any missteps that occurred over the weekend.
I'm going to stick to my tame education-based, government clients for the time being, but I can definitely understand the appeal for the thrill of concert planning. Kudos to those out there that take this on for a living.
If you have stories about planning concerts or concerts you've attended and you'd like to share, feel free to contact me or leave your stories in the comments!