May be one of the answers to the queuing is to open the doors early and let the fans spend themselves out before the show starts. Part of the problem was people frantic to get their goods and then get back to the show. It would have also have stopped the fans having to wait so long in the rain.
Chris Monk wrote:May be one of the answers to the queuing is to open the doors early and let the fans spend themselves out before the show starts. Part of the problem was people frantic to get their goods and then get back to the show. It would have also have stopped the fans having to wait so long in the rain.
Some people were absolutely drenched through,it was a dreadful night and im sure they could have let people in to at least visit the merch-stall before the show
Chris Monk wrote:May be one of the answers to the queuing is to open the doors early and let the fans spend themselves out before the show starts. Part of the problem was people frantic to get their goods and then get back to the show. It would have also have stopped the fans having to wait so long in the rain.
Some people were absolutely drenched through,it was a dreadful night and im sure they could have let people in to at least visit the merch-stall before the show
I'm sure they could have staggered it too. On person with a radio inside letting the door people know when the merch stand was less congested.
epsilon75 wrote:Some people were absolutely drenched through
That would have been me. Up until Trauma started playing I was thinking "What the hell am I doing in the godforsaken place, soaked to the skin and really miserable?". Two seconds later and total transformation.
epsilon75 wrote:Some people were absolutely drenched through
That would have been me. Up until Trauma started playing I was thinking "What the hell am I doing in the godforsaken place, soaked to the skin and really miserable?". Two seconds later and total transformation.
What? It was a nice place, you were really dry and very happy?
Chris Monk wrote:May be one of the answers to the queuing is to open the doors early and let the fans spend themselves out before the show starts. Part of the problem was people frantic to get their goods and then get back to the show. It would have also have stopped the fans having to wait so long in the rain.
Some people were absolutely drenched through,it was a dreadful night and im sure they could have let people in to at least visit the merch-stall before the show
I'm sure they could have staggered it too. On person with a radio inside letting the door people know when the merch stand was less congested.
Absolutely correct Glyn,it did not need an genius to work it out
Not to be too rude but I don't think the forum staff/security guys had a brain cell between them so no way could they have thought up anything sensible like a queue for the Merch or letting us in before we all drowned!! After all that would be like brain surgery or rocket science - way over their collective little heads. I have to say I thought the Forum wasn't too bad but the staff have to be the worst I have come across in many a good year!
ant wrote: Not to be too rude but I don't think the forum staff/security guys had a brain cell between them so no way could they have thought up anything sensible like a queue for the Merch or letting us in before we all drowned!! After all that would be like brain surgery or rocket science - way over their collective little heads. I have to say I thought the Forum wasn't too bad but the staff have to be the worst I have come across in many a good year!
I have to agree....I still cant believe they decided to check everyones tickets upstairs literally 10 minutes before the show started and surely to god they could have let us all in a bit earlier seeing as though it was lashing it down that night! That said, it was a truely wonderful evening and one I will never forget
24db wrote: ... Btw...why would anyone want 10-20 copies of a CD anyway? (apart from the damned obvious), at Frankfurt one of the people in front of me spent 300+ euros...
Perhaps for eBay business, but up till now only 4 Choice EPs have appeared there.
Because I couldn't travel to London/Edinburgh, I asked a friend to bring me the new EP - many others impatient will make it so also.
If one had to buy for oneself and for absent friends, 300 Euros will be not so much (at the wealth of offers in Frankfurt).
I agree with comments about the staff at the forum. I didn't find them too unfriendly, but they were completely clueless.
One thought about the messed up entry though.... the door staff had been very concerned about our survival in the bad weather. I heard one say that we needed to hurry and get out of the rain because some people were beginning to get hypothermic. This may be a reason why the priority entry was messed up.
billythefish wrote:I agree with comments about the staff at the forum. I didn't find them too unfriendly, but they were completely clueless.
I heard one of them saying to a group of blokes "Can you go to the other door? .......Come on .......Come on ......I'm speaking the Queen's English here".
Sorry, but I can't let some of these comments go without saying something myself.
I have a disability and, though I'm mobile, find it difficult to cope in crowds, which is why I was hesitant about going to the pub when it became clear how many people would be there.
Some months ago I arranged with the Forum that they'd put me on the security list so I could get in early before the rush and get a seat. They said they had a well rehearsed protocol for this situation and all they asked was that I got there fifteen minutes before the doors opened to facilitate them showing me to the area with seating they put aside for people like myself.
In the end I decided to risk the crowd at the pub and aimed to get there about 5.30 but the traffic in London was horrendous (we drove up from Sussex) and we couldn't go as we didn't get to the Forum until gone seven o-clock when they'd already started letting people in. I was really worried by the time we got out of the car but needn't have been as the Forum staff were brilliant. The security guys out front opened the barrier to let me through and took me in the door where I was handed to the lady taking the tickets. She checked mine then handed me on to another lady who escorted me to the reserved area. There she pointed out two members of staff and told me that they'd be prepared to get me drinks if I wanted them to save me fighting my way to the bar. Actually, I had one of my lads with me and of course he was able to do that for me, though she didn't realise this at the time. She also told me they all had radar keys that opened the disabled toilets so that I didn't have to contend with the crush in the toilets.
Frankly, they couldn't have been nicer, especially as we got there later than requested, so I had to say a word in their defence as to be honest their kindness and cooperation made the evening for me, especially after such a fraught and frustrating journey to get there.
I certainly agree about the merch stall. I couldn't see what they were selling as there was no sort of display and had less chance of getting to the stall than I had of winning a decathlon. I couldn't see the tables let alone reach them. If there had been a display and prices on the back wall I could have told my lad what I wanted and got him to go for me, which he'd have been glad to do. Even at 10.30 it was bad enough and took me over 25 minutes to get served though at least the crush wasn't so bad and those there were all behaving in a civilised manner. I certainly would vote for a queuing system whether policed by ropes, the barmy army, or anyone else. I know the other six people in the reserved area with me all said they couldn't face trying to buy from there and that they'd get what they wanted from ebay, which I found a bit of a sad reflection on the situation.
I think the idea of a price list of what's available is very sensible and would make life easier behind the desk too.
There is the risk that an advertised item will sell out but then you're no worse off than the current situation.
Granted there's the excitement of getting to the stall and discovering what's up but the downside is the crush and each transaction taking longer.
But it's true what you say John, the forum may have performed well as regards to access to the performance but I can only guess that you'd still feel as though you weren't getting the full experience.
@wolfman - you may be able to advise on this better then me, but surely The Forum have a 'duty of care' for people with disabilities, as with any other venue.
The Forum is the worst venue for staff/security I have ever been to. This is my 2nd trip there, the 1st being about 5 years ago, and nothing has changed.
Checking tickets from 10 minutes before the start of the show, and during the 1st 10 minutes or so, was pathethic to say the least. To be honest, if they asked for some people to go downstairs, I would have been 1st to put my hand up. Those benches were quite uncomfortable.
Two days later I was at The Palace Theatre, 2nd row in the Stalls to see Spamalot. Comfortable seats, polite and thoughtful staff, and no frigging queues at the toilets, bar or merch stalls!
Hats off to TD though, one of the best concerts I have ever been to for sure... so knackers to the forum staff... they didn't spoil my night due to their incompetence!
Not to be too rude but I don't think the forum staff/security guys had a brain cell between them so no way could they have thought up anything sensible like a queue for the Merch or letting us in before we all drowned!! After all that would be like brain surgery or rocket science - way over their collective little heads. I have to say I thought the Forum wasn't too bad but the staff have to be the worst I have come across in many a good year! 
and surely to god they could have let us all in a bit earlier seeing as though it was lashing it down that night! That said, it was a truely wonderful evening and one I will never forget 
