It’s hard to when they are pretty much the best in business in this neck of the woods. The real let down was the lack of Garda policing. But we shouldn’t be surprised because they don’t police the streets anymore for anti social behaviour.

Take T in the Patk which is twinned with Oxegen and run by the promoter. They have an integrated police plan for the event. In Ireland, we just get the clueless Garda Siochana who are just there for the extra money and the “refreshments”.

What police force have the people responsible for the stabbings in Court Brian?

Not the final say by any stretch of the imagination.

And E.P doesn’t play host to dance music and hip hop? You must read the herald a lot mate haha

I’m hoping the picnic won’t be impacted by the cancellation of oxegen this year! Always A LOT of trouble at oxegen and there were 5 stabbing there last year which were never in the news. I think a lot has been made of SHM gig, 9 incidents out of 45000 people…

Paul, EP doesn’t play host to the kind of people that stab others and cause trouble,
Dance and HipHop are smaller parts of the overall EP.

I form my own opinions based on my own experiences, i don’t need newspapers or magazines to influence me.

Marley Park was insane that day. Absolutely bonkers!
Also, electronic music is a whole world of music, not just one genre. Saying they need better security at electronic music gigs is like saying they need better security at guitar music gigs. It’s too broad a definition.

Paul, I meant in terms of a large scale, pop dance music concert such as this. The sort of gig that would attract a certain group of people. These types of gigs are easily identifiable and MCD, the Gardaí etc., should know the type of trouble they’re going to have at these events and be prepared for them.

Not sure about over-hyped, there’s an awful lot of violence that happens many (certainly not all) concerts that isn’t ever reported by anyone.

Well said, I am sick to my back teeth of this crap, music did not cause this problem, alcohol did not cause this problem, a general breakdown in family life and unwavering pressure being put on some sections of society have led us to this bloody point, everyone is pointing their fingers, but all in the wrong direction

I don’t think anybody is blaming SHM, but I think the poll is in reference to the crowd that are attracted to them. I don’t want to offend anybody’s music choice, the bad eggs that went to SHM’s gig were in the minority, but if 5% of the people at Oxegen are going to be trouble, and 1% of the people at Electric Picnic, I know where I’d want to go. Maybe it’s not so much the genre of music as the “genre” of people that you know are going to be there.

agree with you Colm, such a bad venue 3 times I’ve been to gigs in phoenix park and there were many faults with ground conditions, ridiculously long walk to concert entrance, no public lighting or signage on the way out, sound problems at all 3 gigs. i know there is usually a long enough walk to most outdoor concerts but phoenix park is exceptionally long with no indication of how close you are and no toilets along the way.

There was a riot in Slane when Bob Dylan played there in 1984 but I don’t think anyone could’ve blamed him or his music for it! Individual responsibility, or lack of it, are a major factor.

One guy stabbed 7 and there were 2 other separate unconnected issues

Thanks, I’ve been wondering about that, still that sounds like something that could happen anywhere, not sure how they can blame the organisers, venue or type of music. People would be going mad if they had to stand for hours in airport style security lines before going in to a concert.

Well.. To be fair.. You do get the airport style security because of the trouble all of the stewards have to go though in getting people who can barley stand.

The music is connected to the people that go though the connection with excessive use of drugs. The people that are more likely to go the the concert fit this profile to yes in a round about way the music is partly to blame..

Finally, MCD are known among the staff and contractors they use as skimping on just about everything..

Also on the venue front, the major problem there is the sheer size of the venue and the security problems that can bring.. It’s borderline impossible to secure that are unless you have a security force of the size they are using for the Olympics which is around 16-20k people..

And as far as I know all are before the courts. Going by today’s paper on lad got bail yesterday or today

I go to gigs pretty regularly around the country (indoor and outdoor) and in my opinion the Phoenix Park is just not suitable as a large outdoor venue. Before a gig had even taken place the place was a mudfest. I have been to Marley Park for gigs over the last few summers and it was managed much better than the Phoenix Park was. Possibly gigs could be held in a smaller venue in the park as I think was done a few years ago when they set up a marquee with a capacity of about 5,000. Easier to manage them numbers and a smaller area to control

But who cares about the mud? That goes with the territory for outdoor concerts and events in Ireland. Dress appropriately and there’s no problem with muddy ground. The “big tent” gigs in the Park a few years back were 10,000, the Williams and RHCP gigs 135,000 plus the O2 in the Park gigs were all 20,000 plus. The Pope had a million across the road in 1979. No problem with access either you have paved roads right up the site,

Ah…such a realistic suggestion.

Ban all music. After all, there were riots at the premiere of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”.

Its not the music….

Jump back!

Hammer Time!

No, because there should’ve been adequate security at the concert to prevent people bringing in knives.

Also, I’m not sure how you would tackle the availability of alcohol and illegal drugs to young people. A lot of the trouble-makers at the SHM gig were over 18 and we all know that the drugs trade in this country is here to stay no matter how much is spent on Garda resources.

You shouldn’t be allowed into any venue when you are intoxicated. You shouldn’t be allowed to bring alcohol into the venue. There should be adequate security to ensure that alcohol or weapons are kept out of the venue. If you give a dance, you have to pay the fiddler, and the security as well.
This is the responsibility of the promoter–ensure a safe environment for the people in attendance. If it was inside, they can’t chain up the fire exits. They have to have adequate egress and lighting. Fire alarms. Security staff. Outdoors is no difference. When you buy a ticket, you are entitled to a safe venue. That is the contract.

Lost the run of themselves or lost the stability of a strong family unit with morals and sense of worth? It is very easy to cast judgement from a distance, the true issue here is breakdown of society on many different levels, I always ask myself in these situations, what is the root cause of all of this?

Only at that very unfortunate Rolling Stones concert at Monterey California back in the 60s…..that was indeed years ago.