"Most well known performers would be respectful of the rules of the establishment and not expecet preferential treatment."


Oh dear... Experience has shown me that certain performers only respect the rules when they work in their favour.... I've seen one performer forbid a wheelchair bound customer entry to the venue when it was absolutely hurling rain down; the performer had arrived late with no good reason and was still doing her sound check 10 mins after the performance should have started. They stuck to the absolute letter of their contract with regards to the hospitality provided but ignored the contracted length of performance because it suited their plans to leave before midnight.

There are some well known performers who will bend over backwards to help out a festival and there are others, like some customers, who will push and push to get their own way and screw the rest of the world. Thankfully, the pushy ones don't get to do many festivals because they're just too much trouble (and the FFO spread the word!).



"I don't care if I am blocking the view, I paid for this seat and I'm not taking my hat off." was one comment I overheard at a festival when a large gentleman plonked himself down in a front row seat. He didn't notice the arrival of a lady with 2 small children who then proceeded to wail that they couldn't see. He muttered and complained to which the reply was 'they've paid for their seats and have the same rights to sit there as you do'. He moved.

Wonder who "suggested" that lady with the small children sit just behind him..... : )


I steward because a) I'm a bossy cow who likes telling people where to go, b) I'm a helpful bossy cow who likes talking to people and helping them and c) because I couldn't afford the ticket otherwise. My regular festival at Towersey requires that I do 16 hours (4 X 4hour shifts) over 5 days. I'm unbearably perky in the mornings so I volunteer to do the 8.00am-12noon shifts. Leaves me free to do anything else I want to during the day and means that I will still be there to do my duty on the last day (many stewards suddenly and mysteriously vanish then) and enjoy the rest of the festival. Cost to me - getting up that little bit earlier, but in a tent, who really minds... Cost to them - getting a steward for £4.35per hour. The team of professional security (using the word 'professional' in its loosest sense) charge an average of £7-10 per hour.... To employ professional security 24hrs would double the cost of your ticket. It would also, IMO, damage the relationship that most folkies have with venues and festival organisers. Someone who is sympathetic to the music and knows what else is going on is far more likely to suggest alternatives than some strange adolescent who was last week guarding a building site and is now in a field full of men in rainbow shorts and pixie hats.

If there is this one person who makes a hobby of complaining just to see what he can get back, then the FFO should be aware of him. However, they can't deny him a ticket just because he whinges. Do that and you'd open up a whole new can of Diversity worms.

LTS