VIP Security Nightmare

[killer wolf]

Good of TM to post here.
Roselace, i dunno if it'll do any good but a very strong letter to the venue and any local papers you have should show up the Apollo for the tw@s they are. if they are using a hired security firm i'd have a go at them too.

if this happens to anyone else, i dunno if the best approach would be to ignore the monkeys and go straight back to the box office (if it's like the arena where there's a window outside to pick tickets up) ~ they should know the score if they're handing VIP packages out etc and should be able to call a security boss and get him told.

[glamprincess]

Most of the time security guards are okay, but there are always the odd times when some of them act innappropriately, to say the least. The truth is that you don't need a Ph.D in nuclear physics to become a security guard and sometimes it shows....

Some of the security guards were also rather incompetent on the first night of the Vegas shows which took place last month. During that show, I saw someone suddenly jump onstage and take Alice's picture. The security guards did absolutely NOTHING.

They did not even try to remove the guy from the stage!!

They allowed him to just jump back into the audience and didn't even try to locate him. As a result, I figured that it was part of the show. I just assumed that if security was not doing anything about that dude going onstage and taking Alice's picture, he must have been part of the show. Well, after the show was over, I found out that it was NOT part of the show and no one could understand why security just stood there and did nothing. On the second night of the Vegas shows, I noticed that there were security guards positioned at the two stairwells on both ends of the stage, ensuring that no one could jump onstage again as had happened the previous night. It seemed that the Alice camp must have obviously let the venue know that security were expected to do their jobs and keep crowd members from jumping onstage with Alice. (I was not at the third Vegas show as I had family commitments and I had to fly back to Toronto that afternoon.)

Anyways, the point is that sometimes there are security guards who are not exactly nuclear physicists when it comes to brain power.

[NotSoPerfect]

Yeah, that cell phone guy incident was crazy! I was doing my zombie ramblings towards Alice, and through the eye holes in the mask thought for a second "Wow, am I that close to the edge of the stage? That arm with a cell phone is super close!!!"...to find out later, he was ON STAGE!

I can sort of understand security being half-assed with the crowd (if there are few of them and a big crowd, say), but when someone gets up on stage WITH THE PERFORMER....you'd think without any sort of briefing, they'd have been all over him.

[steven_crayn]

I was really pleased to see Toby Mamis take the time and trouble to post his comment on here.
He is obviously a very busy man with an important job to do helping manage the greatest rock star on the planet.

As I said these guys at the Manchester Apollo are not Alice Cooper's personal security and will no doubt get put in their place thanks to the concerns of Alice's management who like Alice clearly care about the fans, thanks Toby.

[NotSoPerfect]

I agree. Alice's people really do care about the fans, and Toby and Jamie (and everyone else reading), we VERY much appreciate it. When I did the meet and greet in Vegas, you guys were both extremely pleasant, polite, and helpful, and it made for a good experience.

[glamprincess]

but when someone gets up on stage WITH THE PERFORMER....you'd think without any sort of briefing, they'd have been all over him.

I KNOW!! What did they think they were there for??? To just stand around and look pretty???

There was so much going on with the theatrics and the show, that I was confused. My first instinct was that the guy was someone from the crowd and should not be onstage. But I just figured that if that was the case, then security would have been all over him and would have REMOVED him. Since they didn't, I started to think it might be part of the show.

Did those security guys really need to be told that they are not supposed to let people from the crowd jump onstage and just join the show? One would think it would be kind of obvious.

[Jumping Jack]

If you jump on stage this is what you should expect. Chop, chop, chop, LOL!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ_P1vfZYo4

That was 81. Now they have ex Navy SEALS as protection.

I noticed that AC/DC's walkway was raised from 3' to 6' this year after someone got up there. Right or wrong, you better not mess with security.

[Shoesalesman]

I KNOW!! What did they think they were there for??? To just stand around and look pretty???

At the Lethbridge show last year some guy managed to jump the barrier, hop on stage and put his arm around Alice. Alice just stood there and waited for some help. Maybe it was members of the tour crew that stepped in (I can't recall exactly), but the guy was grabbed and yanked off. After finally waking up, the regular security stopped a second guy from jumping the barrier.

Keep in mind this happened just a week or so after some concert goer in Toronto jumped on stage and pushed one of the Oasis members and broke his ribs or bones or something like that.

[Dragonlady]

I second NSP! It is never said enough, but to find a management that respects fans and musicians so much is a rare thing and I for one also appreciate it immensely.

I used Alice's management as an example in my comments about the "affair" that shook the fans of Tom Jones. His management is a total disgrace. In short, they fired the entire band at short notice, AFTER we fans had bought tickets to the european tour. Also they never bother to update the official website and I nearly missed out buying tickets to that show in Basel. It will forever be one of my favourite concert memories but not thanks to the official management!

It was of course totally disrespectful to the band (some of them had been working with Tom for 15 years! And they didn't even know if they'd be re-hired next year (they won't be as was just announced, not on the offical website of course!)).
And it was disrespectful for us fans. I had been daydreaming of seeing this band with Tom for years! It was my big dream for my 40th birthday last year.

Anyway, I am so very grateful for Toby and everyone else. Everyone in Alice's entourage is fabulous! We are always informed of everything. It's rare enough to mention!

[roselace]

Like i said the security guy that night said "I've heard people are supposed to be going backstage etc, but i've not been told anything?"
He was adamant he would'nt ask or look at my proof!even said i could'nt use my camera after the show, but there was no problem with that backstage

I'm used to dealing with difficult behaviour, think he should apply for a prison job! or