Forums › Rave › Festivals › UK : Festival financing worries cause Berks arts centre to pull plug on popular event
Sad news – this is IMO the only decent thing that ever happens in Bracknell -but thought it worth posting to give an idea of costs and the problems facing promoters. Note the insistence of the cops they get a contribution towards policing costs, despite the fact that stewards would be there, and TBH I don’t recall there ever being a need for a large cop presence at Bracknell festival!
Jan 27 2005
By Nick Capehorn And Paul Ryan
He said the costs of staging big-scale festivals was becoming a problem nationally, with even the hugely popular Sidmouth Folk Festival in Devon being cancelled
I know this festival is hugely popular, but it is a wanker’s party IMO
All the best stuff has always been the free stuff that’s going on in the streets; the arena has been overpriced and commercial ‘folk’… if there is such a thing :rolleyes:
a few years ago there were some excellent carribean and african drummers in the town square and a lot of peaceful people dancing and having a good time. 😀 but the attitude of the police was a bit harsh. 😡 I understand that the OB are there to make sure the crowds don’t cause big problems, but one saturday night in the year I’m sure the towns people can cope with a couple hundred people listening to accoustic music until 12.15 pm
then last yaer I went to the very expensive ‘Carribean Night’, purportedly the last and best night, with a mate from London who has Carribean parents. I was shocked and he was pissed off.. the ‘Carribean’ DJ’s were white with blacked up faces 😮 and played chart music, most of the staff were dressed like 70’s style pimps with afro wigs 🙁 the ‘Carribean’ food was a hogroast (many carribean people don’t eat pork) :rolleyes:
it was shite
I won’t miss it
but on the whole, outpricing festivals or other entertainment isn’t going to make the OB’s job any easier cos we’ll just keep partying DIY :p
All the best stuff has always been the free stuff that’s going on in the streets; the arena has been overpriced and commercial ‘folk’… if there is such a thing :rolleyes:
a few years ago there were some excellent carribean and african drummers in the town square and a lot of peaceful people dancing and having a good time. 😀 but the attitude of the police was a bit harsh. 😡 I understand that the OB are there to make sure the crowds don’t cause big problems, but one saturday night in the year I’m sure the towns people can cope with a couple hundred people listening to accoustic music until 12.15 pm
so the cops shut down a legitimate afro-carribean band at 00:15 (i presume this was the time you meant) yet what was basically a “black and white minstrel show” (I thought we saw the last of these execrable displays of racism in the 1970s!) was permitted as it was run by “decent people” on a commercial basis?
– no one would get away with that in Reading or London, I don’t mean because of political correctness either, they would last 5 minutes in most genuinely multicultural areas!
I can’t believe I am sat here in 2005 reading this :mad:- I’ve also had a look at some info about the festival and a site showing all the in-fighting going on between various elements it is like a script from little britain but with a nastier tinge; as if the worst elements of middle england are running this festival (and fucking it up in the process) – not helped by the constant tide of local whingers.
Its no wonder Britain’s going to hell in a basket if this is how “communities” behave!
– no one would get away with that in Reading or London, I don’t mean because of political correctness either, they would last 5 minutes in most genuinely multicultural areas!
I can’t believe I am sat here in 2005 reading this :mad
mate
what you said
and if you can ignore for a moment that larger, sadder picture (people can’t get it together) … at least it won’t be happening again… not like that anyway
think RESPECT
which, btw, hosted the collectiv who have played stuff like this at some of fat baby parties 😉
guess who just figured out hyperlink :rolleyes:
the respect festival sounds good. They have them in London as well but they hve unfortunately been marred by the usual city violence (shootings/stabbings) and one of the artists was attacked. no fault of the organisers though and not a reason to stop festivals or people of violence have won once again.
Its so sad though that conflict has now become a risk at any large organised gathering – going back to the original discussion that’s so often why old bill and locals get para about these events and the policing/insurance costs increase, all because a minority cause trouble. Like someone said on an urban music forum – “why can’t people check themselves for just one day?”
I had a look at the people behind the “minstrel show”; the main one was a local Tory councillor.
Hardly surprising, although on further research I would blame stupidity and ignorance rather than any deliberate attempt to hijack the festival to “strike a blow against political correctness”…
OTOH I get the impression there aren’t as many ethnic minority people in the SW as in the SE or they don’t have as much of a voice/community power as my manor otherwise this sort of stuff would never have happened.
At least Respect will provide something which attempts to reflect diversity more; although I have always maintained the only true multiculturalism and diversity comes not from any initiative from corporates/govt/authorities or “political correctness” (which I always suspect is hijacked by those who secretly wish another form of ghettoisation)- but from the street and DIY culture itself…
Hardly surprising, although on further research I would blame stupidity and ignorance rather than any deliberate attempt to hijack the festival to “strike a blow against political correctness”…
OTOH I get the impression there aren’t as many ethnic minority people in the SW as in the SE or they don’t have as much of a voice/community power as my manor otherwise this sort of stuff would never have happened.
The situation is bad here… I’d be dubious about this event being the result of ignorance; last christmas saw the attempted production of Snow White and the 7 Asylum-Seekers as a village panto… the 7 all had names like dark Ali and chemical Ali…you would not believe it 😡 … in the end a different production was chosen, but only after some emergency education and pressure was brought to bear
You’re right about the population in the SW, there are no black lead organisations and in most areas there are no established minority communities. Much more disturbingly, although black and minority ethnic groups make up only 3% of the population, Devon had the highest rate of reported racist incidents in the country in 2003 :confused: 😡
So fuck the Tory councillors, fuck the police and their rising costs, fuck any racist bullshit ten times
Bring the noize and feel the love … everybody dance naked and wiggle their ass! it’s the only free way forward 😀
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