Well last week I explained to you how to make yourself a million pounds, today I want to suggest
a solution to binge drinking especially among men.

It's quite simple really, clone the bar staff from Rock Kitchen, who seem to serve only the women
who flirt most and ignore the men who have been standing at the bar. I eventually only got served
when every woman in the place had a drink and it was only thirsty men at the bar. If my plan is
taken up then all the men will either sit around supping a single pint all night or will go home. If
there are no men for the bingeing girls to latch onto, they'll get bored and not go out getting drunk
as much, problem of binge drinking is solved, I thank you !!

If anybody reading this were at the 'Simon and Garfunkel' gig the other week, and took pictures,
can I have a look. I want to know if the camera flash has any effect on improving the look of a
brightly lit stage 100 feet away, especially when camera flashes don't work more than about 5
meters. And did any of the people who used anti-red eye flashes actually manage to make out their
eyes ?

Anyway what I wanted to talk about is security. A lot of people have been protecting my
security recently, a hundred thousand of them went off and conquered a country just to make sure
that I was secure from their rocket attacks, (even though I sit thousands of miles outside their
range), most likely the email I sent to the Post Team with this in was monitored in the name of
security because it contains the words nuclear, anthrax and globalisation. People in this country are
getting annoyed that travellers heading to the States are being hassled, imprisoned, deported and
banned due to mistakes in the record keeping of US immigration, all in the name of security.
However were are turning a cheek to more threatening behaviour in the name of security.

I'll start my story many moons ago when a killer came to town. Okay, The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis
played Manchester Apollo, and put on a 40 minute show. Okay, this was due to illness and he
apologised and has recently returned with Chuck Berry to play here again, but an apology is okay,
but free tickets to the Berry show would have been more welcome. Those us who saw him were
impressed by him, but having been forced to listen to a simpering Irish guy called Blondle singing
bland 'hat' country was a crime under at least two UN resolutions.

So when Jerry Lee Lewis came on stage, there was much rejoicing and dancing, one man who was
dancing in the isles drew the attention of security and before long there was a scuffle and the man
was enthusiastically taken out of sight by a large group of 'security'.

I'll happily say the man was worse for wear and had been warned earlier, but was causing nobody
any harm and could easily of been handled without resorting to violence.

Thursday saw me watching Brian Wilson at the Apollo, as part of his Smile tour. It was a truly
stunning night; Smile, the album, comes out on Sept 27th and it will be good !! At the end I'm
managed to get my hands on a backstage pass and wandered in to meet Brian, while watching various
members of the security crew haranguing lingering fans, mostly waiting at the back of the
auditorium for people getting things signed. Note if anybody can beat getting Brian Wilson to sign
a banana, then leave me details.

One member of the security crew was intent on stopping a member of the band bringing people
backstage cause they didn't have the right pass. Well, to be fair, everything was slightly chaotic
back stage 'cause security was trying to make people queuing to see Brian squeeze though a door and
down some steps without letting people come out who'd already seen him.

Most people who had come down to see the gig tonight would think of themselves are reasonable
intelligent people, so if you explained to them in a friendly way why you wanted them to move on,
I'm sure they would. Instead of that, the Apollo security were rude and insulting to a number of
people, going so far as to swear at people for wearing a blue top (coming from someone dressed in
rather offensive shade of orange this is even more stupid). There were quiet a few families in the
audience and even without them there, as a matter of basic public relations this is unacceptable.

Even I know that the easiest way to deal with most people is to talk calmly to them and that
firing insults will most likely lead to violence. One can only assume this is what the so called security
staff want, they hope that people will fear them because with attitudes like theirs it is impossible to respect them.

Personally I am surprised that the Brian Wilson tour came back since last time they were here
the set up was barely adequate and the stage power blew half way though. Why they come to a run
down venue with thugs masquerading as bouncers is beyond me when Manchester's Bridgewater Hall
would suit the tour to the ground.

So if you are in Manchester Apollo and you see a security guard there hassling somebody for no
reason, try and diffuse the situation, and try to get other people to witness the events. The crew feel they can get away with the intimidation because it is their word again ours, and unless a group of people come forward and tell the truth this will continue. If you are watching a band, use their
message board or forum to kick up a fuss, sooner or later promoters and artists will cotton on and
stop using Manchester Apollo until they improve their customer relations.

Oh, and I met Brian Wilson !!!!

Till next time


Love, Peace and Blues


tjm

Mancunian Blues Archive

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