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Consequence of Sound: In the wake of this weekend’s terror attacks in Paris, music industry promoters are beginning to implement new security measures outside of concert venues, according to the New York Times.
The attacks in Paris were not only upsetting but concerning in that they demonstrated that a terrorist attack can really occur anywhere. Every year it seems that there are new places we are meant to feel unsafe in as the intent of terrorism is realized around the world. Luckily, terrorist attacks in the west are infrequent enough that they happen only every now-and-then, but when they do occur they receive a lot of media coverage (there's also debate on whether this media attention is actually feeding into what the attackers intended). Meanwhile, in the Middle East there are attacks much more frequently that we don't hear about. It is frustrating to many the seeming inequality in media coverage on these sorts of attacks in the West vs. in the Middle East. In the U.S. we are more frequently affected by the attacks by white gunmen, which treated entirely differently by the media as well.
Already we have pretty high security at many concert events. I know that in Boston some venues check that you aren't bringing in knives or guns (one club actually pats everyone down depending on the artist performing). There's also the motivation to keep out drugs and alcohol (especially at venues where they sell alcohol and want to both make you pay, but also be able to prevent people from drinking too much).
Protocols like these may be annoying but they make you feel a helluva lot safer. On the other hand, I've had granola bars confiscated when entering concerts, which is just plain stupid.
You would rarely think that working in event production would be a job where you may be in blatant danger. Sure, if you work at a high security place like an airport you are conscious of the possible threat, but working as an LD at a rock club, you'd never expect to lose your life on the job. My thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy and those that were lost, which includes the band's long-time lighting designer, Nathalie Jardin.
At many of the festivals I've been to, there is security, but it has been very light. You would get your bag checked if you had one, and if you didn't you just walked right in. Drugs could be hidden anywhere on your person, as you weren't patted down, and alcohol could be stored in bottles, as no one checked them. It only seemed like a matter of time before the bubble burst, much like the airport security heightening post 9/11. However, simply adding more police offers is not the answers. Venues need to redo security from the ground-up so that crew, band members, employees, and audience alike all have to undergo the same scrutiny. In today's times, it's hard to trust anyone. Seeing that all these artists are moving their tours away from Paris is frightening, if only because of how one attack can send ripples throughout the entire music industry. Movie theatres deserve the same security, which they should have had after the string of theatre shootings, but because they weren't deemed acts of terrorism, no one threw up their hands. The Bataclan attacks took the life of the band's lighting designer. That could have easily been me, so why should there not be more security? What purpose does being more lax serve?
The tragedy in Paris is still fresh and hits a hard spot in many people and my heart goes to them all. I am sad that we as a society has come to this were we feel the strong need to protect ourselves from those who are willing to hurt us. Not having really remembered experience the days after September 11th, I know I have no right to judge. I just know with time, the healing can begin. I find it odd that the authorities have finished all the work they needed to do at the site so that people can gather and begin their personally healing process. I am more sadden by the censorship of the art just because they have content that now to many might be triggering, but I am sure there are people out there who were really looking forward to seeing the work and maybe say it as a way to help healing. In light of what happened though I completely understand the need to cancel public opening ceremonies and hope that the measure the France security industry takes is effective in helping to promote safe environments for all those in attendance.
It is so upsetting that the reason for increased security is because of terrorists. That just makes me so mad. Like what is wrong with a little peace huh? I would like to see increased security not because of potential attacks, but because maybe they chose to give security jobs to too many people and can't fire them. I dont know. Anyway, Because of what has been happening in the world recently, I do think that increased security in concerts and events are an excellent idea. I remember going to Ultra Music Festival in Miami, one of the largest Music Festivals in the world. There was security, but very little, and not very convincing. Although I do want to enjoy the concert I am attending, I do want to also feel safe and know that people were thoroughly checked at the entrance Many other places with high traffic deserve higher security too: malls, movie theaters, parades... It absolutely sucks that we need this kind of protection but because of the evil acts in the world, we have to stay alert and protected.
4 comments:
The attacks in Paris were not only upsetting but concerning in that they demonstrated that a terrorist attack can really occur anywhere. Every year it seems that there are new places we are meant to feel unsafe in as the intent of terrorism is realized around the world. Luckily, terrorist attacks in the west are infrequent enough that they happen only every now-and-then, but when they do occur they receive a lot of media coverage (there's also debate on whether this media attention is actually feeding into what the attackers intended). Meanwhile, in the Middle East there are attacks much more frequently that we don't hear about. It is frustrating to many the seeming inequality in media coverage on these sorts of attacks in the West vs. in the Middle East. In the U.S. we are more frequently affected by the attacks by white gunmen, which treated entirely differently by the media as well.
Already we have pretty high security at many concert events. I know that in Boston some venues check that you aren't bringing in knives or guns (one club actually pats everyone down depending on the artist performing). There's also the motivation to keep out drugs and alcohol (especially at venues where they sell alcohol and want to both make you pay, but also be able to prevent people from drinking too much).
Protocols like these may be annoying but they make you feel a helluva lot safer. On the other hand, I've had granola bars confiscated when entering concerts, which is just plain stupid.
You would rarely think that working in event production would be a job where you may be in blatant danger. Sure, if you work at a high security place like an airport you are conscious of the possible threat, but working as an LD at a rock club, you'd never expect to lose your life on the job. My thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy and those that were lost, which includes the band's long-time lighting designer, Nathalie Jardin.
At many of the festivals I've been to, there is security, but it has been very light. You would get your bag checked if you had one, and if you didn't you just walked right in. Drugs could be hidden anywhere on your person, as you weren't patted down, and alcohol could be stored in bottles, as no one checked them. It only seemed like a matter of time before the bubble burst, much like the airport security heightening post 9/11. However, simply adding more police offers is not the answers. Venues need to redo security from the ground-up so that crew, band members, employees, and audience alike all have to undergo the same scrutiny. In today's times, it's hard to trust anyone. Seeing that all these artists are moving their tours away from Paris is frightening, if only because of how one attack can send ripples throughout the entire music industry. Movie theatres deserve the same security, which they should have had after the string of theatre shootings, but because they weren't deemed acts of terrorism, no one threw up their hands. The Bataclan attacks took the life of the band's lighting designer. That could have easily been me, so why should there not be more security? What purpose does being more lax serve?
The tragedy in Paris is still fresh and hits a hard spot in many people and my heart goes to them all. I am sad that we as a society has come to this were we feel the strong need to protect ourselves from those who are willing to hurt us. Not having really remembered experience the days after September 11th, I know I have no right to judge. I just know with time, the healing can begin. I find it odd that the authorities have finished all the work they needed to do at the site so that people can gather and begin their personally healing process.
I am more sadden by the censorship of the art just because they have content that now to many might be triggering, but I am sure there are people out there who were really looking forward to seeing the work and maybe say it as a way to help healing. In light of what happened though I completely understand the need to cancel public opening ceremonies and hope that the measure the France security industry takes is effective in helping to promote safe environments for all those in attendance.
It is so upsetting that the reason for increased security is because of terrorists. That just makes me so mad. Like what is wrong with a little peace huh? I would like to see increased security not because of potential attacks, but because maybe they chose to give security jobs to too many people and can't fire them. I dont know. Anyway, Because of what has been happening in the world recently, I do think that increased security in concerts and events are an excellent idea. I remember going to Ultra Music Festival in Miami, one of the largest Music Festivals in the world. There was security, but very little, and not very convincing. Although I do want to enjoy the concert I am attending, I do want to also feel safe and know that people were thoroughly checked at the entrance Many other places with high traffic deserve higher security too: malls, movie theaters, parades... It absolutely sucks that we need this kind of protection but because of the evil acts in the world, we have to stay alert and protected.
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