Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Violence and "Sea of Wee" Marr Great Concert In Finsbury Park
The Stone Roses gig in Finsbury Park appears to have gone down well with fans and locals alike. Looking at Twitter last night and this morning, most people had a great time and locals have commented that sound levels were lower than they have been before. All good stuff.
On the flip side, there have been some serious flags raised about the way the event was managed - and perhaps of most concern is that the issues were ones that could have been predicted.
In November last year, I reported that SJM, previously dubbed the 'No Toilets Promoter" had applied for a permanent licence to stage events in Finsbury Park. In the article I referred to the issues there have been with this promoter failing to provide sufficient toilets. At a Stone Roses concert in Heaton Park Manchester, there were complaints of the area being turned into ‘one big public toilet’.
The exact same issue reared its head again over the weekend here. On another thread on Harringay Online one concert goer commented "the toilet provision really was the worst I've seen - it's a shame, because it was a storming gig and I had a great time." Another said. "Toilets also an issue, pretty much a free for all up the fence!".
Twitter is also chiming in. @beardywallop tweeted. "Awesome night out at finsbury park stone roses amazing. Organisers need a slap for lack of toilets, wouldn't sit on the grass for a bit!" and @RichGittins commented "@haringeycouncil It was a great weekend but not enough toilets for 45000. Sea of wee. Open sewer in Finsbury park"
Given the notice the notice of this promoter's record on this score, how on earth was this situation allowed to happen?
Urine may not be the worst of it, however. This morning I received a phone call from a local resident who went along to the concert with his wife and a couple of friends. He told me that they were having a great time. As needs must at some point he needed to relieve himself and went off with one of his friends in search of a toilet.
"We couldn't find one", he said, "So, like everyone else, we found the most suitable place. We tried to be as discreet as possible"
"Just after we'd finished, a guy came up to us and said "Oi, what do you think you're doing!". We made placating noises and started to move off. The next I knew my friend was being kicked and punched on the floor. I went to help him and then I was attacked too."
The local told me that although hurt, hopefully it's nothing too serious. But it seems like he and his friend weren't alone in being attacked. He commented, "I was taken to the First Aid tent and within minutes other people were being brought in after being punched in the face too".
There may have been a number of other incidents beyond what he immediately witnessed. On Twitter this morning, @lovetoreapart wrote, "the fight at finsbury park last night was crazy".
Whilst apparently comparatively minor incidents of violence like this may be part of the territory with rock concerts, it's hard not to at least ask the question of whether there was any link between the person who called me getting punched with the fact he had to find a less public and unofficially designated place to urinate.
My best wishes to all that were injured.
I hope we keep on having great concerts in the park. The issues reported should never have happened in the first place and questions have to be asked about how they were allowed. However, they are are quite easy to fix. So, please let's fix them and lets the good times roll - but NOT at any cost.
Tags for Forum Posts: finsbury park, finsbury park events, stone roses concert
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michelle Mylonas on
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Hello neighbour! I too live on Woodstock Road. I was excited that Stone Roses & PIL were putting on a gig in my area. I realised after hearing the sound check earlier that week it would probably be an idea just to have a drink & pizza in the garden with my boy friend with live entertainment laid on . We wrapped up in blankets and thoroughly enjoyed the Saturday night set. Shame about the rudeness of some of the drunken punters.
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Permalink Reply by Madeline on
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That's part of the problem. If you like that type of music then you're probably more tolerant. But I don't so to me to have to suffer the local disruption as well as the noise didn't make for an enjoyable weekend.
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I know the feeling Madeline... I hate all the funfairs they keep having there every Bank Holiday we get. The continual screaming and funfair noises really get my goat! But The Stone Roses playing at the end of my garden is not something that is bound to happen that often. Hopefully that will be it for a while and we can have some peace and quiet... until the Sunday afternoon drumming sessions kick in again of course!
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The funfair doesn't bother me so much, it's sort of part of a traditional English bank holiday thing. All through my life there's been fairs, it's something I've grown up with and certainly the 30+ years that I've been living here. FYI they're a lot quieter than they used to be and don't go on so late into the night either.
The company that put on that concert have 'hired' the park for the duration. They can put on more concerts with very little consultation if any. They already have the permission subject to individual T+C's.
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I attended the concert - and really enjoyed it. But completely agree it could have been much better managed.
I think the blame for much of this lies with the stewarding. Queues for the toilets were disorganised and running into each other - no one seemed quite sure what was going on.
More worryingly, the stewards were aggressive. I was shoved and pushed by about 3 of them because my boyfriend tried to leave the bar area through the "wrong" exit. We weren't being difficult, we didn't realise there was a one way system. When I asked one of them why he was shouting at me as I hadn't been rude to him his response was: "No, you haven't but your man has." Firstly, my boyfriend hadn't been rude. Secondly, even if he had I don't think that justifies shoving me!
We just walked away but it's no wonder the atmosphere in some places turned a bit nasty when you combine that sort of attitude with people who've had a few drinks.
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Permalink Reply by cheryl on
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I have supported the use of the park for big events as I believe it helps local businesses and improves the profile of harringay BUT over the years the reasons to NOT want them anymore are becoming numerous:- losing such huge parts of the park for weeks at a time is disappointing but you can manage around that, rubbish, trashed trees, dirty patches where the loos were and now huge parts of seven sisters road remain without fencing.
The park has a few residential issues such as the unsavoury night time activities, lots of unfortunate rough sleepers, dog mess everywhere, visitors using parts of the park as Loo facilities and now picnickers are setting light to logs, picnic benches and stretches of grass.
If the concerts didn't contribute to these problems I would continue to support the use of the park but I'm getting fed up with it and would like to see some of the substantial monies paid over to hold these events put straight back into the park and not siphoned off elsewhere.
Sadly it is slowly reverting back to the bad old days before it was loved as much as it is now.
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Great article Hugh - I have been following the comments. I have written an article looking into what could be done better in the future and how the community could be better involved from a event organising perceptive given that this was the first event from a new promoter and the licence has been extended for more events. I have previously worked at events in the park. If you wish to read and comment on this please see it here: http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/future-concerts-in-fins...
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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roflandlolComedy, what is your name (first name will do)? I've read your comprehensive input to the running of outdoor events within urban parks (over at your thread). Did the police have a presence at the Stone Roses gig; I mean within the fenced off area set aside for the gig. If so would it be at a level (number of personnel) so that their presence is obvious. Or is it solely down to private security personnel to run things within the gig zone? If it's the latter what level and type of training are private security personnel required to have, if any. Do you know or can you provide the name of the company that provided the security? Your input would be much appreciated.
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Surely if all bars and local pubs had been closed for, say, four hours before the concert, with no alcohol permitted through the gates, piss would not have been such a problem.
I am still congratulating myself on my sound good sense and timing in flying out of LHR on Saturday morning for Dublin, missing those Stone Roses by a hair's breadth, spending several very beautiful days touring the Hills of Tara and Slane in Co Meath while other concert organisers erected ugly barriers to prevent me peering into the Slane Estate of Lord Henry Mountcharles, before I escaped back to Wightman Road, missing today's Slane appearance of what I'm informed is a transatlantic Rock Group, led by its eponymous decibel merchant, Bon Jovi. I look forward to making a periodic habit of these narrow escapes. I'm told Slane is to be invaded by someone called Eminem in mid-August - does this coincide with the visit of some other piss-merchants to Finsbury park?
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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As you probably saw, Hugh, the Ham & High Broadway on 11 July (Page 12) reported a follow-up, with scathing criticism from two Islington councillors, Libdem Terry Stacy and Labour's Paul Convery. Together with this totally anodyne, Janet-and-John comment from a "Haringey spokesperson":
"We liaised with Islington and Hackney Councils to make sure arrangements were in place for road closures, parking, licensing and noise to limit the impact on residents."
You suggested that the problems are "quite easy to fix". Has anyone asked for your ideas about this? Have you passed them on - for example to Cllr Nilgun Canver the "cabinet" councillor whose remit includes Parks, Noise, Licensing and Parking? Has anyone else emailed her? if so, any replies yet?
The Ham&High mentions a new Tri-borough strategy. Has anyone been invited to contribute to this?
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor. P.S, I can't get the Ham&High link to work to show the specific page. Anyone know how?)
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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As far as I'm aware no one has been invited to contribute other than through the 'need-to-make-it-career-to-keep-up-with' licensing applications list.
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Here you go:- Article from the Ham & High.
Councillors are still counting a mass of complaints from residents after thousands of revellers
caused chaos in Finsbury Park during the Stone Roses concerts, it has emerged.Islington Cllr Terry Stacy said there had been a complete breakdown of the tri-borough agreement after he received scores of complaints in the wake the two gigs on June 7 and 8.
While the park lies in Haringey, three councils work together to oversee large-scale events there as it borders directly on to Islington and Hackney.More than 40,000 partygoers attended the concerts last month, and some revellers started brawls, urinated in the park and the surrounding streets, caused travel chaos and disturbed residents with foul language into the early hours.
Dog walkers complained that the park is still “sticky” nearly a month on from the concerts, when fans urinated against fences and on the grass.
Cllr Stacy, leader of Islington’s Liberal Democrat opposition group, also mentioned severe overcrowding.
“The area turned into a mass car park and fights broke out in the streets,” Cllr Stacy said. “It was a complete failure of the tri-borough agreement between Islington, Hackney and Haringey to control such events. The councils should put into practice what they preach.”
Cars were also reportedly parking on green spaces, with no traffic enforcement taking place in
the area over the weekend.Caledonian ward Cllr Paul Convery, Islington’s executive member for community safety, added:
“Somebody underestimated the excitable crowd and the unruly elements.“We were not at all happy with the way the event was handled.”He added that the three boroughs are working on a new strategy that will deal with the problems at Finsbury Park.
A Haringey Council spokesman said: “We liaised with Islington and Hackney councils to make sure arrangements were in place for road closures, parking, licensing and noise to limit the impact on residents.”
Show promoters SJM Concerts has yet to respond to a request for a comment.
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