How to sort it out

[Budweiser]

The only way would be to ban alcohol.. but that would never happen.

[Im_in_a_tent]

The only way would be to ban alcohol.. but that would never happen.

[Smelly Bob]

The easiest thing to do would be to wristband check anyone carrying alcohol at each entrance to the campsite for an over 18 wrist band. This would definatley take longer to get in and out and it probably won't be able to be done after a headliner but it would stop people who are 18+ buying alcohol for people under the age, getting it into the campsite then letting them carry it from there.

They could also try bringing back some good bands to reading rather than two of the most mainstream NME crap which faggot indie kids pretend to like to be popular and cool.

[biffoire]

The problems are simple to diagnose having been to other festivals which make an attempt to deal with any of the following....

Fires

Campsite size

Campsite security (wristband checks in and out)

Deal with one or all of the above and this will solve the issue. (However these will never happen as addressing these issues involves money!)

People seem to be blaming the rioters (and rightly so) without asking why the organisers allow this to happen at both sites year on year!

[tomdsjames]

perhaps the main issue is under 18s consuming alcohol on site,making them behave this way?

most wont get served at the bars..but plenty were walking around the campsites with beers/spirits in bottles and sneaking them into the arena too

Perhaps also a stricter policy on people doing things like burning tents , try and instill the message that its not ok as 'its a festival' and the whole 'you can do anytihng' attitude

[thetime]

perhaps getting people to behave like decent humanbeings is the answer, of course this will never happen!

[liam]

Change the lineup from a less topshop/Radio 1 inflicted mess, too a proper festival like in the 90's early 00's.

More police/security.

Edited September 1, 2009 by liam

[scottt]

Regardless of the age of the people causing the trouble, its the line up that causes it.

You dont get all the trouble at glastonbury cause the sortof people going to a "hippie festival" to see someone old man called "neil something", arent the sort of people who go "f**king mental".

There are as many 18 year olds who arent arseholes. Unfortunately, when you have so many mainstream acts, you attract the ones that are arseholes.

They shouldnt ban anyone of any age. They should ban the shit bands.

[Delinquent]

This year at leeds was my 9th time, and despite some of the stories I have read on here the last few days, I had a blast with all my mates.

BUT, this rioting/pathetic behaviour on the sunday really really does need sorting out. Eventhough it didnt affect me directly this year and hasn't in most previous, it really pisses me off that these morons act in such a tw*ttish way and put the future of a festival that means a lot to me in jepoardy.

I think a main way to solve it could be to seriously beef up the security on the sunday. Having delved through videos/pictures of the rioting I feel that althought it is a generalisation (a fair one IMO) it is the 'first time away from home' youngsters. Now, lets see if they're so rebellious when confronted with a properly organised and enhanced numbers security team. They would sh*t themselves, I seriously think they would.Hopefully it would make them think twice about acting the way they do.

I think this in tandem with a strict chucking out policy may help, somebody has mentioned a 'Zero Tolerance' policy, I think this is a good call.

I realise the security do their best and with their resources currently stretched this approach would be unfaesible. IMHO, if it means these fu**tard kids getting cracked with a baton/pushed about/intimidated by a firm but fair security then it is not a bad thing. I appreciate some people will disagree with that but it is genuinely how I feel. This festival is the highlight of the year for me and Im sure for may others who read this. These morons need sorting out, for the sake of the festival if anything.

And finally, if the extra security on the last nite of the festivals pushed my ticket price over £200 then I will not be complaining. I would rather this than people going home early, having sleepless nights, having possessions ruined and living in fear at Reading/Leeds 2009.

Festival Republic, please do something.Something NEEDS to be done.

[JonnyHarper]

Personally, I didn't have any problems at all with this. However, the only reasonable solution is obviously to increase security.

[oxfordreading]

The over 18s wristband is a great idea, maybe make it compulsory next year? as i said in another post, kids are bound to be a bit immature, b ut there were a lot there who were fine, and i'm certain 90% of them were. Its just the odd few making them all thrown under the 'young c**ts' umbrella. Not sure how you can stop the mess on sunday nights. I'll be heading to my house after the last band on the sunday next year so my lungs don't think i've been in a fire down the tyre factory.

[markeee]

The easiest thing to do would be to wristband check anyone carrying alcohol at each entrance to the campsite for an over 18 wrist band. This would definatley take longer to get in and out and it probably won't be able to be done after a headliner but it would stop people who are 18+ buying alcohol for people under the age, getting it into the campsite then letting them carry it from there.

They could also try bringing back some good bands to reading rather than two of the most mainstream NME crap which faggot indie kids pretend to like to be popular and cool.

Edited September 1, 2009 by markeee

[Ignus Reef]

It appears that most of the good solutions to these problems are very unlikely to happen for one reason or another.

I think the best solution is to beef up security and be more strict: rather than just put out oversized fires/burning tents, kick the culprits out. Although a measure like this would be harsh - it would certainly stop the problems.

The problem is that it would cause a media nightmare: teenagers getting kicked out of a festival in the early hours of the morning or getting controlled by riot police will be seen as cruel and unfair by the general public who haven't experienced the problems first hand.

I get the impression that most of the security consists of volunteers (ie. people who get a ticket in exchange for working) rather than experienced security guards. The fact that these have no authority makes it easier to be rebellious for these "first time away from home" kids.

As for changing the line-up, I think that the whole reason why Reading/Leeds has become so "indie/NME" is because it's the hottest thing among the younger generation at the moment. I know I'm in the minority on this forum, but I certainly wouldn't go again if the line-up went back to it's hard rock/metal roots.

I don't think you can blame the line-up for these problems. I get the impression that most of the trouble makers are the same people you see hanging around the campsite all day - the ones that are there for the experience, not the music.

[gooner1990]

With regards to the over 18 wristbands + alcohol. We were outside the bar that faced towards the R1 tent on friday night just before Faith No More (It was mostly people aged 25+ in the area at that point) when some kids who said they were underage & could we go to the bar for them.

The bargaining point was that to go and get them 2 pints my mate would get a pint for himself out of their money. They found us a further three times that evening at the same bar. It was quite blatant what was going on but the staff didn't seem to care as long as whoever actually ordered the beer and paid for it was over 18.

[tomisnothere]

Actually bag search. I could've taken a bomb in! Take alcohol off people who look under 18 and don't have ID - you could encourage this by allowing people to provide ID on the internet to get 18+ wristbands or special festival ID cards beforehand. People don't like taking ID to festivals, but if there was a way to sort that beforehand then it would be very handy, and people would do it if they knew there was a "no ID - no drink" policy.

Also ban fires completely. It's just not working, is it?

[SpiralD]

Take alcohol off people who look under 18

[tomisnothere]

Then my weekend would have been shit

Also, the festival comes straight after GCSE + A Level results, so why take away thousands of teenagers fun who want to celebrate by getting trashed at the festival?

Then everyone would be absolutely freezing on a night?

Seriously, both of those things would really, really suck.

[SpiralD]

Festivals aren't just about getting trashed though! If you need to do that to have a good time then go to a field and camp for free, much easier. It's no big secret that the majority of troublemakers at the festival are in the younger group.

And what would you prefer? Keep allowing fires and injuries? It's got to be one thing or the other, because it's impossible to have enough staff to control the Sunday fires.

[VCK]

1) Making the festival 18+ will never happen, it'll come nowhere near to selling out.

2) Can we stop the 'pikey' or (and I hate this snobby term) 'chav' myths? It was your average 17 year old middle class A level student acting a complete and utter morons. Essentially they try to relive their favourite skins episodes.

I dunno, the only solution for me is for the festival to go back to the days of 2004 and before. Then, the festival didn't sell out for weeks. There was no media circus, just a 45 minute long 'highlights' show at some midnight hour on ITV. Most of all, the crowd was just a lot more mature. HOWEVER. That's impossible. With the advent of the casual youth crowd moving from dance and pop music to trendy 'indie' guitar bands, the festival has reached a more wider level of awareness. There's no way, even if the lineup goes more 'rocky' on the whole, that the festival will shift back much. Maybe over a longer period of time (five years or so), the demographic will quieten down a little. However, for the forseeable future, it's not gonna change.

[the_frame]

With regards to the over 18 wristbands + alcohol. We were outside the bar that faced towards the R1 tent on friday night just before Faith No More (It was mostly people aged 25+ in the area at that point) when some kids who said they were underage & could we go to the bar for them.

The bargaining point was that to go and get them 2 pints my mate would get a pint for himself out of their money. They found us a further three times that evening at the same bar. It was quite blatant what was going on but the staff didn't seem to care as long as whoever actually ordered the beer and paid for it was over 18.