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Perhaps this years Bristol was a one off or I’m having a Victor Meldrew moment here but am I the only one who’s sick to death of the whistling, whooping, morons who seem to turn up the some of the gigs I go to nowadays.

I’ve followed the band for a number of years, catching them at the Bristol Colston Hall every time they visit. The show and band have improved on every occasion and, in truth, have probably now outgrown the venue. It wasn’t a quarter full the first time I saw them there.

The mainly middle aged audiences have always been pretty subdued but never slow to show their appreciation. However the audience at the Bristol show in April seemed peppered with pissed up whistling morons.

Things got so bad in one section just over to our left that two leery yobs were ejected after numerous warnings from the security guys. Their remaining friend ended up grabbing a kid behind him by the throat for having the audacity to moan about their inconsiderate behaviour and getting his mates kicked out. Throughout the whole show they’d been standing, whistling and shouting and were bothering me some 25 yards away. God knows what it must have been like directly in front or behind them.

I thought it quite ironic that as the band took on a fair proportion of The Wall, a section of the crowd replicated the behaviour that brought about its very conception. I’ve always found Roger Waters attitude towards his audiences very patronising in numerous interviews I’ve seen but I’ve come round to thinking the bloke probably had a valid point and I can fully understand why he became so pissed off.

I wonder if APF have reached a stage where it’s not just true fans of the music coming along anymore. I saw the band in New York three years ago and that was certainly the case there. Most of the Americans sat around us were there for a social night out and a few beers. They chatted amongst themselves for the majority of the show but then seemed to go crazy at the end of every song.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a bit of atmosphere but it would be nice for a small, inconsiderate minority to show a bit of respect and consideration for others trying to enjoy the show.

You are not saying anything that hasn't been said before.You express yourself quite eloquently,
            I'm sure that because the young drinking element in the crowd watch too much television and see over hyped crowds making an exhibition of themselves for the benefit of the cameras, they wrongly believe that its the expected level of behaviour at a genuine gig.
                      I'm with you, rowdie drunken antics at a gig are as annoying as hell. If you want to get pissed and have a laugh stay in the pub.
                        I myself enjoy a few pints before a gig but I don't do that as an excuse to behave like a prat.

Welcome to the forum, Meldrew. I hope you stick around and share more of your views with us. I think we're all with you on the yob audience debate. The venues make a fortune selling them the alcohol that turns them into morons, though, so they're not going to do anything about it anytime soon.

Well said Meldrew! Honestly though, for us to expect polite demeanor at a concert is a bit over the top. Call security or live with it, it surely isn't going to change. A warning forehead label would be nice though, something like "Instant Arsehole, Just Add Alcohol" would be good.  :

Some great points made there Meldrew!

And as for bigdog, I have first hand experience of him drinking several pints before an Aussies gig, and just to point out it was Vodka he was drinking. He behaved impeccably of course

Oh my gawd, Ive got a spy in the camp