Sophie Lancaster 3rd Anniversary

Nerin

As the title says, its been three years since Sophie died following a brutal attack by thugs against her and her partner Rob.

If you don't know the story, they were attacked because they were "alt" as they walked past some scumbags. Sophie shielded Rob who was knocked out, he survived, she didn't.

Its a horrible story,but one people should remember. From that incident, the Sophie Lancaster Foundation was set up, to try and stop this kind of ridiculous violence. (link to them http://bit.ly/1RPuNt)

On a bus at the moment,just thought it would be something the Nocs would be interested in discussing/supporting.

reallyrose

I didn't know a foundation had been set up. Donation donated.

In my goth days, some nice folk threw a vodka bottle at my head on Grafton St.

I think anyone who has, or does dress in an 'alt' way has gotten crap at some point. It's not very nice.
I can't see any verbal attack without some kind of serious phyical element being taken seriously by the police in Ireland, to be honest.

Nerin

Is there any similar movement in Ireland? I've often wondered, never heard anything though

reallyrose

Nerin wrote: »

Is there any similar movement in Ireland? I've often wondered, never heard anything though

None that I have heard of, but I am willing to be corrected.

Doctor DooM

You should try being my age. Simply wearing a Metallica t shirt was enough to get crap when I was a kid.

cyberwolf77

Doctor DooM wrote: »

You should try being my age. Simply wearing a Metallica t shirt was enough to get crap when I was a kid.

I got garbage for shaving my head.

Mahatma coat

I got it for having Long hair last time I was home, went into a Bar in Waaaaaaaaterforrrrd, fuppin tools pullin at it at the Bar, far too many of them to entertain the notion of reacting, especially as we were the 'college type' and they were 'saltOtheEarth:rolleyes: Locals'

Delirium

It's really depressing at times to see people become so hostile/aggressive to other people because they're different in some way.

Remember one time was going to a gig in the Ambassador in Dublin. myself and the brother were across the road outside a pub chatting to a woman while we waited for the doors to open.

Along comes this guy who had to be at least 30 and spots the queue across the road, which would have been a lot of teens and college students, and just starts screaming dogs abuse at them.

Last for about 30 seconds before the woman we were talking tells him to STFU. Turns out her daughter and friends were in the queue across the road.

To say she verbally de-balled the guy would be an understatement:D

But the 3 of us just couldn't get over the way he was essentially bullying secondary school kids due to their clothes.

Handsome Bob

Absolutely shocking to think that this can still happen, and all over the clothes someone is wearing? You beat someone to death for that? They go beyond being scumbags, psychopathic or sociopathic would be more accurate descriptions.

cyberwolf77 wrote: »

I got garbage for shaving my head.

Funny, I stopped getting abuse when I shaved mine.

Links234

incredibly sad

I really hope we see the day when people don't have to be abused for being themselves :mad:

ToniTuddle

I use to get called Freeeeeeeeak alot. Normally screamed across the road at me by ignorant females.

One night during the week there I was at an open mic night and alot of people were outside smoking and local "shams/boy racers/twin cam drivers" types were touring about the town.

Ooohh!That was the same night I called you DooM! :pac:

Due to the fact the pub is known as a rocker joint or whatever you want to call it. Folks do get abuse, it's almost like...accepted.

I was wearing runners, jeans and a Family Guy t-shirt, hardly goth/alt! But because the t-shirt was black plus dark hair and my location to the pub got water sprayed all over us, CDs flung out at us, general name calling being shouted out from car.

People kind of just roll their eyes and go "ahhh shams what can ya do" then leave it at that and carry on.

Gary ITR

Doctor DooM wrote: »

You should try being my age. Simply wearing a Metallica t shirt was enough to get crap when I was a kid.

I got bottled for wearing a Metallica shirt, nice few stitches on my head from that one

CDfm

The Sophie Lawrence story is truly awful.

It reminds me of my young days and now number 1 son has hair to be proud of and Im his Da.

That_Guy

Sickening to think that somebody died just because of somebody's appearance.

This has irked me somewhat. Makes me sick. I wear metal t-shirts a good bit and I get snide remarks a lot from people.

Horrible.

FewFew

ToniTuddle wrote: »

CDs flung out at us,

Anything decent?

Otis Driftwood

Is this the girl that got the "dare to be different" campaign started in Bizarre?I remember reading about it at the time,truly shocking and very very sad.Some people are just assholes.:(

That_Guy

koth wrote: »

It's really depressing at times to see people become so hostile/aggressive to other people because they're different in some way.

Remember one time was going to a gig in the Ambassador in Dublin. myself and the brother were across the road outside a pub chatting to a woman while we waited for the doors to open.

Along comes this guy who had to be at least 30 and spots the queue across the road, which would have been a lot of teens and college students, and just starts screaming dogs abuse at them.

Last for about 30 seconds before the woman we were talking tells him to STFU. Turns out her daughter and friends were in the queue across the road.

To say she verbally de-balled the guy would be an understatement:D

But the 3 of us just couldn't get over the way he was essentially bullying secondary school kids due to their clothes.

I remember going to see Machine Head in the Ambassador a few years ago and myself and a mate were just waiting outside and having a laugh with the other lads and lassies attending the gig when all of a sudden a huge group of what can only be described as "scumbags" came up and started yelling at people in the crowd.

"I bet yiz all cut yourselves", "Halloween is bleedin' over", "'Do yiz all hate your ma's and da's?"

Such crap carry on really.

The snobbery in this country when it comes to clothes/appearance is absolutely shocking and people seriously need to cop on to themselves.

And there's a stigma attached to nearly all clothes which is bollocks.

Tracksuits: Scumbags
Skinny Jeans: Gay
Metal t-shirts/combats: Hippy/Goth blah blah

These are a few I've come across.

I was in Brown Thomas last Christmas. I was wearing a Dimmu Borgir hoodie (check that band out, they're awshum) and combats. I was only in Brown Thomas to get my sister a voucher and the amount of stares I got from people was fcuking ridiculous.

I joined the queue and I swear, the security guard was keeping a very close eye on me. I was sickened actually.

People need to cop on. There's no right or wrong way to dress.

Delirium

That_Guy wrote: »

People need to cop on. There's no right or wrong way to dress.

Exactly.

I can think of two stories my sister, who is big into R&B but does listen to some rock and metal, told me.

First was when she was in Galway and went to a goth/rock clothes shop. She said that the staff in there all but said "what are you doing in here?" to her. All because she was in a pink tracksuit.

The other was in England. She was out with the cousin and a friend. She spotted a rock pub and suggested to the others to go in. They were asked by a guy in one of the groups of people there if they were lost. Basically making comment that the girls weren't in the rock club "uniform":rolleyes:

They took no notice of him and continued to enjoy themselves. For the rest of the time they were there, the group kept close enough to be overheard by the girls. The group basically bitched and moaned about them until the girls got fed up and left.

Seems every scene/group of people has that just have to be dicks to people they deem to be outside of their little bubble.

Nerin

Tomorrow is Make a noise day for sophie.
It would be her birthday and her mum is asking people to make a minutes noise in memory of her.
I hope there will be some noisy nocturnals out there

reallyrose

Nerin wrote: »

Tomorrow is Make a noise day for sophie.
It would be her birthday and her mum is asking people to make a minutes noise in memory of her.
I hope there will be some noisy nocturnals out there

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

Delirium

1 min of noise

Does what it says on the tin.

Nerin

koth wrote: »

1 min of noise

Does what it says on the tin.

That is brilliant man nice one

Nerin

Here we go

Cavehill Red

When I was younger I was into the oul goth. Still have a tat or two. Still love the choons. Don't have my hair long and dyed black these days though.

Anyhow, I recall coming out of what might today be called an 'alt' nightclub night in the North in the late 80s and being set upon by a bunch of mindless rural Loyalist thugs on my way home in a small market town.

They surrounded me and started levelling serious blows to the head. In short, it could've been me instead of Sophie Lancaster.

I was lucky. A few bikers passing by saw what was going on and came to my aid. When they were subdued, I'm still not proud of what I did. But I like to think that it may have spared some other poor soul from being attacked for what they look like. There was blood, put it that way.

Ever since then, I never look the other way when I see trouble on the street. I don't walk on by. I stop, I yell, I get involved and make noise. These days, I'm bigger and stronger and a lot more canny. Anyone wanting to tussle with me is likely going to regret it.

I have no sympathy for bullies, never have and never will. Sadly no one was there to intervene and save Sophie's life from the bullies.

So yeah, make noise all you want. Let's remember the poor girl. No one will remember her pathetic attackers. But take it a step further too. The next time you see some wanker roaring and screaming or raising his fist to a woman, the next time you see a gang of mongs giving sh!t to someone for no reason, because they're foreign, or dress differently, or have long hair, or a strange t-shirt, don't walk on. Be loud, be noisy, be proud, be angry and get involved.

Because some people did that when they saw me once, and I honestly believe they saved my life.

all the stars

koth wrote: »

Exactly.

I can think of two stories my sister, who is big into R&B but does listen to some rock and metal, told me.

First was when she was in Galway and went to a goth/rock clothes shop. She said that the staff in there all but said "what are you doing in here?" to her. All because she was in a pink tracksuit.

The other was in England. She was out with the cousin and a friend. She spotted a rock pub and suggested to the others to go in. They were asked by a guy in one of the groups of people there if they were lost. Basically making comment that the girls weren't in the rock club "uniform":rolleyes:

They took no notice of him and continued to enjoy themselves. For the rest of the time they were there, the group kept close enough to be overheard by the girls. The group basically bitched and moaned about them until the girls got fed up and left.

Seems every scene/group of people has that just have to be dicks to people they deem to be outside of their little bubble.

I remember that night! All the other people were dressed like this :
between http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Health/images-2/Emo-Kids.jpg , http://media.photobucket.com/image/extreme%20goth/jk_angken/LAM01.jpg being it was metal night, i tried to make friends as ya do. Cmon the rock
Here is me & cousin - pic taken at the bar on that night (see attachment) and when i say that guy literaly dogged the sh*te out of me for being such a freak with my purple hair that my parents had clearly dis-owned me...
the things he said!! :eek: now, i love to be myself, and be differant,,,, but we were tame as yer nan in their compared to the others!

I've had it my whole life... anytime i did anything or looked slightly individual. This country has almost no tolerance for individualism.... (if thats a word)