SLANE 2009 Oasis - All Discussion - No ticket sales.

Catmologen · 21-06-2009 11:52pm

Well said ABG, its a rock concert sh1t like this happens. A cakewalk compared to slane in the 70's and 80's. Theres always been and there's always gonna be an excruciatingly long walk to Slane folks, get over it ffs!

Rougies · 21-06-2009 11:55pm

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

I got in at 1, got the drinks in early when there were absolutely no queues, left before Oasis' encore and got into Dublin at 12.30

It's all well and good taking the easy way out, you obviously value your comfort more than enjoying the live music you payed to see. Which is fine, and completely understandable.

Is it too much to ask to have the option of arriving on time for the two bands you want to see, being able to buy a few beers, some food, enjoy the performance and be able to make it home in less than four hours?

Obviously gigs like these aren't meant to be luxurious, the mayem is half the fun! I enjoyed myself and had a great day, but I realise the organisation was a complete and utter joke. Maybe that made it a bit better somehow..?

NickNolte · 21-06-2009 11:56pm

Catmologen wrote: »

get over it ffs!

No. I don't think people should get over it. It should be out there in the open and people should be able to make an informed decision before deciding to pay for and attend such an event.

L'prof · 21-06-2009 11:57pm

Catmologen wrote: »

Well said ABG, its a rock concert sh1t like this happens. A cakewalk compared to slane in the 70's and 80's. Theres always been and there's always gonna be an excruciatingly long walk to Slane folks, get over it ffs!

Nobody cares about the walk into Slane, some people were walking until 3 in the morning (the gig finished at 10:30-11ish) because the guards said it was the best thing to do!

BTE72 · 22-06-2009 12:00am

Gilli Babes wrote: »

I was at the gig yesterday, having attended many concerts at Slane over the last 12 years or so.

Yesterdays crowd was the scummiest crowd by far that I have ever seen.

!

Sorry i have to disagree about the crowd!

Were you hassled? was a ' scummer ' giving you grief? Personally all i saw was a mixed crowd young/old, drunk/sober, all walks of life but mostly in good form and a good laugh. Interesting though Gilli babes ya, What is a scummer? Did ya check out the Kasabian, Prodigy & Oasis... Workin class bands also mad party heads in their time whom i'm sure if you found them spectating at a festival would have blended right in with the scumbags you refer to. I'd say you would have been better suited to a meeker affair.. possibly keane or something a tad safer ya.

Anyways i was posting here as it was my first chance to comment about yesterday.

By 10.30 last night i was wearing ear to ear grin over what was a great concert, really smashing. Prodigy amazing, kasabian as usual great and Oasis brought it all back with the hits et all.

By 2.30 am and an 8 km walk to almost Kentstown i was worn out and in disbelief.

What a f##kin disgrace by all the organisers... Seriously.

These guys i.e Lord Fanny Adams of slane himself should be publicly apologising to everyone who endured their trip home.

His management + MCD + Bus Eireann + An Garda didn't take people into consideration at all...

Get em in .... Get em out and make sure they don't fall in the river! That was all that mattered.

Bus Eireann were selling tickets that night on the road for buses that weren't available. There were no inspectors relaying information or providing information to punters. We bought tickets and every bus we passed was full. We actually walked all the way to beyond the static traffic past the garage on the left were people were so desperate they started mobbing the bus.

Nobody ..... should be treated to a 4 and a half hour walk then have to wake a family member up and get them to pick you up from nearly 10 km out.

My blisters are still burning !

cooperguy · 22-06-2009 12:02am

one2one wrote: »

About 2200 the first return buses began heading back to Dublin. All was fine, then people just went everywhere, trying to get on any bus.

People went everywhere because absolutely nobody was there to say where people should go. We had to ask the bus drivers of the full busses where to go and they just said to keep walking up the road.

Tchaikovsky · 22-06-2009 12:02am

Rougies wrote: »

It's all well and good taking the easy way out, you obviously value your comfort more than enjoying the live music you payed to see. Which is fine, and completely understandable.

Yes but I got there early so I got to see all the bands and didn't miss anything queueing for pints. Missing 3 sounds at the end isn't that big of a deal. I got to see more music than the people who only got to Slane at 4 or 5 and missed the majority of the music, so I could point the same thing at you.

Catmologen · 22-06-2009 12:03am

NickNolte wrote: »

It should be out there in the open and people should be able to make an informed decision before deciding to pay for and attend such an event.

Eh? If you has asked anyone who's ever been to Slane before what it was like then they would have been more than happy to tell you.

NickNolte · 22-06-2009 12:05am

Catmologen wrote: »

Eh? If you has asked anyone who's ever been to Slane before what it was like then they would have been more than happy to tell you.

I assumed that there would be at least some level of organisational competency. Nobody warned me that what happened might happen. Suffice to say, I'd be warning anyone and everyone that I hear are planning to go to Slane again about what a complete and utter shambles it is.

BTE72 · 22-06-2009 12:09am

Catmologen wrote: »

Eh? If you has asked anyone who's ever been to Slane before what it was like then they would have been more than happy to tell you.

Hold on there, Is it wrong to assume that the organisers might have done a decent job this year?

bennyc · 22-06-2009 12:10am

Itsdacraic wrote: »

So you spent roughly 4 hours yesterday queueing for drinks. Nice. Considering the gates opened around 2 and the bars closed at 10 you spent roughly half the day queueing for drink. Nice. Kudos on the drink driving too.

Fist 2 runs bar had no queue, 15 mins third 25 then 35, wife drove home as I was locked and loaded by the end.

lordgoat · 22-06-2009 12:23am

Anymore personal abuse results in a two week ban. This means calling someone a tool or any other insult.

Rougies · 22-06-2009 12:24am

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

Yes but I got there early so I got to see all the bands and didn't miss anything queueing for pints. Missing 3 sounds at the end isn't that big of a deal.

Fair enough, you got a good day out of it. But is it fair that people that aren't interested in seeing the blizzards/glas vegas etc and want to watch the whole headline act's set (the majority) should be subjected to misery? We paid to see Oasis at Slane Castle, not a fun afternoon in the park!

Tchaikovsky · 22-06-2009 12:30am

Rougies wrote: »

Fair enough, you got a good day out of it. But is it fair that people that aren't interested in seeing the blizzards/glas vegas etc and want to watch the whole headline act's set (the majority) should be subjected to misery? We paid to see Oasis at Slane Castle, not a fun afternoon in the park!

Yeah but why didn't you arrive early anyway; you didn't have to be in the pit for the first 3 bands.. we just sat on the hill drinking and could hear and see the bands. You obviously valued your comfort more than the music you paid to see if you didn't wake up earlier in the day. If you leave it so late to see the last 2 bands you're just asking for it.

NickNolte · 22-06-2009 12:34am

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

If you leave it so late to see the last 2 bands you're just asking for it.

No. You're not. The throngs of people and incessant walking and queuing as well as the fact that so many people were left stranded at the end of the night were as a direct result of the organiser's inability to manage the event properly and cater for the 80,000 strong crowd. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that some people chose to show up later. If anything that would make the influx of concert goers lighter.

cork*girl · 22-06-2009 12:34am

Dublin Bus fiasco sounds like twas a nightmare!.. Had a great experience myself..1st time at Slane. My friend lost her ticket on the way in..by the sounds of it if we were later she wouldnt have needed it but after a walk back to the car parks, a steward had found the exact ticket! lucky or what?
We arrived into the grounds at about half 2.. no ques anywhere really. found a spot for the blizzards, thought they were brilliant. Got food which was disgusting and over priced but tis expected really. Thought Glasvegas were ****e to be honest..

Really enjoyed Kasabian and The Prodigy really got the crowd going! Oasis were just brilliant. really enjoyed it and the fireworks as we were leaving. Took us about an hour to get back to the car, and we were back in Dublin at about 1.30am. Twas a brilliant day and I would go back to Slane, only down point was getting kicked the back.. was sitting down on the grass and some ****ing scum behind us were jumping around (?) or on the ground and got a whack into my back.. erra got over it after awhile! ****ing hurt tho! There seemed to be no security around the crowds.. people around us doing all sorts of drugs!
great day in all i must say!

bemused@itall · 22-06-2009 12:38am

NickNolte wrote: »

I assumed that there would be at least some level of organisational competency. Nobody warned me that what happened might happen. Suffice to say, I'd be warning anyone and everyone that I hear are planning to go to Slane again about what a complete and utter shambles it is.

.....................................................................
I agree with you, I'll be doing the same- my own experience was so disapointing- & I'm emphasing that word strongly,as for the TRANSPORT or should I say the lack of it- I took a look at Dublin Buses' customer charter online- I hope that Mr. Meagher 'chief highyah watha' is bombarded with complaints- wonder was any of his own family stuck down there? like the 17 yr. old girl I seen wondering around sobbing her heart out, with no mates,money,phone coverage walking home the wrong way in total darkness- an experience she'll always remember- & not for the right reasons- to hell with Slane- I'll be objecting to the next planning permission request that those event organisers will be applying for- hit them where it hurts ....there POCKETS

Tchaikovsky · 22-06-2009 12:41am

NickNolte wrote: »

No. You're not. The throngs of people and incessant walking and queuing as well as the fact that so many people were left stranded at the end of the night were as a direct result of the organiser's inability to manage the event properly and cater for the 80,000 strong crowd. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that some people chose to show up later. If anything that would make the influx of concert goers lighter.

Well you evidently were asking for it; those who turned up early didn't have to queue at all, those who didn't turn up early did. Follow? Next time don't show up so late.
The end of the gig was a shambles for everyone though and was inexcusable.

samsamson1 · 22-06-2009 12:46am

hey guys im new to this board. But i am utterky disgusted by the travesty that was slane 09!!!! im a very big fan of going to gig and go to many throughout the year....but i have never seen anything as bad as yesterday. I will say that the started ok.....but i endured a 5 hour walk last night to get a bus to dublin....arriving home @ 4.45.

The gaurds were an absoloute disgrace telling me to walk up the motor way....this is illegal, so great job our gaurds do. It was my first time @ slane and my LAST. i go to oxegen every year and wonder to myself how a whole weekend of that size can be co-ordinated so well, but a one day gig @ slane is a sham.

By right anyone who bought a dublin bus ticket should be refunded there money.

The organisers and LMC should answer to the public about what went wrong here.

NickNolte · 22-06-2009 12:46am

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

Well you evidently were asking for it; those who turned up early didn't have to queue at all, those who didn't turn up early did. Follow? Next time don't show up so late.

Did the people who did arrive early ask to be stuck on a pitch dark country road until 5am as well? :rolleyes: If there were too many tickets sold and the venue and organisers couldn't handle that number of people then how is that 'asking for it'? Your reasoning is silly and massively flawed.

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

The end of the gig was a shambles for everyone though and was inexcusable.

What? Why didn't you leave the gig early like me to avoid the crowds? Sounds like you were asking for it to be honest. :rolleyes:

wexican · 22-06-2009 12:49am

NickNolte wrote: »

What? Why didn't you leave the gig early like me to avoid the crowds? Sounds like you were asking for it to be honest. :rolleyes:

With respect, after paying €80 for the ticket people are entitled to stay till the end of the gig.

Random · 22-06-2009 12:50am

The gaurds were an absoloute disgrace telling me to walk up the motor way....this is illegal,

Which motorway? The M1? Or the N2 Dual Carraigeway at Ashbourne?

BTE72 · 22-06-2009 12:56am

Random wrote: »

Which motorway? The M1? Or the N2 Dual Carraigeway at Ashbourne?

Silly question really as both are as equally unsafe for pedestrians to walk.

Random · 22-06-2009 12:57am

BTE72 wrote: »

Silly question really as both are as equally unsafe for pedestrians to walk.

Was just curious as one is 10KM from Slane and the other is 20KM. I didn't think the crowds had got that far.

The N2 alone from Slane is bad enough though so if you got as far as those roads .. it gets worse.

NickNolte · 22-06-2009 1:02am

wexican wrote: »

With respect, after paying €80 for the ticket people are entitled to stay till the end of the gig.

I agree. If you read the thread in context, you'll see I was being sarcastic. Yes, after paying €80 people should be entitled to stay until the end and there should be sufficient transport available as close a distance as possible to the venue to get them home safely.

Likewise, if people show up a few hours later than gate opening time, they should be able to access the gig quickly and easily and the organisers should be able to cater for the crowd and the number of tickets they have sold.

At the end of the day, it's incredible that there are a few people that were at the gig who are excusing what was an absolute travesty of organisation of an event. As I mentioned before, it just goes to show the kind of crap Irish people will put up with and what a spineless bunch of consumers we are.

I was talking to a few English lads on the bus on the way back. Like us, they left the gig early as it was quite obvious there'd be trouble getting home. They were Glastonbury veterans and go to gigs all the time. They said that last night's gig was easily the most unenjoyable experience they've ever had at any gig by a country mile (or about 8 country miles as it happened). That's saying something. Anybody who thinks that what happened yesterday is even remotely acceptable needs their heads checked.

Rougies · 22-06-2009 1:02am

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

The end of the gig was a shambles for everyone though and was inexcusable.

And the shambles on the way in was excusable because the majority of people didn't forsee it in thier crystal balls?

ronbyrne2005 · 22-06-2009 1:07am

To all those who say "Go to venue early" can you not see the flaw in your argument? If 80k arrived at 12pm then it would take many hours to get them into place anyway, people arriving at different times makes the queuing easier.
And not everyone can make it to venue early for work,personal/family reasons and it is a very long day and some people cant face 12-15 hours drinking walking singing etc.
The organisers should state arrival times if important but never do. I was there with only one other mate and we only wanted to see KAsabian, Prodigy and Oasis so arrived there at 5pm hoping to get to hill in time for KAsabian at 5.30, we got in (battered and bruised) at close to 7pm, not everyone is there for a long day out.

ronbyrne2005 · 22-06-2009 1:10am

NickNolte wrote: »

I agree. If you read the thread in context, you'll see I was being sarcastic. Yes, after paying €80 people should be entitled to stay until the end and there should be sufficient transport available as close a distance as possible to the venue to get them home safely.

Likewise, if people show up a few hours later than gate opening time, they should be able to access the gig quickly and easily and the organisers should be able to cater for the crowd and the number of tickets they have sold.

At the end of the day, it's incredible that there are a few people that were at the gig who are excusing what was an absolute travesty of organisation of an event. As I mentioned before, it just goes to show the kind of crap Irish people will put up with and what a spineless bunch of consumers we are.

I was talking to a few English lads on the bus on the way back. Like us, they left the gig early as it was quite obvious there'd be trouble getting home. They were Glastonbury veterans and go to gigs all the time. They said that last night's gig was easily the most unenjoyable experience they've ever had at any gig by a country mile (or about 8 country miles as it happened). That's saying something. Anybody who thinks that what happened yesterday is even remotely acceptable needs their heads checked.

Yeah, met a load of socttish people who were pissed off about the whole thing too. Worst they'd ever experienced.

L'prof · 22-06-2009 1:21am

Random wrote: »

Was just curious as one is 10KM from Slane and the other is 20KM. I didn't think the crowds had got that far.

The N2 alone from Slane is bad enough though so if you got as far as those roads .. it gets worse.

I know I was walking for 4 hours anyway and the road was full of people. I prolly didn't get this far, all I know is we stopped at a small petrol station where a guard had block off half the road and he said there would be buses there. Until then everyone told us to keep walking!

lordgoat · 22-06-2009 1:32am

Enough of the petty squabbling - take it to PM to kiss and make up

lostexpectation · 22-06-2009 1:47am

maybe just aybe 80,000 is too many people to enjoy any gig

ronbyrne2005 · 22-06-2009 2:09am

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0622/1224249265793.html

Paul Tergat · 22-06-2009 2:15am

A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus told The Irish Times the company had “everyone on a bus by 2am”.

This is absolute and total bollocks

L'prof · 22-06-2009 2:16am

p_larkin99 wrote: »

A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus told The Irish Times the company had “everyone on a bus by 2am”.

This is absolute and total bollocks

I didn't get on one until 3 and even if it was 2, that's still completely unacceptable!!!

Paul Tergat · 22-06-2009 2:20am

Yeah exactly, personally i was ok and in a bus around 12ish but didnt move out of slane till after 3 and there were still loads of people walking right up to and past the garda checkpoint and once we past them there were still people on the roadside looking lost and not knowing what to do.

****ing shambles, and ya can just imagine that spokeswoman making that statement with some sense of accomplishment on behalf of Dublin Bus.

Reganio 2 · 22-06-2009 2:21am

An awful lot of people left early as well. I seen a good 2,000 people easily leave the gig early, so many people I was told said "I would never go see Oasis again" a lot of people said pure sh*t.

Sure the buses back will tell ya something the bus I was on people were singing a couple of songs but not Oasis or any of the other acts songs. Everybody just looked .. dejected and the bus I was on didn't have any trouble getting out so it wasn't that. Another person on a bus (driving) said that a couple of the lads were trying to get people going saying "Everybody was all cheery on the way down what happened" so the gig wasn't all that in a lot of peoples eyes not just mine.

Paul Tergat · 22-06-2009 2:24am

DenzelWishbone wrote: »

The gig was fantastic last night but the organisation was an absolute disgrace…we arrived early…1 hour queues for beer not fun but I didn’t mind that so much...we had bus tickets but we had to walk for over 4 hours and around 7-9 miles in the dark with no idea how we were going to get a lift!!!...we were unsure if we were ever going to get home – we had to beg a taxi driver and pay way over the odds to get a lift (btw the taxi driver told us we were 13km from Slane)…

On the dark dangerous road we passed THOUSANDS of stranded people along the way, many lying in ditches, many crying, many looking scared and lost and with no idea of where to go or how to get home…it was a surreal, frightening and horrible experience…many of the buses were over-packed, going nowhere with people inevitably fighting on them…there must have been loads of people who never even made it home…I love music and I love big live concerts; Slane inside is an amazing venue but I will never ever go back…someone must be held account for this – Dublin Bus, the Guards and the event organisers have a lot to answer for…

Irish Times wrote:

Den Loughran from Donnybrook said he had to walk for more than four hours in the dark despite having a bus ticket.

“In the end we had to beg a taxi driver and pay way over the odds to get a lift. On the road we passed thousands of stranded people, many lying in ditches, many crying, many looking scared and lost and with no idea of where to go or how to get home.

“It was a surreal, frightening and horrible experience. Many of the buses were overcrowded and going nowhere with people inevitably fighting on them. There must have been loads of people who never even made it home.”

Did you write into them about this mate?

Paul Tergat · 22-06-2009 2:27am

Reganio 2 wrote: »

An awful lot of people left early as well. I seen a good 2,000 people easily leave the gig early, so many people I was told said "I would never go see Oasis again" a lot of people said pure sh*t.

Sure the buses back will tell ya something the bus I was on people were singing a couple of songs but not Oasis or any of the other acts songs. Everybody just looked .. dejected and the bus I was on didn't have any trouble getting out so it wasn't that. Another person on a bus (driving) said that a couple of the lads were trying to get people going saying "Everybody was all cheery on the way down what happened" so the gig wasn't all that in a lot of peoples eyes not just mine.

I dont mind peoples opinions on whether they liked Oasis or not.

Personally, I loved every minute of them. I was down by the stage and it was pretty electric.

The reason our bus was so dejected is that we moved maybe 500 yards over about 3 hours.:mad:

EDIT: also not being informed what the **** was happening and no order or system in place and also having to walk a ridiculous distance to just get to a bus.

Reganio 2 · 22-06-2009 2:32am

Fair enough

A lot of people are blaming Dublin Bus for things that aren't there fault in all fairness. Like the not getting off the bus till 4 or whatever... Its hardly there fault do you think Bus Drivers wanna sit on the bus? It just annoys me when people give out about things that are not their fault.. they deserve grief for a lot of things they did but some of it wasn't their fault.

cork*girl · 22-06-2009 2:37am

hopefully with the disaster that was the transport, people wont forget that the concert was brilliant and that oasis were fantastic.

my weekend ended perfectly when we met Liam in the airport on Sunday evening

!

Paul Tergat · 22-06-2009 2:40am

Reganio 2 wrote: »

Fair enough

A lot of people are blaming Dublin Bus for things that aren't there fault in all fairness. Like the not getting off the bus till 4 or whatever... Its hardly there fault do you think Bus Drivers wanna sit on the bus? It just annoys me when people give out about things that are not their fault.. they deserve grief for a lot of things they did but some of it wasn't their fault.

Well i blame Dublin Bus for a number of things but the main thing that really pissed me off was that when we were slowly moving out of slane there were loads of empty buses behind/alongside us. I saw empty buses as we were leaving meath and even some empty buses on the motorway back to Dublin. One bus that we were lined up alongside as we were beginning to move properly out of slane (it was at a traffic light that just stayed red) had just 3 people on it. It was a double decker Dublin Bus with 3 people on. At the same time, there were still thousands of people at the roadside desperate for any sort of ride home.

All it would have taken was to have some means of communication in place and some common sense too and those buses could easily have been filled.

Paul Tergat · 22-06-2009 2:45am

cork*girl wrote: »

hopefully with the disaster that was the transport, people wont forget that the concert was brilliant and that oasis were fantastic.

my weekend ended perfectly when we met Liam in the airport on Sunday evening !

yeah thats something i imagine ill feel like in a couple of days. Oasis were ****ing biblical :pac:

BobSloane · 22-06-2009 3:28am

Left Ennis at 3.30. Got to Slane at about 6.45. Was in just before the Podigy started. It was crowded coming in but didn't feel in any danger. My ticket was checked/scanned. Missed about 40 mins of prodigy in queue for the bar. Could see it was bad after ten minutes but got caught up in the dollar auction type dilemma where i had invested some time and wanted a return. Got out from the bar when Prodigy were playing outer space. Watched the first half of Oasis from in front of the screen to the left of the stage. Saw one fight. Could smell grass being smoked. (Also smoked some grass.) Didn't see anyone doing coke but saw plenty that were full of pills. They were harmless generally. Thought the sound could have been better and wondered if maybe a speaker was blown or something on that left side. Went to the jacks and back to the bar around the time slide away was on. Was in and out of the bar in less than ten mins this time. Watched the rest of oasis a bit further back than where we had been. Was slow getting out of the ground but constantly moving. Nobody seemed to be losing the head too bad around us. We went out the green exit and had to come around the corner where the merchandise store was so was probably on one of the slower routes. Got back to the car at 11.45. My friend drove back and woke me in ballinaloe for supermacs. We were back in ennis at 3.30. Twelve hour round trip.
This was my third time at Slane. I was at Madonna(:o) which definetly took longer to get out of the ground and involved minutes at a time of not moving at all and then moving a few feet. I'm almost sure it took over 2 hours that day to get back to the car. The queues were a pain but again I've been through worse. Chilli Peppers/pixies at phoenix park a few years ago was the worst gig i've ever been at for queues and getting in/out. But I'm glad i endured it as its a great reference point for big gig torture.

That dublin bus thing sounds terrible and I'm sorry people had to end an otherwise good day like that.

Third_Echelon · 22-06-2009 3:36am

have to say that I had a really good day out...

Got a taxi from Navan and got there for about 2.30pm. In the gates by 3pm just as the blizzards were starting. Found a nice patch of grass and we sat there and had a few pints..

Drinks were easy enough to get up until 5pm, then it was just madness.

Glasvegas were really good. Kasabian, The Prodigy and Oasis were excellent... I didn't bother trying to get a drink after Kasabian. Went to watch The Prodigy and Oasis. Other mates who were in the queue for beers, spent over an hour trying to get a beer at the main bar. They missed the prodigy completely.

Oasis were excellent. All the old-school crowd pleasers were lashed out.. Probably one of the best performances that I have ever seen from them..

As soon as 'I am the Walrus' was over, I was flying up the hill to get out.. Took me 45 mins to get from the stage to stamullen tennis club (in the direction of Navan about 2km from slane castle). Hailed a taxi from there and was back to a mates house in navan, changed and in the pub by 12 midnight...

I was considering going with Dublin Bus from the city centre, but I am glad I didn't go with that option now... Sounds like hell having to wait that long...

Saying that, in the taxi on the way back into Navan we saw a load of Dublin Buses parked up empty.... Thought that they were waiting to go to Slane and bring more people back to Dublin and I was thinking that it wouldn't be too bad actually getting back, but it sounds like Dublin Bus did a great job of f**kin that up

Perhaps some things could have been improved upon with regards to organisation, but i didn't think it was that bad overall... I honestly didn't see a lot of the gripes that people were talking about here..

Anyway, my idea of getting Dublin Bus to AC/DC next weekend will not be pursued now... Drive down I think

extrafluff · 22-06-2009 3:43am

I really feel sorry for the people that had a horror of an experience last night. I didn't - i had a great experience for my 1st time at Slane, 5th time to see Oasis.
Here's how me and the girlfriends day panned out: Got the bus at Parnell Sq. at 3pm - got there at about 4 and obviously we had to walk, we walked for until we got to the entrance of the bridge. We decided to hang back for a while and got something to eat and had a few drinks as there was a huge amount of people trying to gain access. It was a good idea as when we decided to go in it wasn't that bad.
Until we got over the bridge and up the forest route. That was mayhem and luckily for us there was a kind of unofficial express 'lane' that was moving - got into the venue near the end of the Prodigy.

Ticket wasn't checked at all and i had drink with me, 2 naggins and a shoulder and i was allowed in with them. They really just wanted to get people in. The security & Garda didn't care about the safety of the crowd at all, which was disgraceful really. I do feel hard done by for having paid for a ticket and not being asked for it. I wonder how many people got in for nothing. There was easily over 80,000 people there yesterday.

We decided to stay near the back as we knew it'd be a catastrophe trying to get nearer the stage and then out as the concert ended.
I loved Oasis - thought they were brilliant yesterday. I liked the set but would have liked a few less played songs.
Left a minute or so into Walrus and headed back towards the bus - it was easier and less chaotic than it was heading into the gig.
Got on the (not very full) bus at about half 11, i think. Was slow moving out of Slane and eventually got moving after about half an hour.
Let off the bus at Harts Corner, got pizza and was in bed at 1am.

I really enjoyed it. Organisation was shameful though, there could have been deaths, i'm surprised there wasn't .As someone mentioned earlier, it was like the emphasise was on trying to protect people from getting into the river and not to get them safely into the venue.
I had a great laugh with the many, many people that i encountered yesterday, bar the usual scumbags but i expect that when people just go to cause trouble.

I won't defend anything about the management/organisation of yesterday - its an understatement to say it could have been run better. I'll sign the petition too, even though i had an enjoyable day - i feel that if we get our point across we can demand a better service for Slane and ensure that there'll be a safer day the next time - if it gets its licence, that is.

I've heard from a few people i know that couldn't get a bus and were still walking at 5am in the morning. That is appalling.

Another gripe i had is the location of where the buses were parked on the road on the way back. The doors to the bus are on the left hand side facing towards the front, the buses were parked on the right hand side of the road which left people to become a danger for the traffic. How no one was knocked down is beyond me - people crossing the road at any point they could.

*exhales*

Slicklink · 22-06-2009 4:20am

That there are so many posts here mainly along the one theme says it all.

Hasnt there been all kinds of legal threats here in the past from MCD ?

I was there and I wont mince my words. I'll be sending a letter to Justin Green anyway. I suggest yis all do.

I spent ages walking along a forest path which was badly bordered at times by metal barrier most of which were trodden on or broken along with the thousands of others. Nobody was there to separate people in the event of a fight or stampede. Some people were running through the trees to bypass the 1 step a second convoy and then cut back in at a future opening. Its a miracle no one was seriously injured. Cattle would be better treated.

Nobody checked tickets or bags at any stage - I can only imagine the amount of idiots with knives etc. I could have brought an RPG in with and taken out the stage for all the organisers cared.

Yes people did queue up to 40 minutes for a beers (or 2 max !!) for 6 euro each. The q's were so slow and people were very agitated as a result. I personally witnessed some guy getting a drink lashed into his face as he slapped some guy carrying his drinks back out through the aisles. Perhaps it might have been an idea to either put more bars in and maybe a screen so that people were at least calmed down by being able to see the gig whilst queuing for so long.

Toilets..... one big open toilet thats what it was..... a moat.

Thank god people were not made go back through the forest on the way back... I can only imagine! The walk back through Slane was sobering enough!

Worst organised event I can remember being at and I have done them all. Slane does not hold 80,000 people and serious thought should be given to any future events of people over 40,000. Maybe the kids didn't mind and maybe you do expect more when your older and have seen better events organised. Still it was dangerous and I wouldn't be rushing out to go to Slane again regardless of who is playing.

T-K-O · 22-06-2009 8:20am

It was a complete disaster getting into the gig. I heard Kasabian in the Q to get in (ticket not even checked). I then had the pleasure of the prodigy in the Q for the bar. I did manage to convince a very friendly lady to hand over three pints

Fair play.

Why is there only two beer tents ? Absolutely ridiculous.

I must add Oasis were excellent and I got back into two around 2, better than most people. Traveling all the way down and queuing for so long to see one act was a disappointment. Not sure If I would do it again.

BaZmO* · 22-06-2009 8:29am

DenzelWishbone wrote: »

On the dark dangerous road we passed THOUSANDS of stranded people along the way, many lying in ditches, many crying, many looking scared and lost and with no idea of where to go or how to get home…it was a surreal, frightening and horrible experience…many of the buses were over-packed, going nowhere with people inevitably fighting on them…there must have been loads of people who never even made it home…

Haha. Don't be so silly! I just have this image of loads of Zombie little creatures in Oasis t-shirts still wandering aimlessly around Meath.

BobSloane wrote: »

Chilli Peppers/pixies at phoenix park a few years ago was the worst gig i've ever been at for queues and getting in/out.

That was the worst gig I've ever been to full stop. Shocking stuff really.

p_larkin99 wrote: »

Did you write into them about this mate?

Yeah, that article lifts pieces from Boards word for word.

As for the chaos at this gig, I'm actually quite surprised that people are surprised that it took so long to get out of Slane. That has always been the case. First time I went to Slane it took me 6 hours to get back to Dublin on the bus. (That'll teach me to stay and look at the fireworks!) :rolleyes:

Took me almost another 10 years before I'd go back again to see the Rolling Stones in 2007. I only went cos a mate was hassling me to go. But I made absolute certain that we left before the band finished (despite my friends protests) and because we did we made it back into Dublin before 12.00am. Slane is notorious for getting in and out of and you should always make allowances for it. Most people that go to Slane tend to only go once because of this hassle.

That still doesn't excuse that fact that it takes so long and the fact that it has being going for so long you would think that they'd have gotten it right by now. :rolleyes:

The bar sounds like a shambles, and charging €6 for a pint is shocking. It just makes more sense to charge €5 as it makes giving and getting change easier. And why can't they give out those little drinks trays that you get in McDonalds and put lids on the cups like they do in the O2?
That way you can get 4 pints each time. It'd cut down on the queuing.

T-K-O · 22-06-2009 8:43am

Just as I got to the top of the queue for the bar they reduced the price to 5. Greedy ****ers ran out of change.

A-Train · 22-06-2009 8:45am

The event was a shambles got to the bridge at the bottom of the hill about 3pm were we had to wait to meet one of the lads coming down the hill with two tickets that itself was an experience.

Eventually got the tickets after much hassle of us not being allowed up the hill and the lads not being allowed down it. We proceeded to enter the venue through the forest path, one of the worst experience of concert planning ever! Took an hour and 40 minutes to get to the top were they had 4 people scanning tickets which was a joke!

Inside was even worst, we stayed at the back so as not to go through the same thing when trying to get out. Bars and toilets were a joke, hour plus to get 2 beers!

Overall don't think I'll be heading back anytime soon!

SLANE 2009 Oasis - All Discussion - No ticket sales.

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