Goth weekend revellers left disappointed after latest visit THIS year's goth event ended in disappointment for some goths claiming they were refused entry to Whitby Pavilion due to overcrowding.
People who paid £35 and were refused access to the venue posted messages on offical and unofficial Whitby Gothic Weekend websites. One woman, who calls herself Faerierhona, said: "I have ME and was with someone who has asthma. Queuing was not an option so we left. "I spent a long time debating whether to buy tickets or not as I am often too ill for the full event. "I decided to so I could see Queen Adreena and In The Nursery – both of whom I then missed." Another said: "Completely ruined night. We all went home early." A spokesman for Whitby Gothic Weekend said that the main hall of Whitby Pavilion has a capacity of 1,000 while the foyer area has a zero capacity. But because around 250 people normally stand in the foyer area in previous years she said organisers of the weekend have negotiated an additional capacity allowance for the foyer area. But at last October's event a retired fire officer complained about the arrangement directly to Scarborough Council about the venue being over capacity. The spokesman said: "This was all communicated to Whitby Gothic Weekend HQ a few days before the recent event meaning any agreement for an additional capacity being null and void. "We had, however, already sold extra tickets." This resulted in some people being refunded on Friday night after being refused entry and around 100 people on Saturday night being kept waiting. She added that organisers of the weekend realise it was unacceptable and apologise for the situation. She also said that organisers of the weekend would be looking into providing compensation for those who missed out. But Jill Gomez-Mannion, manager and licensee of the Pavilion Complex, said that for some time there has been a maximum capacity of 1,200 – 1,000 in the main hall and 200 in the foyer – and that this has always been non-negotiable. She said that organisers of the Goth Weekend have always known about this. She said that professional door staff were employed to ensure that capacity was not broken and although she sympathises with people who could not get into the the event she said she had to adhere to the licensing regulations. 29 April 2005 http://www.whitbytoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=983&ArticleID=1014185
There's only 50 difference in the two capacity statements, though.
The WGW organisers say 1000 in main hall, plus 250 'agreed' as there's no listed capacity for the foyer.
The manager says 1000 in the main hall plus 200 listed capacity for the foyer.
I don't see a huge discrepancy there, although it should be fairly easy to establish whether or not the foyer capacity is officially listed as 0 or 200.
That leads to another question, though: if it's only a 50 person (possible) discrepancy, why were more than 50 people queuing? I suppose if the bands and staff were included - which was one of the other possible problems iirc - that might account for it.
I missed the problems entirely, but I've heard a fair number of people complain that security were just a little bit clueless and weren't keeping an accurate count of how many people were there. Looking at how empty the main hall was on Saturday night, I can quite believe that.
having made a decision a long time ago not to pay out £72 just to see the two bands which we would have liked to have seen (Queen Adreena and ITN) we were happy to be at the alternative event at the Met, with around about another 50 or so likeminded people. Around 9.30pm a message came through to say that there were "a lot of very pissed-off people" on their way up from the Pavilion as they were being told that it was full and only operating a one out/one in door policy for the rest of the evening. Since people did not want to hang around in the cold with no certain knowledge of getting in some 150 arrived at the Met where they formed an orderly queue and did get in. This is why I suspect that there could have been a higher number of people who had tickets than we are being led to believe were sold, as I have read on LJ that some people went places other than the Met...pubs etc. and of course some eventually got in, presumably when others came out! ?
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2005-04-30 11:54 am (UTC)and from the Hitby Gazette....
Date: 2005-04-30 12:44 pm (UTC)THIS year's goth event ended in disappointment for some goths claiming they were refused entry to Whitby Pavilion due to overcrowding.
People who paid £35 and were refused access to the venue posted messages on offical and unofficial Whitby Gothic Weekend websites.
One woman, who calls herself Faerierhona, said: "I have ME and was with someone who has asthma. Queuing was not an option so we left.
"I spent a long time debating whether to buy tickets or not as I am often too ill for the full event.
"I decided to so I could see Queen Adreena and In The Nursery – both of whom I then missed."
Another said: "Completely ruined night. We all went home early."
A spokesman for Whitby Gothic Weekend said that the main hall of Whitby Pavilion has a capacity of 1,000 while the foyer area has a zero capacity.
But because around 250 people normally stand in the foyer area in previous years she said organisers of the weekend have negotiated an additional capacity allowance for the foyer area.
But at last October's event a retired fire officer complained about the arrangement directly to Scarborough Council about the venue being over capacity.
The spokesman said: "This was all communicated to Whitby Gothic Weekend HQ a few days before the recent event meaning any agreement for an additional capacity being null and void.
"We had, however, already sold extra tickets."
This resulted in some people being refunded on Friday night after being refused entry and around 100 people on Saturday night being kept waiting.
She added that organisers of the weekend realise it was unacceptable and apologise for the situation.
She also said that organisers of the weekend would be looking into providing compensation for those who missed out.
But Jill Gomez-Mannion, manager and licensee of the Pavilion Complex, said that for some time there has been a maximum capacity of 1,200 – 1,000 in the main hall and 200 in the foyer – and that this has always been non-negotiable.
She said that organisers of the Goth Weekend have always known about this.
She said that professional door staff were employed to ensure that capacity was not broken and although she sympathises with people who could not get into the the event she said she had to adhere to the licensing regulations.
29 April 2005
http://www.whitbytoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=983&ArticleID=1014185
Re: and from the Hitby Gazette....
Date: 2005-04-30 03:21 pm (UTC)The WGW organisers say 1000 in main hall, plus 250 'agreed' as there's no listed capacity for the foyer.
The manager says 1000 in the main hall plus 200 listed capacity for the foyer.
I don't see a huge discrepancy there, although it should be fairly easy to establish whether or not the foyer capacity is officially listed as 0 or 200.
That leads to another question, though: if it's only a 50 person (possible) discrepancy, why were more than 50 people queuing? I suppose if the bands and staff were included - which was one of the other possible problems iirc - that might account for it.
I missed the problems entirely, but I've heard a fair number of people complain that security were just a little bit clueless and weren't keeping an accurate count of how many people were there. Looking at how empty the main hall was on Saturday night, I can quite believe that.
Re: and from the Hitby Gazette....
Date: 2005-04-30 03:42 pm (UTC)Re: and from the Hitby Gazette....
Date: 2005-04-30 03:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-01 12:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-01 01:24 pm (UTC)(and was very surprised that the