As the days heat up (in the southern hemisphere) and the calendar becomes more jam-packed it’s a sure-fire way of knowing that the onslaught of summer festivals is about to begin. In Australia, first up is Stereosonic, which recently attracted media attention when they banned shirtless men from attending the event in a move to make the event safer and more comfortable for patrons. We spoke to John Curtin of Stereosonic about the ban.
AGONY UNCLE: Tell us about your rationale for the no-shirts ban.
JOHN CURTIN: We’re trying to make the event as comfortable for patrons as possible. We actually looked at trialling it this year and at one of our pre-event meetings with the New South Wales Police and they suggested it as something they would like to trial also.
AU: So is the belief that those who dance with their tops off are those who are the troublemakers?
JC: No, not at all. There is a small minority who we’re targeting; one of the issues we see at events is that large groups of shirtless guys crowd girls or other patrons.
AU: So it’s kind of like the old-fashioned ‘no shoes, no shirt, no service policy’ on a grander scale?
JC: Well I can’t go to the Melbourne Cricket Club without wearing a collar, so I guess at a festival you should wear a shirt. It’s in Victoria’s licencing that people do need to wear a t-shirt in a licensed venue such as ours.
AU: What about girls in bikini tops? Do the same rules apply?
JC: Girls can wear bikini tops. Guys can wear half midriff tops if they so desire.
AU: Move over, Richard Simmons!
JC: Totes.
AU: How do you find festival-goers let themselves down in the decorum stakes?
JC: They’re all pretty good; just the guys who get a bit loose, girls who decide that they have to pick up a DJ or ten and a few at the end that are a bit ‘tired and emotional’ … plus those who rock out with last year’s sunnies.
JC: This guy had ‘WMD’ written on his arms. One guess …
AU: Weapons of mass destruction?
JC: Correct. I don’t think he went to Iraq though.
| Top tips to survive festival season | |
| 1. | Drink lots of water. It might seem elementary but heat exhaustion combined with excessive boozing will see you in the sidelines in no time. No one wants to look after their loose friend, even the St John’s ambos. |
| 2. | Wear sensible footwear. No one’s feet look good in a pair of flip-flops after a day traipsing through dirt. Take heed, stop being so lazy and at least put on a pair of sandals. |
| 3. | Wait your turn. You’re the one who decided to thrust yourself among throngs of people so be prepared to battle it out for position, drinks, lavatories and other amenities. Forget nightclub pulling power, festivals are about democratisation. |
| 4. | Stick together. Have a contingency when a member of your group gets lost, always venture around the grounds with another person and pick a landmark. That giant inflatable pineapple by the entrance might just be your saving grace. |
| 5. | Leave the aggro/biffo at home along with the protein bars and the growth hormone. Roid rage is so déclassé. |
Speaking of which, here’s a little something that was doing the rounds a couple of years ago. Drugs are bad, folks.
What are your top tips for summer festival? Sign in with one click and leave your comments below.
Published on 4 December 2009 by Agony Uncle