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| I only had time for high-5's & a few pics before my train... |
Let's say you want to attend a musical performance in a foreign land. Let's say the event in question is a large outdoor event bringing in over 55,000 attendees. Let's say for the sake of argument that this is a western heavy metal rock show. "Whoahhh... " you may be thinking. Then you picture yourself there at the stadium, maybe even right up WITH the band, screaming along to ALL the hits...
But how do you get there from here?
First off, be cool. Know that this is your music and these are your people. Here are a few tips for having a great night and making it back safely.
Buy your tickets in advance even if you haven't bought your plane tickets yet.
Use a credit card. If the show gets cancelled for any reason you will have a paper trail to get a refund or attend a make-up gig.
Get train tickets in advance. They book up quick on weekends and holidays, and every day is a holiday somewhere in India. Get a couple different return tickets so you're flexible with the timing of the show's end. (always stay for the encore) Train tickets can be refunded, but you can generally 'write-off' the $5 loss emotionally while safely tucked in your sleeper bed at the end of your journey. Friends may offer to pay for a cab ride, but you'll need your rest and a 4-hour taxi is the opposite.
Wear black.
Pack sunglasses, a flashlight, jacket, water and snacks.
No bags. They won't let them in the arena.
Always travel with a Rock-Buddy you trust; someone who knows how to handle these types of shows and crowds. Pick one that reminds you of Hunter S.Thompson or his Attorney for best results.
Give yourself extra time to find your train car. It will be at the other end, always. You can trade seats once the train gets moving, especially if there are three different numbers posted on your seat, and others do it.
Sleep. It's the last you'll get for 13 hours.
Never take the first rickshaw at the train station. They will be overpriced and not know where you want to go. The correct driver in the bunch is the first one who mentions the event you are attending. Haggle then walk away. Their price will come down. Since they will not be on their meter (always broken at the train station) a fixed price guarantees they will want to drop you off ASAP. Make sure they get you close to the main entrance.
Here are your people. Put on your shades. If you have tattoos, wear them proudly as they will add to the mystique of the event. Dive into the sea of black rock shirts, 2/3 of which will have the headlining band featured. The others are actually more interesting; Pantera, Cradle of Filth, Jim Morrison, System of a Down, Pink Floyd, Jane's Addiction, Iron Maiden- to represent a few other bands these boys would be listening to on another night. The small population of females will always contrast this by NOT wearing concert shirts 2/3 of the time. Indian women especially tend to dress up for such an event.
Do not stand in line outside the stadium.
Go to the front gate. Tell them you are "International" and you will be let in quickly.
Once inside, do not stand in the will-call line. There will be 200 people here. Walk around until you find the International ticket counter. You will be next. Present your ID and Validation Papers to sign for your tickets. Good job! You will have hours before the show and main doors open. Leave the stadium.
Now that you have tickets and spare time, get your mindset for the show. Take a walk, enjoy the neighborhood. After the show it will be a blur. A rickshaw driver on the clock can always show you a nearby restaurant. Usually the second establishment around the corner is better and cheaper. If there is a bar nearby you can encourage your friend to have a beer on the sidewalk with the other rockers, adding to the mystique. After you've had your fill, get dropped off at the main gate and go right in. Once again inside you will encounter a large mass of fans that surges forward and becomes denser as time passes. Don't panic, they can sense your fear.
This next part is important: DO NOT RIOT.
Delhi had trouble with this one. Admittedly, there were extenuating circumstances. Security barriers were not able to be set in place in front of the stage, the show was delayed then cancelled, and the fans were the last to know after waiting for hours. I will say it again-- pre-pay with a credit card. Four promoters were jailed for their participation (or lack of) in the miscommunication and cover-up resulting in thousands of fans not getting a show or a refund if they paid cash. If you do riot, never trash the band's gear. They will have another show soon.
Do not trust the first thirty outbreaks of screams. The doors are not open, somebody just wants a great crowd photo. Same with the sound check. It will take an hour for the crowd to get through the first checkpoint. This will give everyone a chance to check out your tats and talk about the music from back home. They will think you too are in a band and that you know other bands. Let them know this is so. You have a mystique to keep up on. You will pass through many lines and go through many gates before anybody asks for your ticket. This will be countered by several pat-down searches along the way. Don't worry. If you're a pro you're either not carrying contraband or it's safely stowed. Someone else will always have something.
Drink coffee but don't eat.
Buy a concert shirt but don't wear it until tomorrow.
Pay the extra cash to get one with the band and the event on it.
Find a good spot early. If you're on the edge of the crowd and you find something to stand on, keep it.You and your Rock Buddy can take turns guarding the real estate. If security staff are using a nearby wall as a restroom, so can you. If police officers are taking tables just like yours from a stack nearby you can help yourself to more when they leave. Creating a row of tables to stand on normalizes the situation, especially if the family you share the tables with know the promoters and security staff. Be helpful to your new family, they can make or break a good experience.
Announcers will remind you of what happened at the cancelled show and ask you to not lose your cool. Don't lose your cool.
You've probably never heard of the opening act before and never will again. They will be too loud and their songs too long. The first ten seconds will sound nothing like the rest of the song because they are artists who refuse to fall into a category. Those ten seconds will be the best part.
You will be swept up in the hysteria when The Band starts playing. It is now OK to lose your cool a bit, just don't fall off your table. Plain sight is sometimes the best place to hide illicit activities, but keep it discreet and always wait until the show starts.
It is good to know all the songs and all the lyrics. It is not good to scream them, unless the Band specifically asks you to. (most bands have one song they need your personal help with)
Headbanging is OK.
So is stomping, fist-pounding, waving and showing the 'devil-hand' which actually wards OFF the evil eye. Jumping is fine, but no mosh pits in India. Their cops all have well worn sticks.
Stay for the encore, maybe the second. There will be no third encore.
If your spot is near the VIP zone you can use their quick exit behind the curtain and beat 50,000 fans to the streets. Walk a couple of blocks from the stadium to hail a rickshaw. Relax knowing you already have sold-out train tickets for home. Buy water and snacks at the train station. You can use your bottle as a pillow in your sleeper.
The waiting rickshaws will try to rip you off. Let them a little- you're tired and you have extra change for the ride home.
Shower and have coffee.
Rush to the Shala and get on your mat.
Do yoga.
aeryk
Use a credit card. If the show gets cancelled for any reason you will have a paper trail to get a refund or attend a make-up gig.
Get train tickets in advance. They book up quick on weekends and holidays, and every day is a holiday somewhere in India. Get a couple different return tickets so you're flexible with the timing of the show's end. (always stay for the encore) Train tickets can be refunded, but you can generally 'write-off' the $5 loss emotionally while safely tucked in your sleeper bed at the end of your journey. Friends may offer to pay for a cab ride, but you'll need your rest and a 4-hour taxi is the opposite.
Wear black.
Pack sunglasses, a flashlight, jacket, water and snacks.
No bags. They won't let them in the arena.
Always travel with a Rock-Buddy you trust; someone who knows how to handle these types of shows and crowds. Pick one that reminds you of Hunter S.Thompson or his Attorney for best results.
Give yourself extra time to find your train car. It will be at the other end, always. You can trade seats once the train gets moving, especially if there are three different numbers posted on your seat, and others do it.
Sleep. It's the last you'll get for 13 hours.
Never take the first rickshaw at the train station. They will be overpriced and not know where you want to go. The correct driver in the bunch is the first one who mentions the event you are attending. Haggle then walk away. Their price will come down. Since they will not be on their meter (always broken at the train station) a fixed price guarantees they will want to drop you off ASAP. Make sure they get you close to the main entrance.
Here are your people. Put on your shades. If you have tattoos, wear them proudly as they will add to the mystique of the event. Dive into the sea of black rock shirts, 2/3 of which will have the headlining band featured. The others are actually more interesting; Pantera, Cradle of Filth, Jim Morrison, System of a Down, Pink Floyd, Jane's Addiction, Iron Maiden- to represent a few other bands these boys would be listening to on another night. The small population of females will always contrast this by NOT wearing concert shirts 2/3 of the time. Indian women especially tend to dress up for such an event.
Do not stand in line outside the stadium.
Go to the front gate. Tell them you are "International" and you will be let in quickly.
Once inside, do not stand in the will-call line. There will be 200 people here. Walk around until you find the International ticket counter. You will be next. Present your ID and Validation Papers to sign for your tickets. Good job! You will have hours before the show and main doors open. Leave the stadium.
Now that you have tickets and spare time, get your mindset for the show. Take a walk, enjoy the neighborhood. After the show it will be a blur. A rickshaw driver on the clock can always show you a nearby restaurant. Usually the second establishment around the corner is better and cheaper. If there is a bar nearby you can encourage your friend to have a beer on the sidewalk with the other rockers, adding to the mystique. After you've had your fill, get dropped off at the main gate and go right in. Once again inside you will encounter a large mass of fans that surges forward and becomes denser as time passes. Don't panic, they can sense your fear.
This next part is important: DO NOT RIOT.
Delhi had trouble with this one. Admittedly, there were extenuating circumstances. Security barriers were not able to be set in place in front of the stage, the show was delayed then cancelled, and the fans were the last to know after waiting for hours. I will say it again-- pre-pay with a credit card. Four promoters were jailed for their participation (or lack of) in the miscommunication and cover-up resulting in thousands of fans not getting a show or a refund if they paid cash. If you do riot, never trash the band's gear. They will have another show soon.
Do not trust the first thirty outbreaks of screams. The doors are not open, somebody just wants a great crowd photo. Same with the sound check. It will take an hour for the crowd to get through the first checkpoint. This will give everyone a chance to check out your tats and talk about the music from back home. They will think you too are in a band and that you know other bands. Let them know this is so. You have a mystique to keep up on. You will pass through many lines and go through many gates before anybody asks for your ticket. This will be countered by several pat-down searches along the way. Don't worry. If you're a pro you're either not carrying contraband or it's safely stowed. Someone else will always have something.
Drink coffee but don't eat.
Buy a concert shirt but don't wear it until tomorrow.
Pay the extra cash to get one with the band and the event on it.
 |
| A souvenir you can wear to the next concert. |
 |
| Hey, Richard Marx and Backstreet Boys: screw up a festival and you won't get on the next T-shirt! |
Announcers will remind you of what happened at the cancelled show and ask you to not lose your cool. Don't lose your cool.
You've probably never heard of the opening act before and never will again. They will be too loud and their songs too long. The first ten seconds will sound nothing like the rest of the song because they are artists who refuse to fall into a category. Those ten seconds will be the best part.
You will be swept up in the hysteria when The Band starts playing. It is now OK to lose your cool a bit, just don't fall off your table. Plain sight is sometimes the best place to hide illicit activities, but keep it discreet and always wait until the show starts.
It is good to know all the songs and all the lyrics. It is not good to scream them, unless the Band specifically asks you to. (most bands have one song they need your personal help with)
Headbanging is OK.
So is stomping, fist-pounding, waving and showing the 'devil-hand' which actually wards OFF the evil eye. Jumping is fine, but no mosh pits in India. Their cops all have well worn sticks.
Stay for the encore, maybe the second. There will be no third encore.
If your spot is near the VIP zone you can use their quick exit behind the curtain and beat 50,000 fans to the streets. Walk a couple of blocks from the stadium to hail a rickshaw. Relax knowing you already have sold-out train tickets for home. Buy water and snacks at the train station. You can use your bottle as a pillow in your sleeper.
The waiting rickshaws will try to rip you off. Let them a little- you're tired and you have extra change for the ride home.
Shower and have coffee.
Rush to the Shala and get on your mat.
Do yoga.
 |
| Lights, sound, stage, instruments... everything but the band ready to roll. |
3 comments:
This is fucking excellent. I'm sharing this all over the place (which includes Facebook, so if you have any objection, speak up now).
Hope the show was great, and that there will be other opportunities. You're definitely a seasoned traveller now--
Love this post Aeryk!
Here is a link I want you to check out when your computer works fast enough to see a short flick -
http://yoganonymous.org/breakdancing-yoga-video-movie/
this guy is my new fav yoga breakdancer :)
love you guys,
kara
This is a wild ride, thanks for taking me with you!
And i love that it continues on to getting on the mat and doing yoga.
love, jen
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