crip the gig

date of gig	01/01/23
access	3/5
view	0/5
staff	0/5
transport and parking	0/5
BSL	0/5
covid safety	0/5
toilets	1/5
overall	1/5

In a word, terrible. I had prearranged access – we both needed to be able to sit down as soon as we arrived and enter the room early. All agreed by email but when we arrived the staff knew nothing about it and couldn’t accommodate it. I was immediately unwell because whilst fighting for pre arranged access I had to stand. Eventually gave up and went to sit in the bar. Staff, especially the venue manager were exceptionally rude. He said at one point “you’re not special you know, I’ve got hundreds of other people’s needs to meet”. They have a ramp and an area that seats one person in a wheelchair and one carer next to them from which you can just see over people’s heads to the stage. Because there was another person with access needs there who used a wheelchair (neither of us did at the time), we were asked to sit lower down on another platform on seats which of course we did to allow the person in the wheelchair access too. As the rest of the gig was standing this meant we couldn’t see the stage at all and spent the entire gig staring at the backs of other people. The access ramp which leads to the platform is used as a place for people to stand to see better so if you want to leave to get to the toilets you have to verbally ask about 20 people to move. I complained by email afterwards and the response was even worse than it had been in person. I said that I felt they understood equality but not equity. I haven’t been to a gig since, partly because that experience was so upsetting.

brudenell social club – 11/28/21