I have been told, or recently read of several legitimate issues that have been brought up with regard to the mistreatment of fans by the security team of Linkin Park (not the venue security) affecting the 2008 US Winter Tour. I have had a bit of a situation myself , yet am also am a member of the press, so it shines a slightly different sticky light on my issue. I know there was an issue in OK at the Meet and Greet with an LPU member, and e-mailed several others at various location. I want to find out how wide spread this is, if in fact there is a wide spread issue. I would like to if anyone else out there had an incident that involved Linkin Park security. Please only post/e-mail me if it was a rightful issue/concern, if you were ejected from an area or venue/show with good cause please don’t put any spin on the incident to justify your point, it only muddies the waters for those that did experience treatment that went over the line. If there are in fact more instances where a fan or attendee feels that a member of the security team for the band (not the venue) went too far, please I want to hear your story. Please post or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Please also understand I am not pulling punches at the band, just there has been several instances of the security for the band going a step too far. It’s not Linkin Park at all please understand the difference. Many thanks to everyone!!
I completely understand where you're coming from, I personally thought the story about what happened with the fan in OK was appalling. However, I'm not really sure if it'd reflect so well on LPA to have this kind of stuff posted here (I feel like maybe it'd be a bit like opening Pandora's box). I'll leave this open for now and see what some of the more senior staff members think, but I personally think it's a good thing what you're trying to do.
Long story short, the LPU screwed up the M&G list at the Oklahoma City show, and one person who recieved a confirmation email saying that they got into the M&G was not on the list when they arrived at the venue, and didn't get a wristband. However, one of the staff members looked at their printed out email confirmation and saw it was legit, and ran off somewhere to try to get them a wristband while they waited in the M&G line, but didn't get back quick enough. Once they were about to go in, one of LP's security guards basically came charging at them demanding to know "where the fuck their wristband was." Despite trying to explain the situation, the security guard (who was about twice the size of this person) literally said "I will fuck you up if you don't leave right now." Needless to say, the person had little choice but to leave, and was not only screwed out of a M&G that they were supposed to be a part of, but had their well-being threatened in the process. I wasn't aware being verbally assaulted was part of the membership benefits of the LPU. :roll:
Security concerns It's not my intent to open a can of worms, and there are 20-30 e-mails in the mail box I created for this that I have written off because at least in my mind there was a legitimate reason they encountered security. My issue, way to long a story, resulted in tour management and venue management personally walking me up the barricade ironically in the security leads line of sight and opening up the barricade for me to be in the front as close to center where the barricade broke in GA. I was meeting back up with other MFR volunteers that had no cell phone on the and just needed to get back to the floor to meet them once the show was over, at that point meeting up with them was my only concern. I don't know if they realized I would be writing an article (I had asked them both earlier in the evening where to obtain my media pass), time just did not allow me to the opportunity to get my media pass or they recognized me from taking pictures at the MFR booth and M&G's. They attempted to justify his behavior by stating "he's just having a bad night". I fail to see how that should involve me. I have gotten 4 messages that sound valid just haven't had an opportunity to exchange messages and see if in fact they can hold to their own story. Chances are if they can remember what they say in the first message and answer some basic questions on the event they're telling the truth. I did not include this in my review write-up, but do want to see how wide spread an issue this is as my editor is following up with WB rep who is responsible for PR for this tour. If there is an issue they need to be made aware, don't you agree?
The whole thing was a big misunderstanding, plain and simple. Seriously, the security guards were doing their job. Think of how many people try to lie their way into M&Gs every day. To the guards, it was just another person just wanting to get in.
A misunderstanding caused by the WONDERFUL business that is the LPU roll fucking something up, which they always seem to do. I've seen successful lawsuits over things far more frivolous than this. If I hadn't already filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau over the LPU (which never got a response, I might add, add that to the list of reasons it's a pathetic excuse for a company), I'd do it again.
Sorry, I was at Langerado Music Fest with limited access to anything not related to it. As a photographer and journalist when you hear of things like this you automatically write it off as being some obsessed fan that got tossed because they were acting questionably. When people keep pushing the issue those are normally the people you find have a valid complaint, not to mention my joyous encounter. That’s what drove me to post the question, granted everyone has a bad night, but if it’s more, and crossing the line then there’s a story there and that’s what I do. If there’s nothing there, so be it there’s nothing there. That’s why I posted the question in the forum was to see if in fact there was an abundance of these instances. Obviously not, feel free to close the thread.