From: steveha@sco.COM (Steve Harris)
Subject: Behavior at Shows / on the Net
Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 18:31:03 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.gdead



Things are really bad around here, but it is starting to 
remind me of the "scene" at recent shows.

Please no flames, I'm trying to be as productive as possible,
but please correct me where I'm wrong...


1)  Smoking at shows --
	Especially bad at indoor venues, here I am dancing and I have to
    cough because this guy has to light up halfway through Scarlet-->Fire.
    I'd like to ask them to stop, but then I'd interrupt the song and his
    trip and mine.   Oh well, I just breathe the shit and go home with my
    asthma acting up (which it never does otherwise).
	To top it off.  People smoke pot at shows.  This isn't so bad 
    because one joint gets several people high, while one cig smoker will
    smoke up to a half-dozen a set at a show (kinda like cocaine, huh?).
	Mix pot smoke (which affects the throat) and cig smoke (which affects
    the lungs) and you have one deadly mix.
	Basically, I feel that I shouldn't pay the price for other people's
    addictions, and it is THEIR responsibility to DO SOMETHING about it after
    I bring it to their attention (as kindly as possible given the 
    circumstances), which isn't always possible.

2)  Screaming/Talking at shows --
	I am apparently a growing minority in the crowd.  After years of
    shows which had been increasing in overall volume due to various 
    reasons -- band member's hearing, increasing crowd noise, increasing
    venue size -- as well as various uncontrolled factors growing up, 
    possibly with the additional handicap of genetic factors -- my hearing
    accuity is definitely reduced significantly.  It was PEOPLE SCREAMING
    that has done the most damage to my ears at shows.  Gee it must be fun,
    but it sure hurts.
	Recently the volume decreased.  It was obviously apparent to me why.
    Asthetics.  Not for children, but for their parents.  Greater dynamic range,
    greater clarity.  I had been wearing earplugs to Dead Shows and could hear
    things clearly.  Now it is even more clear and people have even commented
    about sounds that REALLY WERE IN THE MIX BUT COULDN'T BE PERCEIVED by most
    people at that volume.  
	So now the problem seems to be that some people spend a lot of time 
    making "unnecessary" noises to enhance their personal trip.  Talking,
    screaming at the sound man to "TURN IT UP", which has led to more than
    one confrontation for me at shows.  So I grin and bear it and enjoy the
    show less.  I feel that I shouldn't pay the price for other peoples
    lack of focus or appreciation.

3)  Partying outside the venues --
	This is still awful.  After a show the place smells and looks like
    a veritable SEWER.  I really don't care if people "don't want to give
    in to an opressive system".  There is a such thing as sanitation, 
    disease, and civilization.  This type of "drink a bunch of beer, try
    and bum a ticket or acid, sell enough dope to buy more and get to the
    next show, shower once a week, and hang out in the parking lot scene
    refusing to use a toilet" is killing our culture.  No education, no
    responsibility, and worst of all, an acknowledged fact amongst many of
    the guilty parties that they have NO VALUES.  There is no such thing
    as right or wrong (just ACID I suppose, huh?).
	This behavior, left overs from the past I suppose, is causing the
    repeated loss of venues and I feel powerless to stop it.  I just feel
    that I shouldn't pay the price for other people's barbaric behavior.

4)  Misbehaving on the net --
	Obviously some people can't control themselves.  Free speech, I 
    guess.  But those of us with news readers, we are able to "kill"
    these authors so we don't have to read their b.s. if we don't want
    to, ever.  I suggest that someone in the know post clear instructions
    for this.
        Nevertheless, other people get this newsgroup in digest form, and
    I don't see why they should pay the price for other people's inconsiderate
    abuse of the system.


I guess by now, some of you have seen a pattern.  Hopefully to some of those
this was enlightening as well.  Please no flames for this, but I offer
suggestions --
	To those who just want to party, in and out of the shows/net:  try
    and keep it to yourselves.  Make your own party, away from the venue if
    you have no ticket, in e-mail if you must romp.  Please do this, before
    someone with power runs out of patience and goes running to the 
    appropriate authorities or worse, loses their self control all over
    your face (or both).  Please be considerate of any other humans
    whom you might affect.  

	To those who appreciate the culture of the Dead and what I'm saying
    please respond to me.  Make our own party, away from the venue if we have
    no ticket, in e-mail if we must romp.  Find some kind way to communicate
    our agony when it is such.  Please do this so that we can adapt before 
    anyone really has to PAY for it.  At all times please have compassion
    for the other humans whom you might affect.


With love and patience,

--Steve Harris (the REAL ONE)

"Their walls are built of cannonballs,
 Their motto is 'Don't Tread on Me'"
				---Hunter  (UJB)