2009-08-08 Underworld @ HardFest Los Angeles Aug 8th

[cured]

Horrible, horrible, horrible. From the promoter to the crowd, this event was an utter disaster, one that hopefully puts Gary Richards out of business.

Rick & Karl, you are welcome back anytime, my only advice is to stay away from an LA massive. A one-off event at the Mayan or something or perhaps a return trip to Coachella, would be great. The whole massive scene has really deteriorated over the course of the decade and events are attended by teenagers who have the utmost contempt for authority and the people around them. It was really sad to see but, in a way, not all that surprising.

You've a really loyal fanbase in LA and we're looking forward to hearing from you guys in the LA area soon. I'm really sorry the US experience you've had this weekend was as bizarre as it was but we'll more than make up for it the next time around!

[ndrwrld]

people ( i counted at least 6 ) falling from the balcony, onto the grandstand floor ?
ZERO flashlights...( where were the security ? )
that 7 minute video is all kinds of insane.
sorry to all who came to have a good time ( i love tiga too ).

so sorry Rick Karl Darren and the crew had to see this level of idiocy.

[ultradave]

Originally Posted by darktrain

And amidst that rush of idiots was me, grabbing onto my girlfriend and backing up as far as I could in hopes of not getting pushed over the edge or trampled, while trying my best to shield her from flying feet, elbows, and heads. It was A LOT scarier than from the video's POV.

Very true. I wasn't amidst the crowd - but we were sitting right next to the entrance where it happened. btw - Darktrain - nice meeting you - what are the odds that amidst such havoc we'd cross paths..? Hopefully next time it'll be under better circumstances. Glad to hear that none of the dirties were injured, or anyone else really for that matter. One thing is certain, there was just not enough staff or organization for the event.

I'm glad to be getting a refund, however, I'm still saddened as to not be seeing the lads from underworld. Had things gone right, it would have been a really great gig.

[bazwint]

Really sorry to hear about all bad shit going on, but glad everyone's ok.

Just wanted to add my 2c to Cured's suggestion - a return Coachella would be awesome. Man, two hours of UW in the Sahara....

[deckard236]

I haven't posted in a while, but I just wanted to say how bad I felt for the guys and all of the fans that attended this fiasco. I took my twin 16 year old daughters as they are big dance music fans and huge Underworld fans as well. I could tell from the complete lack of organization just getting into the place that this event had disaster written all over it. Having seen Underworld many times before at all different kinds of events I knew that there show would be much longer at a club so I took the kids to Las Vegas for their first Underworld experience. And although the crowd was small, the show was amazing. Opening with Dirty Epic, my favorite since I first heard it, and in all of the shows I attended never hearing it live made it special from the opening moments. After the show my kids were over the top with excitement and said that was the best show they had ever seen (and they have been to nearly a hundred by now). It made me proud to be able to share that experience with them. We all eagerly await their return to the west coast to again experience the great vibes.

[viddy]

Just received this email from Ticketmaster:

Hello, this is Ticketmaster Customer Service with an important alert for your upcoming event. Hard Summer, scheduled at The Forum on Saturday, August 8th, 2009, at 8:00 P.M., has been cancelled.


Your credit card will automatically be credited the ticket price and convenience charges, and should post to your account within 7 to 10 business days. Please note, the $ 4.25 per order processing fee, any ticketFast, or UPS delivery charges and in-store pick up charges are non-refundable.

If you have any questions, please contact us online at:
[COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.ticketmaster.com/h/asktm.html[/COLOR]

Thank you for using Ticketmaster. We appreciate your business!

[pianopisser]

Here is some more info about refunds (taken from hardfest.com):

We are offering refunds to all concertgoers.

Ticketmaster Online & Phone Sales:
Beginning Monday, August 10th at 10 am, if you purchased your tickets through ticketmaster.com or a Ticketmaster phone center, the credit card you used to purchase the tickets will automatically be credited. If you purchased your ticket through a Ticketmaster outlet, you will need to bring your ticket to the point of purchase to obtain a refund.

Groovetickets Sales:
If you purchased your tickets online through Groovetickets.com, a refund for the total purchase price of your order will be automatically applied to the credit card you used. Please allow up to five business days for the credit to appear on your banking statement.

Retail Stores / Venue Box Office:
(Includes: Acrylick, Blends, Brat, Dita, DJ Culture, Dr Freeclouds, Electric Chair, Grooveriders, GCS, Headstone, Lallure, Mileage, Music Revolution, One World, Poobah, Turntable Lab, Store 13, and Xlarge)
If you purchased your tickets through any of our retail stores, or from the venue box office, you may obtain a refund by mailing your ticket(s) to:

The Forum
3900 West Manchester Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90305
Attn: Hard Refund Department

Please include the mailing address where you would like the refund check mailed to as well as an e-mail address. Include the payee's full name for check payment or full credit card information. Please allow up to 30 days for your refund to be processed.

[pianopisser]

Some more info as to what happen Saturday night:


Pop & Hiss

The L.A. Times music blog


A Hard Summer bummer at the Forum: 'How do you stop 500 people rushing the gate?'

08:42 PM PT, Aug 10 2009

Rowdy fans shut down what was supposed to be an all-night dance event in Inglewood. Full refunds are being offered.

Will Fan had sprung for VIP tickets to Saturday night's Hard Summer event at the Forum in Inglewood. But before settling in for a night of dance music, Fan made a trip to the bar.

Then the night went haywire. A back door of the VIP section, where tickets began at $125, flew open and fans ran in from the parking lot in what Fan described as a "stampede."

"We saw about 200 kids run right through the bar area," said the 35-year-old Sherman Oaks resident. "It was a little scary. I saw the bartender push one kid down, but everyone else just ran around him. Eventually, security was able to stop more people from coming in. But the kids ran out of the bar . . . and basically hopped over the balcony and onto the floor. Then the music stopped."

The sold-out all-night Hard Summer concert, which featured a lineup that included U.K. dance duo Underworld and Canadian electronic rockers Crystal Castles, was halted at about 10:50 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which cited "hazardous life-safety things taking place inside the event."

Inglewood police dispatched a riot unit, and by 1:25 a.m. Sunday, more than 17,000 attendees had been sent home.

The Hard-brand dance events are the brainchild of promoter and DJ Gary Richards, who said he's looking at a "seven-figure" loss from the event's cancellation. Full refunds are being offered to ticket holders, and all artists will be paid.

"We were teetering on the edge of thinking things were getting out of control, and then all of a sudden those crashers came in and started leaping from the lower bowl onto the floor," Richards said. "How do you stop 500 people rushing the gate at the same time? You'd need military at that point."

Fire department inspector Frederic Stowers said a number of ambulances were called to the scene, and that the most serious injury was a broken foot. On Sunday, the Inglewood police said four people were arrested for theft and drunk and disorderly conduct, but a statement released on Monday said no arrests were made.

Videos uploaded to YouTube show fans jumping 12 to 15 feet from the balcony. Prija Cash, 27, feared a riot. The Costa Mesa resident was trapped between an underground room with a second stage and the Forum's main floor for about 30 minutes as crashers rushed the gates.

Tickets to the event were general admission, meaning fans weren't assigned a specific seat. The downstairs dance floor was full by 9 p.m., Cash said, leaving fans that came to dance, but wound up confined to balcony seats, frustrated.

"It was advertised as a dance party, and people wanted to dance," he said.

Underworld observed on its website that the mood inside the Forum went from a "good buzz" to an "uneasy" feeling relatively quickly, as fans ignored a barricade to rush the dance floor. The act wrote that it was advised by its security team to leave.

News spread on the Web that Crystal Castles singer Alice Glass suffered a concussion in a melee to get out of the venue, but the act’s U.K.-based manager, James Sandom, said via email that while the event was “a disaster,” reports of Glass’ injury were “not true.”

Richards said security had been beefed up for the concert. "The Forum typically hires I think 200 security guards for events," he said. "We had 320 guards. There were 36 Inglewood police officers and nine fire inspectors. My partners had 10 to 15 meetings with those people to go over and over the plan."

The Forum's general manager, Tina Suca, stopped short of saying the venue would avoid dance acts but said "we're a fun rock venue." Another Richards event is booked for Oct. 31, but it will be moved.

"We learned that the Forum is just not the right place for an event like this," Richards said. "Knowing now that people will jump from balconies onto the floor, the Forum is not good for us . . . My brother and I used to manage [metal band] Slipknot back in the day, and those fans weren't doing that."

--Todd Martens & Scott T. Sterlin

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/musi...gate.html#more