Sue's Blog - Some assembly required.

Jazzing, Rhythiming or Creating.

Over on Manky's blog he has written about the Create Music Festival in Ashford.
He compares their heavy handed policing and supervising of the event with a similar one in Canterbury which was devoid of searches and too many rules.
I know exactly what he means.
We used to attend Jazz in the Park here on a Thursday evening until it became over "managed".
They had "red shirts" walking around telling people where they could and couldn't park their chairs depending on the size of said chairs.
They started roping areas off to be used only by the elite few who's companies had sponsored something or other. Most times these "elite few" were very few resulting in the rest of us riff raff squished into the remaining space.
The "red shirts" patrolled the park all evening dishing out lots of "it isn't allowed to......".

The final straw for us came when they decided that no one was allowed to bring their own wine/beer any more. You had to buy it from the vendors there. Which meant you would pay as much for a glass of wine as you would for a bottle you brought yourself.
They tried to explain that it was a Milwaukee bylaw but they came unstuck when the police themselves declared it not to be and they had no interest in people enjoying a glass of their own wine whilst listening to music in the park.

We changed to River Rhythms which is in a park just the other side of the river. They have no patrolling "red shirts". You can bring as much of your own booze as you want. There are no roped off areas so you can sit where you like.
In fact the bands are (generally) better than Jazz in the Park who seemed to be trying to get too "high brow".
We have much more fun now. It is easier to find somewhere to unwrap your blanket and your sarnies. It is very relaxed and we have not missed the "red shirts" once.
They also do the Movie in the Park on a Friday evening during August.
For this they even provide a magician to amuse the kids while we are waiting for it to get dark enough for the film.

I am glad Manky wrote to the council. Sometimes by having low expectations of people's behaviour you create exactly that which you are trying to avoid.

posted by Sue Banks @ 12:30 PM