New Sydney Concert Restrictions

[AussIEEnsiferuM]

Dear Ensiferum,

My name is James Wilson and you may remember me from several months ago when I contacted you directly about the under eighteens ban at your Sydney show at the Hi-Fi next month.

I am extremely grateful for the effort undertaken in order to lift the overall under eighteens ban from the concert and until now I have thought that I would be able to see my favourite band of all time up close and personal, right next to the stage in order to witness their awe-inspiring power at its fullest.

Today, I am left shattered once more, as it has now come to my attention that there is yet another ban in place for patrons under the age of eighteen. Instead of being allowed to enter the concert at ground level in order to gain access to the main floor and thus get close to the stage, the under eighteens are forced into allocated areas in an upper platform or 'mezzanine' far away from the stage, the extreme of which is at the rear of the venue. To find out about this so close to the concert I've been excited about for months is agonizing.

Ever since I began to receive replies from you and your manager, Carlos, about looking into the under-eighteens ban, I was extremely excited. To now find that I will be forced to involuntarily watch the band from afar (pardon the pun) is absolutely heart wrenching. I don't think I've ever been as disappointed or upset in my entire life; to find that my favourite band is coming to Australia's lonely shores for the first time in years, only for there to be various restrictions on me and the other under-eighteens just because of age.

I have sent a similar email to your manager and the other various Ensiferum mailing addresses. I implore you to please discuss me and my predicament with Carlos, the promoters and other various influences to please find some possible way to lift this new ban in place.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this letter,

-James Wilson, Australia's biggest Ensiferum fan

 

[Crucifier]

Hey, mate! Just curious, did you have any luck with the ban?

It sounds really weird to me that they would do that, and I know I'd be devastated if it happened to me

Is this common in Sydney's venues?

 

[AussIEEnsiferuM]

G'day,

Unfortunately not, Emmi got back to me saying that the band can't do anything about it and by the sounds of it they weren't even informed of the restriction. Unfortunately it sounds like it's the venue's fault more than anything.

I'd say it's actually pretty uncommon. While some bands and venues choose to have their gigs 18+ restricted, whenever I've been to an all ages concert I've been able to go stand/sit anywhere I want. I went to a festival yesterday with no zonal restrictions for under 18s and I'm seeing DragonForce on Thursday at the Metro with the same rules. I'm guessing it's just the Hi-Fi's policy when it comes to under 18s ):

 

[Panda]

Will you (under 18's) be allocated a certain door or directed to this area or is there a way you can get to the main stage?
Not sure how their policy would be seeing under 18's in such area? Is this a licensing issue due to alcohol being served etc in the main areas?

 

[Crucifier]

Well, the bright side is that you got a message from Emmi!

 

[Andiferum]

Yeah, it's either the venue or the promoter's choice. Mainly because of licensing restrictions and more importantly license prices. Unfortunately things like this are completely out of the bands' hands, really...

 

[gaz]

Fucking totally dumb local promoters in Sydney.
The Ensiferum show is on the same day as Opeth/Katatonia and ZZ Top, really we don't get a lot of great bands coming our way and to have to choose 3 on one night.