Prank or yet another worry.

[Robin D]

To be fair though, how many venues check the grid after a letting. If they do, more likely to be looking for anything missing, rather than something left. Depending on the size and height of the bar, and how this was rigged, you may not even spot it from below. Walk around, everything off and secure, do I trip over something they left behind? Lock up and go home. This time of year, it may have been dark for a while. 

Feel also for her security team? Would they know what everything is on a grid? Is that a shotgun mic or something more sinister? 

 

[themadhippy]

Quote

So a 'prank' means yet more work and worry for venues who host, well, anything that might even slightly annoy anybody.

But its not down to the venue,if the "artist" wants more security they provide it.If the act insists the venue is swept by a sniffer dog an hour before there arrival and all dips and drain covers are sealed shut with tape its them who pay

Edited August 17 by themadhippy

[sameness]

I did read somewhere that Led By Donkeys organised the whole event...

 

Wouldn't put it past them and would explain how they managed to plan everything.

[IRW]

23 hours ago, themadhippy said:

Any lack of security isnt down to the venue,its squarely down to her and her security detail.

Um, if I understand it correctly, the banner was flown in during her talk? Surely that means an unauthorised person on a fly floor… that would definitely be a venue security lapse in my book.

[DrV]

2 hours ago, IRW said:

Um, if I understand it correctly, the banner was flown in during her talk? Surely that means an unauthorised person on a fly floor… that would definitely be a venue security lapse in my book

It was suggested elsewhere that it was a battery powered, remotely operated roller blind such as this and that it was installed during a previous hire and operated by an audience member. Regardless of one's politics, or one's view of the security lapse, it was a rather genius idea. Might even tuck it away as a possible effect for a future panto..!

[kerry davies]

Let's face it, security in the UK is mostly farcical. I have facilitated the full royal sniffer dog, drains locked anti-IRA sweep then opened up a side door for cast and crew to stack their rucksacks underneath the Princess Royal's seating and even parked a monitor speaker under Brenda and Phil's reviewing stand.

If Truss really is that concerned about the security we provide then maybe she should stay at home, Thatcher did. For years.

[sandall]

I've been involved in quite a few royal gigs, but only remember the sniffer dogs coming out once, for HM & DE, when they seemed more interested in my takeaway lunch than any bomb I might have been carrying. For the others it was just bodyguard, venue "security" & an occasional local police presence.

[Dave m]

I did a gig at Manchester once and Edward was due.

A colleague suffered from bowel disease and “security” had somehow blocked /locked all the toilets.

It may have been an over enthusiastic individual but bloody stupid.

I’ve worked shows before with VIPs and nothing this daft was ever done (the toilets, not the banner)

[paulears]

You're all getting a bit deep here. This is on the doorstep, and it's a public hall, not a proper theatre. The locals here know how it happened, as word spreads quickly.

The Police arrested the fella with the remote control. He was taken to the booking in centre, across the border into Norfolk - That's how us Suffolk folk do it. The trouble is the criminal offence would have to be burglary, but that usually involves removing items from the burgled premises, not adding an expensive radio controlled screen lowering device.

The local train of thought has one extra bit of info nobody is talking about.

Let us assume you are a going to install the device covertly. Many of us with knowledge of how theatres work on ins and outs, might be left wondering how exactly the screen was powered? The man with the black and white striped T-shirt and mask could possibly quickly find a ladder, climb up and attach the screen. Not central, note, but offset, and from the audience, very obvious. It might be then a bit trickier to neatly attach the cable, route it down where it's not a trip hazard, and find a working power supply that would not be turned off for next day? The venue people clearly did not notice the addition, did not notice the cable, or notice a connector plugged in that wasn't there before. 

As for security sweeps of a theatre type building? It's a perfectly normal piece of kit, and not out of place. That is not what they are looking for. If they had installed something that looked dangerous, they would have found it. 

Very clearly, there is more going on that people are owning up to. The locals have the names, and how it was done. Everyone else has theories. 

Taking the P is embarrassing, but not a security issue. I'm sure at the venues we all work in we have gizmos that could be compromised. We have machines that squirt smoke from fluid, we have things that get hot, we have things that do explode. We have things that can fall from above, and we even have microphones people put in front of their mouths. If the security people wanted to be totally secure from ALL hazards, theatres are rotten places to do it. What we have here is a small venue, minimum staff and volunteers. No complex flying, no full time stage members of staff. Open doors with technical folk in and out of their vans, and no real supervision. If they walked in wearing black cargo trousers and black t-shirt, nobody would stop them bringing something IN! We watch for people nicking stuff!

[themadhippy]

wouldn't have happened 20 year ago when ron? (im sure thats the name) was in charge,well not unless you brought tea and biscuits to distract him

[Bryson]

15 hours ago, kerry davies said:

Let's face it, security in the UK is mostly farcical. I have facilitated the full royal sniffer dog, drains locked anti-IRA sweep then opened up a side door for cast and crew to stack their rucksacks underneath the Princess Royal's seating and even parked a monitor speaker under Brenda and Phil's reviewing stand.

If Truss really is that concerned about the security we provide then maybe she should stay at home, Thatcher did. For years.

I remember working some of the masonic halls in Central London where they would make us submit to a full metal-detector and X-ray of our personal bags, but then allow us to empty a van-worth of un-inspected flight cases into the building.  I didn't have a knife on me, sure, but I might have had a nuclear weapon in a flight case for all they knew...

[Andrew C]

Sniffer dog + training aid on very shiny dance floor was fun (in a slightly cruel) way.  Real Tom&Jerry running on the spot stuff, and a good sliding stop the other side.

[Stuart91]

13 hours ago, Bryson said:

 then allow us to empty a van-worth of un-inspected flight cases into the building.  I didn't have a knife on me, sure, but I might have had a nuclear weapon in a flight case for all they knew...

Similarly, I've been surprised at how easily I've been able to drive vans and trailers into royal palaces (with royals in residence). No vehicle searches, and we're trusted to get on with the job largely unattended. 

I suspect there is a lot of security (both intelligence beforehand, and on-site) that we don't see...

[delicolor]

On 8/19/2024 at 10:51 AM, Andrew C said:

Sniffer dog + training aid on very shiny dance floor was fun (in a slightly cruel) way.  Real Tom&Jerry running on the spot stuff, and a good sliding stop the other side.

I can recall that happening when we had the Royal Marines in a night club, dog let off the lead and it doing a cartoon running on the spot on the dance floor! It kept coming back to a Bass Bin which was found to have a rather skanky discarded T shirt in it...

[bruce]

On 8/18/2024 at 3:11 PM, paulears said:

 

....  It might be then a bit trickier to neatly attach the cable, route it down where it's not a trip hazard, and find a working power supply that would not be turned off for next day? The venue people clearly did not notice the addition, did not notice the cable, or notice a connector plugged in that wasn't there before. 

 

No cable, no connector. Those blinds are completely self contained -there's one in my daughter's house. There's a remote control, and a rechargable battery inside, plug it into a USB once every few months to charge it up. About a hundred pounds.