Anyway I was stationed to stage left in the area reserved for disabled patrons and young children; and despite my initial expectations the show turned out to be cracker, fantastic acts, great songs and a real good vibe; although not much of Christmas feel. It looked like there was a huge crowd amassed although my vantage point was far from ideal for crowd monitoring.
There's about 30 to 40 people in the reserved area and the shows coming to an end; all the acts are returning to stage to switch on the lights. I'm stood at the entrance to the reserved area stopping everyone and his dog from entering when one of the acts starts signing autographs at the front of the stage. The crowd surges forward, including within the reserved area and one of my colleagues is struggling at stage front to control the surge and the crash barriers are in danger of being breached.
I make my way through to the front and start pulling people back from the forward surging crowd taking pressure off the crash barriers and my colleague before positioning myself between the crowd and the barrier. Fortunately another colleague had taken over my vacant position at the entrance. Normal service is resumed and the lights are duly switched on. Happy days, the show is over I thought; but there was no time for celebration.
The same act return to stage front to sign more autographs, the crowd surges forward again and I'm struggling to hold them back. Meanwhile people are jumping over from the unreserved area into the reserved area to get close to the act and obtain autographs. I cannot do anything, my colleague at the entrance cannot get near me due to the surge, so the crowd swells larger.
Than all hell breaks loose one of the members of the act throws the hat he has been wearing into the crowd and a fight starts between about 10 people struggling to get hold of this hat. I begin to make my from the front into the middle of the crowd where the fight is breaking out. As I near the centre of the melee the crowd surges from behind me, I cannot see it coming so get pushed forward, then sideways and finally trip over something or someone. I begin to fall to the floor with the crowd surging and fighting all around me - writing this now it's a scary situation but at the time I guess adrenalin kicks in and I didn't really realise the brevity of the situation. Thankfully, as I fall on one bended knee I manage to haul myself up with my other leg to a standing position but my two-way radio has been dislodged from my belt and is on the floor somewhere; I am unable to request assistance.
I stand in-between the fighting factions, push one group away from the other and hold my ground until the crowd disperses into the night. My radio is thankfully returned by a good willed member of the public.
Once the area is clear I look to my left and see a male talking to my manager and pointing at me; I am motioned to come over. The male is unhappy that I apparently jumped into the crowd to stop the fight and in doing so fell onto his baby boy within his pram. The male is ready to punch me for this; which if it were true I would not blame him. I explain my actions and how the crowd surged and tripped me causing me to fall to the ground and assured the male that I would never knowingly jump upon a baby within his pram. After a while the male was alright with this, I went over and spoke to his wife and their little baby son - thankfully everyone was fine and unhurt; the baby was just a little shook up but none the worse for his ordeal.
Once the crowd has fully dispersed I head upstairs for a well earned cigarette and then the reality of the situation kicks in. I could have been easily trampled and seriously hurt, I could have seriously hurt the baby boy, his dad my have lamped me, my left arm starts to hurt and I'm angry at the performer who thought it would be a good idea to throw his hat into the crowd.
Tonight I drink brandy to ease my disposition for tonight was not cool.
Listening to: Tom Mcrae - All Maps Welcome
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