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How to: Safety
Tips for Female Fans and Women in the Music Industry
Plan ahead:
- Always know how you’re getting home
from a show, and have a back-up plan if you arrived with someone else.
- Know in advance what you'll do if your
ride hooks up with a long-lost (or new-found) friend. It's amazing how flaky some friends
and acquaintances get at a concert--even the ones you think are responsible. We never fail
to see at least one stranded chick after a show, so don't let it be you. (While
you’re at it, keep an eye on your less-savvy sisters--especially if they’re
obviously impaired. Sometimes it takes a village to get a drunken fool home.)
- It should go without saying that your cell
phone should be freshly-charged.
- Regardless of how you plan to get home,
carry enough cash for a cab, phone numbers for the cab company and auto club, cell numbers
of the people you're meeting at the show, the address and cross-streets of the venue, and
a couple dollars' worth of quarters incase your cell phone isn’t working. (A phone
card won't help you if you're too drunk to dial a long sequence of numbers.) Also good: a
pair of tennis shoes to keep in the car, because a long walk to civilization in heels is
not fun.
- If you're arriving at an outdoor show in
the afternoon or attending an outdoor show that lasts all day, wear a high SPF sunscreen,
and bring extra with you, even if the sky seems overcast. (You'll probably regret it if
you don't). Also wear good-quality
sunglasses; at many outdoor venues, the stage is situated so the sun sets behind the
performers.
- Make sure you have enough cash
to buy plenty
of water. Most venues won't let you bring in your own, and it's usually
expensive.
At the show:
- Choose a Designated Driver before you
arrive at the venue. (One good incentive is for everyone else to buy the
Designated Driver's food, non-alcoholic beverages, or T-shirts.)
- If it's an outdoor show, remember that
alcohol is dehydrating and that the sun may intensify alcohol's effects.
- Never accept a drink that the waitress or
bartender didn’t hand to you personally.
- Repeat this mantra: Leave the table, get a
new drink. Your drink should never be left unattended at a club or attended by someone you
just met. Not for a second, no exceptions.
- Keep your wits about you. At a certain
point in the evening, start drinking club soda with lemon or lime. If you’re the type
who’s worried about peer pressure, no problem--the others will probably be bad off
enough to think it's gin and tonic.
After the show:
- Pay attention to what’s happening around you. So
basic, but after a show, most people don’t.
- Don’t rely on pepper spray to keep you safe. At most
shows, it’s a no-no and will be confiscated at the door. Instead, learn to carry your
keys defensively: firmly in the fist of your dominant hand, with a key sticking out
between each finger.
- If you and a gal pal took separate cars, walk together to
one car and drive the other girl to hers.
- Trust
your instincts. If you have a weird feeling about someone or you’re uneasy about a
situation, get out. Those instincts are there for a reason.
Additional tips for women who work in the
music industry:
- Never go alone to an unfamiliar address for an audition,
photo session, interview, or meeting, or to see a person you’ve just met. Take a
friend with a book, and tell someone else where you’ll be and what time you’ll
return. Most men in the industry will understand your concern for safety. If they do have
a problem with it, be on your guard; you can tell a lot about someone by their reaction to
your showing up with an unannounced friend. (Important: choose the friend wisely. You want
someone who’s content to quietly read and stay out of the way, and who can be trusted
to keep overheard conversations to herself.)
- If you're a runner or are doing any other job that may
require you to run errands or drive someone around, anticipate what may be needed and map
out potential destinations. (This also ups your market value as a music industry
professional: people who ask "where's the nearest...?" remember
people who answer
quickly and accurately and may ask for them personally...or hire them
later down the road.)
- Be especially alert in backstage areas of venues you don't
know well, and try to avoid isolated areas. This is especially important at fairs and
festival shows with lesser-known artists, because lower budgets may mean less thorough
background checks for event staff or touring personnel. Also, outdoor events are more
difficult to keep secure.
- Knowing female crew members, as well as the Director of
Security for the venue and for the platinum-level artist on the bill is always good, if
your job puts you in proximity to do so.
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To & Quick Tips" Home
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