security shoving hot young girls in front of Lindsey?

[elle]

just a few things from my experience this year and last, some perhaps out of context of what others have been saying:

last year, i bought a number of Mick's tickets plus some way more expensive platinum tickets (where all that i was paying for was a front row center seat, not any VIP experience!). as everyone knows, last year more rows than just front were allowed to the stage. guess what? no matter how fast i ran to the stage right in front of me from that front row center seat, there were always at least several people with maybe 15th row face or 2nd row Mick's tickets (many of them here on TL) who tried their hardest to shove me aside. so there's more than one side to every argument. every time i had Mick's or platinum last year, i was worried that i shelled out all that money but was still not going to make it to the stage, and many times i had to stand where i didn't necessarily like it. i had 2nd row outer aisle Mick's ticket in Philly last year and was not allowed to go to the stage when lights went down by venue guards and you can read Eugene's funny description of me jumping over the chairs to get there. so not every Mick VIP ticket or 2nd row ticket was allowed to the stage last year either.

after last year's experiences i decided to just go with face this year, for any show i can get more-less ok tickets. yes face tickets are expensive too, but that's nothing like paying VIP prices, and the pressure to get to the stage is off - if i make it ok, if i don't i still have different and interesting view, or i may just skip the show all together.

regarding Lindsey, Ian, and "young pretty girls only" alleged policy: as BigBigLove said - he is a young guy, not a pretty 20 yo girl. it seems that in Newark on sunday practically almost everyone brought up was a huge fan, including several 20 yo girls by LB's mic - this was their 6th or 7th show on this tour, and in his Big Love speech LB referred to seeing them the night before at Mohegan. it was a mix of 20 year olds, young and old, 30, 40 and 50 year olds, girls and guys there at the stage, besides the front row people. the idea does seem to be to have energetic people at the stage who will lift the energy up for the whole show.

couple other things to consider / put this in a perspective:

• most "younger bands" have GA floor, and at almost every single one of those shows there is a wide moat/railing with security guarding any access to the stage. so it quite possible you have LB to thank there's no moat at FM shows and you can actually get to the stage.
• most older bands (although not all) have seated floor, and many don't allow people to move and go to the stage. at those shows most of the audience upfront is older and sits the whole show, there's no dancing. you have LB probably to thank too that this is not the case at FM shows, at least not at most of them.... although i've been to shows where LB's side is allowed to go up to the stage and Christine's side is not (possibly because of disabled seating being placed there, so not to obstruct their view).

it was interesting to watch what was happening on twitter throughout the day yesterday - people were reading accusations flying around here, and then people who were there at the stage started tweeting about what actually happened. this included the 20 yo girls who some people here seem to like accusing of various things. no, there was no lip kissing. yes, everyone at the stage had a great time. yes LB interacted extensively with various people at the stage, regardless of the age, gender, or how they were brought up there. and yes, he usually picks one or two people as the person he keeps coming back to the most during a specific show and showers them with attention. but no, nothing "untoward" happened and i don't think it ever does. most of the people that get to interact with LB during FM shows turn around on social media and do their staunchest to defend him afterwards. so attention goes both ways.

i have no qualms that people will attack what i wrote here, because every one of us seems to be looking at it from our own *me me me* view, but i'm trying to give it some wider perspective.