The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 42

E2 Th Sun SUNDAY, January 25. 1987 Concerts: 'This was the only place that didn't have a major incident' ay faff a it all." Parker said the delay caused by the search is the time of most tension between concert goers and security personnel. "We have to balance our efforts between the thoroughness of our search and getting people In." Parker said. "Once people get In there aren't very many problems." Protecting the band from excitable fans. This Job belongs to a crew of unarmed, part-time "Star Guards." They're under the supervision of Big Red Apple, the com- any that serves as a coordinating ink between the concert promoter, the act's management and the Orange Show.

Big Red Apple also owns Inland Ticket Service, the principal retail ticket outlet for Krr- it? MIKE FENDERThe Sun Gene Simmons of the rock group Continued from El none from a flying beer bottle, and another gal that got trampled up near the stage." Interestingly, the two groups that appeared during Southern California's most violence plagued concerts The Ramones and Run-DMC each played problem-free shows in the inland Empire within a eek of those incidents. The Ramones performed at Riverside's Club Metro the week following the Palladium melee, and although several people were removed early In the set for slam dancing (where participants hurl their bodies toward each other), the show went smoothly. The club owners took extra precautions, however, including switching from glasses to paper cups and replacing ashtrays with folded pieces of aluminum foil. Run-DMC had been having problems with rough audiences throughout their summer tour, but their Orange Pavilion concert, only three days before the highly publicized Long Beach violence, went off without a hitch. "This was the only place (Run-DMC played on that tour) that didn't have a major incident," said Matt Parker, owner of Blanket Security, which provides security for the National Orange Show.

"At the risk of sounding big-headed, I think we did a great job." Orange Pavilion rock show crowds can number anywhere from 800 up to the hall's capacity, ,6,000. Most concert-goers are young, typically ranging in age from 14 to 25, and pay up to $17 to see top-name acts. Concert-going veterans are tised to the security procedures, crowds and pushing and shoving going on near the stage. But to the uninitiated, it may seem like the throngs of fans are buying their way into a night filled with hazards. With the exception of about .1,000 folding chairs set up in the Tear of the building, the Orange Pavilion has no seats.

Tickets are admission and seating is estival-style, meaning concert-jgoers are free to roam about. A certain segment of every audience prefers to stay back, away the crush. However, to get the best view of the band, many as close to the stage as possible. Once someone pushes to the front, that person is caught, and shouldn't expect to go anywhere Imagine a few thousand constantly nudging closer to the stage only the people in front have nowhere left to move. The result is a crush of bodies near the front, sometimes result-ing in injuries.

Oddly, though, it's that very freedom to be bruised and bat- tered that some fans find attrac- tive about the Orange Pavilion. "Up front you can expect any-J thing," 15-year-old Jeff McKovich of San Bernardino said after one rock show. "But you don't really get crushed all that much. It's not as bad as it seems." Chris Buchanan, a 14-year-old don't object to opening purses, but a hand-to-body search is wrong." Parker said Blanket Security tries to keep female guards available to search the women coming in, but often there aren't enough. When that happens, male guards search females.

That often tests tempers. Parker said the male officers are instructed in the legal procedure for searching females, using the backs of the hands. "(The women) may not be happy about it, but they have no legal recourse," he said. Meyers stressed safety as the main reason for the search. "We want people to know that when we're doing this pat down, we're keeping liquor and drugs out of the grounds," Meyers said, "although, obviously, we don't get Orange Pavilion rock shows.

'The reason they're there is mainly for protection of the act." said box-office manager Susan Marshall, who coordinates the guards. The number of Star Guards varies, she said, depending on the security need perceived by the group performing. The guards also work the pit area between the stage edge and the barricade that keeps fans at bay. If people at the front feel faint from the crush of bodies, the guards sometimes haul them out over the barricade. Fans who manage to make it over the barrier and past the guards (no easy task in itself) may get the thrill of meeting their favorite star.

More likely, however, they'll experience a lesser thrill: meeting one of the band's road crew. Instead of a hug or a handshake, it's more likely the trespasser will be tackled and removed from the premises. While officials admit the logistics are less than perfect, they point to the Orange Pavilion's lack of any major incidents of violence as a sign they're doing a good job. While admitting there's no way to have a totally safe environment at the concerts, Parker said safety is the main concern. "Some of the concerts I've seen I wouldn't send my child if I had one to," said Parker.

"But if I had to, I'd rather send him here." BIRKENSTOCK MISS CAPEZIO LAZY BONES CHILD LIFE CHEROKEE BASS KEDS NIKE 882-2116 9:00 PM Lay Ways Welcome. OF THIS SALE! concert last year. security for that area. Police patrols on the streets bordering the Orange Show are increased on concert nights, Rob-bins said, but it's mainly to protect the large number of unattended cars. "We would be interested in any violations of law occurring there (the parking lot)," Robbins said.

"My problem is, when you're dealing with large numbers of people, how much can you do?" Brown, the fire captain from the nearby station, said "I've been by that parking lot in the morning (after a rock show), and I don't think you could walk through there without stepping on a can or bottle." Parker understands the lot is a weak link in the security chain. The problem is no one seems to want to take responsibility for it. "The police department says it should be our responsibility, but the problem is finding someone willing to pay for that," Parker said. Keeping cans, bottles, drugs and anything that can be used as a weapon outside the grounds. To do this, Blanket Security guards perform a pat-down search at the gate.

Every concert-goer is searched before being allowed in. Some people, however, feel the search is overzealous. After going through the procedure at one Orange Pavilion concert, Redlands resident Darlene Everhart called it an infringement on her rights. "We're just here to listen to music; we haven't committed a crime," she said in frustration. "I LET'S STOP RED LIGHT RUIIIIERS Roughly 28 percent of all injury accidents this year were a direct result of a driver running a red light.

74 percent of those injuries were major. Please take the time to prevent this from happening to you. Let's all stop on the red. A public service message from The Sun and ihe San Bernardino Police Department. PENALJO NATURALIZER REVELATIONS GRASSHOPPERS OLD MAINE TROTTERS HUSH PUPPIES WEYENBERG ROCKPORT SHOES, SANDALS, CLEARANCE 3 Quality gr UNFINISHED 5L FURNITURE Pete's FINISHLAND 884-2124 Fl "-rtf 1064 NO.

EST. (cr2: HT2 SAN BERNARDINO 2 BLOCKS SO. OF BASELINE rr MENTION THIS AD FOR FREE SHJ ATERI ALSj Kiss gets a response from fans during a you put chairs out there they would end up being nothing more than something to hit someone over the head ith," said Parker, of Blanket Security. The seating arrangement is only one of the areas of concern for concert officials. Other problems are: Gang violence.

This is mainly a concern during rap music shows, and was the principal problem at the Long Beach Run-DMC concert. Officials agree one of the reasons the Long Beach rap show was a disaster was that gang members managed to get into the arena wearing "colors," insignia that identify members of different factions. The injuries resulted when rival gangs clashed. At the Pavilion, Parker said, anyone suspected of hiding gang colors under jackets and sweatshirts must remove those outer layers to be checked before they can enter. "The chance of getting colors in here is slim to none," he said.

The dirt parking area adjacent to Arrowhead Avenue. Often, this area is a favorite site for pre-concert drinking and partying. The parking lot on Arrowhead Avenue, said Parker, is "a gray area." The lot is on Orange Show property, but any law enforcement there is left up to the city's police. San Bernardino Police Capt. Dan Robbins said he would like to see the Orange Show beef up its been taken to upgrade the facility.

The acoustics were improved, and the stage was repositioned from the south end of the building to the west end, increasing the concert capacity to 6,000 people. But there's still room for improvement. The Orange Pavilion has 1,200 folding chair seats positioned on risers. But because the seats aren't elevated enough to provide a clear view, people usually end up standing on them. Lewis called them "worthless." The rest of the floor space is open for concert-goers to mill about.

Nearly six years after the acci-dent, original promises from Orange Show officials to replace the Swing have failed to materialize. There were discussions of erecting a auditorium in its place, but money has been the problem. (The Swing wasn't insured against casualty.) Although talk of a new building is still bandied about, the more probable alternative seems to be installing some sort of permanent seating in the Orange Pavilion. One possible step toward new improvements was accomplished Dec. 1 when the Orange Show entered into a contract with Pacific Concerts (producer of Pacific Amphitheatre shows), giving that group exclusive rights to produce all contemporary music concerts at the hall.

"The exclusive agreement says we will investigate the possibility of improving the facilities," said Bob Meyers, director of administrative services for the Orange Show. "But a lot of questions have to be answered before anything will happen." Mike Stephens Swing Auditorium Stones, Hendrix played at Pavilion's forerunner rock 'n' roll fan from San Bernardino, said he likes the chance to catch things the performers toss from the stage, "but a lot of times you feel like you can't get out (of the crowd). "If you get pushed from behind you might fall down, but it's worth it," Buchanan said. In a 1979 concert by the British rock group The Who, 11 people were killed in a stampede at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum. They were trampled in the rush to grab positions closest to the stage at the show, which featured unreserved seating.

Putting concert-goers in seats might eliminate the crush in front of the stage, but officials say the current festival-seating style improves safety in some ways. "Naturally, people packing up against the stage is something we hate to see because they might injure themselves, but festival seating also has a good point," said San Bernardino City Fire Marshal Mikel Park. "In a panic situation there aren't any chairs to block people from getting to the exits." Adds Meyers, the Orange Show official, "I think (chair) seating would be just as dangerous, if not more dangerous. People are going to stand on their chairs anyway. I don't have a problem with festival seating.

It's the only way to do a heavy-metal concert." Heavy-metal music is one of the most popular rock 'n' roll styles presented at the Orange Pavilion, regularly attracting large numbers of fans. But, officials concede, it tends to attract a rough audience. "With a lot of these crowds, if A plane crash destroyed Swing Auditorium. Orange Show board of directors voted to rename it. The Orange Pavilion was born.

Orange Show officials had moved quickly to find a new concert hall, but convincing concert promoters San Bernardino was back in business was more difficult. The problem still lingers. "It's been an uphill battle to get groups that were used to playing to 7,000 people to play down to 5,000," Marshall said. OverJhe years, steps have it k- a yy I 'T 'i" in. ii nr mmmmM SALE ENDS JAN Sept.

11, 1981. That Friday af-' ternoon, a twin engine Cessna nosedived into the Swing Audito- rium on the National Orange Showgrounds and exploded. San Bernardino's reputation with rock concert promoters, built over nearly two decades, went up in smoke. I The Rolling Stones had ap- peared at the Swing i in June 1964. Others followed: El-; vis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Ted Nu-'.

gent, and the list goes on. "After the Swing was gone, promoters would say, 'Did you I hear about San Bernardino? They don't have a building said Bob Lewis, president of Big Red Apple, the entertainment I consulting company that coordi- nates Orange Show concerts. Several concerts were booked at the time of the disaster, and 4 'interim plans were quickly laid. "We weren't about to say we were out of business, so we shifted everything next door," said Susan Marshall, Lewis' partner. Next door was the aircraft han- gar-like Commercial Industrial Building, which could hold about 5,000 people.

i While Orange Show officials bicKered over whether to repair or demolish the severely damaged Swing, work began on the adja- cent facility to ready it for con BOOTS, CASUALS, BODYWEAR, HANDBAGS a 339 V. HIGHLAND AVE. certs. Bleachers were moved in, a stage was constructed and seating arrangements plotted. Seven months after the fateful crash, the Swing Auditorium was razed.

The Commercial Industrial Building was hardly a fitting Shop Late Mon. Fri. Until FIND THE LOWEST PRICES YOU'LL name for a concert venue, so within twq months of thecrash the.