Features
Face-Crashers
Groups of concertgoers in the country have apparently been organizing gatecrashing activities at festivals on sites including Facebook, to the dismay of some promoters.
Stereosonic co-promoter Richie McNeill told the Herald Sun he managed to infiltrate a Facebook group of 1,200 students who were allegedly plotting to storm the gates of the festival in Melbourne Dec. 5.
“These kids are coming in military style, with overalls, caps and backpacks, with bolt cutters and tools,” he said. “They’re going out like SAS [Australia’s Special Air Service Regiment]-overnight, fence-cutting Green Berets. I haven’t seen this level of organization before.”
Promoters for the festival spent $100,000 on additional security and fencing to combat the gatecrashers, McNeil said, adding that he’s looking into taking legal action against students who allegedly set up the Facebook group.
“At one point, we were under attack – these kids were running around fence points, howling like wolves, like something out of ‘The Lost Boys,'” he said. “It’s intimidating when you see 300 kids throwing full stubbies of beer at our security. It’s unacceptable behavior.”