For those that consider yourselves Phish 'Phans', here is a peek at how you're going to be represented after last weekend's big Hampton, VA show.
Of the 75,000 concert goers, 240 were arrested. Most of the arrests were related to drug possession. $68,000 in cash was confiscated as well as 1.2 million dollars worth of illegal drugs. Compare these numbers to Phish's last show in Vermont and similar events:
- Out of the 65,000 people in attendance at Coventry in 2004, only 25 were arrested.
- Even the mega-festival, Bonnaroo, which Phish will play this year, held it's record number of 73 arrests out of 80,000 ticket holders in 2008.
- In January, 2003, the Daily Press reported a much lower 99 arrests when Phish played the Hampton Coliseum for three back-to-back nights.
Many dedicated Phish fans are disappointed that these numbers are making headlines that overshadow the big return of the Phab Four in Hampton. When you compare them to festivals large and small in the past, the numbers just don't add up. Many fans are disappointed because the police are the ones who are going to be reviewing these numbers and comparing them in exactly the same way...to past music events.
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Whether the percentage is low or not, the cops will see it as a dramatic increase. This means they may charge Phish venues more money to attend. When their rate increases, so does your ticket price to a festival.
Employers will also be seeing these numbers in the paper. If I were you, I wouldn't go into the office on Monday and admit to being a Phish fan. The fans are getting off on the wrong foot with law enforcement, even though it is a misrepresentation of the majority.
Eyewitness accounts of the Phish show in Hampton, VA have had time to accumulate this week, facing an aftermath of media attention to the arrests made in and around the venue. This number seemed surprisingly high to fans who didn't see many busts happening inside or around the show. There is a more complicated picture coming to the surface that depicts hotel room parties and local drug dealers as the main culprits.
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While most of the offenders were likely local dealers and non-Phish fans trying to get in on the action to make a buck, they are still lumped in with the Phish crowd in police reports. As for the 1.2 million, many people believe that this number is an over-estimate of the drugs taken at the show. Is it possible that the Hampton Police padded the numbers to make a better looking bust?
What do you think?
Do you think the Phish drug scene was out of hand? Are the numbers a big deal?
Comments
I didn't see anything out of the ordinary for the scene. Just more law enforcement. Not really the fans' fault. Blame the economy.
Also, the festivals that you mentioned in comparing arrest statistics are held in reclusive, hardly residential areas. Hampton is a different story.
That is a very silly comparison to make. Let's see- Bonnaroo and Coventry not only were attended by 75K fans, but actually held that many. Hampton held 13K. That is 50K+ "fans" per night- not going to the show... Of those 194 got arrested over the course of weekend.
Hampton is in the middle of a city- Bonnarroo and Conventry are at huge fields with security provided by the band or organizers- not police officers...
I agree- this headline may send the wrong message. But it is bullshi* also. How about we set up 200 cops outside of 200 different country clubs that have 50K people combined leaving on a late Saturday afternoon. How many DUI's you think they could give out? I'd guess more then to .24 of the folks leaving.
Well, for the last comment by Walfredo, I gotta say that it's even worse, then, if you are considering outside arrests at a place.
The arrests that they make at places like Bonnaroo usually includes people who were down at the Walmart for the festival too. Cops pad those numbers as much as possible, so you can bet they are counting the people hanging around the fest as well as inside. Makes the Hampton scenario even more embarrassing.
First: If so few people were found with so much drugs, they are not "concert goers," they are "drug dealers". These were local scum who thought they could go to the lot and sell their sh!tty east-coast weed and stepped-on blow to a bunch of hippies; not knowing that the vast majority of Phish fans come with their own stash for their own private use.
Second: And this is for the writer's future reference... If you are trying to reach Phish fans at all in future stories, do not refer to them as "Phans". It's just about the corniest thing one could do.
Third: The shows effing rocked. And I'll admit to being a Phish fan to anyone, anywhere at any time.
While I agree these numbers are staggering - I am just having a hard time believing these are all related to the concert. I was there (for Friday only) and thought it seemed very laid back and uneventful. Everyone seemed to be there for the show, but I guess it is who you surround yourself with.
I on the other hand, had a great experience and would not for a second deny that I am Phish fan. This just proves Hampton police were trying to make a point. Not saying that is bad or good - but lets just not lump all Phish fans into the same category. When you have 75,000 people - you have people from all different walks of life.
What? Since when is it cheesy to call someone a 'Phan'? Hurry up and go tell Fishman that turning his name 'Fish' into 'Phish' is corny, too. Sorry captain cool Scott, I'm a phan.
It is a shame that dealers represent Phish fans because of where they got arrested. That is how the cops see them, even though they weren't there for the show. Still gives us a bad name. Sucks.
My husband and I were there for all three shows and they were very mellow. I don't think 194 arrests out of 75,000 people is a huge deal. We hadn't seen Phish in over 10 years and it actually seemed like there were less hard drugs at this show than any other we have been too. So yes, this is a mis-representation of the majority. And I will gladly go into the office and admit to being a Phish "Phan". Because just because one loves Phish does not make them a drugy. And I think that Trey is an awesome example of a person who can admit to being messed up on drugs at some point and coming out of it and being able to have a good time without the drugs.
After the media crawled all over the drug use at the shows, I think it is wise not to shout to the rooftops to my clients that I like Phish, just like I don't tell them I like to do body shots. It's just good professional sense for older, wiser fans.
the writer looks like a hipster who doesn't listen to or know much about phish. let's face it, the cops were out in full force cracking down at these shows. there isn't nearly the prescence at a bonnaroo or festival setting. i'm quite happy to say i'm a phish fan.
There were an estimated 75,000 people in town for the amazing concert weekend in Hampton. Of those people a reported 240 were arrested or issued summons. If you do the math thats .0032% of the people with some sort of law enforcement entanglement. I'm sorry, but that's just not that big of a deal. The traveling circus is just a microcosm of the world at large. You take 75,000 people in any walk of life and are bound to come across a couple hundred dealers, addicts and irresponsible people.
This doesn't deter fans, but the police DO look at those kinds of number comparisons when they plan for festivals. So those numbers DO matter.
In this economy they need all the money they can get and shaking down concert fans is a good opportunity.
The police are wolves who prey on the weak and stupid, thus making the herd stronger.
These numbers are laughable and I in no way feel "represented" by them.
Maybe the author should try some other vast oversimplifications. She's good at it.
Nothing New.
This is a non-story
More arrests than Bonnaroo? With LESS PEOPLE there? 5,000 less people and more than twice the arrests??
Phish fans must be clueless on keeping it under wraps.
aren't you all forgetting that Phish actually encouraged and helped hire extra police and law enforcement? My sister used to go to Grateful Dead shows and she says the biggest difference is the abundant presence of "dirty drugs" and the fact that people were there to party and get high more than just simply be there and enjoy themselves and celebrate for the hell of it, ....I think part of why Phish collapsed is because of the presence of this pretty disgusting scene of gluttonous drug abuse (if you spent any time in the lot scenes of 2004 you'll know what i'm talking about) .... i'm not saying anyone who gets wasted on something should be shamed, just the whole attitude of being more into the substances then the surroundings , people, and music.... it just wasn't a very good scene. I'm glad Phish is trying to make sure people are aware that they can't just soley bring their fiendly fascinations with hard drugs to their parking lots ... i'd much rather know that its not necessarily safe to puff a jay walking around the lot anymore to know that the scene is being kept clean, safe, and respectful,
oh and for you people writing about whether or not to be open about liking Phish.... shouldn't you obviously just do whatever works for your own situation? why do you feel compelled to talk about it, I wouldn't feel guilty about not being in the position to admit that i'm a Phishhead in a professional setting in that were the case
MMmm this article sounds like it was written by an anti-Phish Michael Moore. Way to twist the data! 240 out of 75,000 is certainly not an inordinate amount. Think of your local Bar on a Friday night. That bar holds 100 people. If one gets arrested for DUI (almost 3 times the percentage arrested at this weekend's shows mind you) would Rain be beating her drum about this Bar bringing the drunks out of the woodwork and bringing danger to our roads!? What if that bar holds 20 people? Over 3 nights 1 person is arrested each night. Sweet Lord...5% of the bar's patrons went to jail over the weekend. There should be panic in the streets! The only thing I find ridiculous is that I wasted time reading and now posting a response to this dribble. Anybody going to shows the rest of the tour...I hope you have as much fun as it sounds like these shows were!!
Hey guys, thanks for your replies. Here I'm giving you the facts about the arrests at the Phish show and comparing them to those at Bonnaroo 2008 and Coventry.
What you do with that information is up to you.
I do like Phish, and lots of fans are pretty disappointed in what happened.
The reason that they are disappointed is because the police are the ones who are going to be reviewing these numbers and comparing them in exactly the same way...to other music events. Whether the percentage is low or not, the cops will see it as a dramatic increase. That is what we are looking at, here. When cop rates increase, so does your ticket price to a festival.
Also, in response to Phish paying for the cops....they footed the bill for the police to be there because they were probably required to do just that in order to have the concert there due to the amount of people. Not because they were paying off the cops to bust people. That's just silly.
There, I added these points to the article just to clarify my stance. Have a great day!
I suspect this has a lot to do with Phish being out of the game for some time now...
Historically, Phish's dedicated touring not only paid off musically, but also paid off in terms of building a solid relationship within the touring industry and the various venues/locales that entailed. Phish, quite famously, had protocols in place with local authorities that helped them better handle law enforcement concerns that were "unique" to Phish shows.
A lot has changed since Phish called it quits. First, there's just the simple fact that Phish has been gone from the American landscape for quite a long time...really, even before the official "end." People move on, relationships the band may have had with locals may not be there anymore, the reality of the scene gets distorted with time...
Then, there's just a lot of relevant changes in the US generally. Security for one increasingly tighter post-9/11 and that's made it's way into smaller events like concerts, etc. Perhaps overall attitudes are a bit different, we're certainly less "care-free," these days.
Finally, I think a Phish reunion gig was an obvious target for a certain element of drug pushers desperate for an infusion of cash in scene that has been absent for so long.
All in all, it should mellow out as the tour goes on.
It may be obvious to most that Hampton PD saw the migration of Phish fans as an opportunity to make money. I read local newspapter article from the Hampton area prior to last weekend. The local officials saw phish fans as an opportunity to make money.
There is nothing you can do about some old hippie looking NARC. I saw the NARCs in full force the first night. I also saw how over matched the Coliseum staff was at handling the mass of anticipation that came busting through their doors at 6:00. I saw fans being yelled at and threatened with losing their tickets. How are 13,500 fans suppose to fit through 2 four foot gate openings? And after hours of waiting to fit through one of 2 small gate openings you were treated to what in concert terms equates to a full body search.
Mabey Phish should send the "Mothership" back to planet of Cashola and we'll find another place to party. The Providence "Civic" Center or the Hartford Civic center sound just fine. Phish fans can spend their money locally on some New England Non-strip mall soil.
I've seen Phish in VA Beach a few times and the cops were always militant there. There were always many, many busts in VA Beach. I'm sure if they brought in additional police, they were pulled from the surrounding areas, which VA Beach would be.
The fact is, as long as Phish brings the money, nothing will change. Period.
1.2 million? If anyone believes this number, reports this number or repeats this number is an idiot. Less than 100K in cash? Sounds like some cash (and i mean a lot) disappeared, or the drug number is grossly inflated (a lot)- Probably both. The local business owners were great and appreciative. However, I will never spend another dime in that community. I was perfectly sober and they tried to take my prescription medication away from me. I was frisked at the door and had been questioned about my meds. I'm glad I had the chance to see Phish, but Hampton cops were jerks. They were ready to harrass anyone and everyone. It was really sad. The person who wrote this article is an obvious idiot and makes a lot of money repeating misleading information.
I commend Phish and their management on paying for extra police forces. Drugs ruin lives. Trey can attest to this. I would be thrilled if this sends a message to all Phans that overt public use of drugs is stupid, illegal, and damaging to the public perception of this incredibly talented band. It ticks me off to hear Phish's name as synonomous with drug use. As sad and as true as that may be, time and time again I extol the musical and performance virtues of this band to people who say stupid things like, where's your dreads, or why dont you smell like patchouli? I'm a 40 yr old 'professional' (although I hate that term)...with a family and all that...I first saw the band at the MSU Union in 1992...I hope all the punks getting arrested are young punks who have nothing better to do that get hopped up on goofballs and that they get grounded for a year. or better yet put in juvie...the Phish scene does NOT have to be about drugs (wishful thinking)...have a few beers, accept the one hitter being passed down the row, but dont get so trashed that you cant stand up ....and by all means DONT do nitrous...
Jon,
These are real figures as reported by both The Associated Press and the New York Times, coming straight from the Hampton police. I'm sorry if the facts have made you uncomfortable. I've deleted some of your more insulting comments and left the one that makes the most sense.
Thank you.
Rain,
Sorry for the personal blows. My point is that the officers were overly aggressive. If you frisk 50,000 people and only 200 are arrested, thats not a bad percentage. Their #'s don't add up. I guess I should say, that if you believe these numbers, you should scratch your head. The Hampton police officers are proud of themselves, boasting inflated drug amounts, but where did all the cash go?
Jon,
Agreed on the dubious acts of some officers. That is one reason I think cops in all areas are going to look at these figures and run with them all year.
It's a shame that these numbers are so high in comparison to other Phish and similar festival events. Even though the percentage was low, I think that this kind of comparison to past events may be the standard when it comes time to negotiate police costs and coverage.
You can't call drug dealers who try to sell drugs at an event, fans, I'm sure the majority of the people arrested did not have a ticket and had no plans on seeing the show. I would also like to see the numbers of how many fights or violent crimes happend during this three day event, and while your at it, compare those numbers to other concerts. Drugs aside, a Phish concert is a beautiful thing.
sorry, didnt see that someone beat me to the Marco name
Do you list arrests at Browns games too? Because I would bet there are easily 190 arrests out of 75,000 people every single week. Quite honestly, that is embarrassing!!! But I forget, drinking and acting stupid is accepted in our society
Well 240 arrests isnt bad considering the percentage of the united states population who use drugs. Not to mention Coventry law enforcement is a little more chill than gang hungry cops from Va. Where did all the drugs go?? Im sure Virginias finest is puffin a little of the finest. Take the drugs over the violence any day.
BenEric,
No, I didn't list Browns games because they are obviously not the same type of event, therefore police would have no interest in comparing a Browns game to a Phish concert when figuring out how much to charge the event for their presence.
Everybody I work with knows exactly where I disappeared to this weekend. I don't think you should cover up anything in your life that brings you complete and total happiness.
The people I work with are amazed with my enthusiasm for Phish and the positive vibes I returned to the office with on Monday. That's the true beauty of our scene.
Our scene is by far the safest large musical festival in this country. I have never heard of a sexual assault at one of our shows. I have never scene anything in our scene on the scale of violence shown at the large music "festivals" held throughout the U.S. every summer.
To concerned parents: Your kids are completely safe at Phish shows if you have raised them well. Only their actions will get them in trouble. They won't get a bottle smashed across their heads.
I'll take some stupid harmless potheads over some steroid enraged rapist anyday. Phish parking lots are safe, fun and absolutely incredible! PHISH=GREAT PEOPLE!!!
Seriously? Have you been to a festival? It is usually held on private property and security is brought in by the event organizers. Sure there might be some on-duty cops, but a majority are off-duty and are more concerned about violence than drugs. Rarely do the police go undercover at a festival to "bust" people. Compare this to Hampton and factor in a down economy (cops and towns have to make $ too). Well what do you get, but a bunch of cops going undercover and busting folks being too obvious. Ms. Blanken needs to dig a little deeper for her stories, do some homework and quit being lazy. Apparently the "mainstream" media isn't the only one suffering from subpar reporters.
Ben,
It would seem you might be the one who is misinformed. At any large event, the festival organizers are required by the state to have a certain number of police officers on the property, public or private. This is usually a ratio of cops to the number of people who can fit in the place.
As for police enforcement, please research a little further. Case in point, Wakarusa 2006, when the local cops brought in surveillance equipment. They not only busted drug offenders left and right, they also used cameras to get the ones they didn't see right away. You can easily Google this.
Please, do your own research before you balk at the work of others. Thanks and have a great day!
The majority of these "arrests" did not even happen at the venue (from the dailypress.com):
"Thurston said the majority of drug arrests were made at hotels where two of the three search warrants were executed. The majority of the arrests (52) were made in the Central Precinct area."
FWIW, 245 people out of 75,000 is a pretty small precentage. So out of curiosity, do you report on violence at Rap concerts? I mean this article is sterotyping phish fans. Do you think that all black people who attend rap concerts cause violence?
Rain -
Thanks for getting back to me. I could be wrong and maybe you'll correct me, but aren't most of the police required to be on hand "off duty" officers? Regardless I noticed you pointed out Wakarusa in your response to my comment, but that festival wasn't mentioned in your original article? Obviously Phish didn't play at that show, did they? What were the numbers of arrest for that festival?
My point is this, you had a point you wanted to make and you selected certain examples to make your point. You also didn't dig any deeper than the obvious.
With the economy suffering I imagine you'll see arrests at shows up for the entire year. You'll probably see an increase in arrests, tickets, etc...up across the board because that is a primary source of revenue.
Did Bonnaroo or Coventry utilize undercover officers? What is the temperament of those communities? What were the arrests for in Bonnaroo?
Maybe cops in VA, as another poster pointed out, are a little more militant in their enforcement?
You are trying to make this out as a Phish phenomenom (sp?) and this is something new that we've never seen before. I question that opinion and don't believe you've done enough to support it. There are a lot of variables that you haven't accounted for.
Maybe the law enforcement got off on the wrong foot with the fans...
I would also like to point out that in addition to the arrests, law enforcement were selling tickets they confiscated. Maybe if we kept this practice down we can also keep ticket prices down
I don't feel ridiculous, I mostly feel irritated that we still have the pointless drug laws we have and that the cops were going out of their way to bust people at the shows.
The high arrest number is mostly just a reflection of the aggressive policing that in my experience takes place in most Southern states. Undercovers, hotel raids, etc. Don't see much of that out west. The festivals I've been to have way more drugs all over the place than a Phish show, it's just that private security doesn't care.
And yeah, I feel frustrated that scrutiny might go up a bit.
You are right Rain, it isn't the majority of Phish fans. It did make us look ridiculous.
The cops were out in full force and some people were careless. That's all it takes.
As for the number of arrests quoted, of the 15 or so people I saw arrested in Hampton, at least half were definitely locals trying to make a buck, it was sooo obvious.
As for the loot, most of the money from those statistics is wrapped up in nitrous oxide tanks. And if you open your eyes, most of the tanks were owned and run by local thugs. Sure there's a demand for it, but we're not talking about balloons sucked, we're talkin' straight numbers, as quoted in your article coming from the NT Times et al. As an actual "festival examiner" you should know the difference.
Phish Phans have grown up and do not want to be associated with these B.S. statistics. Get to the truth, that's your job...Ridiculous!
Uh, Le Barrance, i think it's obvious that she was stating that this is how the cops see it and that those arrests represent the Phish fans whether they like it or not.
Cops arent fair and the arrests made at a show make headlines and we get blamed for it. open your eyes and actually read the article buddy.
Just to add, I do support busting the nitrous gangs and hard drug dealers, and I do support any busts for violence (don't think there were any... what a surprise). But there are definitely anecdotes that suggest there was a lot of aggressive undercover activity and people getting taken down for small amounts of marijuana as well.
And I understand the author's perspective much better after seeing a couple of her posts on OKP, but she should understand that using the term "ridiculous" in the title is definitely baiting.
Franklin,
Good point. But I don't need a festival examiner to tell us we look bad, we know that. I would like to see a little deeper research by someone who knows the scene...like the author. She could add something to the NY Times article that is missing, the truth behind all these stats. I thought a festival examiner would do that and she didn't. She writes good stuff but this article could have easily done so much more for us all rather than point out the obvious.
But there is always time for a follow-up article.
Welcome to the 1960's i guess? This wont be the first OR THE LAST time people get arrested. Whether it be at a concert or a sporting event.. The fact of the matter is that people that listen to rock n roll or trance or house or WHATEVER!!!, do drugs in a lot of cases, to get blazed for the show. Go to a Beenie Seagle concert instead and get shot if you don’t like people doing the SAME F'ING thing that has been going on for CENTURIES (alcohol and drugs)..
Seriously folks, if people think that these common sense headlines are stealing any sort of reunion thunder then they need to get a clue. And to the point about "going to work and telling people I like phish" uhhh DUH, since i started working out of college in 2000 i learned VERY quickly to keep this type of thing to myself. I think it is pretty well know, unless you are a retard, that if you tell a narrow minded person that you like the grateful dead or phish then they will automatically see you in that light. Again, the narrow minded people are who you need to worry about. Not the phish fans that cant keep their life on the responsible DL.
seriousy folks, if people these common sense headlines are stealing any sort of reunion thunder then they need to get a clue. and to the point about "going to work and telling people i liek phish" uhhh DUH, since i started working out of college in 2000 i learned VERY quickly to keep this type of thing to myself. i think it is pretty well know, unless you are a retard, that if you tell a narrow minded person that you liek the grateful dead or phish then they will automatically see you in that light. again, the narrow minded people ar ewho you need to worry about. not the phish fans that cant keep their life on the responsible DL.
It sucks that the drug thing always overshadows what seemed to be an incredible weekend of music. While the numbers amount to less than half of one percent of the reported 75,000 that showed up, drug busts still always seem to be the headline. I'd be lying if I said that drugs weren't a part of the Phish scene because they are. However drugs are a very small portion of what goes on. It is, and will always be about the music first. It sucks that a hand full of people always seem to ruin it for everybody else and make Phish fans in general, and the band look stupid. If you plan on seeing Phish in Jones Beach, watch out. I heard they can be some of the worst cops (in terms of giving people a hard time) around.
Your analysis is very flawed. Comparing this venue to a remote festival is simply not valid. Here's a better comparison:
"The last time the band played a one-night show at the Coliseum, in 2004, police arrested more than 100 people, according to a Daily Press story from the time. When they played in 1998 at what is now the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater, police arrested 136."
From: hamptonroads.com nearly-200-arrested-during-3-days-phish-shows-hampton
I think the people who should be really worried about this type of thing are the small business owners and venue employee's in every city where Phish or other "jam band" music is played. Cops charge more to promoters -> cost & ticket prices go up -> Less people can attend and/or shows are not booked -> tourist revenue is lost and event support jobs are lost. This past weekend brought in close to $8 million in revenue to the Hampton area (outside of arrest fines and bonds) according to the Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau. That is a great influx of cash for a small coastal town in the winter and during a very down economy. So focusing so much public relations on the drug arrests is a classic example of addressing the wrong problem. And I am sorry to say Rain, you are contributing to the skewing of the masses.
It's like Barney Frank and John Kerry calling the purchasing of corporate stadium naming rights irresponsible and nothing more than an ego trip for corporate executives. An example being the $400 Million, 20 year deal with the NY Mets and Citi. Even though the deal was made years before any financial collapse, the bailout timing made the deal look terrible in the here and now. The two senators only addressed this surface view and paired it with emotional and negative judgments/perceptions of corporate greed. By doing so they skewed the general public's perception, and has blinded the masses to what would happen if these corporate sponsorships stopped. By not communicating the whole situation, the two senators where exhibiting the major traits of trying to forward personal agendas. Some of the things they failed to look at, or at least communicate to the general public are... For any type of pro to semi-pro sports league/team (Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Lacrosse) it is becoming increasingly rare that city or state wide bonds are being used to help pay for the building of a stadium. That responsibility is almost always 100% on the league and/or the team ownership. So with no corporate sponsorship, the public pays for it or they don't get built. Or the ticket prices are 5X more than they already are. If you break it down, without corporate sponsorship there is far less of a chance for stadiums which means less of a chance for teams. So...stadium parking attendants, security (cops included), vendors, maintenance all lose their jobs or they are never created. With less venues & fans the companies who make things like hot dogs, buns, merchandise don't get as many orders so they may have to lay people off. The business' around the venues lose money or have to go out of business. The ripple effect that corporate sponsorships have is far greater than most people think at first thought. And right now, much of general public perception is that of first thought to info given to them. This is just one example of how trying to press a personal and/or political agenda can have far greater effects than thought; an example of the danger of skewing public perception, an example of the potential danger on a community by not properly appreciating the benefits sports, music, events and the fans can bring.
All I am saying Rain is, you are not being very progressive or innovative by only trying to be provocative, or to challenge people to think about how ridiculous the reports from Hampton police make Phish fans look. People have been using substances to enhance their live music experience for hundreds of years. Some musical acts draw more fans who like to consume illegal substances than others. These shows usually have parking lot scenes where commerce of all sorts happens, and are usually targeted by police. Having been to over 100 Dead, Phish, Panic, Allman shows since the late 80's, and speaking with friends from these shows who were at the Hampton shows...the parking lot drug scene was no worse or out of control than what usually goes on. The main difference was the higher amount of non-fan, opportunistic pushers trying to make $ in a bad economy and stepped up enforcement by the police.
Instead of challenging thought on public perception of Phish fans, maybe you should have challenged people to think about why the police decided to heighten their enforcement, why the Hampton police made their weekend results SO much more public than past years and more than other areas that host bands like Phish, and the local socio-economic ramifications if more honest and symbiotic relationships are not formed between law enforcement and bands/event promoters.
I would guess the increase in drug dealers would be a direct result of the economy; more specifically the fact that people are losing their jobs. Plenty of people are trying to get into the drug scene as drug use goes up with a bad economy. Especially bad drug dealers that get caught.
Also, All Good has received pressure from the cops to bust down on drug use this year according to a February 2009 news article I read. Phish isn't even playing there. Festival goers will always get this type of attention because music and drugs are seen to go hand in hand.
If your a competent worker who is always doing as expected or better your employers won't care. That's why I wore my "Conscious Heads Stay Lifted" shirt to work. I've been wearing Phish shirts, Roo shirts and more... I still get raises and a VERY large Christmas bonus.
i really think that comparing a phish-run event like that in coventry 4 1/2 years ago to a town-run event like the one this past weekend is apples and oranges...from what i heard there were 200 officials patrolling the lots and surrounding area of the coliseum....you put that many 'blue boys' in a lot like that and of course it's going to be like shooting phish (no pun intended, maybe) in a barrel....if this past weekend were a phish-run event in rural anywhere, usa, there would have been far fewer arrests, no question....there was no camping in hampton as there was in coventry....not to mention that all the people at coventry got to see the show (that were "in") as opposed to the minions in hampton who had no tickets but were there for that elusive miracle and/or just for the ability to say "i was there"....it has nothing whatsoever to do with the economy or any of that crap; it's where the show was held and how it was ran, period, end.
Wow, Phish hired cops to harass their own fans?
I knew that band sucked, just not THAT much. Sure I hate hippies, but honestly, let them smoke their hemp, its worst health problem is the pigs arresting people
I proudly announcent i'm a phan. Any band who can make it big without media promotion and just word of mouth is rare. It only shows that the band is one of the most creative, talented, and energenic live bands ever!
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