Concert ticket-holders in London, ON were shortchanged tonight when Oasis had to suddenly cancel their gig. Not the band’s fault, of course, as singer Noel Gallagher was still nursing bruised ribs and hips following a sneak attack from an audience wacko on Sunday in Toronto.
Daniel Sullivan, 47, of Pickering, ON, was charged with assault and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 24 (where he will be met, I’m sure, by a mob of fan vigilantes of equally diminished mental capacity).
Apparently, Sullivan somehow eluded security and managed to run onstage during the set. He pushed Noel to the ground before darting towards the other Gallagher brother. But, big boys snatched him up before he could strike again. Then he was ushered offstage for a time-out with a quiet chat over tea and crumpets. Uh-huh.
Being an Oasis fan (but not of the vigilante brand), this got me thinking of the shared dynamics of concert-goers and race fans/bettors. The racetrack and the concert hall have a lot in common: lots of stimulation, lots of emotion, lots of alcohol availability. Hence, lots of security — at least at the concert hall.
Racetracks have at least some degree of restricted access into the paddock, administrative and operations areas. But, the winner’s circle is still pretty free and clear in most places on most nights. Yet, I’ve never seen a stalker, streaker or slugger.
And, it amazes me that for such a stakes-heavy game, everyone is fairly reserved most of the time (at least in public). Grumbling beneath the breath, or commiserating to a pal is still not the same as rushing the stage. I can count on two hands (okay, maybe four) the number of times I’ve heard a bettor verbally accost a driver over the fence. I once had a patron take a very mild swing at me on the tarmac over a contest prize — a ball cap, to be precise — but it was so sloppy and girlish that it barely counts.
With all of this opportunity, and no apparent action, I have to concur that the racetrack is a den of civility. What?! That doesn’t sound very sporty, does it?
BTW, if you want to see Noel Gallagher get clocked (and many people do), you can check it out here. (Skip to 1:30 if you don’t care for the song)
- K
Kelly, You are forgetting
Kelly,
You are forgetting the famous incident at Hoover Downs. It was shocking :)
In reply to Kelly, You are forgetting by Dean (not verified)
Dean, I embedded the video
Dean, I embedded the video for direct viewing pleasure. Thanks for the comment!
being an old timer, i recall
being an old timer, i recall the garbage cans being set afire and the grandstand doors shattered as irate fans protested large amounts of money being bet late and horse winning easily!!!/ also one insane fan jumped the fence as the open starting gate was extended and rolling..... whacko to the whacko!!!1... now a days attendence is so lw that security personnel and horsemen out number ''fans''. so we have few worries of crowd protests!!!!!/ jk