OK, this is where I reveal myself as what is technically known as an old fart. I was once - this is infamous amongst my friends - taken by a friend for her birthday with a group to hear Macy Gray at the Empire Shepherds Bush. Until that night I had never heard of Macy Gray and had never been to the Empire (in fact the only pop concert I had ever been to was Tom Robinson at the Edinburgh Festival).
Lord, how I wish I could still say that. Every moment of the experience was foul, from the sweaty bodies in the hall through to the racket coming off the stage. But what drove me insane was the sheer noise level. I could not believe that people could actually choose to subject themselves to such painful noise.
I lasted about 20 minutes before having to leave.
I suggest that the US Navy gets itself down to the nearest pop concert and records it. The army did something similar when it surrounded General Noriega's encampment in Panama and blasted him out with rock music.
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aristeides
May 3rd, 2007 4:27pmI have still mercifully managed to go through life without ever having attended a pop concert for exactly these reasons. But next time we want to destroy a Middle Eastern country cheaply and effectively, would the answer not be to stage Glastonbury there?