Just because I’m too young to drink, I’ve had to miss every single one of my favourite bands few Halifax stops. Just because I’m 3 years too young to drink, I can’t be around alcohol. If I wanted to get drunk I’d ask my 19+ old sister to buy me booze. Not wear my favourite bands shirt to my favourite bands show, and sit front row to watch my favourite band. And no, I can’t have a stamp that says don’t give me booze, I can’t be IDed by the bartender incase I try to get a drink, I can’t be in a underage section, I can only be turned away because I want to listen to the music instead of get drunk. And if anyone over 19 doesn’t want some kids there, then maybe you drunk fucks should stay out of my all ages shows. Realize the facts Halifax and venue owners. We are customers with money and there are ways to keep us away from the drinks. And we sure as hell can appreciate and enjoy the music more than half of the people over 19 there.
—16 and Deserving Good Music
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2009.
OP: you sound like you might be a good kid. If that’s the case, you should also be smart enough to realize that there aren’t a whole lot of 16 year olds as responsible as you – just take a look around your high school.
If they let underagers in the door at a bar, they will find a way to get alcohol. You said it yourself that if you wanted to drink you’d get your 19 year old sister to buy it for you. That becomes even easier when your surrounded by drunk people.
It’s not like the province is persecuting you with the law, they’re actually protecting you. Every person in the country has had the “it sucks to be a teenager” attitude at one point, but believe me, it’s not worth fretting about because these years of your life will be over all too quickly.
Also, what are your favourite bands that they play in bars when they come to town?
OP i also agree you do seem like a cool kid and you do deserve to see good shows the only thing is that if there is an all ages show it gets less people to attend because MOST people want to drink.
Dude get a fake id or borrow someones who looks like you to get into the bar
snoop dogg is all-ages, kid, fill your bong.
Your mama’s calling…its time for bed !
Only 3 more years to go OP. We’ve all been there. Might seem like a long time but trust me, after a few decades go by during which you CAN see your fave bands at licensed venues, it will seem less important. BTW: There are lots of 19 and overs who see bands at licensed venues who do not drink. It’s not required just because you can.
OP, is not the fact you don’t want to drink, it’s the fact that you parents and many others went to the city hall and made it that way, no one under 19 is allowed around alchole or have in possesion, and for the stamp thing, that washes off, nd for getting id at the bar each time, you havent seen a bar at a good hour, the bartender’s don’t have the time to ask for id to every one, that’s the doorman’s job. Me i don’t drink, and same as a few of my friends, we socialize at the bar scene for the bands, so chances are I’d sitting beside u drinking pop or a red bull. And like ocenlady said we all had to wait our turn for the age limit hell i was 14 when i first started gettin drunk, hell that was in 1991 before you where even a sperm to ur daddy. These days OP the bar scene is not what it used to be, hell you have to wear a bullet proof jacket in some of them..lol.. and not saying you, but when some people drink and get drunk, they are TOTAL assholes, I can’t even count how many stupid drunks i had to hit because they get rude to girls or they think their god, you being 16 is no match to a drunkin 30 fuckin idiot. So sorry for viewing the kool bands, but other good bands play at the commons, or metro center, you can see them. For now enjoy your life, cause when you can get into the bars, it does kinda suck, in three years you’ll agree…..
OP, is not the fact you don’t want to drink, it’s the fact that you parents and many others went to the city hall and made it that way, no one under 19 is allowed around alchole or have in possesion, and for the stamp thing, that washes off, nd for getting id at the bar each time, you havent seen a bar at a good hour, the bartender’s don’t have the time to ask for id to every one, that’s the doorman’s job. Me i don’t drink, and same as a few of my friends, we socialize at the bar scene for the bands, so chances are I’d sitting beside u drinking pop or a red bull. And like ocenlady said we all had to wait our turn for the age limit hell i was 14 when i first started gettin drunk, hell that was in 1991 before you where even a sperm to ur daddy. These days OP the bar scene is not what it used to be, hell you have to wear a bullet proof jacket in some of them..lol.. and not saying you, but when some people drink and get drunk, they are TOTAL assholes, I can’t even count how many stupid drunks i had to hit because they get rude to girls or they think their god, you being 16 is no match to a drunkin 30 fuckin idiot. So sorry for viewing the kool bands, but other good bands play at the commons, or metro center, you can see them. For now enjoy your life, cause when you can get into the bars, it does kinda suck, in three years you’ll agree…..
OP, this may come across as patronizing but I don’t intend it that way. Fact is, most of the venues you wish you could go to now, and have to wait a few years for, in a few years you’ll be wondering why you thought you could enjoy your favourite bands when you’re surrounded by loud, ignorant drunks. You’re missing nothing.
And maybe it’s just me, but with the exception of music performed in concert halls, churches, and the like, live music always sounds worse than the same songs do off a good CD with a good sound system. I’ve seen my share of my favourite groups performing at bars, and they always sounded inferior compared to their studio tracks on vinyl or CD. So why worry about it?
maybe you should write your band and remind them they have younger fans as well and to make a stop at a wet/dry venue.
I’m pretty sure they can choose places they want to approach to play in.
it would have taken about the same time as it did for you to write and post this bitch and you may have actually seen results from it instead of a “pity party” as I think you were hoping for.
I totally sympathize as one of my sprogs felt the same way whenever her favourite bands would come to town and play at a local bar. We’ve all been through this or something similar at your age (when I was a teen, the drinking age was 21 so imagine THAT wait – plus women weren’t allowed in taverns) but we all had to suck it up and ride it out. Three years in teen time seems like forever but your day will come – then the decades will fly by faster than Superman’s nuts.
Surely there must be better ideas regarding preventing teenagers accessing alcohol, in alcoholic venues, than giving them a stamp which they can wash off, or making the bartenders ID everyone repeatedly?
sorry there, but thems the breaks, and why do you have to be shitfaced drunk to enjoy any music.
i wanna go to snoop lol
Pier 21 has a wet/dry area. They get some good bands once in a while. I saw Metric and Eagles of death metal there. 2 really good shows!
I echo LadyS; Feist put on a great show there and the dry side had great access to the stage, too. 🙂
On the other hand, I totally get how much it sucks to miss out on a show just because of your age (and anyway, a bar vs. Pier 21…they’re definitely not the same…many bands/fans prefer the former). Loads of bands have feedback links on their sites – you should totally get on their case (and recruit others to join your voice!) and remind them that the underage audience helps pay for their career and deserves to be part of their shows. 🙂
Buck up, friend; soon you’ll be enjoying all the shows you can afford. 🙂