Louis Tomlinson fans who camped overnight for gig sent to back of the queue
Banquet Records said the policy was 'a duty of care, and done for the right reasons'
By Nick Reilly
A record store on the outskirts of London has discouraged Louis Tomlinson fans from queueing outside a series of intimate shows by introducing a queuing system that sent campers to the back of the queue.
“Aware this will upset some but there has to be repercussions for queuing too early,” Banquet Records said in one tweet on Tuesday ahead of his show at PRYZM in Kingston-Upon-Thames on Tuesday evening (December 13).
The company used a wristband system and prioritised fans who showed up on time, ahead of those who camped out in the freezing cold.
“Wristbands. Red: People camping /queuing very early. Silver: Others who turned up before 8:00. Blue: Others in queue at 8:30. We are letting in blue wristbands first, then silver, then red,” the tweet read.
“Aware this will upset some but there has to be repercussions for queuing too early.”
They added that the policy was “a duty of care, and done for the right reasons”.
The venue was widely praised for the decision on social media, with some arguing that fans were putting themselves at risk by camping overnight in the cold weather.
“Queuing over night, way too early, etc. is so strange to me and causes issues where there shouldn’t be issues. follow the rules. the fan systems piss me off even more. glad to see a venue stand up to this culture,” said one user.
Ahead of the gig, a spokesperson for Banquet told The Mirror: “We cannot allow people to sleep overnight in this freezing weather and importantly nor will the police.
“The gig will not happen if people are queuing in freezing temperatures the night before.”