No! was the short answer from the tall person at the Bjork gig at Wolves Civic on Friday!
Like him and his rather tall girlfriend – we had arrived earlyish and positioned ourselves quite near to the front of the gig (perhaps a quarter of the way back) so that we could see the brilliant Bjork when she came on.
However – I was foiled by the fact that said tall guy moved one step to his left just as Bjork arrived therefore entirely blocking my view.
Now this is not the first time this has happened – and usually I put up and shut up, or move. On this occasion I was aware that moving might not help and this guy was aware of me behind him – so I tapped him on the shoulder and politely pointed out that if he took one step back to the right (where he had been standing) I could see.
He refused!
His girlfriend pointed the front of the crowd and said ‘there are some short people over there!’
Oooh – I was mad! I didn’t think my request was unreasonable. He was clearly about 6 foot and I’m 5’3″ – so his view was pretty assured wherever he stood – but mine – well it didn’t get any better let’s put it this way.
So – I’m wondering (I’ve already had some good responses on Facebook on this one) should I work out a way that short (and shortish) people can see at standing gigs at Gigbeth this year?
Should we have designated areas for the 5’3″s and under – like you have Petite sections in the clothes shops now – for the very same reason that shorter women have to put up with nice clothes not fitting?
Or is there another way to skin the cat? Perhaps treat 6 footers to lessons in manners and consideration?
Clare Edwards 
Hi Clare!
That would really piss me off. I am 5″3 and I have been to many a gig where some tall person has stood in front of me and ruined the whole evening! Sometimes I have moved or done something naughty.
What did you do in the end? Surely you didn’t go to see an epic artist only to stare at some rude, tall guy’s back? I hope not…
I think something should be done- that doesn’t make small people embarrassed and tall people victims of height prejudice.
Maybe like you suggested the 2-3 front rows designated for little people/young people or tall people on their knees- LOL!
Or the venue itself- can have sloping/slanting floor- probably a hazard.
Bobbie
I seem to recall that Brixton Academy has a sloping floor which made for great viewing of the one gig I saw there in the late 1980s. More venues like that would be a start I guess – I doubt it’s a hazard as such. Think yourself lucky the tall bloke didn’t have anyone on his shoulders which is something that annoys the hell out of me at festivals.
Dave
(5ft 11 and polite enough to either move out the way or swap places).
Whoops – got the url in the link for my name wrong. This one is corrected.
Dave
Yeah! Gig rights for shorties! I’ll give my support to any scheme. Where do I sign? From another vertically challenged fan.
I remember years ago straining my neck so much at a Prince gig that I went home with a migraine. I agree best venues are those with sloping floors. Absolute worst = flat stalls with seating where nasty security won’t let small people stand in the aisle or on the chair (yeah I know they’ve got a job to do but when I’ve paid £90 to see my teen heart-throbs The Police, I am gonna find a way to see, Ok Birmingham NIA??)
I went to see SikTh at Bar Academy and really felt sorry for those behind me. As I’m 6ft something I do try and consider those behind me, but even at one point when I was a few rows back I couldn’t see anything at all! Sloping floors or higher stages please!
Hey claire,
I was at the bjork gig and I’m also quite tall (we only managed to find some space at the back), I do worry about obscuring peoples views and I certainly don’t mind moving if someone asks but at the end of the day there’s not really much I can do. no matter how far back I stand I’m always going to piss someone off.
The civic really needs some screens for the larger gigs, although I am fairly tall there’s was still some bits I missed because of tall peoples.
I’ve been thinking about this issue too ( I’m 5″2) as I’m off to see a Take That concert this summer and rather than their usual arenas with slanted seating, this year its all stadiums. I’ve been thinking about trying to get some kind of packable box that I could stand on – nothing massive, just to make me 6″2 or something like the others. Can’t find anything on the net so might end up trying to make one… I see a niche in the market!