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Threadbare security at Danish concerts, new documentary reveals
Stephen Gadd
December 4th, 2017
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This article is more than 7 years old.
Potential terrorists can gain access to concert venues relatively easily provided they are employed as stagehands
What we don’t want to see in Copenhagen: floral tributes like the ones laid for victims of the Manchester Arena bombing (photo: Tomasz “odder” Kozlowsk)
In the good old days, concert-goers were only stopped by security guards on the way in to venues to be checked for contraband booze, recreational drugs and clandestine taping devices.
However, the recent attacks on concert venues in Paris and Manchester have underlined the sad fact that large concerts are potential targets for terrorists, so security has been significantly stepped up – or so you would think.
READ ALSO: Danish festivals on their toes following Manchester attack
Using the example of Justin Bieber at Parken, Bryan Adams at Forum and Celine Dion at the Royal Arena, a DR documentary reveals that although concert-goers are searched and checked using metal detectors, stagehands are able to roam around freely without any form of security checking.
No questions asked
There may be up to 150 stagehands involved in setting up a big rock concert and, according to a DR source, many of them are paid in ‘black money’ as well as being unregistered identity-wise.
“You don’t even have to check in with the gang boss to get into the concert arena,” said the source, who added that stagehands typically have access to all areas.
“Nobody has ever stopped me and asked what I have in my bag, for example.”
Part two of the documentary ‘Afsløret – De sorte koncerter’ will be shown on DR1 this evening at 20:45, and the first part is still available on dr.dk/tv. The program is in Danish.
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