Banquet Records send fans camping for Louis Tomlinson gig to back of queue

13 December, 2022

Louis Tomlinson

Banquet Records have attempted to discourage fans attending Louis Tomlinson‘s shows at PRYZM from camping outside the store by introducing a system which will put campers at the back of the queue.

Gig-goers are being given wristbands of different colours depending on what time they arrive at the Kingston-upon-Thames record shop. People camping outside or queuing very early are being given red wristbands, those in the queue before 8pm get silver ones, and those in the queue for 8:30 will have blue wristbands. Those will blue wristbands will get in first, followed by those with silver wristbands, and only then will those who have been camping or queuing for a long time will be allowed entry.

Instructions were provided for fans as part of the ticket information. “We cannot allow people to sleep overnight in this freezing weather and importantly nor will the police,” the instructions said. “The gig will not happen if people are queuing in freezing temperatures the night before.”

Banquet Records said on their Twitter that they were “aware that this will cause some 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 has been widely praised for this decision across social media, particularly since fans camping overnight were arguably putting themselves at risk from the cold weather.

“This is great, banquet consistently setting an example for how music venues (and record shops) should be run,” wrote one Twitter user.

“i think venues should do this more often imo,” added another.

“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,” another said.

Louis Tomlinson released his second solo album ‘Faith In The Future’ last month. In a four-star review, NME wrote: “It doesn’t reinvent the wheel of modern guitar music, but is a solid step forward as the musician continues what he’s acknowledged will be “an ever-evolving process”. Album two shows, though, that he’s very much heading the right way.”

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