student concert?

[pennychoo]

Hi my daughter and her friend (both 14.....just) want to go to a concert at the manchester academy for students, band in question are Norma Jean (?) concert is Jan 17th, now me and her friends mother have strong reservations, so i phoned up the venue, and ask the girl taking the bookings various questions, like: are they too young? how many would likely be there (500 ish apparently) would there be alcohol around? Doormen? too many questions but i still feel uneasy? instincts screaming NO!! Father screaming NO!! but hey... we were all 14? and now she 'hates' me cos i am telling her its gonna be unlikely!! aaarrrrggghhh help anyone have any advice/knowledge/experience, last nights docu with Panorama on paedo's didnt help change my mind either in fact it had the opposite effect!!! i know i'm new but... look forward to any answers ta xx

[Alibobs]

Welcom to the first of many teenage dilemmas
My daughter went to her first "gig" at Brixton Academy when she was fourteen, my husband drove her and her friend there and waited outside (police tried to move him on, think they thought he was kerb crawling!) I was convinced she was going to be mugged/shot/raped etc. Three years later and she is now going up to London to gigs on her own (well, with friends). It doesn't get any easier, I still worry. i make sure she doesn't travel on her own and I meet her from our local station, which means late nights for us parents but I wouldn't sleep until she was in anyway.
She has never come back worse for wear, although I know some of her friends have, one ended up in hospital as she was so drunk bur she was looked after by the other girls. My daughter is quite open about things, she calls the last train home the Vomit Express, seeing people in a state will hopefully deter her.
My daughter has met up with a group of people who attend similar gigs, I have met some of them and they are nice.
My husband and I had cause to drive through Central London at in the early hours recently, it was so busy, I felt reassured by the safety in numbers theory.
My daughter is in London tonight, I pray she doesn't miss the last train home every time, she never has but there is always a first time.!
Interestingly my 14 year old son went to Brixton on Friday night (driven by friend's parents,) I did not give it a thought but he is 6'3" with size 13 feet so maybe that has some bearing.
My advice is will it be any easier when she is 15, 16, 17 or 18? She has got to have her first experience at some stage and you will still be worried sick whatever age she is.
My daughter is now talking about going on holiday with friends next year...that fills me with horror but I think having had some independence she will be better equipped to cope
Lastly my husband said the reason I worry so much is

[Goodsoulette]

I went to my first gig when I was 14 at the Brixton Academy too. I live in in the south west but was chapperoned from victoria to Brixton by an older cousin and back to vicctoria after the gig. If you can make sure they can get there safely, gigging is fine, much safer than them drinking down the park. Its a brilliant activity that i will actively be encouraging my children to do when they hit their teens. I have so many good memories from seeing all my favourite bands. My parents did draw the line at letting me go to Pilton but I snuck off anyway and had an amazing time (oops).

[pennychoo]

Hi Alibobbs thank you for your great story!! unfortunately the end bit was missing???
goodsoulette cheers too, its all helped sort my decision out and i am gonna let her go, but, with a lift there and back!!

xx
Sorry my letter appeared twice dunno what happenned there??

[Alibobs]

My husband says the reason i worry so much is because I know what i was like at her age!!!

[pennychoo]

Alibobs...........yeah thats whats worrying me too!! er......... not what you were like at that age , but what I was like at that age!! Better not dwell, otherwise she'll not be going! ha ha cheers x