Phish Fracas November 17, 1994 - Bangor Daily News by Susan Young Complex in the pink despite Phish fracas Bass Park makes profit on damage done BANGOR -- After the smoke and dust settled, the Phish concert two weeks ago was worth the headaches, Bass Park Director Mike Dyer said Monday. Despite problems with the young crowd gathered outside the Bangor Auditorium, the concert had several benefits for the city, Dyer told members of the Bass Park Committee. Not only did the city profit from the sold-out show, it also made money on the damage deposit left behind by the Vermont-based band, Dyer said. Because of problems at the Nov. 2 concert, the band left behind a $ 750 damage escrow. However, when all was said and done, Dyer said he couldn't find $ 750 worth of damage at the Bass Park Complex. Damage to plastic barricades totaled $ 400, and repair of a window broken by a delivery truck that backed too close to the building cost $ 77, Dyer said. The remainder of the band's damage deposit will go toward the purchase of new no-parking signs for the complex, Dyersaid. "They put us through enough," he said. "That's the least they can do. " Dyer said the problems at the Phish concert began because the band didn't finish its sound check on time. He said the band was supposed to finish at 5:30 p.m., but in fact did not begin its check until that time. He said that although announcements were made telling the crowd outside the auditorium that the concert would not start until all ticket holders were inside, some people got antsy and worked their way toward the doors. The concert was delayed, and Phish did not begin to play until all ticket holders were inside. Another problem, Dyer said, was that Phish fans are known for trying to get into concerts without tickets or using counterfeit tickets. Checking tickets for authenticity slowed the process of letting people indoors, Dyer said. Those without tickets hung around the complex hoping to get into the concert through back doors or by tossing barricades into the glass doors. "The problems we did encounter 99 percent of the time were people who didn't have tickets and thought they could find a way to get in," Dyer said. Eight people were taken into custody as a result of the fracas. Two 15-year-olds and five adults were arrested for criminal trespass. Another adult was arrested on charges of criminal mischief. It took the efforts of the majority of on-duty Bangor police officers, four off-duty Bangor police officers who were called in, Maine State Police troopers, and deputies from the Penobscot County Sheriff's Department to handle the crowd. Dyer praised the police response to the incident. He said they easily could have overreacted to the drunken crowd but they did not. "It came off a lot easier than people have reason to believe," he said. He stressed that the taxpayers will not foot the bill for any damage or the extra police called in. Phish footed the bill for those expenses. Plus, Dyer said, the city learned lessons from the concert that it will make use of at future concerts. "We'd do it again," he said. "Every time you do it, you get better at it. " In addition to an approximate $ 10,000 profit to the city and the new signs, the concert also puts Bangor on the map consulted by concert promoters to decidewhere to send their bands. In addition to Phish, two other concerts have been sellouts in November. "Three sellouts in the month of November," Dyer said, "even Madison Square Garden couldn't do that. " He said the same promoter who handles Phish, which played in Bangor in May 1993, handles Melissa Etheridge whose Friday concert sold out in 24 hours. Because of these sellouts Bangor should get more rock bands in the future, Dyer said.