This past weekend, I went to Live at Lincoln Castle and saw the English rock band James. They’ve been running a series of concerts at Lincoln Castle for two years now. Last year, I saw Kaiser Chiefs. This year, I am seeing two acts: James and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man. In this post, I will discuss the gig and whether accessibility has improved since last year.
Accessibility
Overall accessibility was good for Live at Lincoln Castle. The only gripe I have is that the accessible entrance is still located at the East Gate. To reach this entrance, we must cross the cobbled Castle Square, which is obviously not ideal for a wheelchair.
For me, the most accessible entrance is West Gate because it has a ramp and no cobblestones to contend with.
Honestly, whoever invented cobblestones, I would like to travel back in time and murder them. Sure, they are pretty to look at but they are a pain in the arse for wheelchair users. But I digress.
We parked in the lawn car park because I had hoped to get in through the West Gate this year, but it is only for VIPs. So we had to go all the way around to the East Gate. The stewards did let me leave via the West gate at the end, though, which was good.
At the side of Castle Square, there is a lane where I went to get my tickets scanned and bags checked. Then once we were in the grounds someone gave us a wristband to access the viewing platform.
This platform was as good as it was last year. There was plenty of space for wheelchair users and ambulant people to sit on chairs. There was also a charging point for power chairs, which was a useful feature. So I have no complaints about the viewing platform.
The view of the stage was good. We still couldn’t see all of the screen at the back of the stage, like last year, but that’s okay.
A seemingly tireless lady was walking around the viewing platform all evening, asking everyone if they wanted a drink. She had a printed drinks list, and we could pay by card with a portable card reader. She would then bring the ordered drinks back for us so we didn’t have to move. It was much easier than going to a bar to get one, which was great.
A sign language interpreter was stood next to the stage signing the songs again, which was good to see. They are always very lively and really get into it.
If you want to read more about the accessibility of the Lincoln Castle Live events, which Cuffe and Taylor organise, they have a lot of information on their website. Also, you can download their accessibility back below.
The organisers, Cuffe and Taylor, were very good in listening to feedback from disabled people after last year. Plus the stewards were very friendly and helpful.
The performance
James is a great band to see live, just for their songs, but for their stage presence. The lead singer, Tim Booth, has a very unique way of dancing, which makes me smile. He kind of reminds me of one of those flailing tube guys.
This time, however, Tim was using a crutch because he had twisted his ankle at a previous gig, so he wasn’t as animated as usual. But even sitting down for a lot of it, he was still dancing and even managed to get down off the stage and up close to the crowd at one point.
There were two energetic ladies in the band who played the drums and guitar, and also danced both on and off the stage.
It was great to see the band interacting with the crowd by singing songs such as “Sit Down” and others, which created a great atmosphere. The last time I saw James live, Tim Booth got right into the crowd, but obviously using a crutch, that is kind of hard to do.
Conclusion
Overall, it was a great gig with good accessibility for all. Cuffe and Taylor have done a great job listening to the views of disabled people following last year’s concerts. Although I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t enter through the West Gate, it wasn’t a major problem, just a minor inconvenience. I’m looking forward to returning to Live at Lincoln Castle to see Rag and Bone Man on Thursday.
