The Press… SoCS

Since I became an adult, I’ve been in two kinds of press. A religious concert called The Experience and a secular concert called Rocktoberfest. I’ve been to both only once each. There’s something intriguing about being in the press. The people voices when they sing together is so beautiful. Gospel artists are invited and each of them get to minister when they are called to the stage. The stage is far away from the press and also barricaded. At the Experience people lift hands to praise and worship God, dances and sometimes some people take things to the extreme. Like blowing whistles, lifting up chairs and shouting. There are some people in the press who did not come to do any of the above mentioned. They came to get a boyfriend/girlfriend, some came to steal from their unsuspecting victims. When the terrorism in Nigeria became very rampant, in a particular year admission for the program was done online. This was to cut down the press and to help tighten security. I mean we get up to 500,000 people who attend the program each year.

For Rocktoberfest, there is a press of people with different religious beliefs bound together by love for a particular music genre – rock music. There was a lot of singing, screaming, people standing in front of the bands and artists as they performed both local and foreign rock songs. There were people who had cameras and they kept clicking away, taking pictures. There was a black carpet before the program started and then I got meet virtual friends physically. I look big in pictures so they were expecting a big lady and when I appeared, they all commented on how small I look.
There were people who didn’t come to sing or perform or join the whole charade. They stayed somewhere drinking and smoking. Some part of the press were not rockheads they only came to check out for themselves. Nigeria is still a religious country and so the whole rock thingy couldn’t remain purely secular as some bands/artist played some gospel rock songs. Song like God’s not Dead originally sang by Newsboys….

As a child I’ve attended open air crusades with my parents, the very large press, the voices of the people as they shout Amen to prayers, then going home too is another issue altogether at these open air crusades.
For The Experience and Rocktoberfest people leave at different times so we don’t have human leg traffic. At open air crusades we walk slowly till we get outside the gates. The motorists and bike men make a lot of money as most of the press get there through public transport.

I really don’t like the press and when I can avoid it I do except if it is so compulsory for me to be there.
© Deborah Glover, 2016

*****
In response to the “Press” prompt, thanks Linda. Let’s do this again next week. Click Here to learn the rules.
Happy weekend!

Until next time,
Blessings!