News

No Vuvuzelas at T In The Park

• 29th Jun 2010

Over the past few weeks a new word has entered into common usage: vuvuzela.

Yes, the infuriating plastic horns that produce a droning sound more annoying than even some football commentators are now stuck in our consciousness. Vuvuzela is a wonderful word though. Repeat it out loud a few times and you’ll see what I mean.

And South African football fans love them. They wouldn’t go to a match without one. Their tone has become familiar to anyone watching the World Cup. Indeed the ubiquitous vuvuzela has come to symbolise the tournament.

But they are hated by many fans watching on television. And vuvuzelas have already been banned from many sporting venues across the world, including Wimbledon and Yankee Stadium in New York City.

The organisers of the T In The Park festival have now followed suit.
An e-mail has been sent to everyone who has purchased a ticket warning that all vuvuzelas will be confiscated. Fans will apparently be searched on entry to the festival, although exactly where they think music fans could hide a long brightly coloured plastic tube is anyone’s guess.

Presumably the organisers fear that the sound of the vuvuzela would drown out the likes of Muse and Eminem. I can see their point: how would you fancy spending hours trying to listen to music with one of them in your ear?

Although personally I would make an exception while The Proclaimers are on stage!