Text by Ionela Pleșan
I don’t know what you do when you arrive in a new place for the first time, but I look for emergency exit doors in case of urgency and fire extinguishers.
I have been to spaces that leave much to be desired, such as basements given the name of bohemian and intimate places, or they directly tell you it’s a dirty basement, but also in normal places where you don’t constantly wonder how to get out faster. Exactly for these reasons, I no longer go to certain places, even if the artists I adore are going to perform there. If I don’t feel safe in a place, I don’t go. That’s my main rule when I choose to leave home and go to a concert. It’s still sad to me how we still accept and encourage the existence of places in basements or highly questionable places with small and narrow stairs, a single exit, and stages so small that if you bring a few friends, you end up on stage due to the tiny space. I understand that everyone is after money, but how much are you willing to risk for some extra money? Yes, we don’t have places to perform, but I wouldn’t accept risking so much just to cram 30 people into a basement, room, or even over a hundred people in a place that is about to collapse.
With this “positive” introduction, I will now tell you the places where I feel safe at concerts.
Expirat seems to me to be the safest place to go to a concert. There are many emergency exits if something happens, and the owners of Expirat seem to care about how many people they bring into the venue for a concert evening. The staff is very friendly, and if you have a problem with someone, I believe they would help you get out of a difficult situation. When I was younger, I didn’t understand all the hype about going to Expirat, but I figured it out over time. Expirat has authorization from the Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU). You can see that I feel safe at Expirat, especially after the concerts I’ve attended there. In my list of concerts from last year, for instance, Expirat is in the top 3, if not first place. I sometimes visit it weekly, but so far, I can’t say that I haven’t felt safe there.
photo by Vladimir Pogonariu
I grew up here, Q being the place I used to come to after university for the daily menu, which was cheap and also existed back then. I did homework here, went to concerts, dates, drank, etc., and I always felt safe. Quantic has many emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and everything you need if something unexpected happens, plus they also have authorization from ISU.
photo by Miluță Flueraș
Control Club (Sala Berlin)
I wasn’t surprised not to find Control on the list provided by ISU. Yes, it’s a cool place where I’ve seen a lot of artists, but the emergency exits are not that great. I feel relatively safe at Control, but that doesn’t mean you should do as I feel. The only places I frequent and found on the ISU list are Expirat and Quantic. Maybe Control can somehow get organized and obtain this authorization.
photo by Miluță Flueraș
It’s a cool place in the heart of the city where I believe it’s a place where you can manage to get out if needed. I’ve been there for some concerts; yes, the sound is not great, but as a space and vibe, it’s a cool place. They also have tables, but nothing stops you from sitting right in front of the stage. Unfortunately, I didn’t find The Pub on the ISU list.
Photo by Laura Dobre
I felt good here every time I went, but I can’t overlook the stairs that help you get to the concert hall. Those stairs scare me a bit, and the fact that they are not on the ISU list is not surprising.
Photo by I-auzi Una
I also have clubs where I’ve been and don’t go anymore precisely for this reason; I didn’t feel safe, and I could list them because there are many more than the ones where I felt safe, but I don’t want to spread hate.
On the other hand, I would be happy if the venues we go to or the ones where we perform are not the last ramshackle places and have authorization from ISU.
Which concert venues have I found on the ISU list?
In addition to the two mentioned above, I found Hard Rock Cafe, Berăria H, Romexpo, Sala Palatului, and the National Arena, so theoretically, if you are there and something happens, you are safe.
When it comes to my experiences in these places, it’s a whole different story. I don’t like the idea of sitting at a table during a concert at Hard Rock Cafe, but otherwise, it seems like a cool and suitable place for concerts, and Berăria H is not for me. It’s too big, and my anxiety kicks in from the entrance, but as a concert venue, it seems like a cool place with a large capacity. The National Arena doesn’t seem like a concert venue designed from space planning, and Romexpo is the last option not to forget about concerts in Romexpo’s parking lot. Okay, in Romania, we don’t have a concert hall with a normal capacity, so we manage with what we have, but again, if something unexpected happens, who is responsible?
What I find most dubious about all these venues is how responsibility is divided if something happens. Is it the event organizer, the band, the venue, or the owners who is responsible?
You can find the ISU list here, and the ISU website is here.
Until next time, stay safe.
Rock Monsters Romania 
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