Best and worst gig venues - then and now

I did a door supervisors course ( a bouncer in old language ) 20 years ago when you needed this qualification to work as security in a venue. I don't recall anything being taught about crowd control, especially managing large crowds. But security should be just acting out policies put in place by venue management.

Larger scale events I've been involved with always started with a pre-event briefing on what to expect on the night. I'd like to think this approach takes place for all large-scale events, as opposed to someone just turning up with a high-viz vest and 'getting on with it'.
 
Having been out of it for so long I couldn't say how much training is now required to be 'security.' And do Brixton use their own staff, or get them from an agency?

Crucially, there should have been procedures in place to deal with such large crowds, and this is the responsibility of management. This is what risk assessments are for.

The Brixton Academy does have the problem of a narrow road which acts as a natural point of containment and then access. But dealing with large crowds is what they have to cope with on a regular basis. The question is therefore what went wrong on that particular night.