Arena Gigs? Why bother?

stickyfiddle · July 2023

prowla said:

I like to be able to see the act I've gone to "see", rather than watch them on a TV; if I have to watch them on a screen (or they don't even have screens), then what's the point of being there?
I've been to a few gigs where the sound was awful which made me question the point of going: Linkin Park at the O2, Mars Volta at somewhere in London, Marilyn Manson at the Brixton Academy.

If you can't see them that's a production design issue rather than a venue issue.

But in any case I'd argue the communal experience of a Springsteen or U2 gig is the point. It doesn't matter where you are in the venue; everyone is part of a collective, communal thing that cannot be replicated in any other way. Maybe that isn't true of other acts

Chuffola · July 2023

I think it's true of other acts - Blur certainly, Pearl Jam and The Cure (of recent gigs I've been at) but agree with your general "community experience" sentiment

FelineGuitars · July 2023

I'm not a fan of Stadium gigs and Def Leppard/Motley Crue had certainly taken a gamble that they could fill one here in UK, and the sight of half empty arena floors is not good for a concert vibe.

Only certain bands can put on the kind of spectacle that you need for a Stadium

Muse, Pink Floyd, Queen, Kiss or Rammstein most likely

People rave about Queen at Wembley Stadium in '86 (Kind of Magic tour) and after Live Aid it made sense for them to play there, but as a die hard Queen fan it was far from their best shows - especially compared to the dates on the Works tour at Wembley Arena two years before which was a much more intense experience.

I saw Kiss at the O2 last week (with some trepidation given he state of Paul's voice on the last tour I saw them on), and they were great . The PA was plenty loud enough and clear enough, and the cameras and screens worked just great - clearest screen images I've ever seen at a gig. Maybe the same went for Maiden's gigs there later in the week - which were good from what I have heard.

munckee · July 2023

Looked pretty good atmosphere to me

https://twitter.com/alexjameshq/status/1678440862940839937

CHRISB50 · July 2023

I went to see The Who do Quadrophenia at Earls Court, before Entwhistle died. Seems like it was 1996 (according to Google).

My mate and I sat right at the back, but the sound was great. Was a bit shit watching on a massive screen, as we couldn’t really see much from where we were sitting, but I remember enjoying the gig.

EricTheWeary · July 2023

Blur have a streamed gig on iPlayer on 18th July for anyone who would like to see them on a small screen whilst nestled on the sofa.

Funkfingers · July 2023

The first name band show I attended was Pink Floyd The Wall at Earl's Court - a production scaled to fit the venue.

Possibly, my favourite show was Living Colour, in a tiny upstairs bar, at a club in Cardiff. Anyone who ever watched their videos Primer and Time Tunnel will know that they kick major league ass in small venues.

stickyfiddle · July 2023

CHRISB50 said:

I went to see The Who do Quadrophenia at Earls Court, before Entwhistle died. Seems like it was 1996 (according to Google).

My mate and I sat right at the back, but the sound was great. Was a bit shit watching on a massive screen, as we couldn’t really see much from where we were sitting, but I remember enjoying the gig.

I was front row for The Who in 2014(?) after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. At least 10k people and bloody brilliant

Roland · July 2023

Like many people who grew up on small venues I don’t like stadium gigs. I saw Bowie at a club gig two weeks before the Hammersmith show where he announced the end of Ziggy Stardust. I was front of stage, eight feet from Ronson, and even closer to Bowie. after that there’s no way I wanted to see him 200 feet away at a stadium gig. Last month our drummer went to see Elton John. His seat was 100 yards behind him. OK, he can tick the “Seen Elton” box. I’d rather watch Glastonbury on iPlayer.

RobDavies · July 2023

Saw Maiden at The O2 on Saturday - apart from being stranded at Waterloo on the way home (solved by a 200 quid Uber trip), it was a great show.

However, I hate arena gigs but they are the only band I will see in a big venue like the O2. Any other band seems a bit lost in such a huge room… but Maiden solve that by having such a brilliant stage set every time.

Philly_Q · July 2023

I'm sure it's possible for an arena or stadium gig to be a fantastic experience, but the best gigs I remember were all at places like the Marquee and the Astoria.

Jfingers · July 2023

I used to go out with a girl, shared a mortgage with her on a flat. The house she grew up in mostly was next door (although some way away) from the home of Kenney Jones.

I never heard him drumming down there but I did have a chat and a pint with him in the nearby pub.

Not sure why I've told that story.

Stadium gigs aren't for me but I understand they can work well. As you were...

ICBM · July 2023

I’ve only been to a couple of stadium gigs - the Eagles in 1996 and Springsteen this year - and hugely enjoyed both. The atmosphere is very different from an indoor gig, even a very big one, but it’s also *completely* different from seeing it on TV, even if you spend more time watching the big screens than the miniature figures two or three hundred yards away. In some ways the atmosphere was actually better at Springsteen when I was right near the back in the high stands than at the Eagles when I was about halfway back. The sound wasn’t as good at Springsteen - it was flawless at the Eagles, even though that was a couple of decades ago - but more than good enough once they’d sorted out (what I think was) the relay tower timing.

I really don’t get the dismissive attitude. Of course it’s not the same as seeing a band up close in a little club… that’s part of the point. There’s room for both and one doesn’t have to be like the other for both to be good. The Eagles in particular was a perfect experience for me because it felt exactly like seeing and hearing a real version of the Eagles Live album I’ve been listening to since I was a young teenager - seeing them at an indoor gig wouldn’t actually have been the same.

I’ve just had a scary thought - I saw the Eagles in 1996, which was only 20 years after the original Eagles Live recordings from 1976. (And only 16 years after the 1980 ones.) Those events are now much closer in time to each other than 1996 is to now…

Reverend · July 2023

MAny of the best gis I've seen have been things like Monster Magnet at the Underworld, Sepultura at the Marquee, At The Gates at the boston music rooms, Kyuss at the Borderline.

Of the big stages it's only really bands like Maiden, Scorpions and AC/DC that have been able to make them work.

WezV · July 2023

I can't be arsed with Stadium Gigs.

I'm also ruling out Rock City in Nottigham now unless it is a bucket list band. Been to loads of gigs there, but it seems like they push their 2000 capacity to the absolute limit for every gig now.

However, I went to 2 gigs at The Hairy Dog in Derby last weekend which has a capacity of 500. It was spot on, despite seeing bands I wasn't that bothered about.

Friday was a band I had no interest in called As Sirens Fall. I thought they put on a bloody good show, and the ones who were interested got to have a good chat with them after the gig.

Sunday was Electric six which cost £20. The 2 support acts were worth the price of admission alone. The first of it was working so hard to keep the crowd entertained in a way an established band never would. We managed to get right to the front for the whole thing without any stress.

scrumhalf · July 2023

My favourite gigs have been at places like the Marquee, Torrington, Nashville, 100 Club, Town & Country, Brecknock,Royal Standard.

I loathe the Wembley Barn/Arena. The only good sound I've heard there was when I saw Aerosmith and I was six rows from the front. (I started a new job the next morning and they were worried that I had managed to hide deafness in my interviews.)

stickyfiddle · July 2023

scrumhalf said:

I loathe the Wembley Barn/Arena. The only good sound I've heard there was when I saw Aerosmith and I was six rows from the front. (I started a new job the next morning and they were worried that I had managed to hide deafness in my interviews.)

I can't help feeling most of the people who don't like big gigs have either been to gigs by shit bands who don't actually perform, or just in plain old shit venues like Wembley Arena which should've been razed to the ground years ago

Reverend · July 2023

scrumhalf said:

My favourite gigs have been at places like the Marquee, Torrington, Nashville, 100 Club, Town & Country, Brecknock,Royal Standard.

I loathe the Wembley Barn/Arena. The only good sound I've heard there was when I saw Aerosmith and I was six rows from the front. (I started a new job the next morning and they were worried that I had managed to hide deafness in my interviews.)

I played the Marquee (charring cross version) 100 Club, T&C (as forum), Brecknock (as Unicorn and the royal Standard.

Creed_Clicks · July 2023

stickyfiddle said:

everyone is part of a collective, communal thing that cannot be replicated in any other way.

Especially in the VIP/corporate sections of arena/stadium gigs!

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Arena Gigs? Why bother?

Comments