Modern Big Gigs

mudslide73

I think it's just so they can look cool on Facebook. People trying to do interesting things to look more interesting. Big gigs have big audiences with a bigger percentage of undesirables. I did have a bloke try to fight me at a Rival Sons gig at Bham institute (approx. 2500 capacity) though.

Handsome_Chris

I must admit that Stereophonics has proved to be a source of repeated disappointment live. I saw them at V02 and they were drap, and same again ten years later at the Olympics opening gig in Hyde Park. They were blown away by Duran Duran, FFS!

When you're made to look piss poor by old New Romantics, maybe it's time to give it up. 

bertie

stickyfiddle said:

The numbers say more people are going to see live music than ever before, 

  probably cos of the middle class trend of Fest-overkill.   More people going to less gigs.

It seems every other market town in England has its own xxxxxFest  these days...........

Bellycaster

stickyfiddle said:

 

I despair for where we'll be in another 20 years.

So do I, It'll be Miley's Comeback Tour around then

 

:-S

Drew_TNBD

Tell you what, as a player... playing a biggish gig can be brilliant. April 2012 we opened for Pelican downstairs at The Garage in London. We played a range of songs, one of them being 'Wake' from our last album. Got to the quiet bit in the middle... couldn't hear a single person talking. Was amazing... usually that's just when someone yells "OI BAAZZAA!! GET ME A FUCKING PINT YOU PRICK!!!" or something...

dindude

The other scourge of modern gigs, especially around London, is "corporate hospitality", it goes on to a massive extent, basically people on the free piss after work, often don't know who they are seeing or where they are but it's great for the bacefook page no doubt. They aren't even confined to separate quarters anymore, they are amongst us!

My wife works in media in London and she's forever sending me emails like, "got offered tickets to see (example) Ellie Goulding tonight, do you want to go?

I've never answered anything other than "no I fvcking don't" just to be clear.

Danny1969

Recent ones I've seen were Roger Waters, The Wall at Wembly Stadium, sound was superb, best live sound production I've heard at a big gig. Shows what can be done if the budgets there and the artist cares about the PA

ZZ Top, Apollo. Quality sound and good atmosphere but PA was too quiet for a rock gig, needed to be louder. 

Joe Bonamassa, Academy, couldn't see a thing, sound not great (Joes guitar is way too loud, way above his vocal even) 

I like the Brook in Southampton,seen Albert Lee,Walter Trout, y&t, Steve Lukerford, Devon allman recently and all the gigs were great. 

duotone

Saw the Killers a few months ago at Wembley Stadium. Sound wasn't much good, so that venue along with The 02 is struck off the list for possible future concerts. Soundwise for gigs the Royal Albert Hall gets my vote and the Barbican isn't bad, although if the bands you like aren't playing at either venue then it's not really much help, sorry!

viz

Saw Robbie Williams and Basement Jaxx at Milton Keynes bowl a few years ago. Wow what a concert. First time I've been to a gig that big. Unbelievable how many people were there, and how good the sound was, and how both acts managed to keep the crown engaged - it was an ace night.

StageStruck

My mind was made up at the last big gig I attended, Rush at the SECC earlier this year. Piss poor sound, crap view, stupidly expensive food/drinks/booze not to mention stupidly expensive merchandise (band's fault, not the venue I suppose). Folk prefering to look at the entire gig though a mobile phone whern there was a pro film crew filming at the same time. Great... I don't think!
The biggest failures that's true of most big gigs now and one which can kill a gig is that the bass and drums are mixed far too high up in the mix. I've been to shows where the vocal, guitar and keys could barely be heard clearly over the distorting bass... not good! I've found the best venues for live music are undoubtedly 'proper' old concert halls, thinking of places like the o2 Academy and Armadillo in Glasgow rather than the aircraft hangar venues like the SECC.

stickyfiddle

duotone said:

Saw the Killers a few months ago at Wembley Stadium. Sound wasn't much good, so that venue along with The 02 is struck off the list for possible future concerts. Soundwise for gigs the Royal Albert Hall gets my vote and the Barbican isn't bad, although if the bands you like aren't playing at either venue then it's not really much help, sorry!

Its funny- I've actually heard Wembley and the O2 sound sound pretty good (Coldplay and the Manics fwiw). I really think the problem is that most engineers get a great sound at their mixing position but don't go up to the corners and see if it's an echoey bassy hell in the wrong spot.

Deadman

Smallish venues can sound crap too. Both Weller and The Damned at Oxford O2 confirmed it for me.

ICBM

Every time I've been to the SECC - usually against my better judgement originally - the sound has been excellent and I've really enjoyed the gig. I should probably stop assuming I won't now .

The exact opposite has been true at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange though - shit sound, poor visibility, and no atmosphere. I *have* learnt not to go there again.

guitari

ICBM said:

Every time I've been to the SECC - usually against my better judgement originally - the sound has been excellent and I've really enjoyed the gig. I should probably stop assuming I won't now .

The exact opposite has been true at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange though - shit sound, poor visibility, and no atmosphere. I *have* learnt not to go there again.

Have to agree, the SECC has an incredibly bad reputation for sound but I've never had an issue with it.

monquixote

I find the Brixton academy hits the spot for me. It's big, but it still feels like a gig venue rather than a stadium, the sound is often good and you can always see, 

RocknRollDave

StageStruck said:

stupidly expensive merchandise (band's fault, not the venue I suppose).

Possibly not - It's a common moan in the industry that these days some venues insist on taking a percentage of merchandise revenue.  Some artists have stood up to it - I've even seen acts refusing to sell merch in some venues, preferring to direct fans to their online shop rather than spend another 10% or whatever on merch just to line the venue's pocket.

HAL9000

RocknRollDave said:

StageStruck said:

stupidly expensive merchandise (band's fault, not the venue I suppose).

Possibly not - It's a common moan in the industry that these days some venues insist on taking a percentage of merchandise revenue.  Some artists have stood up to it - I've even seen acts refusing to sell merch in some venues, preferring to direct fans to their online shop rather than spend another 10% or whatever on merch just to line the venue's pocket.

^ This - I seem to recall tees at Roger Waters O2 'The Wall' costing (if memory serves) something like £35 a pop! And this from someone who seems to have an anti-capitalism thread running through several of his lyrics.

digitalscream

monquixote said: I find the Brixton academy hits the spot for me. It's big, but it still feels like a gig venue rather than a stadium, the sound is often good and you can always see,  Not if my recent experience seeing Soundgarden is anything to go by. Of course, I'm making the assumption that the sound guy's apparent lack of anything resembling skill couldn't be the whole story. I could be wrong.

StageStruck

ICBM said:

The exact opposite has been true at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange though - shit sound, poor visibility, and no atmosphere. I *have* learnt not to go there again.

+1 Only ever been to one gig there, hope it's never to be repeated. Dismal venue, thankfully the bar prices weren't extortionate!

Kebabkid

I saw John Mayer last night at The O2 - my first time there. Crikey, it's probably the biggest venue I've ever been in and I was dreading the sound. However, although the drums sounded a bit shit and the bass was lost, the overall sound came across well and I didn't think too much was lost due to the venue's size. I don't think I'd go see a full rock gig at the O2 as I reckon, sound-wise, things would get lost.

I just couldn't believe how many people were on their phones constantly during the concert and not even filming the damn thing. We did have a few "cocks" in the row in front of us who just kept getting up for drinks and the bog and weren't into the gig at all - I admired the people sitting next to them for their extreme patience. If they did that to me every 10 mins, I'd have blocked them.

The Brixton Academy is probably as large as I want to go and I like The Forum and the Hammersmith Odeon, well, whatever they call it now.