ZZ Top at Wembley Arena, advice please

adampeter

First gig at arena since the 80s (probably pre vai Whitesnake), and a long time since been to any large gigs like this for a while, need advice from those who have been to shows there.
1. What time to main acts go on?
2. If i wanted to have a beer beforehand am i better off going into London beforehand or trying a pub local to the arena? i assume local boozers will be mobbed?
3. Any recommended pubs local to Wembley?

Happy for anything else i should consider?

mrkb

I usually check facebook for posts from the band (or support band) and venue a few hours before the gig to get stage times.
Main band will usually be around 9 - 9:30pm assuming no early curfew,

victorludorum

How was the gig?

adampeter

victorludorum said:

How was the gig?

ZZ top were excellent, all in good form, was very surprised that they were only onstage for 1 hour 20 minutes,

mrkb

adampeter said:

victorludorum said:

How was the gig?

ZZ top were excellent, all in good form, was very surprised that they were only onstage for 1 hour 20 minutes,

Did you see Rival Sons? Their Facebook followers group mentioned they were on better form than zz top.

RocknRollDave

Seems they’re playing for 1hr15mins on this current tour. Planet Rock were discussing this yesterday, I think it was. 

In my opinion, for the money an arena show costs to see, 90 minutes should be the absolute minimum.

adampeter

mrkb said:

adampeter said:

victorludorum said:

How was the gig?

ZZ top were excellent, all in good form, was very surprised that they were only onstage for 1 hour 20 minutes,

Did you see Rival Sons? Their Facebook followers group mentioned they were on better form than zz top.

Didn't see Rival Sons, benefit of hindsight i wish i had, too busy enjoy cold drinks at the pub 

adampeter

RocknRollDave said:

Seems they’re playing for 1hr15mins on this current tour. Planet Rock were discussing this yesterday, I think it was. 

In my opinion, for the money an arena show costs to see, 90 minutes should be the absolute minimum.

Over £100/ticket i would consider 2 hours a fair show

RocknRollDave

adampeter said:

RocknRollDave said:

Seems they’re playing for 1hr15mins on this current tour. Planet Rock were discussing this yesterday, I think it was. 

In my opinion, for the money an arena show costs to see, 90 minutes should be the absolute minimum.

Over £100/ticket i would consider 2 hours a fair show

Blimey, at that price I agree that 2 hours is fair!

There’s not a lot that artists can do about the huge overheads that tours incur or the huge ticket prices that are needed to cover them. Pretty much all they CAN do is make sure, as best they can, that the show is worth coming to see - play their best, play for a reasonable amount of time. 

Taylor Swift tickets cost a kidney but at least she plays for over 3 hours.

fretmeister

Billy is 74 now.

His 2 hour show days are behind him.

RocknRollDave

fretmeister said:

Billy is 74 now.

His 2 hour show days are behind him.

It's not a high energy show. 90 minutes is doable. 

OR don't charge 100 quid for the privilege.

StefB

They only did 80 minutes when I saw them at Manchester Apollo in June 2013 so this is true to form sadly. 

victorludorum

How has the miming situation been on this tour? Are they still doing the high pitched, auto-tuned version of Legs?

EDIT: I just checked YT and sure enough there's a video on there and it's the same version. Oh dear, what a shame.

mrkb

victorludorum said:

How has the miming situation been on this tour? Are they still doing the high pitched, auto-tuned version of Legs?

EDIT: I just checked YT and sure enough there's a video on there and it's the same version. Oh dear, what a shame.

Wow. £100+ to watch a band mime for an hour doesnt seem like good value for the fans.

StefB

mrkb said:

victorludorum said:

How has the miming situation been on this tour? Are they still doing the high pitched, auto-tuned version of Legs?

EDIT: I just checked YT and sure enough there's a video on there and it's the same version. Oh dear, what a shame.

Wow. £100+ to watch a band mime for an hour doesnt seem like good value for the fans. 

RocknRollDave

They don't mime for an hour; there are some tracks where the vocals appear to be on 'tape'...It's something they appear to have done for a while, and amounts to something like three songs per gig, I think?

Still don't agree with it, I should add.

Jonathangus

Angus is 69, Brian is 76.  AC/DC are playing for 2.5 hours.

mrkb

RocknRollDave said:

They don't mime for an hour; there are some tracks where the vocals appear to be on 'tape'...It's something they appear to have done for a while, and amounts to something like three songs per gig, I think?

Still don't agree with it, I should add.

Ah ok, so its not "Billy Vanilli"

Hootsmon

StefB said:

They only did 80 minutes when I saw them at Manchester Apollo in June 2013 so this is true to form sadly. 

Bloody Yanks

adampeter

Jonathangus said:

Angus is 69, Brian is 76.  AC/DC are playing for 2.5 hours.

This is the point, its doable for bands of any vintage

RocknRollDave

adampeter said:

Jonathangus said:

Angus is 69, Brian is 76.  AC/DC are playing for 2.5 hours.

This is the point, its doable for bands of any vintage

Yes, or retire when it gets too much.

EVERY band says they’ll “know when it’s time to quit” yet they never do.