MarkyWarky

Thanks everyone. I do like the pics, it's just that a few of them have too much shake. Inevitable I guess given that I had no tripod and the best sensitivity my camera has is ISO400.

Basically the conclusion here appears to be that the guy at the back of any block controls what everyone else must do. If he wants to sit, everyone else must sit. If he stands, the control passes to the guy in front of him, and so on until we get to someone who wants to sit. How is that right? At the opera, fine, because the expected behaviour is to sit quietly, but at a rock concert the expected behaviour as far as I remember from 30 years of going to the things is to stand and move about. Not so as to hurt anyone, but not inanimate either. I don't want to upset anyone any more than anyone else does, and don't have a problem with people sitting if that's their preference, though it'd make for a pretty naff rock concert if everyone did it, but sitting at a rock show is as much of a limitation to me now as it was when I was 17, and is as bad for me as having your view blocked by someone tall is for others. If I want to stand and you want to sit, why, by default, is it me who has to give in? To my mind it's all about the expected experience. If you prefer to sit, you might get lucky and find that those in front of you do too, but if it's going to upset you if they don't, then you're in the wrong place (either at a seating or event level) because you're trying to force others to modify their behaviour away from what's expected. So, what's to do? Standing only and sitting only areas? Standing and sitting nights? Venues constructed so you can sit and see no matter what others are doing? Unallocated seating so you can go wherever suits you in the venue? Re sound, I don't accept that at these prices the venues have any excuse. The technology exists to give good sound all around, and if a venue can't do so, they shouldn't be hosting such events. At the very least they should be advertising certain seats as "compromised sound quality", and reducing the price, just like they advertise "compromised view" seats. In practice I don't know what the answer is, but don't feel that "pay up and shut up" is it.

I took 94 pics, though several were burst shots in groups of 6 over 2 seconds. I recon if I said I spent 10 minutes with my camera (it was on the floor the rest of the time), that'd be an overestimate. 10 minutes out of a 3 hour show is nothing, but yes, some people seemed to do nothing else. So anyway people, what's the solution? Some people want to sit, and criticise those that stand, others (me included) want to rock out and can't understand those that sit. Some who stand want everyone to be still(ish), others want to "move wiv da groove". Short of 20,000 people holding a meeting to decide on appropriate behaviour beforehand, I don't know what's to be done? Sound quality and consistency is another matter; at the prices we pay, we have a right to expect state of the art sound wherever we sit IMHO. Unfortunately the venues will sell tickets anyway, so couldn't care less; would anyone here really give up a chance to see Rush just because the sound might not be as it should be? Even if we did boycot the shows, the venues would just sell another Shit Factor or Take Shat night instead, and only we and the band would suffer. F*ck, I've depressed myself now, even though I had a stunning time last night. Maybe it's just the thought that I'll probably not see Rush again for another couple of years that's getting to me

OK, meet you in Glasgow or somewhere next time? You can show me how it should be done !!!!! F'in stunning show though, no matter what!

QUOTE (Scottishdood @ May 26 2011, 05:13 PM) Could have shook hands then gone somewhere else to party! Ha Ha! You're scaring me now Maybe the 3ft of elevation second row block 110 gave us made all the difference to the experience.

Bloody hell, we could have shaken hands! In fact you could well be in one of my pictures, as you'd have been directly in line between me and Alex! I'm sorry mate, but I honestly can't see what you found to dislike about it if you were there. I agree not as bonkers as a Scottish audience, but a long long way from "limp". It's a shame you weren't in Brum, 'cause then you'd really know what limp means

Which block were you in?

Available Light. Or The Pass. Or Scars. God, why is this so hard?

QUOTE (Scottishdood @ May 26 2011, 04:28 PM) get a seat up in the gods somewhere with everyone else who wants to sit down then they could all have had a nice cup of tea, a wee natter and maybe do some knitting with each other! They did; they were all in block 101 You were at the gig, why didn't you post re a pre-gig piss up? I'd have been there.

Wondering if the Grace Under Pressure soundtrack shouldn't be on the list, given that it comes as a CD with the DVD? Voted for ESL, but GUP would be it if it were on the list - Geddy's voice on that is top notch.

QUOTE (jesterhud @ May 26 2011, 04:02 PM) For stockings and stuffing Oh good god, I've gone all unnecessary now! It turns out (yes, I've been researching!!) that these girls have nothing to do with our Rush, but I think I could see my way to forgiving them for that.

As it happens the Jubilee line (westbound) was fine by the time we left, but of course people can't know that until it's too late.

@Jesterhud, can I come to your house for Christmas please

Sorry to keep banging on about this, but one block plus a few people who had to or chose to leave early (I noticed too, and didn't like it, but getting out of London CAN be a nightmare), does NOT make the whole audience bad, and certainly doesn't make London audiences in general shit. A good 90% of the people there rocked out, and it was a great, if not "Northern style demonstrative" audience. Clapton is far more mainstream than Rush, and far more likely to attract people out for a "pleasant evening", not to mention older.

Everybody was standing, short and tall. Except block 101 that is!!!!

Not great pics, but they serve as a record: http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100_7630/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100B7840/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100B7760/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100B7730/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100B7691/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100_7747/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100_7745/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100_7741/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100_7673/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100_7674/web.jpg http://gallery.me.com/mark.berry/100996/100_7645/web.jpg

QUOTE (FoxxiStarr @ May 26 2011, 12:35 PM) I can only go on seeing gigs all over and imo the audiences down South are not as demostrative as those further North. I guess we'll never agree on this point though Oh no, I agree with that, it's the idea that London audiences are inherently damp squibs that I can't agree with. There's a difference between being "less demonstrative", and "just sitting there like a dead slug"!! Now, is Birmingham in the North or the South, 'cause I've never seen worse than there on Sunday? So, if I want to head North next tour, which is the best venue? I'm tempted by Glasgow.

I think being up high is bad in these shed venues. We had very good sound at the front of block 110, only just above the stalls height. Interesting to hear that The Wall was better. I struggle to believe that Rush, with all their professionalism, would tolerate poor sound if it were avoidable, but after hearing this and experiencing Birmingham, I'm worried that they've got something very wrong

@Jesterhud, I love your avatar - do you have a higher res version? Mark

I'm amazed! We are talking about the same show aren't we? It may be because I'm comparing it with Birmingham, which had the poorest audience I've ever known anywhere for anything (but no, I've seen Rush 22 times so I know what it should be like), but I thought last nights audience was good. Everybody near us, and everybody I could see except the raised blocks stage right nearest to it, was up and jumping and very well into it. The reaction to each song was certainly way beyond "polite", and everyone I saw appeared to be true fans. Maybe what you pick up from the audience is more localised than we imagine, so its different in different parts of the hall, but for me it was up there with the best Rush gigs I've seen, with a great audience. BTW, for me the set list was almost perfect, but of course they're so diverse that a set to please everyone is impossible. I can't pick out highlights as the whole show was one, but if you forced me to I'd say Leave That Thing Alone; Geddy's playing on that was out of this world! EDIT: @Ben vk, I've just had a look at the seating plan, and you were in the only blocks I could see that were sitting. We were in 110, diagonally opposite you, and it was rocking, as was every other block I could see. The only ones I couldn't see were the ones directly opposite you, the other side of the stage; what were they doing? What was the sound like where you were (it was very good for us)? ANOTHER EDIT: I've just remembered: at one point when Geddy went stage right (YYZ I think), I saw him gesture to block 101 to get up, and about 3 guys did! So, he'd noticed it too! Mark

QUOTE (Humbleanddumb @ May 25 2011, 04:20 PM) let me know the next time you go to a concert, i will come and stand directly in front of you. Ah sorry, you missed your chance I've just left the O2, where just about everybody stood, and created an atmosphere that put Birmingham to shame by a very very large margin.

QUOTE (douglip @ May 25 2011, 10:25 AM) I'm happy for us to agree to disagree and leave it there Of course, no problem. I hope you enjoy tonights show.

@Angua, yes I know, and I understand that it's not easy, but there's a limit to how much people must modify their perfectly normal behaviour to account for one person who has difficulties. If you go to a rock concert, you should expect that people will stand in front of you, because that's what happens at rock concerts. If that's going to be a problem, talking to the box office will almost certainly get you a seat at the front of one block or another, where you'll see no matter what. If you choose not to do that, that's fine, but it's at your risk. Heck if I was in the front of a block, there's no way I'd refuse to swap seats with someone who can't stand, if they asked, within limits obviously. @douglip, QUOTE I'm told it gets bleedin' cold up there You'll be warmer if you stand and move about a bit