birmingham n.e.c may 22nd

[Angua]

Had a blast last night. Thought it was better than the previous night in Newcastle. The sound at the NEC was better. can't wait till the next tour now

[racefaceec90]

finally have uploaded 3 videos (that you can see here on my youtube page http://www.youtube.com/user/racefaceec90?feature=mhum ) not the best quality unfortunately as i cannot zoom when filming,had to keep trying to lift the camera above tall people's heads e.t.c. hope you like them p.s am uploading photos to my photobucket page (is taking a while as internet is slow/have over 100 to upload (not all of gig though/went to stratford upon avon (Shakespeare's home town) before gig,as well as a few castles as well

[racefaceec90]

have finally uploaded the pics http://s1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/r...;cpZZ5QQtppZZ16 start at page 5 then to page 1.had problems with focusing (camera had issues with the light i think/had to hold it far above my head to get any shots.there are a lot of rubbish shots.but couldn't bring myself to get rid of them they were taken at a gig after all here are some of the better ones.hope you like them http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00309.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00310.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00316.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00330.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00331.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00336.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00349.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00350.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00356.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00361.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00362.jpg http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h365/racefaceec90/DSC00370.jpg there are plenty more on my photobucket site (if you want to see more crap shots from someone who cannot take pictures

[A long awaited friend]

QUOTE (TwentyOneTwelve @ May 23 2011, 02:32 PM)

Just got back and despite not being able to see much (short arse + no screens) very often, I had a blast! Thought the crowd where I was were a lot more into it than at Manchester and overall I think it was a better show. Spoke to a lovely guy next to me during the interval from Northern Ireland who mentioned being on some Rush forums so if you see this! Had a really great time, thought Marathon in particular was amazing.

That was me!

 

Glad you enjoyed yourself. We'll have to see about getting you a seat with a better view during their next tour.

 

 

Birmingham sounded pretty good and the arena was pretty much filled. They have done quite a bit of work at the arena since I was last over for the S+A tour in 2007.

[Main Monkey]

QUOTE (willowroolz @ May 23 2011, 01:36 PM)

Overall I didn't think the Brum gig was as good as Manchester.  But then Manchester was perfect - well, apart from being Manchester, that is

I thought the Manchester crowd made the difference and because of them the MEN shaded Sheffield for me. The Brummies as usual were all "come on then - impress us" and the guys had to work harder to get them going.

 

It all turned out right by the second half.

 

 

Still not sure about the I Love You Man stuff. I don't know if it was worth the effort. I'd rather have Scottish Geddy telling us all to sod off home

[TwentyOneTwelve]

QUOTE (A long awaited friend @ May 24 2011, 12:29 AM)

That was me! Glad you enjoyed yourself. We'll have to see about getting you a seat with a better view during their next tour. Birmingham sounded pretty good and the arena was pretty much filled. They have done quite a bit of work at the arena since I was last over for the S+A tour in 2007.

Hi!

 

Brum looks like it'll be my closest seated gig so I'm pinning all hope of actually seeing them on Frankfurt!

[Humbleanddumb]

NEC show was great, Manchester even better. I also went to Sheffield and whilst the band played with some gusto the arena sound was poor. I doubt ill go the Sheffield arena again. The updates to NEC facilities were good too.

 

Great setlist on this tour and like many others i feel Marathon was the high point in each show. Its all a matter of taste but i was lucky as Marathon, Camera Eye, Limelight, Time Stand still and Subdivisions are some of my favourite tracks.

 

Now, when/were does the Clockwork Angels tour start????

 

 

[LyndseyG]

I know that it was my first show but I loved it. It wasn't too loud (I wear hearing aids and the noise didn't upset them!) we were in block 5 (close to the back with seats that faced inwards) I didn't care. Everyone was sitting where we were which was a bonus for me coz I'm small. I wasn't sure about BU2B and faithless before we went but they sound much better live. I liked the eclectic mix of songs.

 

Martymoffat mentioned that they made a couple of mistakes but that's all part of a live show isn't it?

 

Well done Rush!!!

[A long awaited friend]

Birmingham was quite a surprise as the arena is so different looking to what it was in 2007. Quite a bit of an upgrade to the seating (though not that I used them much) and all around the concourses.

 

Thought we were going to have a complete train wreck during the start of Caravan, but they pulled it back when the backing track failed.

 

[andyd]

Another tour...and still they refuse to play The Necromancer or the Fountain of Lamneth.

 

Clearly I prefer the old stuff to the new stuff, but was impressed with the two new songs.

 

Overall the quality of the musicianship was first class, and the sound was crisp if a little too quiet. And they all seemed to be having so much fun.

 

Agree, that there were a couple of flat parts in the opening set, but I think this is down to my personal preference. The ladies around me seemed to be happy jiggling away to Marathon and Stick it Out.

 

Now the controversial opinion. I know Neil holds god like status, but I would rather have another song which included all band members rather than drum solo. I can't fault its musicianship (especially as it moves to the Jazz part), but at the end of the day it still is only a drum solo (although I expect to get flamed by many, when I say it is only a drum solo...)

 

If it was a choice between Neil's solo and say 'The Weapon', or '..Bangkok' or even something like 'Marathon', I'd take the latter every time.

 

Anyway, I'm now going back to 1975, and my eight track discs...

 

[MarkyWarky]

I thought Rush were stunning at the LG, that the set list was perfect, but that the sound was appalling and the crowd near us were worse!

 

Of course the experience would have been different in different seats (we had Block 14 Row M). Around us, everyone just sat still and really didn't give anything back to the band, until we forced the issue by refusing to sit down after the interval. The sound did improve in the second half, but was still badly distorted, nothing like as good as I've known here before.

 

The set list was perfect for me, but then I love every single song (yep, even Rivendell!) from all albums except Counterparts, Test for Echo and Vapour Trails, and even those three come into their own live. I can see that if you're into one particular era, the set might have been a disappointment, but with a truly progressive career going back nearly 40 years, I don't know how they'd ever produce a set that'd satisfy everyone.

 

I honestly found Marathon, Presto, Leave That Thing Alone and Faithless to be high points, even though I'd not list them (well, maybe Marathon) as favourites. Then again, every other song was a high point too!

 

The only way I'd ever be totally satisfied with a Rush tour would be if they played a different era each night, and I could go to them all! Heck there are even plenty of songs I've never seen live that I'd love to hear. For example, I listened to The Fountain of Lamneth today; my god that would be stunning live!.

 

Still, they're meant to leave the audience wanting more aren't they?

 

Bottom line is that my 17 year old niece was with us for her first Rush concert, and she was ecstatic! It was the best thing she'd ever seen she told us! Female and 17, yet still impressed beyond belief; Rush would be proud!

 

See you at the O2!!!

Edited May 24, 2011 by MarkyWarky

[Humbleanddumb]

@andyd

 

Nice to hear a bold input about Neils drum solo. Personally i dont think a RUSH show would be the same without a drum solo. Having said that and i may get lambasted for saying this but i think his solos have lost their way in recent years. The prof is brilliant but the solos have become slightly disjointed. In my opinion he was at the peak of his powers on the Hold Your Fire tour.

 

Thats just my opinion, i love Neils in-song drumming/lyrics/musicianship but the forum is a place for opinion and that was mine.

 

In essence, i enjoy his solos but i enjoyed them more twenty odd years ago. A matter of taste i guess.

[douglip]

I was in Block 13 very high up. Great view until Rush came on. Small group in front of us refused to sit. My severely crippled 61 year old friend therefore saw almost nothing and was threatened with violence when he complained too loudly.

 

The people standing had no-one standing in front of them and the seating is heavily banked

 

The people in front were just selfish.

 

Thought the set was great. Alex played a blinder.

 

First 4 or so songs, the sound was terrible - far too much bass, but it got sorted reasonably well. Even then, not the best sound at a stadium gig I've experienced.

 

I've seen Pink Floyd 5 times in these sort of cow sheds (inc Earls Court which has legendarily crap acoustics). Their sound was never less than totally perfect.

 

That was nearly 20 years ago

[GroovyRockChick]

Ah ha... so it was you was it MarkyWarky! Well done mate for not giving in to the ummm gent who tried to force you or the other chap you were with to sit down! I was the one on the end of your row that had to keep getting up to let everyone past, if we'd be 'allowed' to stand up that wouldn't have happened lol!

 

We'd been 'asked to sit down' earlier and sadly gave in because we're wimps, okay I'm a girl and didn't want to risk getting punched. Then after the incident when you stayed stood up I hoped that everyone would follow suit, but nope. We got up for the last few songs because I was sick of sitting on my butt when I wanted to jump up and down and shake my groove thing, the rush experience is enhanced by being animated.

 

The NEC (or LG now) is hit and miss for me been there 4 times now and stood two times and sat 2 times, the crowd were better at R30 than S&A and TM for sure.

 

Agree with Humble about the Rhythm Method, the drum solo as played on the Hold Your Fire tour, which was my first time seeing them live, so maybe I'm biased. But the drum solo is always a highlight for me, but then I love Neil's skill and I'm always in awe watching the way he does his thing, I have a t shirt that says on the front 'God doesn't play dice' and on the back it says 'he plays the drums' nobody gets it, because in the real world I don't know any other Rush fans.

 

We had to listen to some people loudly complaining about the re-jigging of some of the tracks, jeez, if they wanted album quality they should have stayed at home and listened to the album. The guys play some of the songs gig after gig, they must get fed up to the back teeth, if changing things and mixing it up a bit puts a smile on their faces and keeps them touring then it can only be good right? I was against them playing the whole of that thingie (yes I know what it was but trying not to do any spoilers), but I loved it. After reading the tour book and Neil's concept for Clockwork Angels and the Time Machine Tour I saw the set list in a whole new way, came home and watched the original Time Machine movie with Rod Taylor in and now can't wait for CA to be finished. Loved it when they pressed that button to!

[MartyMoffatt]

[MarkyWarky]

@douglip. Given the location and what you describe (I've checked, and we were in block 13, not 14), I think it's pretty obvious that the small group in front of you was us, so lets correct the facts shall we:

 

We stood up at the beginning of the second half, as did many many others below and off to either side of us. Not directly in front, as you say, but I'd say at least half of those in the banked seating were standing.

 

That's what happens at rock concerts; people stand. It's nothing to do with seeing over the people in front, it's to do with getting into the music, and giving some feedback to the band. If it were just about being able to see, everyone in the stalls would sit too, as you see LESS when everyone stands there.

 

Re threats of violence, what actually happened was that someone tapped my brother on the shoulder and asked, quite nicely, if he'd mind sitting down (no mention of anyone being disabled). He said, equally nicely, that he'd rather not as it's a rock concert, and carried on enjoying the show. A few seconds later someone grabbed him by his shoulders and his shirt, and pulled him backwards onto the seat backs. He turned and knocked the person's arms away, as anyone would. The only violence, and it was more than a threat, was from the person behind, not from us.

 

I'm genuinely sorry if your friend couldn't see, but no one mentioned that he had trouble, and venues of this type provide facilities for people who have difficulties. I don't blame your friend for not taking up those facilities, but if he chooses not to he's got to expect that at a rock concert, people will stand.

 

On the last two Rush tours, virtually everyone has stood at the LG, with a resulting much better atmosphere, whereas this time it was about 50%.

 

If someone had explained that your friend was disabled, we'd have gladly swapped seats, though that would only have helped by chance, as in other blocks everyone was standing right to the front. If that had happened in our block, would everyone in front of you have been considered selfish?

 

Yes, we were selfish in the sense that we didn't agree to the request to sit down, but in fact it was the request that we stop doing what people do at rock concerts that was most selfish. If we'd stood through a Shakespeare play, you'd have a very valid point, but I'll say it one last time: it was a rock concert - people stand at rock concerts.

 

All of that said, I think it's pretty amazing that we've "met" on here, and it's a shame it couldn't be in friendlier circumstances, as we just wanted to enjoy the concert the way countless rock fans always have done.

 

Mark

Edited May 25, 2011 by MarkyWarky

[MarkyWarky]

@GrooveyRockChick, thanks! I, my brother, my 17 year old niece and you know what really happened and where the (minimal) violence really came from, so I think 'nuff said.

 

Mark

[latter-day-warrior]

I agree with the comments (MarkyWarky) about the LG Arena and the sound - it's very poor.

And, it's unfortnate that a 'dispute' occurred between individuals who were there to enjoy the same event but brought into conflict because of the design of the place.

Standing at a concert of this type 'is' to be expected and they state this on the tickets .......a nice little disclaimer because they pack us in for maximum financial return/minimal outlay, all in their favour.

You can stand at many US arena's and people who choose not to can still see over you !

I promised I'd not go back to LG Arena after the R30 tour, but hey - the band are worth it.

"But" I'll be trying the O2 for the next tour ....

Edited May 25, 2011 by latter-day-warrior

[MarkyWarky]

Wow, fantastic photo's Marty; some of the best I've seen!

[douglip]

Hi Marky Warky

 

I'm very pleased to say that on the basis of the incident you describe, that it certainly wasn't us.

 

It was purely verbals in the incident I'm talking about. I would never grab a total stranger unless in self defence and (touch wood) I haven't had to grab, punch, threaten or do anything other than yak, since I was a schoolboy. My mate (61 years old and with something called Marfins - affecting all his connective tissue/joints and heart) wouldn't physically be capable of anything involving grabbing etc

 

No-one was grabbed or anything like that - just loads of industrial language (but not from me I hasten to add)

 

I suspect yours and mine weren't the only incidents that night. People do get fed up in certain situations.

 

I don't want a lengthy debate about the issue (simply don't have the time or the appetite) but all I will say is that in the area where we were, for the first half, a clear majority of people remained sitting (unless people stood in front of them).

 

The wishes of the majority didn't seem to matter to the minority.

 

Second half, more stood but until the last few numbers, it was still a minority and many of those only stood coz of people in front of them.

 

 

 

 

[MarkyWarky]

You'd only get a handle on what the majority wanted with an exit poll! I suspect that, like us in the first half, an awful lot of people wanted to stand, but were prevented from doing so by the atmosphere around them.

 

The majority does matter. The majority of people at rock concerts stand, and I see no reason why I should be prevented from doing so at this one just because the atmosphere was muted for whatever reason.

 

And anyway, you said it yourself; people DID stand when people in front of them did. That's the solution, plain and simple, unless you're suggesting that of those standers, only the ones at the front actually wanted to? If people in front of me had stood for the first half I'd have been delighted not upset, because it would have allowed me to too, and I can't believe a lot of other rock fans didn't feel the same.

 

For every person behind us that was cursing us for making them stand, I'll bet there were two that were enjoying the show more as a result.

 

Why do you think most people stood for the last few numbers? It was because, by then, the atmosphere had built. If it's right for the end of the show, how is it wrong for the rest? If it's selfish to stand, its selfish no matter what part of the show we're at, unless we all have a little chat and agree when to stand?

 

We need to be careful here, because next we'll have venues banning standing up, just like many have banned banners, and where will that leave the atmosphere at rock concerts?

Edited May 25, 2011 by MarkyWarky

[douglip]

QUOTE (latter-day-warrior @ May 25 2011, 09:45 AM)

I agree with the comments (MarkyWarky) about the LG Arena and the sound - it's very poor. And, it's unfortnate that a 'dispute' occurred between individuals who were there to enjoy the same event but brought into conflict because of the design of the place. Standing at a concert of this type 'is' to be expected and they state this on the tickets .......a nice little disclaimer because they pack us in for maximum financial return/minimal outlay, all in their favour. You can stand at many US arena's and people who choose not to can still see over you ! I promised I'd not go back to LG Arena after the R30 tour, but hey - the band are worth it. "But" I'll be trying the O2 for the next tour ....

must admit I've been going off these enormo-gigs for years

 

Tonight at the o2 may be my last. I'll just wait for the DVD next time

[MarkyWarky]

[Angua]

FYI the disabled seats are only about 15 in quantity. They sell out quickly as they are so limited and they are aimed at wheelchair users as there are no seats in them.

[douglip]

Edited May 25, 2011 by douglip