MarkyWarky Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) 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. Edited May 26, 2011 by MarkyWarky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishdood Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Well not to carry this on but...the thought that people were tired after a day at work is lame! If when they were booking their tickets they knew they would be at work yesterday why didn't they go straight home or 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! Unfortunately this is kinda territorial...just check out the the responses in the meet up sections for this tour...Dublin, Glasgow, Newcastle all people there looking for a pre show drink and good day out. Get to London and....Nothing! Not even one bar mentioned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyWarky Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) Afternoon fellow fans. On the Jubilee Line issue: there had been some problem earlier yesterday at one end of the line, and it was a flippin' nightmare getting there. By sheer accident, I got into chatting with another fan when I was travelling up on the Northern Line (he frequents the Counterparts board apparently, not this one), and he said he was going to get out before the encores because of the travel disruption. Regarding the sound issue: I was up in the gods on level four, block 420, and for me, the sound was the worst I have ever experienced at a Rush gig (six now and counting, I hope). It was so over-bassy that the balance was ruined, and I had to concentrate hard at times to follow a given song. It made me wonder if they had done a proper sound check or not, and it really spoilt things for me. I love Ged's fat, slappy sound - the man is a Titan - but it was too over-the-top last night, and that and the 'muddy' over-blown bass drum was just right off the optimum. I think also that the seating blocks that are high up and close to one side of the stage or the other (so that you are looking across not towards the stage) will always give you a raw deal sound-wise because you are in such an extreme position relative to the PA speakers. They fixed some of the sound problems for the second half, but I must confess I don't want to sit through the first half of any gig thinking 'maybe it will be better after the intermission'. To me the whole gig should have excellent sound - especially for a band of Rush's calibre - with only a few minutes at the beginning when the engineers fine-tune things. I wonder if the presence of an audience changes the acoustics, such that the mix they settle on during the sound check (when the hall is empty) is inappropriate for when there are 10,000+ people present. (Thoughts on that anyone?) In terms of the O2 itself: I had never been there before, and I was surprised at how steep the banking is up in the high levels. It means you are guaranteed a view (of the top of the performers' heads), but the place is a little too vertigious for me up in those levels. The venue itself, though, does seem to have inherently better acoustics than Wembley. Finally, and on the 'rocking out' audience-participation question: I think that, for the block where I was sitting, the sound quality quashed a lot of peoples' natural exuberance. I think also that, because it is so steep up in the high levels, you don't feel like standing up and boogying too much in case you fall forward accidentally into the lower seating-rows. Also, because many people in those seats do not seem to want to stand, standing up (as I did, on rare occasion last night) runs the risk of blocking someone's view. I don't want to be an arse from other people's viewpoint at a gig, so I always feel compelled to 'go with the herd' despite my natural impulse to get up and rock my tits off. So, for me, a really disappointing experience, where a totally rubbish vantage-point, and truly crap sound were the principal culprits. Of the six times I have seen Rush (going back to the Signals tour) this was easily the least enjoyable gig. Such a shame, as I had been looking forward to this gig after very difficult times recently in my life (lost my mum a while back, problems in business etc.). Certainly, after last night, I can guarantee this: I am never ever buying tickets again where I will be in such a stupid location, and will have to sit. For me, it's got to be facing the stage head-on, as close to the front as possible, and ruddy well standing up, as God himself (who I am sure is a Rush fan) intended. Edited May 26, 2011 by Undemanding Contact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishdood Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Unfortunately Marky on reading the meet up sections i wasn't inspired to even tap the keys on my computer to try and arrange something! I had a good lunctime beer session with HatchetAxenSaw all the way over from Dublin! If you read the meet up section from last night twentyonetwelve was in the same block as me and he too suffered from the same lack of response from the crowd in that section! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyWarky Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Which block were you in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishdood Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 B3 on the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyWarky Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishdood Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Was just looking at your pics there and thinking the same thing! Could have shook hands then gone somewhere else to party! Ha Ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyWarky Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willowroolz Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Hey, I'm really sorry some people here didn't enjoy the show, for whatever reason, but for me it will go down as one of my favourite Rush gigs, and I've been to a few! I think they've been playing really well this tour. Alex has been on fire, and Geddy's been having a blast too. Neil seems to have been smiling a lot more too, although he missed a few drumstick catches last night didn't he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishdood Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Perhaps it did fella! These things are all relative. Having seen this tour twice last year in Florida then having Dublin and Glasgow just recently my perception was that the crowd were poor. Little things such as when Ged speaks for the first time....in Dublin and Glasgow he could hardly be heard for the shouting...last night as soon as the song finished...Dead! And people walking out at the end....never seen hoards like that leave a venue in my life other than at a football match where your team is losing! Were the band losing last night? I know people talk about transport etc but every venue has those problems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyWarky Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingstonlad Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Check out this link below guys and girls for a great HD video of La Villa at last nights gig. Great close ups of rush enjoying themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishdood Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Would be my pleasure Marky!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I had the opposite experience to many of you. I was in block B1 and had what can only be described as a lobotomised monkey boy in front of me in row C who's sole aim all night appeared to be to demonstrate to all around him how much he was enjoying himself compared to us "losers". He was bumping into the guy next to him, who didn't know him from Adam and probably had the shittest concert experience ever, and at one point managed to practically knock over ever person on his part of the row. He kept turning round and high-fiving and kissing (!) those he believed were enjoying themselves "enough" and glaring at the likes of me who wasn't gyrating like a spastic gimp like he was. I knew at one point he would climb onto his seat and he duly obliged. I thumped him on the back and told him bluntly to get down which resulted in glares from him, including throat-cutting mime, and praise from the, frankly, spineless bastards around us. I really enjoyed spending the rest of the concert wondering when we were finally going to come to blows and one or both of us would be ejected. If you are reading this, thanks guy, really. I waited outside the arena outside a bar hoping to catch sight of you so we could settle our little difference of opinion ( ok, childish on my part, I know, let it go etc). I bet at least 4 or 5 people went home describing how some tw** had nearly spoiled the gig for them. Priceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Other than that I thought it was another great show. The sound was good down on the floor, the visuals were top notch and the band played with both passion and sumptuous professionalism. I think they are at the point were they invariably bring their A game and this tour, for me, was the most enjoyable since the 1970s. Nice to meet up with the ubiquitous HatchetAxe&Saw; Peter, you're a veritable Oirish Legend and I doff my cap to you fella! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshy64 Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchetaxe&saw Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 QUOTE (Tony R @ May 26 2011, 06:10 PM) Other than that I thought it was another great show. The sound was good down on the floor, the visuals were top notch and the band played with both passion and sumptuous professionalism. I think they are at the point were they invariably bring their A game and this tour, for me, was the most enjoyable since the 1970s. Nice to meet up with the ubiquitous HatchetAxe&Saw; Peter, you're a veritable Oirish Legend and I doff my cap to you fella! You can't see me, but there are tears...... Great to meet you again Sir! It was a good show, crowd were sh*te, had the pleasure of having a few drinks with Status Quo's legendary guitar tech....really nice chap. And of course, great to meet TonyR, Dan, Andy, Chris & Dave(and his son). I drank an enormous amount of beer & the odd whiskey before, during & after the gig, rendering me terribly pissed for the train journey home. I was a bona fide drunk Irish tramp, on a train. Another ambition reached. A proud day for the family. ABBAAREPROG....................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesterhud Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony R Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 QUOTE (Hatchetaxe&saw @ May 26 2011, 07:19 PM) ABBAAREPROG....................... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Steve Wilson agrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchetaxe&saw Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 QUOTE (Tony R @ May 26 2011, 06:27 PM) QUOTE (Hatchetaxe&saw @ May 26 2011, 07:19 PM) ABBAAREPROG....................... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Steve Wilson agrees. Ha!!!! Me & oul Steve....great minds....etc....... AH-HAAAA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesterhud Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 The 1st time i saw Rush was at Wembley in 2007 just after i had discovered them, we got tickets very late and were right at the back, the last people in the Arena, the sound there was the worst i have ever had at a concert and i have been to Wembley dozens of times, so i have had the best and worst sound at concerts both times with Rush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undemanding Contact Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I found a site where people post their views of the O2. Click here to read it. I have not read all the posts, as it is a rather long page, but a lot of people are complaining about the sound issues (curiously, with similar problems to those that a proprortion of people here have reported on). They also mention the 'vertiginous' nature of the higher levels, the narrowness of things up there (which make you feel it would be better to stay rooted in your seat for fear of falling, as I mentioned in my post in this thread), and the fact that the high levels give you a rubbish and/or hopelessly distant perspective on the show. Also: some people here who were down on the floor seem to have had a great gig acoustically. Yet it seems that those of us in the gods had a terrible ride in that respect, and there seems to be a parallel to this in peoples' views on the arena-review page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderdust Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 QUOTE (willowroolz @ May 26 2011, 08:55 AM) This isn't aimed at anyone here (I see some have posted photos!), but I get the feeling a lot of people are too busy looking at their camera/mobile phone screens to actually get involved. I know a guy who was in the front row last night and I looked over at him a couple of times and there he was, staring at his camera whilst Geddy worked his ass off in front of him. How can anyone really enjoy a gig like that? I mean, seriously, if I wanted to see the guys on screen I'd just stay at home and watch a dvd But I get what people are saying - the two London shows on the last tour were awful for crowd reaction/atmosphere, and I can recall back as far as the Signals tour in 83 at Wembley being much the same. I count myself lucky to have seen the band oop north and on foreign shores, where the atmosphere has been electric and I was worried about that aspect last night. Fortunately, I count myself lucky to have been among a bunch of people who wanted to stand up and enjoy themselves - and we did! Edit: and crikey, I'm glad to be off 666 posts! I hope I wasn't one of those annoying people with a camera. I was in B3 on the floor but being a kinda-short female I barely saw anything all night and have a sore neck and back today from standing on my tippy-toes trying to see the stage all night! I took maybe a dozen 15-30 second video clips during the most awesome parts of the show, simply so I could actually SEE what was going on on my screen, as I could hold the camera at an angle that would get all the action in. I wish the screens showed more of what was going on onstage, rather than bouncy ducks or whatever. But I know what you mean about people and their cams... people are the same at the museums I have worked at... obsessed with taking pics of everything they see but never actually looking at what is right in front of them! Why would they rather see it (an artifact, Rush, whatever!) on a screen or at home when it was RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THEM?! I didn't notice ANY of the people in my eyeline rocking out, but the guys behind me yelling out "Geddy Leeeeeeee" several times after every song... It was my first show AND I got to get a pic with Geddy and Alex before the show. I really hope it's not my last show! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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