Why No Standing??!!!

[EmotionDetector]

[TullSkull]

QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ May 16 2012, 10:05 AM)

QUOTE (Snaked @ May 16 2012, 12:36 PM) General Admission sucks. I don't need some roidhead crawling up my back, thrusting his fist in front of my face and spilling his overpriced beer on me all night long. Reserved seating is the way to go. I definitely agree that the seats being there are better than GA. That is for damn sure.   However, with that said...I love to stand at shows. To me, the seats are just there to keep an organized order of rows! So I can spill it on you   No really.. I am with you here, I like to stand, I'm dancing and playing air guitar during the show, in my little space, can sit during intermission. The open isle are a good thing to have, GA sucks on an open floor.

[J2112YYZ]

I like reserved seats on the floor. It's good to have a spot to sit and relax before the show or during intermission. I herniated a disc in my back a few years ago and while my back is doing fine now, standing for a longer period of time, like an entire Rush show, can make my lower back get a little tight and sore still if it was general admission. I still go to GA only shows but it's nice to have a reserved seat in case that old injury acts up again and you have a place to sit for a few if you need to. That's why I think some people prefer to sit at shows, you never know if the person behind you has a back problem or a bum knee or something and can't stand for long periods of time.

[Snyder80]

This entire line of thinking is mind boggling. It is a rock concert, a live show. If I wanted to sit down, I would stay home, save myself $160, and wait for the dvd to come out. Then, I could simply sit on my couch and watch the show.

[MCM]

QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ May 16 2012, 01:36 PM)

QUOTE (Workaholic Man @ May 16 2012, 02:32 PM) QUOTE (Khan @ May 16 2012, 12:12 PM) The Who-Cincinnati....that's why.   Bingo. The Who tragedy started the end of general admission, the no-smoking rules, no open flames/ bic lighters, etc. Hmm...just looked that up. I had no idea...had never heard of this.   Very sad. That's why reserved seating is very important.   I for one, have no desire to be in General Admission personally. I remember when that happened, it truly was a tragic event. I remember my mom being horrified because my brother was going to GA concerts.. he was in college and she almost stopped him from going to shows. But then GA seating disappeared, for good reason.   I don't care for it myself but I'm a chick with not a lot of height. I like my little square seat area, I paid for this little piece of real estate for the next three hours, you keep out of it or my elbows will tell you about it.

[drgrendel]

A few years ago, I attended an Iron Maiden show with seats located center section right behing the pit area. As the shed sills-up, this guy takes a seat next to me and we strike up a conversation. As it turned out, that particular show was his 58th Iron Maiden gig. The lights go down and the intro filols the shed, as everyone rises and begins to go crazy, the guy simply sits there with a huge smile on his face. He remains in this state for 2+ hours. After the final waves of the band are made, the house lights go up, he stands nd turns to me and says "That was the most enjoyable Maiden show yet."

 

People enjoy events in many ways. Similarly, not everyone shows grief in the same way. Just because I do not howl and wail when someone close to me dies I am not sad? However, it does show some class when one respects what the majority of the people around them are doing.

 

[headache]

headache sayz,

when the gedstar

stops the 1 legged hop

the its time to sit. friggin

even BIG al stands for the

whole show.

 

 

 

[Union 5-3992]

I usually go with the crowd. People in front of me stand, I'll stand in order to see. Otherwise, I'll sit down and enjoy myself. Depends on the band. For Crosby, Stills, & Nash, nobody was there so I could just sit there and enjoy myself. When Tom Petty came on, I stood for most of the show. BB King was another show I sat through. I'll see Maiden in July and I predict that I'll be standing for that. I think the energy of the music helps add to enthusiasm I'd have towards standing.

[J2112YYZ]

QUOTE (Union 5-3992 @ May 16 2012, 09:00 PM)

I usually go with the crowd. People in front of me stand, I'll stand in order to see. Otherwise, I'll sit down and enjoy myself. Depends on the band. For Crosby, Stills, & Nash, nobody was there so I could just sit there and enjoy myself. When Tom Petty came on, I stood for most of the show. BB King was another show I sat through. I'll see Maiden in July and I predict that I'll be standing for that. I think the energy of the music helps add to enthusiasm I'd have towards standing.

Oh yeah, you'll be standning for Maiden and if you're not Bruce will be the first to tell you to get up off your ass

 

Seriously, he does sometimes call people out at shows if he sees them sitting.

[troutman]

It's Rush ,

 

Not James Taylor. I will be standing as much as possible.

Edited May 17, 2012 by troutman

[Principled Man]

QUOTE (metaldad @ May 16 2012, 01:41 PM)

QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ May 16 2012, 01:36 PM) QUOTE (Workaholic Man @ May 16 2012, 02:32 PM) QUOTE (Khan @ May 16 2012, 12:12 PM) The Who-Cincinnati....that's why.   Bingo. The Who tragedy started the end of general admission, the no-smoking rules, no open flames/ bic lighters, etc. Hmm...just looked that up. I had no idea...had never heard of this.   Very sad. That's why reserved seating is very important.   I for one, have no desire to be in General Admission personally. Ah to be young E.D. I remember it like yesterday . Very sad story . I remember they showed pix on the news the next day , what a mess I remember it very well, as I was there. I was just a few yards from the deadliest area of the crowd - the center - where 11 people were suffocated.   The Who was performing a late sound check, and we all heard the music outside. Naturally, we all wanted IN. We thought the Show had started. It was one of the strangest things I've ever witnessed. It was a sea of people (thousands of us), moving back and forth, pushing back and forth, like the tide was coming in and out. I was lucky enough to be by the outside wall of the building, so I could keep myself upright. I wasn't sucked down into the crowd and suffocated, like the victims. We tried climbing over people, crawling under people.....I got my face pushed against a glass door (that no one cared to open), and I could see the bloody faces of the injured inside...and I could also see cops standing around, refusing to help.....   The movement to "clean up" rock concerts got a huge push after the Who tragedy. Festival seating was the scapegoat for the tragedy, but the true cause was the refusal of Coliseum personnel to open more doors for the huge crowd trying to get in. Lawsuits went on forever. Venues across the country started banning festival seating, open flames, smoking,.....and Cincinnati became a very repressed place for future rock bands to visit.   Van Halen was the first band to play in Cincinnati since the tragedy. David Lee Roth made the mistake of telling the crowd to "light up" when they played "Light Up The Sky". He was arrested right after the show. "Enciting a riot", the police charged......but it was later dropped. Judas Priest played most of their show with the house lights completely ON, as the crowd wouldn't stop smoking and flicking their Bics.....Halford basically said, "FU*CK 'EM! We'll rock the house anyways!" The crowd LOVED IT.....   I understand the positive aspects of assigned seats, and I even agree with them. The positives of assigned seats outweigh the "fun" of festival seating, which, to be honest, is just too dangerous when certain bands play. I don't think a Rush concert with festival seating would be dangerous these days, but that's just my opinion. What I DON'T LIKE is the Lie that is still promoted about what happened at Riverfront Coliseum on December 3rd, 1979. Many people were at fault, but it was NOT the fault of festival seating.

[Steely Caress]

interesting writeup Workaholic man. Thanks for sharing.

[losingit2k]

Well the seats are there more for protection, just in case anyone faints during one of Alex's massive solos, or gets knocked out by a fast flickened pick! Or if the ladies feel light headed during Neil's solo, or some older fan has a heat stoke from the pyro or lights, or if Geddy, God borbid, accidentally hits someone with his nose.

 

You know they're precautionary seating really!

 

Edited May 17, 2012 by losingit2k

[Force Ten]

What about unreserved seating? I think I would prefer to be able to buy a general seated ticket, and then try to come as early as possible so that everyone has a chance to get front row seats, and it wouldn't then be based on reaction times and internet server speeds when the tickets go on sale.

[HowItIs]

I read somewhere that Rush has a rider in their contract that there will be no standing aka Festival seating. I'm sure that the tragedy in Cincinnati is the reason.

 

That being said, even with my bad back, I stood for most of the show. Yeah, I paid for it the next day but I enjoyed the hell out of it while they were on stage.

[goose]

QUOTE (greyfriar @ May 16 2012, 11:43 AM)

Good points in your rant - In Germany there was never ever a Rush show where the floor section was seated and that's absolutely fantastic. This time it's the first Tour they're offering 'Front of stage' standing tickets and standard standing in the back of the hall. New ways to make more money. Good luck for the coming ticket rush.

My sister lives in Rheinberg. You anywhere near there?

 

[greyfriar]

QUOTE (goose @ May 17 2012, 01:20 PM)

QUOTE (greyfriar @ May 16 2012, 11:43 AM) Good points in your rant - In Germany there was never ever a Rush show where the floor section was seated and that's absolutely fantastic. This time it's the first Tour they're offering 'Front of stage' standing tickets and standard standing in the back of the hall. New ways to make more money. Good luck for the coming ticket rush. My sister lives in Rheinberg. You anywhere near there?   Rheinberg is 350 km (220 miles) away from me, but it's only 60 miles to Cologne where Rush plays in June 2013. Maybe you want to visit her and see Rush from the 'Front Of Stage' standing area??

[Principled Man]

QUOTE (HowItIs @ May 17 2012, 04:24 AM)

I read somewhere that Rush has a rider in their contract that there will be no standing aka Festival seating. I'm sure that the tragedy in Cincinnati is the reason.

Well, the Who tragedy was over 30 years ago. It's a valid reason in the sense that bands and their promoters have become more concerned with fan safety over the years. The Who concert was the "Big One", but there have been plenty of other concert incidents that have awakened venues to safety problems.

 

I think that today's concert venues use assigned seating primarily because festival seating has become obsolete in many cases. Let's face it, a lot of rock fans are older and not all that hip about going into a mosh pit or fighting all evening for a front row view. Older fans often prefer assigned seating, where they can stand or sit as they please. And when they bring their children, assigned seating becomes even more important.

Edited May 17, 2012 by Workaholic Man

[Merely Space]

The Who tragedy certainly sparked reforms in seating. Another reason assigned seating is preferred would be that people don't feel obliged to get to the venue many hours early to get in line to get up front. I saw Pink Floyd in London in the late '80's, and we basically camped out at Wembley Stadium's gates all day to get up close. It was a huge crowd that I'm sure left quite a mess. Most U.S. venues don't want to put up with that.

[beneathbetweenbehindyourmom]

One cannot properly enjoy live music while in a seated position. Especially with Rush's music. No offense, but if you are to old and decrepit to stand at a show then stay home and buy the dvd, or buy a ticket for the handicap section. If someone in front of you is standing, then stand mothertrucker! Sure Rush plays long shows, but there is an intermission. You don't see Geddy and Alex complaining that they have to stand for three hours, and they have to do that every other day for months at a time. And they're pushin' 60!

[driventotheedge]

QUOTE (CrossedSignals @ May 16 2012, 10:18 AM)

I got kicked in the head twice at a Streetlight Manifesto concert. Anybody else been kicked in the head at ska shows? Come to think of it, this explains a lot about me....

I got kicked in the head by crowd surfers at a GA Floor Megadeth show back in the 90s. I'm 6'7" so my head sticks up higher than most everyone else's so of course it's gonna be a target.

 

Because I'm so tall I tend to sit on the chair back which makes my ass sore but keeps me at the same height as those average height people standing around me and thus doesn't ruin the view of the person behind me.

[Godeater2112]

Seeing Rush in Rotterdam... general admission floor was one of the highlights oh my life, it was awesome.

 

Wish they could do that more. In Europe at least they sell a reasonable number of floor tickets so there is actually plenty of room, nobody gets too squished and everyone is well behaved.

 

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/20589782.jpg

Edited May 18, 2012 by Godeater2112

[JohnnyBlaze]

New World Tour (Jacksonville, Fl) General admission...someone gets stabbed during the opener [TSoR]. Rush didn't return again until Presto. I'm sure tickets sales in that city had a lot to do with it BUT an animal stabbing other fans in the floor area didn't help the desire to return either.

[EmotionDetector]

QUOTE (JohnnyBlaze @ May 18 2012, 08:16 AM)

New World Tour (Jacksonville, Fl) General admission...someone gets stabbed during the opener [TSoR]. Rush didn't return again until Presto. I'm sure tickets sales in that city had a lot to do with it BUT an animal stabbing other fans in the floor area didn't help the desire to return either.

Wow...I've never heard that.

 

That's ridiculous...it's an f'n rock concert. I definitely understand Rush's stance on that, and the long break from returning there.

 

Sucks for the fans that live in the city, but it's one of those classic cases of 'one person ruins it for everyone else'. Happens a lot in life.

[JohnnyBlaze]

QUOTE (EmotionDetector @ May 18 2012, 09:56 PM)

QUOTE (JohnnyBlaze @ May 18 2012, 08:16 AM) New World Tour (Jacksonville, Fl) General admission...someone gets stabbed during the opener [TSoR]. Rush didn't return again until Presto. I'm sure tickets sales in that city had a lot to do with it BUT an animal stabbing other fans in the floor area didn't help the desire to return either. Wow...I've never heard that.   That's ridiculous...it's an f'n rock concert. I definitely understand Rush's stance on that, and the long break from returning there.   Sucks for the fans that live in the city, but it's one of those classic cases of 'one person ruins it for everyone else'. Happens a lot in life. I remember because it was my first gig (I was 10). Rush didn't know about it until after the show. Apparently, security took care of it pretty quickly right after the incident.