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UK tickets =Live Nation Thieving Bastards


Sin City
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Now it all becomes clear.My interest was piqued by reports of the new dates for North America so I checked the VIP packages for Manchester MEN in May. Now I know that many people, myself included had great difficulty in getting decent tix for some of the uk shows. Well, it looks like the ticketing arrangements in the UK have gone the same way as the USA dates, as it seems that the majority, if not all of the first 3 blocks on the floor A,B and C are reserved for VIP packages at the princely sum of £204 each.

3 f***ing BLOCKS?? Christ on a bike. No wonder I couldn't get decent seats on the floor. If this is the way that tickets for gigs are now being hawked then Live Nation and the bands they are promoting, including Rush can go and f**k themselves. I'm not prapared to be ass raped by anyone in that way and the only way that this outrageous practice will stop is if we, the fans hit these f*ckers in the wallet by refusing to buy tickets at these over inflated prices. Unlikely to happen I know, but what else can we do to stop this practice of genuine fans from being excluded from the front rows of gigs through so called VIP packages?? And you wonder why the audiences at shows seem half dead?

As far as l know this is the first time that so many UK tickets have been priced this way-having got second row, dead centre last time around on the Time Machine Tour. Don't have a problem with a couple of rows in a couple of sections for packages but 3 f***ing blocks?? That is taking the piss, big time. Hope that there are loads of gaps in those first 3 blocks so that LN and the band get the message, but no doubt they will end up full of corporate twats who probably won't recognise anything else but Tom Sawyer or the Spirit of Radio. I'm gobsmacked as we say over here. And angry. Well, just a little bit!

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I wouldn't deny myself a good time without breaking the bank over floor seats. I've yet to experience them from floor seats and I'll keep going to shows for as long as they are touring within driving distance from me.

 

It's an amazing show from any seat.

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Usually here the VIP packages are first 15 rows, but I couldn't say if they only reserve the middle section or all the first 15 rows. Personally I like having a chance to get floor seats. Concert prices are overinflated because illegal downloading has all but shut down sales of music, so artists can only make money from live shows and merch. Plus this show is big and costly to put on. So expect to pay a lot for any seats. I remember the old days of waiting overnight on line to get tickets and still not getting anywhere near the floor unless you went to the scalpers, so being able to have guaranteed floor seats in the first 15 rows is worth a bit extra, plus the free merch that comes with it. You could always try and wait til after they stop selling VIP packages and hope some floor seats are released closer to the show date, or go to a broker and get one the day or two before, since the scalpers drop their prices as time runs out to unload what they have.
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Many of us have grown up past the point that we HAVE to be on the floor and close. As visual as their shows are, IMO it is better to be a little elevated and away from the stage. I have had very close seats for the past couple of tours. I will get elevated seats in the future for indoor gigs.

 

 

However, there are those that wish to carry on their tantrums....

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In newark, I was in section 1, lower level but not floor. I thought the tickets were going to kind if suck because we were at the opposite end of the arena. I had never seen a concert in Newark.

 

It was awesome. The seats were great. You could get the whole visual of the stage presentation. The sound was great. I was really happy.

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Now it all becomes clear.My interest was piqued by reports of the new dates for North America so I checked the VIP packages for Manchester MEN in May. Now I know that many people, myself included had great difficulty in getting decent tix for some of the uk shows. Well, it looks like the ticketing arrangements in the UK have gone the same way as the USA dates, as it seems that the majority, if not all of the first 3 blocks on the floor A,B and C are reserved for VIP packages at the princely sum of £204 each.

3 f***ing BLOCKS?? Christ on a bike. No wonder I couldn't get decent seats on the floor. If this is the way that tickets for gigs are now being hawked then Live Nation and the bands they are promoting, including Rush can go and f**k themselves. I'm not prapared to be ass raped by anyone in that way and the only way that this outrageous practice will stop is if we, the fans hit these f*ckers in the wallet by refusing to buy tickets at these over inflated prices. Unlikely to happen I know, but what else can we do to stop this practice of genuine fans from being excluded from the front rows of gigs through so called VIP packages?? And you wonder why the audiences at shows seem half dead?

As far as l know this is the first time that so many UK tickets have been priced this way-having got second row, dead centre last time around on the Time Machine Tour. Don't have a problem with a couple of rows in a couple of sections for packages but 3 f***ing blocks?? That is taking the piss, big time. Hope that there are loads of gaps in those first 3 blocks so that LN and the band get the message, but no doubt they will end up full of corporate twats who probably won't recognise anything else but Tom Sawyer or the Spirit of Radio. I'm gobsmacked as we say over here. And angry. Well, just a little bit!

 

I totally agree mate, no wonder there are so many of the good seats available on Seatwave, eBay, etc. real Rush fans wouldn't sell those seats for all the tea in China! I managed to get row 12 for Toronto but for my home gig in London on presale, back of block three on the floor, miles away....

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As HalfwayToGone mentioned, I think the Internet is largely to blame (or, at least the lack of album sales because of it) for higher tickets prices lately. I mentioned this before myself - Rush used to sell platinum or in the very least, gold, of each album they prodced. Vapour Trails, Feedback, Snakes and Arrows and Clockwork Angles all stalled out before reaching gold (500,000 copies in the US), but almost everything from Test For Echo (1997) and earlier went platinum (1,000,000 copies in the US), with a few hitting only gold. Vapour Trails was release around 2001, just when the internet was really getting going.

 

Here's something to think about - Moving Pictures (1981) has now sold close to 8 million copies world-wide. But, in the first few of years of its release, it sold 3 million. That was back in the 80s, pre-internet. If that album was produced and released today with the internet to compete against, as great an album as it was, it would probably only sell somewhere between 500,000 - 1,000,000. Just a guess, but that might make some sense. And, I'm not even good in math...

 

But, remember too, that these bigger shows that bands like Rush create and take on the road are very expensive to tour with. I know nothing about the business end of a rock tour, but I will guess that each member of the band doesn't make nearly as much as some people believe.

 

Unless your name is Justin Beiber, Taylor Swift or Lady what's her name... Jesus EFFING Christ!

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I think some of you are missing my point. I'm not complaining about ticket prices and I understand why they have increased in price over the years. I'm unhappy that at the gig I'm going to it seems impossible to get a decent floor ticket because 3 blocks are reserved for "packages". When the tickets went on sale they were advertised at £70 and £60 .It did not say if you want a ticket in blocks A, B, or C the price to you sir, is actually £200 plus. This is deceit on the part of the promoters as they should clearly stipulate where these premium seats are. Why? Because I originally knocked back better seats believing I had a chance of getting seats in those areas. Except I had no f***ing chance because a whole wedge of seats were being held back. Neither do I have an issue with VIP packages, but they should be limited so as not to impact on or discriminate against true fans. Anyone with any knowledge of consumer legislation as it can't be right to advertise tickets at the prices already mentioned where people believe they have the chance to get good/best seats when in reality there is a hidden, secondary tier pricing system, surely?
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"...discriminate against true fans." Oh my...there is that phrase once again. I love how it is tossed out there as if it has meaning when someone gets pissy over feelings of "being left out."
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"...discriminate against true fans." Oh my...there is that phrase once again. I love how it is tossed out there as if it has meaning when someone gets pissy over feelings of "being left out."

And your point is?? Re read my post retard. It's the principle here that isn't acceptable. What the f**k do you mean ..."someone gets pissy over feelings of being left out"? Come back when you can contribute something meaningful to the discussion other than taking a few words and completely detextualising them behind a faux aren't I cool ennui. Idiot.

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Another way to get up close with a great seat is to blow off the VIP crap and count on good karma to find a Rush fan with an extra ticket outside the venue an hour or less before the show. There are always extra tickets outside the gate. Worked for me every time I needed to get in. The show always starts 15 minutes late. Worst case scenario is you get a crappy extra ticket for a few bucks/quid. Good luck!
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Sin City - I understand what you mean. I'm not so sure I like the whole deal with 'VIP packages' and whatnot. As I understand, back in the day, if a fan wanted a good ticket, that fan would be among the very first in line to get tickets, to score front-row seats. The real fans put in the effort to be closest to their music idols.

 

Now, with blocking off the best seats for package deals for huge amounts of money, the real fans lose out, in a way. The front rows can be bought out by casual fans that like a song or two and have money to afford these seats. Personally, I'd like to see the hardcore fans fill up these seats, people that will get excited over songs like 'Grand Designs' and 'Where's My Thing?', and not just 'the hits'. But I realize this is unfair of me to say....

 

And I realize the situation with touring being a large means for a band to make money. But setting aside the best seats for those that have the largest wallet... not the way things should be. But, concerts need to make money after all.... It'd be nice to see the front-row seats reserved for big fans that don't have to possibly choose between spending extra money for a concert event that means a lot to them or buying cheaper tickets in order to afford important things like food and rent.

 

It'd be nice, also, to streamline everything - I get confused with all this LiveNation and VIP stuff - so that people can actually choose what they want, and especially what seat they want. OK, spend more money to get great seats, but give everyone the same option to do this, instead of blocking seats off for different buyers or however it works.

 

Gah. I'm getting annoyed and rambly. But I think there's a lot left to be desired with today's system of buying concert tickets.

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***SPOILER ALERT*****

 

 

I understand how a lot of people in this thread feel about the "good seats" being blocked off for VIP seats that cost a lot more than face value. I've dealt with it so many times since 2008 when I first started going to concerts, but the days of being able to get a good seat at face value were already gone by then. It's too bad that Rush doesn't really run their own fan club presale in which, say, if you're a paying member of the fan club, you get e-mailed a unique code that you can use to buy a GREAT seat at face value, none of this bullshit where you do a presale just to get row 30 or some bullshit.

 

But hell, I went the VIP Nation route, so maybe I'm somewhat of a hypocrite, maybe.

 

But hey, Mika, maybe there will be more hardcore fans in those up front seats this time around since the presales started so early and only people that check out RIAB (and maybe a few other Rush dedicated websites) were really the only people who got the password and cared enough about Rush to spend their money like that. Although, I'm definitely not saying that just because somebody may not have had the money at the time that that means that they're not a true fan. That's not what I meant at all.

 

And don't worry, not all of us VIP buyers are casual fans who only know one or two Rush songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veEVe1XQYw0&list=PL1VWSqpym91pEH2p_8ThH5eAX31l8EJdQ

 

(I'm guy giving the horns and jumping around at times ;) )

Edited by TheWK90
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I understand where you're coming from, it's the way of the world unfortunately.We've had similar problems with football matches being a Liverpool fan. When we get to the games these mega seats are often left empty and the atmosphere at Anfield, which was legendary is now dead, and people leave early.The people in these expensive package seats have been labelled the prawn sandwich brigade, just there for the event and the true fans cast out.

You can long for the days when you were herded into such barns as Stafford Bingley Hall at the princely sum of 11 pounds but those days are long gone.

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***SPOILER ALERT*****

 

 

I understand how a lot of people in this thread feel about the "good seats" being blocked off for VIP seats that cost a lot more than face value. I've dealt with it so many times since 2008 when I first started going to concerts, but the days of being able to get a good seat at face value were already gone by then. It's too bad that Rush doesn't really run their own fan club presale in which, say, if you're a paying member of the fan club, you get e-mailed a unique code that you can use to buy a GREAT seat at face value, none of this bullshit where you do a presale just to get row 30 or some bullshit.

 

But hell, I went the VIP Nation route, so maybe I'm somewhat of a hypocrite, maybe.

 

But hey, Mika, maybe there will be more hardcore fans in those up front seats this time around since the presales started so early and only people that check out RIAB (and maybe a few other Rush dedicated websites) were really the only people who got the password and cared enough about Rush to spend their money like that. Although, I'm definitely not saying that just because somebody may not have had the money at the time that that means that they're not a true fan. That's not what I meant at all.

 

Yeah, it was frustrating for me b/c I'd like to take my 11-year old son who's only 5'3". I logged in on time to get just after row 15, but even back there he'd have difficulty seeing anything but the screens. So I passed on those. I don't mind the VIP stuff, but honestly, all I'd care about is a M&G part of it. Even that I would trade for good tix. (the words "I can't pretend a stranger is a long awaited friend" haunt me re: the M&Gs anyway) If I want any of the other stuff, and I'm a fan of the music, not covering my walls or filling my shelves with it at nearly 50 YO, then I'll simply buy it.

 

So I can empathize with those buying tix.

 

For the Charlotte show I got good tix directly in front of the stage but back as the sections begin to rise thinking we could simply sit and watch the show w/o having to stand for the entire thing as you do on the floor out of necessity b/c everyone else is standing. I was wrong about that. Everyone was sitting except for the pair in front of us, who were nice enough to sit down upon my politely asking after about half of the first set. Anyway, I have a bad hip and while I enjoy standing too, I can't for the entire show nor close to it.

 

I was really hoping to, for once in my life, get a seat in the first few rows, and was religious in watching RIAB site for info hoping to catch it in a timely manner, which I did, despite just having gotten in late on that day from being on the road most of the day. Yet, only to be disappointed that the best row I could get was T in the first section of floor seats. I couldn't imagine how so many tix had been bought so quickly, but you guys explained it.

 

Anyway, it was tremendously disappointing. If money were no object, which it is as I shouldn't even be spending the near $300 for good tix to begin with, then I'd just by the damn VIP package and sell or give away the rest of the stuff.

 

Now my only hope for Baltimore is to hit Craigslist before the show and hope that I can find a true fan that is interested in selling some great floor seats to another true fan for what they paid for them. Chances there, slim-to-nil.

 

So I can definitely empathize.

 

On another note, among my old paraphernalia, I have an old Rush ticket stub from Rochester, NY from when the concerts back then were like $8.50 and you could cut out the service charges altogether by driving down to the actual arena and buying directly from their Box Office. I'll have to look to see what tour it was, I went to a couple back then. Probably Moving Pics.

 

Anyway, times have definitely changed. Among other things, concerts used to make no money but were used as promotional events to sell albums and other merch. Today it's harder to make money, at least for the bands given the graft and corruption in the industry, on album sales, and the money's made on tours and sales of merch. there. I wonder how much they make on merch. sales at the average show.

 

No one can fault the band or its members for this, of any band. Money talks and always will. But it is sorely disappointing. You can be as diligent and vigilent as possible for new tix and yet you're automatically shut out from certain options the second that the window slides open these days. Again, "back in the day," you might "camp out" for tix, be the first few in line, and your efforts were rewarded. Nowadays, as several, including the thread starter have stated, you camp out and "wait all night," or the modern equivalent, and someone with more bucks just steps ahead of you in line day of because you can't afford $800 for you and your son to go hit the show. Heck, that's a small family vacation for the five of us otherwise. It's tough enough to justify $300 for two tix to a show you've seen twice from the cheap seats, especially when you don't mention it to your wife until after you weren't able to do it. (another issue altogether, LOL)

 

Ah well ... such is life.

 

Now I'm waiting for the Hershey show date announcement and I'll have to do the vigilance thing all over again, but I doubt that will be any different.

Edited by Wingmaster
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***SPOILER ALERT*****

 

 

I understand how a lot of people in this thread feel about the "good seats" being blocked off for VIP seats that cost a lot more than face value. I've dealt with it so many times since 2008 when I first started going to concerts, but the days of being able to get a good seat at face value were already gone by then. It's too bad that Rush doesn't really run their own fan club presale in which, say, if you're a paying member of the fan club, you get e-mailed a unique code that you can use to buy a GREAT seat at face value, none of this bullshit where you do a presale just to get row 30 or some bullshit.

 

But hell, I went the VIP Nation route, so maybe I'm somewhat of a hypocrite, maybe.

 

But hey, Mika, maybe there will be more hardcore fans in those up front seats this time around since the presales started so early and only people that check out RIAB (and maybe a few other Rush dedicated websites) were really the only people who got the password and cared enough about Rush to spend their money like that. Although, I'm definitely not saying that just because somebody may not have had the money at the time that that means that they're not a true fan. That's not what I meant at all.

 

And don't worry, not all of us VIP buyers are casual fans who only know one or two Rush songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veEVe1XQYw0&list=PL1VWSqpym91pEH2p_8ThH5eAX31l8EJdQ

 

(I'm guy giving the horns and jumping around at times ;) )

 

WK90 - I remember you from the show. I was about 4 seats to your right - red/black hat (looking at the vid I can see my goofiness shining through).. If I remember correctly, you got stix too. In any event, as much as I loved being close again for a Rush show, I prefer to be elevated and further back. It is a stunning visual event that has a lot going on at once. sitting too close, one misses out on that. So for me "decent" tickets are further back and elevated.

 

Sin - nice way to add to a discussion by calling someone a retard. Classy dude! You are the one that is not acceptable. The True Rush fan will sit in the very last row and have the time of their life. EXCELLENT seats can be had without going VIP - Just read the the posts on here. So tell me once again - what is the problem? Oh, the problem is that YOU personally cannot get them, because of whatever reason that you wish to give, but others can. Ok...understood.

 

Now...go cry some more...there is more spilled milk on the floor.

Edited by drgrendel
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WK90 - I remember you from the show. I was about 4 seats to your right - red/black hat (looking at the vid I can see my goofiness shining through).. If I remember correctly, you got stix too. In any event, as much as I loved being close again for a Rush show, I prefer to be elevated and further back. It is a stunning visual event that has a lot going on at once. sitting too close, one misses out on that. So for me "decent" tickets are further back and elevated.

 

Thanks for adding that!

 

I've always felt the same, it's good to hear it from someone else. It's been largely by choice that I've always sat further back, usually somewhat, altho not very, high up off the floor, and preferably as centered as possible. I hate being turned for that long.

 

Having said that, it would be nice to sit closer too, particularly having seen a couple of shows already. But you have me thinking again now. I guess for me it's going to be one of those things where ten years from now I'm kicking myself saying "I wish I had ..." LOL

 

Have you ever sat in the wings but up close? It's been decades since I sat there, and it wasn't for a Rush show. Anyway, if so, how's that in contrast?

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***SPOILER ALERT*****

 

 

I understand how a lot of people in this thread feel about the "good seats" being blocked off for VIP seats that cost a lot more than face value. I've dealt with it so many times since 2008 when I first started going to concerts, but the days of being able to get a good seat at face value were already gone by then. It's too bad that Rush doesn't really run their own fan club presale in which, say, if you're a paying member of the fan club, you get e-mailed a unique code that you can use to buy a GREAT seat at face value, none of this bullshit where you do a presale just to get row 30 or some bullshit.

 

But hell, I went the VIP Nation route, so maybe I'm somewhat of a hypocrite, maybe.

 

But hey, Mika, maybe there will be more hardcore fans in those up front seats this time around since the presales started so early and only people that check out RIAB (and maybe a few other Rush dedicated websites) were really the only people who got the password and cared enough about Rush to spend their money like that. Although, I'm definitely not saying that just because somebody may not have had the money at the time that that means that they're not a true fan. That's not what I meant at all.

 

And don't worry, not all of us VIP buyers are casual fans who only know one or two Rush songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veEVe1XQYw0&list=PL1VWSqpym91pEH2p_8ThH5eAX31l8EJdQ

 

(I'm guy giving the horns and jumping around at times ;) )

 

WK90 - I remember you from the show. I was about 4 seats to your right - red/black hat (looking at the vid I can see my goofiness shining through).. If I remember correctly, you got stix too. In any event, as much as I loved being close again for a Rush show, I prefer to be elevated and further back. It is a stunning visual event that has a lot going on at once. sitting too close, one misses out on that. So for me "decent" tickets are further back and elevated.

 

Sin - nice way to add to a discussion by calling someone a retard. Classy dude! You are the one that is not acceptable. The True Rush fan will sit in the very last row and have the time of their life. EXCELLENT seats can be had without going VIP - Just read the the posts on here. So tell me once again - what is the problem? Oh, the problem is that YOU personally cannot get them, because of whatever reason that you wish to give, but others can. Ok...understood.

 

Now...go cry some more...there is more spilled milk on the floor.

Look. If you jump in on a thread making asinine comments like yours, which in it's own way is just as snarky and sarcastic as my reply, then don't complain when you get called out. Once again, despite my best efforts to make it clear, you spectacularly failed to grasp the point I was making. I have been going to rush shows since the late 70's. In the (good old days) me and my mate had to get into Manchester for 6 am and queue for the tickets. The more effort you put in, the better the seats you got. While it may be common place over there for huge swathes of seats to be held back, this has never happened for UK gigs, even on the TM tour.

Where you are confused-to put it mildly- is that you think I'm crying because of some projected sense of entitlement to the best seats. WRONG, me old bucko!! I'm not crying, I'm bloody angry at the ticketing arrangements where there is a hidden 2 tier system that is not made clear at the point of trying to purchase tickets. As l said, l knocked back better tickets in the mistaken belief that l would have got better, not necessarily best seats given I was on the case at 9am on the dot. The reality is that I and many others had ZERO chance of getting better tickets because of an arbitrary policy employed by Live Nation which is not explicitly clear at the time of purchase. And if you think that is acceptable, then, yes, you are a retard. Where you can sit or stand at a gig should not depend solely on the thickness of your wallet, nor on how big a fan you are, but it SHOULD be more equal, not for me, but for everyone.

Your post contibuted nothing to a discussion about a serious point in a pathetic attempt to trivialise the meaning of my post by making personal comments which you based on assumptions which were completely wrong. And then you have the gall to cry when called out. Now run on back to mommy and get her to wipe your ass.

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I'm bloody angry at the ticketing arrangements where there is a hidden 2 tier system that is not made clear at the point of trying to purchase tickets. As l said, l knocked back better tickets in the mistaken belief that l would have got better, not necessarily best seats given I was on the case at 9am on the dot. The reality is that I and many others had ZERO chance of getting better tickets because of an arbitrary policy employed by Live Nation which is not explicitly clear at the time of purchase. And if you think that is acceptable,

 

There are countless threads regarding some of the best methods to secure good seats. It seems that you went into the process without a clue as to how things run, while many of us do. If this was the first tour or even the first time ever that any event has had this issue, then yes...I see your rant. But honestly, this is old news and many have discovered ways to improve their lot in the ticket acquisition game. Calling people names becaise they don't offer you a shoulder to cry on is cowardly and juvenile. Yeah, i remember freezing my ass off for 5th row Rush for Moving Pictures Tour. I loved the old way of doing things, but I also have adapted to the new way. Charles Darwin wrote about the concept many moons ago.

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WK90 - I remember you from the show. I was about 4 seats to your right - red/black hat (looking at the vid I can see my goofiness shining through).. If I remember correctly, you got stix too. In any event, as much as I loved being close again for a Rush show, I prefer to be elevated and further back. It is a stunning visual event that has a lot going on at once. sitting too close, one misses out on that. So for me "decent" tickets are further back and elevated.

 

Thanks for adding that!

 

I've always felt the same, it's good to hear it from someone else. It's been largely by choice that I've always sat further back, usually somewhat, altho not very, high up off the floor, and preferably as centered as possible. I hate being turned for that long.

 

Having said that, it would be nice to sit closer too, particularly having seen a couple of shows already. But you have me thinking again now. I guess for me it's going to be one of those things where ten years from now I'm kicking myself saying "I wish I had ..." LOL

 

Have you ever sat in the wings but up close? It's been decades since I sat there, and it wasn't for a Rush show. Anyway, if so, how's that in contrast?

 

Since 1982, I think that I have sat in just about every part of an indoor venue for a Rush show (last show center row 1). My favorite places to sit for indoor venue have been about 10 rows up from the floor directly across from the stage. I have been 5 rows up stage left and right; floor rows 1,3,5,7,8, and 10, center sections of arenas section 5-15 rows up...(probably second favorite). One thing for sure, I am done with floor seats for arenas.

 

If you ever have the means to get real close, do it!

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