concert nightmare

[waldflote8]

Rush rolled into Glasgow last night and I am sitting as you do, wondering what kind of view I will get. Guy in front is about 6 foot but I'm 5'11" and mrs waldflote is at home so no big deal. Concert starts and the guy in front of him stands up,.. no kidding, he must have been 7 feet tall. My view for the first half of the gig:

[attachment=136017:rushe.jpg]

2nd half the folks to my right didn't come back after the interval, so I was able to move over.

It's pot luck at a concert so this is not a serious moan,.. roll on the new 'Hydro' venue and hopefully banked seating.

[Myke]

He's a giant!

[RhysP]

That's a bit of a pisser, and always the gamble you have to take if you get seats on the flat.
I always go to see Rush with my sister who is a massive fan but only just 5 foot tall so we always get tickets on the side tiered seating.
Even then she sometimes has trouble seeing over peoples heads.

[Roger2611]

I am sure I rocognise him....let me think....oh yes he is always stood in front of me at every gig I go to!

Mrs 2611 and I went to see Gary Numan at the Forum a few years ago just before he went on stage 2 German fellas rolled up, both 6ft 4 plus who the proceeded to kiss each other and fondle each others bottoms throughout the show.....not the best Numan gig we have been to

[Phil Adams]

If you're not over 7ft tall then you can only blame yourself really.

[arthurhenry]

You should have taken Jacob's ladder. Sorry.

[waldflote8]

Haha, I should have taken the ladder.. and I should be 8' tall according to my user name, but sadly not. funnily enough I was there with my sister,.. quite a family affair altogether, loads of parents there with kids. The guy in front of me was the big b*gger I 'always' get but Goliath was just so huge that I could only laugh, it was payback for 2011 when by some fluke we ended up 3 rows from the front - was like watching them in a pub,... superb !!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

And I thought I had problems with my seating last week. Member of Canadian basketball team by the look of it .
Sorry to hear about it .

[thisnameistaken]

I don't think you'd see much from all the way back there anyway. Go see smaller bands in smaller venues, it's also cheaper and less predictable.

[Jazzneck]

Should be grateful he wasn't holding his iPad aloft to film the gig as well.

Edited June 1, 2013 by Jazzneck

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1370080452' post='2096252']
I don't think you'd see much from all the way back there anyway. Go see smaller bands in smaller venues, it's also cheaper and less predictable.
[/quote]

And it's always comforting to know that nobody taller than oneself [i]ever[/i] goes to see 'unpredictable' bands. It's well known that very tall people embrace predictability, see.

[color=#FFFFFF].[/color]

Edited June 1, 2013 by skankdelvar

[Phantomnin]

Although in many smaller venues you can change where you are standing.

I'm 5'3. The photo is like nearly every gig I have ever been to.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Phantomnin' timestamp='1370092407' post='2096363']
Although in many smaller venues you can change where you are standing.
[/quote]

Very true. Not meaning to sound too holy, but I always try to make sure I'm not blocking anyone's view and I'm only 5'8".

Then some tall bugger comes and stands in front of me anyway.

Edited June 1, 2013 by skankdelvar

[waldflote8]

Not a lot of choice where you can see Rush in Scotland unfortunately,.. the new 'Hydro place should be better - purpose built arena rather than large warehouse (SECC). I do tend to avoid bigger gigs as mrs Waldflote is about 5'4" and always has a lot of trouble seeing. Saw Devin Townsend at the start of the month in a smaller venue and we had a large git arrive at the last minute, then attempt ninja style to get in front (we stood directly behind the mixer in order to get a bit of free space) mrs W had to give him the 'accidental' elbow in the ribs move to fend him off He finally got the message and disappeared. I know you don't own any space at a standing gig,.. but further back, away from the more lively goings on, there's generally a bit of consideration, especially with younger kids around.
The big guy at the Rush gig was waving his I-thingy about a bit, but so was 50% of the audience, don't quite get that one as some folks seem to spend more of their time looking at the screen than the gig. I could have done with a periscope app. on Thursday though

[Kinder]

I'm the big bugger every time I go to a gig. I'm 6'6" and end up paranoid as hell. I always apologise to everyone behind me but there's not much I can do - not my fault I'm a giant freak!

[kevin_lindsay]

I was at the Rush gig on Thursday too. I was seated durectly behind the mixing desk and had a totally clear view of the stage. However, I did something I've never done before - I left after half an hour as I was bored senseless. I found myself studying the ceiling girders rather than the stage. The sound was appalling, really odd as I was effectively hearing what the sound engineers were hearing. I was back home by 8:45pm watching the David Bowie "Five Years" documentary on the BBC iplayer - far more enjoyable.

So, that was £60 down the drain (plus booking fee). I hope The Who's sound is better on the 12th.

Edited June 1, 2013 by kevin_lindsay

[waldflote8]

I had looked at the set list online - memories of seeing them at ingliston in 83 and being bored silly, so I wasn't expecting to enjoy myself. The lighting/projections in the 2nd half more than kept me amused though. When I go to any gig now I take my rehearsal ear plugs with me and with a bit of fiddling to knock a few dBs off the volume - can usually get a decent sound that way and prevents two days of frying breakfast sounds afterwards. Didn't work at the Devin gig,.. just too loud and too much going on, loads of synth/vocal samples as well as the band. ... Where we were and with my plugs in, I thought the Rush sound was quite decent ?? Pre ear plugs I was going Victor Meldrew on the subject of gig sound/volume and had pretty much given up going to them,.. a Glasgow venue gig in the early 80s left me with tinnitus, mild but permanent. Sorry Kinder, I could only laugh on the night, he couldn't help being so tall. The ninja view blocker at the Devin gig got what he deserved though

[Dave Vader]

You know that guy that pushes through everyone to get past the tall buggers saying "scuse me, thank you, scuse me, thank you" a lot, and then turns out to be 6' 2" and wearing a big hat?


Yeah, that's me, sorry.

[Conan]

[quote name='waldflote8' timestamp='1370119989' post='2096740']
I had looked at the set list online - memories of seeing them at ingliston in 83
[/quote]

I was at that gig too! Next to the stinky chicken factory!!! In fact, despite being a massive Rush fan (but not on the way that this thread might suggest!) that is one of the reasons why I was less than heartbroken that I couldn't make it to the SECC on thursday. Bands should not be playing in these great airship hangars. Anyone who appreciates good sound knows this - including the bands.So where did it all go wrong?

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I'm 6ft 4 and I've given up apologising. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is.

[waldflote8]

haha, the stinky chicken factory, yes, I remember that.
The big hangar thing is a subject in itself,.. I've never been at a 5k + gig where there was extensive use of banked seating, they've all been mainly on the flat and all crap in terms of the view (comparing with a proper theatre type venue). Sound wise they have all been crap too compared with somewhere like the Royal concert hall. The price of popularity I suppose, I tried to see Rush from 79 but the tickets would go like lightning so it was only when they moved to the hangar (Ingliston) in 81 that I got a chance to see them. I can't say that I fancied it previously,.. but thinking about it now, showing an enhanced DVD/Film from the tour in 3D at an iMAX or the like might not be a bad idea ?? Is that one step closer to the virtual band altogether,.. or are you half way there anyway at a stadium/hangar gig ?

[Stacker]

I was there in '83, too! I thought it was a good gig, not as cosy as the Odeon ones where they sounded fantastic. Saw 'em in SECC in '97 and the sound was so bad I vowed never to go back and I never have, except for work.

I used to be a massive Rush fan but I drifted away. And all that chicken in rotisseries and washing machines onstage was a bunch of pants!

[spongebob]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1370024102' post='2095757']
[size=4]Mrs 2611 and I went to see Gary Numan at the Forum a few years ago just before he went on stage 2 German fellas rolled up, both 6ft 4 plus who the proceeded to kiss each other and fondle each others bottoms throughout the show.....not the best Numan gig we have been to [/size]
[/quote]

Numanoids, eh? [size=4] [/size]

[DGBass]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1370126227' post='2096849']
I'm 6ft 4 and I've given up apologising. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is.
[/quote]Same applies to me. Actually I also saw Rush at the SECC in the mid 2000's and there was someone taller than me obscuring the view. When i did get to see the stage, all i recall seeing was Geddy Lee dancing strangely on stage with his now signature Jazz. No Rickestacker was to be seen..anywhere!

[spongebob]

Why is it every time I get a good spot at a standing gig, the re-incarnation of this man shuffles through the crowd, only to stake his spot right in front of me?

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Pershing_Wadlow"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Pershing_Wadlow[/url]