Conference marvin::uk_music

    I've been to the one.  The Madonna gig.  I thought it was great -
    75,000 people, all dancing together.  The sound was great, the screens
    were great, the mexican waves, the atmosphere etc.  But I would have
    hated to be at the back, or at the other end of the pitch.
    
    Roll on Saturday night at the Leadmill!
    
    
    matty

    I agree wholeheartedly with .0 - I've been to a few gigs at very large
    venues and not really enjoyed any of them. Mind you, this was a few
    years back when possibly the sound systems etc. were not as good as
    they are now (for instance, Led Zep at Earls Court in 1975 is one of
    the worst gigs I ever saw).
    
    I just don't like paying large amounts of money to see a few prancing
    dots on a stage half a mile away - anyway, I'd rather see a band that
    is on it's way up and still hungry sweating it out in a smaller venue.
    
    My own preference is for smaller venues, up to say the size of the Town
    and Country Club.
    
    Bob

    Have to agree with Bob.  NEC size gigs are bad enough, stadium ones are
    the pits.  Bands are more enjoyable when they are up and coming, coz if
    they don't cut it, they starve.  Huge gigs are very expensive anyway. 
    Give me the Cure at JBs club in Dudley, 1979, anyday!!
    
    Mikef

    I've been to about 10 stadium gigs - mostly Wembley, and they certainly
    can be a trial of stamina. eg Bruce in '85
    	      -	Leave for Wembley around 9am
    	      -	Hunt around for free parking 2+ miles from stadium
    	      - Arrive near front of queue at correct gate at 11:30am
    	      - Rumour suddenly spreads that the gates are opening,
                unfortuneately this is only 1pm, and entrance is at
                2:30pm. Everybody stands/pushes/crushed.
    	      - Gates finally open on time.
    	      - Because of massive crush, it takes 45mins to get thru
                the horrible turnstiles. I'm now 12" taller.
              - Run onto tarpaulin covered pitch to get to front.
              - Common sense prevails in the crowd - everybody sits
                down in the sun and eats their sarnies etc etc.
              - For absolutely NO REASON, at about 5pm everybody stands
                up and tries to push to the front. Rest time is over.
    	      - The gig starts at 6:30pm
    	      - Bruce and the band play for 1 1/2 hrs. Everybody has
                a wild time. It is very hot - stewards spray water onto
                the crowd from the front. Many people faint and are
                carried by the crowd and out over the front. I'm almost
                at the very front.
              - At 8pm the first half is over. 40 mins break.
    	      - Show begins again at 8:45pm.
              - The show finishes with a 20 minute version of
                "Twist & Shout" !  My feet touch the ground occasionally!
    	      - Finally around 10:45pm its all over. I have no voice,
                I'm completely drenched with water/sweat. There is a
                loud buzzing in the ears. I'm delireously happy.
    
    However such gigs are the exception, now the best indoor gig I ever
    went to ...............

   I would willingly to go to a smaller venue. 

   I saw The Adventures a few years back when they were supporting
   Tears For Fears.  Due to me having a thing about one of the group
   members of the Adventures I never saw Tears For Fears.  But....
   because most people were there to see TFF, and it was a small
   venue (The Southend Cliffs Pavillion) the atmosphere was 
   tremendous.  It was like one big happy family.

   I don't like LARGE crowds so I would never go to Wembley or
   the like just because I think the performer(s) are excellent.

   Jane

    
    Like most of you I always thought that a stadium concert would be a bad 
    thing. The reasons I thought this were the same as yours (too far away,
    too many people, too expensive).
    
    However when it was announced the Rolling Stones were coming to London
    I decided to go and see them wherever they played and so I ended up
    going to Wembley Stadium.
    
    Now, I don't doubt for one moment that the Stones would have been just
    as good (better?) in the Arena, but the Stadium had a totally different
    , more sociable atmosphere than I've ever experienced at a smaller
    concert and the use of large screens either side of the stage ensured
    that everyone could see what was going on. The sound was good enough
    to compare with anything I've heard in a smaller venue.
    
    I certainly wouldn't rush to see ANY band in a stadium, but I'm more
    open minded about stadium vs. smaller venue concerts.
    
    Mark 

    
    I've only been to one, Wembley last summer, and I guess its 
    something everyone should try once, but once *is* enough for 
    me.  
    
    Everyone standing around getting soaked, folks being sick, pushing, 
    drunks peeing right where they stood (no, I'm not making it up)...
    ok, maybe it was the type of crowd and the length of the show...
    

    
    Re .7
    
    Which one was it?
    
    One of the home internationals? :^)
    
    Mark

    >drunks peeing right where they stood (no, I'm not making it up)...
    
    If you think that's bad, go to Donnington (I'm saying no more!).
    
    	Andy.

    re.9  No, thank-you!!!
    
    re.8  :-)  
    
    It was one of these gates_open_at_noon_things.  On the bill was
    Gun, Texas, the Silencers, and Simple Minds ... a whole day of
    Scottish music ... methinks that drew the crowd of heavy drinkers!
    
    Sue 

    Blimey - I went to a Simple Minds concert last year at Wembley.
    
    Yukkkkkkyyyyyyyyyy.