Concert seats

[Jonny]

What's your view on them? Obviously disabled people or the usual crowd. But do you think it's silly? Who cares? Whatever?

I, being the Metal fan, would choose a seat rather than standing cause I'd want to enjoy the performance AND take pictures to remember the $%&#ing AWESOME night.

So your views?

Plus - All That Remains, London Astoria = $%&#ing Awesome
Slipknot, Machine Head, Children of Bodom, Hammersmith, London = $%&#ING EPIC.

[FELINEGUITARS]

Some venues I like it and others I prefer to stand
To be fair - few rock gigs I have been to with seats have ended up with people remaining seated

I used to go to gigs at both Astoria and Hammersmith Odeon/Apollo when they were seated gigs


I do hate how some people in a standing crowd cant just stand or jump up and down and have to slam into others- come really close to punching people out before - and I mean even at gigs that aren't punk or hard metal gigs - slam-dancing isn't required at a Scorpions gig for example

[Will]

Seats are cool, watched a Metal documentary DVD earlier, and my mate pointed out that the guy windmilling at the front couldn't watch any of the act themselves.
Nor could my mate when he is moshing because he's such a 'hard arse'

You get a cool view with seats usually, except for when I saw Motorhead, was basically sitting on top of the front of the stage (Good! - and saw Lems bald spot) however there were points where the lights were almost blinding - only a slight downside to be fair.

[Will]

I do hate how some people in a standing crowd cant just stand or jump up and down and have to slam into others- come really close to punching people out before - and I mean even at gigs that aren't punk or hard metal gigs - slam-dancing isn't required at a Scorpions gig for example

Hardcore dancers definately piss me off, they are the worst things ever

[Philly Q]

I'm only 5'6" so I always hated standing at gigs, even when my now-creaky back could take the strain.  In the olden days at the Marquee I could get right at the front and stay there, but then some idiot invented stage-diving and moshing so that was all over.

So yes, I'm quite happy to sit nowadays.

[WezV]

i usually like to stand...

but i did see Ed Harcourt at the civic in wolverhamton on a sunday evening and that was cabaret style seating... everybody around large tables.  The best bit was we went straight to the front and grabbed a table and Ed started the gig wandering through the crowd and sat at our table.  Its certainly not how i would want most gigs to be, it removed a lot of energy from the room - but for a hungover sunday it was perfect and really chilled out.  the support act was a band called the tiny.. with a guy playing musical saw - actually very musical!!

[Spitfire]

i went to a gig at the night and day in manchester last thurs night... that was more or less just in a pub, and we sat at a normal pub table.. it was awsome...

it wasnt some unknown local band aswell.. it was kaki king who i think is totally amazing.

[dave_mc]

i generally like seats as i'm lazy (not too keen on standing for long periods), and also it means you don't have to arrive to queue 4 days before the gig to actually get a decent position...

[Crazy_Joe]

I prefer to stand, it feels like you're more involved. First and only time i ever sat down was at Metallica @ the o2 last month, the only reason i was sitting down was because standing tickets were sold out. But it was pretty good still, it was only 5 quid a ticket, i think i would have enjoyed it less if it was full price and i was sitting down though.

I hate hardcore guys, but tbh i don't see anything wrong with a circle/mosh pit at a metal gig.

[broken cord]

I'm with the sitting crowd. If I'm standing I want it to be on the stage and not in front of it.

[nfe]

I much prefer standing at the vast majority of gigs, with the exception of more laid back Jazz, classical music and smaller scale acoustic and folkie type affairs. Otherwise, standing, all the time. I fell asleep watching Dream Theater sat down once, I just feel so disconnected from the show.

Seats are cool, watched a Metal documentary DVD earlier, and my mate pointed out that the guy windmilling at the front couldn't watch any of the act themselves.
Nor could my mate when he is moshing because he's such a 'hard arse'

It's a completely different type of experience though isn't it? He's not fussed he can't actually see the band, he's enjoying himself anyway. I'm not really arsed about watching the musicians play, I want to listen and be part of the atmoshphere and part of the show itself I guess. The only times really I stand towards the back and stand still, certainly at metal concerts, is if it sounds particularly good towards the back and pish up front.

Regards the hardcore dancing, yeah it's a nuisance, but then I've always been of the opinion that if you don't want to be near it, you don't have to be. It gets right on my tits when bands actively encourage it over more typical pit stuff, where there's usually camaraderie and folk will actually help each other out if someone takes a fall or whatever, as opposed to bequiffed dafties without functioning belts trying to impress the panda eyed girlfriend by kicking a 12 year old in the face.

[Philosoful]

All the gigs I go to are either metal or upbeat/Muse etc so standing all the way! Feel the energy, jump up and down, have fun! Done pits at SOAD and it was fun but hardcore dancing I hate and feel it should stay in hardcore.

[ToneMonkey]

I've got duff knees, so I have to sit down at gigs.  Always feel guilty though as I'm sure the wife would prefer to stand.

[Afghan Dave]

I do hate how some people in a standing crowd cant just stand or jump up and down and have to slam into others- come really close to punching people out before - and I mean even at gigs that aren't punk or hard metal gigs - slam-dancing isn't required at a Scorpions gig for example

100% with you.. One day I'm gonna forget my antidepressants and F**kin' knock the living sh1t out of somebody over this... oh well... anger management only works for me so far.

[AndyR]

Seating for me...

I used to enjoy standing when I was younger - but only when I was leaning on the stage itself :lol:

The people I grew up with, we always wanted to get to the front to see the fingers on the frets, see how they controlled their gear, how they interracted with their crew, the band dynamic, etc. We wanted to see the whites of their eyes. We wanted to be "part of the gig" but most important we wanted to watch everything as well as hear it.

I stood at Andy Powell's feet, Alvin Lee, Glenn Tipton, Rory Gallagher (x4), Ted Nugent, some drunken w@nker in UFO (post Schenker), Noddy Holder, etc, etc. I learnt an awful lot from watching them that close.

And then (this is how I experienced it) in the early 80's it suddenly became fashionable for the area just behind the front row to become some sort of 200-mile-an-hour rugby scrum. I hated and loathed it and pretty much stopped wanting to go to gigs then.

Not counting pub gigs I've probably been to all of about 10 gigs since 1986. I won't go within 20 yards of the stage now, and I feel most uncomfortable and insecure if I don't have a seat or one of those "crowd control" bars to lean on.