Great Live Music Venues

[The Grand Wazoo]

I was wondering what folks think are the things that make a great venue for live music and which venues (past & present) are good 'uns?

Does anyone actually like gigs in huge places or fields? I'm talking about the performance rather than the event.
What happened to the 'sweat running off the walls' type gigs that I used to go to in my teenage years?

Some of my best gigs have been at places one notch up from the above:
Rock City - Nottingham
The Marquee & Dingwalls - London
Barrowlands - Glasgow..........

[john blackburn]

Holmfirth Picturedrome is a good place that gets a lot of fine musicians

http://www.picturedrome.net/music_events.htm

John

[John]

used to love going to small gigs Used to visit the Marquee most nights of the week I dislike big gigs like wembley I also enjoyed traveling out of London as people more friendlier

[MartinT]

I dislike poor or over-loud sound at gigs and unfortunately that seems to be the norm. I found venues like the Marquee and Town & Country Club to be intolerable although I went many times when I lived in London. I remember Roger Waters getting very good sound (and the most awesome bass I've ever heard) from Earls Court, which is an evil place normally.

Nowadays, I prefer smaller local venues as they tend to be better set up. The Hexagon in Reading and Haymarket/Anvil in Basingstoke can be good.

For classical you really can't beat the Festival Hall which sounds far superior to the Barbican or Albert Halls.

[John]

Its strange in my younger days when going to the Marquee the sound never bothered me It was about the atmosphere and performance, these days I am a lot more critical
Agree about the Royal festival hall, one of the best sounds I heard there was Jockln Pook

[Krisbee]

Paul Lamb doing his Sonny Terry thing at the 100 Club , or Otis Grand and his strat.

[Macca]

Victoria Hall in Hanley, Stafffordshire. Not too big, not too small - purpose built victorian era concert hall so great acoustics. You can sit down upstairs or stand downstairs.

Amongst others I saw Primal Scream there on a warm up for their 1994 tour - only half full (maybe 200 people) but a great gig with a band fresh and having fun. Seen Tull there twice - packed both times - superb.

[MartinT]

Going to the Festival Hall tonight to see Philip Glass' inaugural Violin Concerto No.2 and Gorecki's Symphony No.3. Should be packed!

[Barry]

The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. Saw Miles Davis play there 1982 - wonderful.

The Free Trade Hall, Manchester. Not the best acoustics and has fixed seating, but saw the Rolling Stones, Pentangle and many others there.

The Festival Hall, London. Has the advantage that the acoustics are consistant, regardless of where you sit; and I have sat in different parts of the hall. Couldn't tell you if the active sound reinforcement was used or not. If it was it was discreet. In my opinion best for orchestral performances. I saw Keith Jarrett there once - he has sounded better at other, smaller, venues.

The Barbican, London. Have visited there many times to see various acts from Andean folk music to the LSO (the Barbican is their permenant London residence). Having sat in various parts of the auditorium, it seems that in the Barbican you get what you pay for. The best seats, both visually and acoustically are the stalls, on bore site just in fromt of the control room. Further away the sound becomes more distant and slightly vague.

However, some of the best gigs have been in pubs and clubs; where atmosphere and intimacy more than makes up for acoustics.

Regards

[MartinT]

Festival Hall agreed, I believe the acoustic compensation is always active and the sound is excellent with great detail, little smearing, the ability to hear a pin drop in the quiet moments and the most awesome coming together during massive orchestral crescendos. I have seen some non-classical concerts there (e.g. Diana Krall) and they too were successful. The organ is acceptably good without being the most potent I've heard.

Barbican to me this hall sounds as woody as it looks, but not in a good way. I find that the sound is lost in there. I do agree that centre stalls are the best seats but even so this hall does not compare with the Festival Hall. It seems to suppress crescendos and makes the orchestra sound as if they lack power. I constantly wish to turn the volume up in there. The organ is feeble.

Albert Hall is generally a disaster acoustically despite all the effort made with the ceiling mushrooms etc. The sound is murky and absolutely disastrous if you end up in the rafters. The organ is decidedly the best of the three halls, though, and sounds glorious with something like Saint Saens Symphony No.3.

[colinB]

I went to the new London venue, Kings place last year for the ECM tour.
Acoustics were much better than the Barbican

[DanJennings]

anyone been to Symphony Hall Birmingham? great acoustics in there, a very enjoyable venue to visit.... I've even played there, boast boast.... ;)

[Techno Commander]

What happened to the 'sweat running off the walls' type gigs that I used to go to in my teenage years?.........

I did several years of running lasers at sweaty clubs in London. It played havoc with the electronics. It did make a lot of girls tops go see through though, so I suppose there was some justice. :)

I always remember the Bulldog Bash as having partiularly fine outdoor PA systems. During the day they would play "background music" at a relatively low volume. But the sound was solid and cohesive 500 yards away.

I was also very impressed by the PA Pink Floyd used on the Division Bell tour. I would say it was probably the finest PA systems I have ever heard.

[Macca]

II was also very impressed by the PA Pink Floyd used on the Division Bell tour. I would say it was probably the finest PA systems I have ever heard.

They might be muti-millionaires with helicopters but they still care about the things that matter. I hate bad PA. I despise it.

[aquapiranha]

The Millenniun forum in (London)Derry is as good a place as I have seen. Really nice acoustic and not too big or small. all in all a lovely building. The technically minded can download a VERY detailed description on this page here...

http://gcldvsh.sed2.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82&Itemid=69

[Alex_UK]

I have a soft spot for the Waterfront in Norwich, partly because I was on the periphery of setting it up, but also because it is big enough to get good names, but intimate enough to make it seem personal. I think I'm done with stadiums and mega-gigs - I can't see the point really, when you don't get much of a view and it sounds crap anyway. Actually, refer to the "grumpy old men" thread ;)

[Macca]

One of my great favourites was The Wheatsheaf in Stoke Upon Trent. I lived just down the roads and saw countless bands some of whom went on to fame and fortune. Don't look for it - it's not there anymore.

Except it is .As a crummy Witherspoons gin joint. No music at all, not even piped crap. Company policy

[Spectral Morn]

The Millenniun forum in (London)Derry is as good a place as I have seen. Really nice acoustic and not too big or small. all in all a lovely building. The technically minded can download a VERY detailed description on this page here...

http://gcldvsh.sed2.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82&Itemid=69

especially when a certain lady is there ;)

Her sister has a new record out with a fabulous cover of Army Dreamers by Kate Bush.


Regards D S D L

[aquapiranha]

especially when a certain lady is there ;)

Her sister has a new record out with a fabulous cover of Army Dreamers by Kate Bush.


Regards D S D L

A certain lady would make any venue she plays the best. :lol:

Thanks for the tip off Neil, I will check it out.

Steve

[Techno Commander]

They might be muti-millionaires with helicopters but they still care about the things that matter. I hate bad PA. I despise it.

Indeed. Thats why the gig was recorded in analogue and on tape.

[Spectral Morn]

For me its the Ulster Hall big enough to give scale but small enough that you can see the group it also mostly has good acoustics.

I have seen the following there.... I am going through the concert ticket stubs

Whitesnake, Def Leppard (high & Dry period), Budgie, Tori amos, Divine Comedy, Goldfrapp, Uriah Heep, Europe, Jethro Tull,Jeff Beck,Hawkwind (apparently but I don't remember that :scratch:),Magnum, Extreme, Rory Gallagher, The Michael Schenker group, Petra, to name a few.


Regards D S D L

[Techno Commander]

Excellent taste in live music.

Why does everyone say the same thing about Hawkwind? :):)

[Spectral Morn]

Excellent taste in live music.

Why does everyone say the same thing about Hawkwind? :):)

The thing is, I have never done strange substances (drank a bit but was off drink then in 1994, still am) but I don't remember seeing what were at one time my fave band. It must have been so crap I have blotted it from my memory. I have the ticket stub but no memory..... weird.


Regards D S D L

[Techno Commander]

I have seen a couple of gigs they performed, which were quite frankly appalling and probably best not remembered.

Strangely, they were the band that first got me interested in lasers and 20 years later I ended up doing laser shows for them. :)

[Spectral Morn]

I have seen a couple of gigs they performed, which were quite frankly appalling and probably best not remembered.

Strangely, they were the band that first got me interested in lasers and 20 years later I ended up doing laser shows for them. :)

For me the ideal would be jump in a time machine and go back to 1975 and see them doing Warrior on the Edge of Time or jump forward a tad and see them doing Quark Strangness and Charm.

I just feel that Dave Brock and the newbies have had their day. They were the first band I got into when at school, I had read a Michael Moorcock book called Time of the Hawklords and found that the band in the book existed and were not a figment of his imagination.

What were they like to work with and who was in the band at that time ?


Regards D S D L

[Techno Commander]

Of all the times I saw them, I still think Black Sword and the Xenon Codex tours were the best. Black sword for music, as almost all the songs played were new and some were quite exceptional Moonglum and Needle Gun in particular. Xenon Codex had superb production. The set was a "mad doctors laboratory" all done in UV reflective material and a giant reel to reel tape deck as the back drop. This is also the first time I saw them using lasers, an argon and krypton pair that were very well operated and producing some stunning effects. :)

The first gig I did with them was quite an experience, I was walking round with a silly smile all day long. The guys were excellent to work with. Very down to earth and no pretentiousness at all. I suppose that after 40 years they have sertainly been there and done it all and are now just laid back and enjoying themselves, although I suspect they have always been like that.

The line up was Dave Brock, Alan Davy, Huw Lloyd Langdon, Richard Chadwick and Tim Blake. I dont know if I would agree that they have had their time. They still sell out venues, sell albums and are attracting a younger crowd. Maybe they are having another rennaisance.

[Spectral Morn]

Of all the times I saw them, I still think Black Sword and the Xenon Codex tours were the best. Black sword for music, as almost all the songs played were new and some were quite exceptional Moonglum and Needle Gun in particular. Xenon Codex had superb production. The set was a "mad doctors laboratory" all done in UV reflective material and a giant reel to reel tape deck as the back drop. This is also the first time I saw them using lasers, an argon and krypton pair that were very well operated and producing some stunning effects. :)

The first gig I did with them was quite an experience, I was walking round with a silly smile all day long. The guys were excellent to work with. Very down to earth and no pretentiousness at all. I suppose that after 40 years they have sertainly been there and done it all and are now just laid back and enjoying themselves, although I suspect they have always been like that.

The line up was Dave Brock, Alan Davy, Huw Lloyd Langdon, Richard Chadwick and Tim Blake. I dont know if I would agree that they have had their time. They still sell out venues, sell albums and are attracting a younger crowd. Maybe they are having another rennaisance.

Pretty good line up. I would love to have seen Tim as he is a very good keyboard player.

I agree about Black Sword and Xenon Codex but for me what has followed those releases just sounds tired and features quite a lot of musical rehashes of the same old riffs and lyrics. I stopped buying Hawkwind albums after the Xenon Codex with the exception of re-releases on CD.


Regards D S D L

[Techno Commander]

For me the ideal would be jump in a time machine and go back to 1975 and see them doing Warrior on the Edge of Time or jump forward a tad and see them doing Quark Strangness and Charm.

I had read a Michael Moorcock book called Time of the Hawklords and found that the band in the book existed and were not a figment of his imagination.

Regards D S D L

I would also add Hall Of The Mountain Grill to that list. I wasnt awake of Moorcock prior to the gig, but that quickly changed. I read most of the Elric novels and also the Korum books, which I think are slightly better. Also as a stand alone book, "The Ice Schooner" is a good read.





Pretty good line up. I would love to have seen Tim as he is a very good keyboard player.

I agree about Black Sword and Xenon Codex but for me what has followed those releases just sounds tired and features quite a lot of musical rehashes of the same old riffs and lyrics. I stopped buying Hawkwind albums after the Xenon Codex with the exception of re-releases on CD.


Regards D S D L

I was quite chuffed that Tim was on keyboards as I really like his music as well. He managed to sneak Lighthouse and Genetrator into the track listing. :) I think he is a permanent addition to the line up as I have seen him play with the band on 3 separate occaisons now. Regarding their newer albums, I tihnk Palace Springs is probably the best of the bunch.

20 years ago at the first gig of theirs I went to, I got by denim jacket autographed by the band. It has the cover artwork to Warrior painted on the back of it. The last time I went, I got my "Acid Daze" boxed set of vinyl signed. :)

[Pete The Cat]

Controversial vote for "Levitation" here. Post-Calvert, digital and Ginger Baker too. Tommy Vance had said it sounded great on headphones and I got the blue vinyl version...

Pete

[DanJennings]

I love the Hawklords 25 Years On!
I can feel the other hawkfans cringing...
I like the classic era too, but I love the Calvert era