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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms 20:01 - Jun 6 with 8966 views

My facebook feed seems full of friends seeing ACDC, Springsteen & (dare I say it) Coldplay in vast stadiums. They've paid £100 odd quid a ticket, for a really poor view and a poor sound.

Personally I lose interest when a band gets big and generally prefer emerging first/second album bands before thy hit it big, playing in dark, sweaty rooms with a slippery floor from all the beer spilt, for no more than £30

Each to their own I suppose...but anyone else with me?

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 20:12 - Jun 6 with 6858 views

FDC

Sweaty basements all the way

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 20:29 - Jun 6 with 6839 views

PlanetHonneywood

Smaller venues any day of the week.

Sadly, the money is in mega venues that are often acoustically crap and as intimate as dogging behind Battersea Power Station.

When you hear stories of some megastar playing a random gig in a small venue, you can't help but think of the concert goers...lucky buggers!

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 20:52 - Jun 6 with 6811 views

BrianMcCarthy

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 20:29 - Jun 6 by PlanetHonneywood
Smaller venues any day of the week. Sadly, the money is in mega venues that are often acoustically crap and as intimate as dogging behind Battersea Power Station. When you hear stories of some megastar playing a random gig in a small venue, you can't help but think of the concert goers...lucky buggers!

Smaller, please. But then, I love soul, indie, folk and trad.

My stadium concert days finished within seconds of me finding out (smelling) what was in those bottles that used to form a beautiful, playful dome over the crowd.

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 20:54 - Jun 6 with 6809 views

BazzaInTheLoft

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 20:29 - Jun 6 by PlanetHonneywood
Smaller venues any day of the week. Sadly, the money is in mega venues that are often acoustically crap and as intimate as dogging behind Battersea Power Station. When you hear stories of some megastar playing a random gig in a small venue, you can't help but think of the concert goers...lucky buggers!

Dogging Behind Battersea is a pretty good name for a band.

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 21:05 - Jun 6 with 6795 views

Dorse

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 20:54 - Jun 6 by BazzaInTheLoft
Dogging Behind Battersea is a pretty good name for a band.

Lead singer, Ray Jinghorn.

'What do we want? We don't know! When do we want it? Now!'

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 06:17 - Jun 7 with 6691 views

londonscottish

Small for me. Can't see the point of standing half a mile away from the act. Or spending two and a half hours trying to get down the front before realising you need a pee or a drink and you've lost all you mates and have to go all the way back. WTF?

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 07:41 - Jun 7 with 6661 views

kingsburyR

For larger bands I'd take Brixton Academy over the O2 any day of the week.

Dont know why we bother. .... but we do!

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 08:12 - Jun 7 with 6638 views

Honkytonks

Remember seeing prince do a warm up gig at Camden palace back in the day....outstanding!

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 08:19 - Jun 7 with 6634 views

simmo

I wouldn't see Coldplay if I was the only one there, but then if bands and acts only play large venues, there's not much choice. Add into it that touts are fckin ruthless with the snaffling of tickets even for the big gigs and you just have to attend the ones you're able to.

I'm off to Stone Roses next week, while I'd rather see them at the Electric Ballroom or something, there is something pretty great about an entire stadium in the sunshine bouncing together.

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 08:36 - Jun 7 with 6627 views

Metallica_Hoop

As I said on the Boss thread you can't beat a small, dirty, smelly room for atmosphere where even your fairly warm ale gets condensation.

The Windmill Brixton, Black Heart Camden and the Bull and Gate Kentish Town are my favourites. Special mention to the Dublin Castle Camden.

The best venue is the Underworld Camden though a bit larger.

I once at the Black Heart saw a short girl couldn't see at Jex Thoth (she's tiny) so I said would you like my space as it was better. Anyway we started chatting bought a drink or two and turns out she was a good mate of a mate. Small world, small venues.

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 08:58 - Jun 7 with 6611 views

Silverfoxqpr

Definitely the latter although I can't thing of a single band that I like enough to go and see in a stadium anyway. This year so far it's been the usual round of small venues such as Oslo in Hackney, The Garage, Electric ballroom etc. I swore to myself many years ago now I'd never bother going to a venue bigger than Brixton Academy, as pointed out several times above I just can't see what anyone gets out of stadium gigs. Also the bigger the venue the higher the 'OMG! we're at a gig, we're SO cool and we're going to talk all the way through the band' factor increases.

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 08:59 - Jun 7 with 6609 views

Monahoop

Small dark sweaty rooms or simply smaller venues for me all the way. Conjur up a better and more genuine atmosphere than any mega stadium or large venue could ever create, even when large or big name bands or musicians play in them [ and some top musicians, ie Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will always say the intimate venues are the best ]. I always think stadium venues are full of band wagoner types who feel they have to be there, or just to say they have seen a certain artist or band. You know the' Oohh look at me waving my hands in the air and pretending to know the words' types. That's a shame for the real fans and in some ways for the musicians, but that's life. My favourite dingy venue was the Alhambra on Brighton sea front. Sadly gone now I believe. Viva pub rock!

There aint half been some clever bastards.

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 09:01 - Jun 7 with 6608 views

Brightonhoop

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 08:36 - Jun 7 by Metallica_Hoop

Love the small venues, saw Glen Tilbrook do an excellent accoustic set at the Dublin Castle.

Regularly saw some biggish names play Concorde2 in Brighton a) as I used to photograph their for a time, and b) when I wasn't photographing could get o nthhe guest list, which helps obviously. Bruce Foxtons accoustic set was something else, as was PIL blowing the roof off. Best time though was turning up early for photos and being one of only 4 people in the room, around 4pm ish when Ian McCullugh of Echos Bunnymen fame, ripping through a rehearsal.

Took my neice to see Oasis at Knebworth back in the day and the Charlatans too were brilliant, so both have something but give me Foo Fighters at the old Astoria anyday.

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 09:22 - Jun 7 with 6583 views

francisbowles

I grew up watching Rory Gallagher at the Marquee and Thin Lizzy at the Winning Post in Twickenham and these days try to find gigs at smaller venues like Andy Fairweather Low at Nell's, Georgie Fame at the New Rose in Kingston or Kokomo at the Half Moon. It is no contest really.

Sunday was my first taste of the stadium stuff, as I said on the other thread but it was the only way I was going to get to see Bruce! I guess that if I ever want to see AC/DC then I will have to do something similar but there aren't any others that I can think off that I will be repeating it for.

Pleased I took the plunge, still can't get some of the songs out of my head. Must dig out 'The River' and play it for the first time in years.

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 09:42 - Jun 7 with 6574 views

derbyhoop

I prefer the latter but, unless you are a stickler for finding upcoming bands, you don't find out about the smaller gigs until the bands have outgrown them.

In recent years, I did manage to see British Sea Power and Everything, Everything at the Academy in Dublin and War On Drugs at Manchester's Albert Hall. All excellent.

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 10:05 - Jun 7 with 6561 views

robith

Obviously it's better to see them in more contained space - but the alternative is Radiohead playing 3 nights at the Roundhouse to a combined 6,000 people meaning no one gets to see them

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 10:17 - Jun 7 with 6549 views

TheBlob

Small gigs definitely better,there's almost an intimate rapport.The old Marquee Club as was mentioned before was great.Rory Galagher there,Joe Cocker,Hendrix,King Crimson etc.
Toby Jug Tolworth now gone,Black Prince Bexley for Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart,Freddie King.
Loads of sweaty little clubs in and around the capital,the Chislehurst Caves.....
Probably the best one The Nag's Head Battersea now gone.Upstairs room of a pub,about 30 rickety wooden chairs,tiny stage,first ever gig by Free,one of the first of Jethro Tull.You don't need mountains of gear,godsend to us poor old roadies.

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 10:59 - Jun 7 with 6511 views

Metallica_Hoop

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 09:01 - Jun 7 by Brightonhoop

I loved the Astoria.

Megadeth in 2007 is one of my favourite gigs ever.

Drunk as a lord, sweating like a whore in church and battered to fook but what a great gig.

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 11:07 - Jun 7 with 6504 views

TheBlob

The perfect "large" venue imo was the old Rainbow(Finsbury Park Astoria),just the right size.Hammersmith Odeon wasn't bad either.
Haven't been to the new Marquee or the revamped Roundhouse yet.
Don't like the echoing void of Wembley arena or whatever they call it.
Nightmare to mix,you get it right and then the audience comes in and spoils the set up.Festival sound was always crap,like a giant Fete Worse Than Death.

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 11:08 - Jun 7 with 6503 views

simmo

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 10:59 - Jun 7 by Metallica_Hoop
I loved the Astoria. Megadeth in 2007 is one of my favourite gigs ever. Drunk as a lord, sweating like a whore in church and battered to fook but what a great gig.

RIP Astoria... I properly loved that place

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Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 11:11 - Jun 7 with 6500 views

WrightUp5hit___

Way of life just called to a halt by legislation, music licencing, fire regulations and health and safety.

Was a member of the Marquee (Wardour Street) when I was 15, and oh what good nights we had Average White Band, Vinegar Joe, Jeff Beck, those nutters from Brett Marvin.

And then a few years later, Pub Rock. Some very, very crap musicians and some very good but a huge wave of people getting the opportunity to listen to and play to a live audience.

All neutered by legislation, and any remnants pale imitation of what was.

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 11:17 - Jun 7 with 6493 views

Brightonhoop

Stadium rock v Small dark sweaty rooms on 10:59 - Jun 7 by Metallica_Hoop
I loved the Astoria. Megadeth in 2007 is one of my favourite gigs ever. Drunk as a lord, sweating like a whore in church and battered to fook but what a great gig.

Ha! Yep, Laibach and Foo Fighters for me, plenty of others but they in particular took the roof off.

And SLF at Brixton Academy, both larger than small venues but fck me nights that live long in the memory. Left SLF with one shoe. Great times.