How do you discover what gigs/concerts are playing?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Apr 2009, 21:56

I tend to use more traditional methods such as the radio, music channels and local press.

But know I must miss so much going on. I've not been to a concert in years, mostly because unless it's an act I "specifically" follow I don't know whose on and where.

I'm talking about big name acts and smaller unknowns.

p.s - Shing, please repost in Music if you like.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 09 Apr 2009, 22:09

MySpace, on the bands' pages it shows a list of their upcoming shows so I keep an eye out for when they play places like Leeds.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 10 Apr 2009, 01:19

Is there any easier way on MySpace? Instead of trawling through lots of separate band pages?

Thanks btw. I was hoping for some decent dedicated gigs/concerts site.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 10 Apr 2009, 01:22

I am on every mailing list going I think for my area so I get maybe 10 emails a week from the ticket companies I have bought tickets from in the past

and I get magazines and free lists and stuff, so I nearly always find out who is playing and get tickets way in advance. Rarley someone comes to town I do not know about. I will not travel far, so I limit myself to local places really.

If I was willing to travel far, I would have massive amounts of artists I would want to see. I see plenty as it is so no need to travel, they all come to me in the end

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 10 Apr 2009, 01:31

Any particularly good websites? I should sign up to Ticket Masters, they used to be the biggest, maybe they still are.

I cannot remember where you live Romero but for me only Bristol is local and big enough, most I need to go to London. Which in itself is fine but it means spending £100 plus, so I don't do it often.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 10 Apr 2009, 01:41

Looking at my inbox, only one email at the moment

http://www.seetickets.com/gat/index.asp

But these sorts of sites are specific to me, you can pick where you want informing etc.. most the places people play in my area I am signed up with so it is easy for me. You have to know where most bands/singers go to, 70% play at our local Carling Accademy, I have seen maybe 15 last year in there as its very popular place for singers to go. So I check that place a lot.

I could never spend £100 thats a large wad of cash thats for sure.

I paid about £20 all in for last nights gig after bus fair etc.. and I ussually go after work in Newcastle, I live in Durham but only one place for gigs there and few performers go so its Newcastle and thats a big place for Gigs, you just have to find someone you like

degeneration · Post by **degeneration** » 12 Apr 2009, 10:02

I've used www.ents24.com in the past. They can list upcoming gigs by genre and you can search for gigs near a chosen location.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Apr 2009, 19:43

Thanks for the links guys. I'll take a look.

romerojpg wrote:I could never spend £100 thats a large wad of cash thats for sure.

For me if I want to see a big act (which means London), it cannot be avoided. I don't do it often at all though and usually make a w/e of it and stay over. I'd like to see more talent locally though, for that very reason.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 12 Apr 2009, 19:56

I went to the Warehouse Project in Manchester last night and it was immense, the venue is a disused air raid shelter

It had live DJ acts on such as Timo Maas.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 13 Apr 2009, 01:11

I personally cannot see any attraction in big venues at all. Unless you are at the front r, its pointless going to them for me and standing half a mile away from the act and acctually only watching them on a Big screen. I could not think of a bigger waste of cash, I would rather buy the dvd

I like to be right next to the performers, at the front, in small venues. So you can acctually hear their real voices and see them singing and even looking you in the eyes, nothing like it

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 13 Apr 2009, 03:17

If you want to see an act, you often have no choice unless you want to pay obscene amounts of money. Tickets for big name acts already cost loads without paying the rip off prices. I never sit near the front, they cost too much.

I'm not like you though, in that I want to go and see the artist afterwards. It doesn't interest me.

It's still way better than seeing it live. Have you never seen any big name acts in big venues? It's an entirely different experience from a small venue. Both have their pluses. Some music needs a big stage, whereas some works better in a small stage. Seeing James Taylor in a small venue definitely worked. The type of atmosphere he was going would've never worked on a big stage.

When I saw Katie Melua last year, it wasn't sold out so I just sat near the front part way through. I wasn't supposed to but security wasn't stopping anyone so screw it. No one was allowed a camera but blatantly everyone ignored it as near the end everyone's camera came out. Pity it was such atrocious weather, all my photos of it are piss poor.

When I saw Shania Twain. I was far back but one point she disappeared and re-appeared in a seat literally in front of me. They did the age old trick of distracting you on age. It must've been amazing for the people she sat next to. I wish I had had my camera. I'm always wary about taking a camera into a big venue.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 13 Apr 2009, 13:25

Another thread that should really be in the Music section, so....

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 13 Apr 2009, 14:36

Been to a few big acts, never had to pay to sit at the front

as far as I know I have never heard of tickets costing more the closer you sit in our area. Must be a massive venue rip off thing, like Jackson has going at the moment where tickets cost over £1000 to be near the front, noteven at the front but near!

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 13 Apr 2009, 14:43

romerojpg wrote:I personally cannot see any attraction in big venues at all. Unless you are at the front r, its pointless going to them for me and standing half a mile away from the act and acctually only watching them on a Big screen.

The Warehouse Project is a big rave, so you just go wherever you want and you don't really need to watch the DJs because it's just basically a guy twiddling some knobs lol. Most of the time I preferred to be out of the main crowd, because you get pushed about too much and have no space to dance properly.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 13 Apr 2009, 14:52

Thats a bit different from acts, DJ's work is not exactly the same as a local gig etc..

you could be 3 miles away and still be dancing like a loon

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 13 Apr 2009, 14:58

They were acts, they're not just club DJ's, they're proper big name acts that release albums and stuff. I believe Aphex Twin played one Warehouse Project.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 13 Apr 2009, 15:04

Ohh imagine so, but its a little different to the usual gigs. Singers everyone stares at them, DJ's many people only care about the music and so dont need to look at them to often

Ahex Twin I imagine is about as well known as any, and even I could probibly pass him in the street and not recognise him

what would you say to him on the street

I own all his work, but damn he is crackers haha

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 13 Apr 2009, 15:10

Yup indeed, I for one didn't go for any of the acts, just wanted a jolly good rave in one of the country's best venues

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 13 Apr 2009, 15:12

Does Aphex Twin talk much on stage then nowadays? or just in his own world with his computers

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 13 Apr 2009, 15:19

I've never seen him, not a fan of his either. There wasn't any talking at all from any of the DJs on Saturday, just louddddd beats.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 13 Apr 2009, 15:44

romerojpg wrote:Been to a few big acts, never had to pay to sit at the front as far as I know I have never heard of tickets costing more the closer you sit in our area.

It's common practise. I cannot see how you cannot of heard of it before.

You must've been lucky with your tickets. Unless you're talking about small acts of course, those don't but all big name acts that fill out thousands of seats concerts always charge more.