Your Favorite Music Venue and Why

[Christa42]

I was watching a great TV show tonight about The Beacon Theater in NYC and it made me think of all the wonderful venues I have been to. So many incredible memories of all the shows I have been to over the years. I LOVE Madison Square Garden, Radio City, The Beacon and of course the Divine on the water Jones Beach. Wanted to know what all of you favorite venues, who played there and why. Discuss!

[Comicforce]

Wow.. good question. The Albert Hall is one I won't forget.. but it was for the Proms, so not the kind of music maybe you were talking about. :laugh3:

 

I think as far as venues go, they are only as good as the band playing there. (also it depends on how close you are.. etc etc) Everywhere I have seen Coldplay was awesome. :D But being close up in that small church in Hackney watching Chris and Jonny only feet away has to be up there.

 

Wembley arena I hate. It's too big.. too stuffy, and if you are even a few feet away from the stage (I'm not tall) you can't see a thing. I don't think the sound is too great either, but maybe I saw the wrong bands at the wrong time (mid summer in a heatwave?).

 

I think the Hammersmith Apollo (used to be Hammersmith Odeon) is about the best place in London to see a big band (or a small one) It's not too big, the seating/standing is sloped, so you don't get stuck behind 7ft tall people and in some cases with some bands the balcony 'bounces'! :laugh3: (although I have heard they have fixed that now sadly LOL) and you are never too far away.

 

Big open air arenas are fine provided the bands are big enough to fill them. I saw The Stones at Crystal Palace a few years ago. We were lucky enough to be upgraded to just behind the celebs. That was an awesome gig.

 

There are a lot of small clubs and pubs in London where you can see bands. I don't actually live in London, so I haven't seen a lot.. but I do have memories of the Quire Boys just before they hit the big time at the Astoria, which is fairly small and was about as loud as I think I need to ever hear music. :rolleyes: The Amps took up an entire wall next to my head... we were close to the front, and they had a 'Real' bar on stage, complete with pumps and barman, serving them haha.. :laugh3: that was a fun gig. :lol:

 

In all I think the 'atmosphere' is the main thing at a gig. Every CP gig I have ever been to the anticipation in the air is almost palpable, you could cut it with a knife. So exciting, and probably the only real times I have truly lost myself in the music at gigs. This is despite rain in London.. I don't even remember getting wet until the gig was over.. ;)

 

I hope this was the kind of thing you had in mind Christa?

[Christa42]

Wow!!! Awesome descriptions. I have so many places to go and see!

[The Final Track]

I prefer smaller venues. There's one in town that's an old boathouse which is great for intimate music. I saw Susanne Sundfør there when she was supporting The Brothel and it ended up being one of the strongest concerts I've been to.

In Amsterdam there's an old church that's used as a concert venue. I think it's called Paradiso? Also a nice venue. I saw Animal Collective there once.

And in Copenhagen there's Forum. It's not that small, more like an auditorium with the chairs taken out, but it still feels intimate, like a rock concert in a big room. I saw Elbow there, and I want to go back in November for The National.

 

Those spring to mind.

[Mollyxyloto]

The Ricoh Arena

Simply for the reason that I saw Coldplay and Muse there and got very very close to the front at both. I had a lovely experience both times, staff were friendly. Queues are organised and relaxed. Shows/concerts there have always been good for me.

[Christa42]

Roseland in NYC is closing :( From the Guardian

 

New York's Roseland Ballroom faces closure after 95 years of shows

 

Storied music venue that began as Philadelphia dance hall may shut its doors after decades hosting rock bands and pop stars

 

 

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• Karen McVeigh in New York
  
• theguardian.com, Sunday 20 October 2013 15.59 EDT
  
• Jump to comments (0)
  

Thom Yorke and Flea of Atoms For Peace perform at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

 

It has hosted generations of stars, from Hollywood song-and-dance legends Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in the early days to Madonna and Beyoncé today. But according to Billboard magazine, the Roseland Ballroom, one of New York City's most enduring musical landmarks, is set to close its doors in April 2014. That will be just five years shy of the venue's 100th birthday.

Billboard's report cited an internal email it had obtained; no official announcement has been made and no-one at the venue was available for comment on Sunday. Roseland's understated website describes it as a "legendary ballroom for special occasions" and lists future artists for dates as late as 4 February 2014.

A report in the New York Times on Sunday quoted John Scher, a long-time concert producer, saying he had heard weeks ago about Roseland's closing. Steve Martin, a booking agent who organized shows at Roseland for bands like Squeeze and Dream Theater, told the newspaper he would miss the club.

"It's a loss," he said. "Roseland always had a great feeling for the bands and for the audiences."

Owned most recently by the developer Laurence Ginsburg, with booking agent Live Nation, the Roseland was originally a skating rink and opened at its current location, at West 52nd and Broadway in midtown Manhattan, in 1958. The venue dates back to 1919, however, when it was located around the corner on 51st. Before that, it existed in Philadelphia.

Roseland opened when ballroom dancing was popular, using its quarter-acre dance floor to accommodate up to 3,200 people and hosting dance marathons, jiving and jazz. Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra all headlined. But the venue evolved with every decade, incorporating stars of rock n'roll, disco, house, grunge, hip-hop and rap.

In later years, live bands dominated its schedules, with groups such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana playing multiple nights. It has also been host to a range of events, including a recent birthday party for the former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and annual gay circuit parties.

Acts scheduled for upcoming Roseland shows include Fitz & the Tantrums, Danzig, the Wanted, Pretty Lights, Hoodie Allen, and Panic! At the Disco.

[Black Rose]

Excluding the stadiums and other outdoor venues I've been to as they are not really venues.

 

Best - I would put Bournemouth Opera House, now the O2 Academy, at the top of my list, it has quite wonderful acoustics, the insides hasn't really changed since it was built in 1895. It holds 1800 so makes it a brilliant venue for large artists on secret 'warm-up' tours. Plus it has 2 level of balconies, and the seats used for seated shows are very comfy

 

Worst - By far Southampton Guildhall, has really crap acoustics due to massively high ceiling and sides, the stage is rather high and it a pig of a venue to exit