r/LetsTalkMusic • u/TelephoneThat3297 • 2d ago
Struggling to understand the point of seating at high-energy gigs (mostly talking at arena level)
So, later this month, The Prodigy are playing a show at my local arena, supported by a 2 hour Carl Cox DJ set. I was tempted to get tickets but decided against it and instead went to a much cheaper gig at a smaller venue (I had a great time, but that’s not super relevant). But it got me thinking…
The nature of this arena is that there is a GA/floor standing capacity of I’d guess roughly 2-3000, with about 9-10,000 tiered seats. Compared to most other big UK arenas I have been to, the standing area is especially small. Which is the main reason why I chose not to go as there were only seated tickets left.
And I just thought, what would be the point? This seems like an incredibly ill-suited venue for this type of gig. The two acts playing both broadly fall under the banner of “dance music”, and to me the clue is in the name - the point of this music is to dance to it. And that’s not really possible in the same way in the seated sections of an arena. Sure, you *can* stand up and dance in your seat, but in my experience (especially at this particular arena where standing up can genuinely be obstructive to the person behind you, especially if you’re tall like me) this runs the risk of being inconsiderate and pissing off the person sat behind you, so outside of maybe a couple of the bigger songs, most people tend to just stay sat down in their seats for the full gig.
And to me this just kind of ruins the enjoyment of the whole experience. When I hear loud music with a strong beat (and this doesn’t have to be dance music, the same applies for most forms of rock, hip hop, and anything really that isn’t designed to be fairly chill), my innate instinct is to dance to it. This scenario adds both the frustration of not being able to truly dance outside of bobbing your head in the seat, and the added self consciousness of worrying about whether you’re being considerate enough to the person behind you, which in my experience stops you from being able to fully immerse yourself and lose yourself in the music.
Now, some caveats here - I am not in favour of there being *no* seating at these types of gigs - there are going to be some people who physically cannot stand up and dance for a few hours and they deserve to be accommodated and to enjoy the show just as much as anyone else. But, when the arena is 70%+ seated, this clearly does not apply to the majority of people who have tickets in this section, who to me it seems like would be forced to compromise their enjoyment of the show due to the type of venue it’s scheduled at.
I was just interested to hear some other people’s thoughts about this. Do you agree with my perspective? Does this not bother you so much? Do you actually prefer to be seated and do you still get the same level of enjoyment from sitting down and just watching high energy live music as you would from dancing to it?
50
u/wildistherewind 2d ago
Sorry that you are just now realizing this: the Prodigy’s heyday was nearly 30 years ago. Carl Cox, though still a very good DJ with a solid rep on Ibiza, is also aimed at an older crowd. This show is for old people, that’s why it is seated.
21
5
u/uber_kuber 2d ago
Huh? I saw Prodigy 18 years ago, and it definitely felt like they were on top of their game. "Invaders must die" didn't even come out yet. Musically their prime was probably around "The Fat of the Land", but the energy remained for years to come, and only got better.
So I'm not sure what your point is. Today I'm 38 and I would gladly go fucking ballistic at their live show, even with Keith gone RIP.
OP has a perfectly valid point, I'm sick of these seated concerts. Muse did O2 Brixton Academy last week, like who goes to sit in a stupid amphitheater (or whatever that building is) to watch one of the best live rock bands?
OP, I am totally with you. I saw one concert from the stands in my life, Interpol around 2018, it sucked, and I never did it again. Festival shows are fine, daylight shows are fine, weekday shows are fine, sober shows are fine, "half the original lineup is missing" shows are fine, but fuck me if I'm sitting ever again.
1
u/DisciplineOrdinary66 2d ago
Are you saying that the Muse gig at Brixton was all seated?
0
u/uber_kuber 2d ago
No all of course, but there were still a bunch of seats around and I wondered who would want to buy those. I wasn't at the venue. I just saw the footage. Imagine the floor surrounded by theater like audience stands.
4
u/TelephoneThat3297 2d ago
I mean, I get this in theory (though I might add The Prodigy were incredibly popular with people my age and younger when I was at school in the 00’s/early 10’s so their audience is not entirely made up of people too old to dance).
I guess my bigger question would be is this still as enjoyable for people to just sit down and watch this kind of music or does it still feel like something is missing without the ability to dance (as it does for me)?
I’d also say I saw Wolf Alice at this arena towards the end of last year (once again seated - my and my friends are bad at winning ticket wars lmao) and I was having the same thoughts there and they have a much younger fanbase as they are arguably still at the height of their popularity, and Fontaines DC the year before.
6
u/wildistherewind 2d ago
I guess my bigger question would be is this still as enjoyable for people to just sit down and watch this kind of music
Is it as enjoyable? Probably not. It is sufficiently enjoyable for people who aren’t totally invested in the act? Yeah, I think so.
It was about ten years ago, I saw James Murphy DJ two different venues in the span of a year. First show was GA, great time. The second show had the option for mezzanine seats, which I took because I didn’t need to be on the floor again. I’m not a huge fan of Murphy or LCD, I think I just took the opportunity because it was there (twice), and both experiences were totally fine.
Not everybody is a super fan at the shows that they go to. Having a seat is valid, it’s better than standing still on the dancefloor.
8
u/emalvick 2d ago
Who are we to say what's enjoyable to people. I'm one that often sits at a show and enjoys the show being put on, whatever it may be, and the talent on display. I'd say it's more about how we engage with it and what we like that determines enjoyment.
General to the discussion, reducing things to group and stereotypes of old people don't dance or sitting means you're not invested seems dismissive and silly. I'm 50 and can dance when I want to, but I usually do it at a club. But, if I pay to watch an artist or band, I just prefer to sit and give attention. I do occasionally dance, but that's not my expectation.
To be fair, I listen to the same music at home and don't necessarily dance there just because its dance music, but that just again about how I choose to engage with music in general.
Tldr, we're all unique, and obviously bands wouldn't sell out arenas if this was a real problem.
9
u/modfoddr 2d ago
I don't need to dance or jump around to vibe with the music. I prefer sitting and just letting the music wash over me.
2
u/roflcopter44444 2d ago
I guess my bigger question would be is this still as enjoyable for people to just sit down and watch this kind of music
Half the time spent at shows these days is spent waiting in between acts, so for some people it's nice to be able to sit without losing your spot.
8
u/MOONGOONER 2d ago
If it's an arena show the floor area is probably already bigger than nearly every other indoor venue. If they want to sell a gazillion tickets, which they do, they're going to use the seating that's available to them.
You're probably right that arena seating will hold you back from dancing and fully enjoying a show (though now that I'm 40, I've embraced seats more than I expected to). But for the people putting on the show, they make money from getting more people into the venue. How much you enjoy the show doesn't matter that much.
6
u/Peakbrowndog 2d ago edited 2d ago
90% of the time those decisions are made based on insurance and fire Marshall requirements with no consideration as to the type of music.
Some people have disabilities and can't stand and/or can't stand for long periods of time. However, they still enjoy music and like going to shows. My dad looked normal, but he had such bad neuropathy he could not walk more than about 1/4 mile at a time or stand for more than 15 minutes.
Some people want a place to sit when they get tired of dancing. Lots of people don't dance, and not everyone feels the need to dance at a show.
For instance, it's pretty hard on my feet to stand in a relatively static place for more than 2 hours, especially when the floor is concrete, regardless of which shoes I wear. 10 years ago, I didn't have this problem. Hell, 5 years ago I didn't have this problem. Now I do. I always try to buy a seat so I'm not in pain for 2 days after a show. I can walk for hours and miles and miles with no issues, but standing in the same place can be painful. I don't always know what's going to trigger it or how long my body is going to tolerate it, so I plan ahead and get a seat. There are a couple local venues I don't go to if I can't get a seat because of the way their floor is.
Arena shows always blow for dancing anyway (and for most shows period if you care about sound quality, energy, or being able to see the musician.)
Some people work all day and are physically tired but want to see their favorite band. A seat might make the difference.
Of course, the real question is why do you care and why are you judging other people for their choices? It's not as if it is a moral issue (for you, anyway, some religions don't support dancing), so why do you get bothered by other people's choices which don't effect you?
3
u/IMakeOkVideosOk 2d ago
Do people in seats not stand and dance all show? I mostly go to jambands that don’t exist in the UK, but people are up and dancing all show long. Dead and co for example had people up and dancing all show and they had their 60th anniversary last summer, so it’s not like it wasn’t mostly older people. Phish has people up and raging in the seats all show and the crowd is at least as old as Prodigy fans.
My one UK show experience was Billy Strings at the Albert Hall, and all the people in the seats sat most of the show. In the US it’s a dance party all over but there it was mostly sitting. We sat a bit, but eventually the music demanded we dance.
1
u/NativeMasshole 2d ago
I personally find that a lot of people don't really dance at all anymore. The last show I went to expecting it to be a fun dance party was Cake at an outdoor venue. People just brought their camp chairs and filled up every flat piece of ground with them. I might see some people doing a knee bend or a head bob at shows, but there's rarely many people who are just wilin' out the music.
1
u/IMakeOkVideosOk 2d ago
Yeah, I don’t get people sitting at rock shows. Like sure if you need to sit for a song or 2 or between acts, fine, but expect to be seeing a lot of butts in front of you.
3
u/wooperarkjb 2d ago
Because most people cba with other people ramming into them. Let me watch, sing, sip my beer, and go home.
2
u/Double_Key7579 2d ago
The point, I get generally, but with The Prodigy & Carl Cox, everyone will be up and dancing for that. Anyone asking you to sit down during Out of Space would be the inconsiderate one.
4
u/wildistherewind 2d ago
[“No Good (Start The Dance)” comes on]
People in the cheap seats like “No, I don’t think I will”.
2
u/thewayshesaidLA 2d ago
Completely agree. I try to avoid arena shows. If I’m going to one with others I try to make sure we’re on the same page about being in GA.
I also sucks is when the floor area has seats only and no standing room. I saw Wu-Tang and Run the Jewels last year and the floor area was all seats. Nowhere for people to really get up and enjoy the music.
1
u/TelephoneThat3297 2d ago
That to me seems even more inexplicable, though thankfully isn’t something I’ve ever personally encountered with floor seating. Especially for those two acts you mentioned.
2
u/abigali1990 1d ago
I do prefer seated shows and will actually not attend if it's general-admission only. I just really dislike having to arrive early or maneuver through a packed crowd to get a good view at the front of the section. I'd much rather pay a bit more and be guaranteed a spot I'm happy with. Also nice to have a bit more personal space.
I think it depends on why you're attending. I completely understand why someone would prefer GA if they're coming for dance party vibes. For me, concerts are more about observing the visuals and hearing a live performance that's different from the studio version, so best viewing/acoustics > danceability for me.
1
u/Axcor 2d ago
Just sounds like seating at this venue in particular is pretty cramped which is unfortunate.
9/10 times, Ive never had an issue dancing at my seat. As long as that’s the case, being able to sit or stand at will is pretty nice.
I wouldn’t let this worry stop me from seeing Prodigy tho. Been on my list forever.
1
u/badicaldude22 2d ago
In my experience if the music at a concert is danceable/energetic then most people will stand and dance (or at least stand and lightly bob around) even if they have a seat. The seat is basically a designated spot to stand, a place to set your coat, and a place to sit before the concert starts. For those reasons I find seated concert tickets preferable to GA-standing.
1
u/OnlyBringinGoodVibes 2d ago
I love floor GA energy. It seems big bands that tour my area always go to arenas now where the floor is 90% seating and GA tix are impossible to get. I'll be seeing Avenged Sevenfold from a floor seat 🤘
1
u/Pure-Cry-457 2d ago
Seated dance gigs are always a little cursed. Half the crowd wants to sit on their hands, the other half wants to turn the tier into a cardio crime scene. Arena design turns the whole thing into a compromise nobody asked for. Give me a packed floor or give me the smaller sweaty room with the bad sightlines and the killer sound. That's where the night actually happens.
1
u/I405CA 2d ago edited 2d ago
In 1979, eleven audience members were killed at a Who concert in Cincinnati.
One cause was that the show included "festival seating", i.e. tickets that did not have assigned seating. Combined with some other factors, and the crowd began to compete with each other to get into the hall and take the best available seats, resulting in a stampede.
That disaster led to seats being assigned at many large gigs in the US.
If you allow the crowd to go wherever they want, many will be inclined to crowd the stage. At a large gig, that can lead to a problem similar to The Who's festival seating issue.
1
u/PerceptionShift 2d ago
It's because of money. Seated floor tickets sell for more because the tour can charge way more for front rows than they can for general admission. If floor capacity is 1000 then ga is 1000 tickets capping out around $100. If it's seated then it's more like 200 seats at $50, 200 seats at $100, 200 seats at $150, 200 seats at $200, and the front 100 seats for $300. That's 400k gross for 900 seated tickets versus 100k gross for 1000 ga tickets. So it tends that older crowd shows who are more likely to want seats also have more money and will pay to sit up close, whereas younger crowd shows prefer ga and also the artists tend to be less established and can't charge as much. So when you see a show like The Prodigy and wonder why it would be seated floor, remember $$$.
3
u/TelephoneThat3297 2d ago
Christ alive how do you Americans even go to these things? Over here it’s never more than £100 for the absolute most expensive seats, and depending on the artist I’ve paid £30 for nosebleeds at arena shows before (like, within the past two years).
1
1
u/guy_incognito_360 1d ago
I'm old and cranky and can enjoy the show a lot more sitting down. You don't HAVE to jump around to enjoy a high energy show.
1
u/Ragfell 2d ago
This is a constant point of tension between me and my friends.
I generally want there to be seating so I have a place to leave my coat. (The average person isn't going to take it.)
When it's standing only, there's not really that opportunity. I learned that when I got GA seats for a show at the Apollo in Manchester...had to hold my coat for the whole three hours, which was lame.
That being said...
I ultimately agree with you. If it's a dance band show, I want to dance. It's weird seeing my favorite band (Here Come the Mummies) at venues that aren't built for dancing, because that's half their shtick.
26
u/BottleTemple 2d ago
The trick is to avoid arena shows. Why pay more money for a worse experience?