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Tour Announcements & Upcoming Gigs


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  On 1/30/2025 at 9:06 PM, charlierc said:

There is the strangeness to think that Wembley Arena began life as a swimming pool, and some suggest the acoustics are still a bit wacky because of that. I didn't have issues on my two visits there, but maybe the more eagle eared can note it.

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It used to have a reputation for a muddy sound, but the big renovation about 20 years ago has improved the acoustics. As you say, it鈥檚 not a purpose built concert hall at all, but became more or less the only arena in the UK hosting regular concerts during the 70鈥檚 (Earls Court was occasionally used). Back then there was no such thing as an arena tour in the UK.

 

I鈥檝e got a soft spot for the place. Nearly 100 years old and looks better than ever, with a striking art-deco style facade. It holds a real place in UK rock history and has hosted everyone - Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin etc. I鈥檝e seen Prince, Queen, Oasis and many more there. 
 

Obviously the O2 has overtaken it in the pecking order (personally I think it鈥檚 a shame. The O2鈥檚 not in the most convenient location and isn鈥檛 great if you鈥檙e in the upper tier), but hopefully it still has a place on the circuit

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  On 1/31/2025 at 4:23 PM, henry bear said:

It used to have a reputation for a muddy sound, but the big renovation about 20 years ago has improved the acoustics.

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I've seen a whole bunch of bands there over the last 15-20 years. By far the worse sound of the lot were Pearl Jam and Queens Of The Stone Age. Porcupine Tree a couple of years ago was incredible, one of the best sounding arena gigs I've ever been to. They spent quite a lot of time getting everything right by all accounts. 

The biggest problem with the venue really is its inability to cope with the periods before show/during interval when everyone's on the concourse trying to get drinks/food/toilet breaks, there just isn't enough space to move about. 

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  On 1/31/2025 at 4:23 PM, henry bear said:

It used to have a reputation for a muddy sound, but the big renovation about 20 years ago has improved the acoustics. As you say, it鈥檚 not a purpose built concert hall at all, but became more or less the only arena in the UK hosting regular concerts during the 70鈥檚 (Earls Court was occasionally used). Back then there was no such thing as an arena tour in the UK.

 

I鈥檝e got a soft spot for the place. Nearly 100 years old and looks better than ever, with a striking art-deco style facade. It holds a real place in UK rock history and has hosted everyone - Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin etc. I鈥檝e seen Prince, Queen, Oasis and many more there. 
 

Obviously the O2 has overtaken it in the pecking order (personally I think it鈥檚 a shame. The O2鈥檚 not in the most convenient location and isn鈥檛 great if you鈥檙e in the upper tier), but hopefully it still has a place on the circuit

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Tbf my only time at Earls Court had pretty crap sound. I know the O2 can be hit & miss, having gone there so many times, but for Arctics in 2013 at Earls Court, the bass was inaudible and something just felt missing from the overall mix. Could just be an AM thing though as I didn't think their sound system was much better at Finsbury Park the following summer.

 

I have heard Wembley is better than it used to be though. So there's that. Even if I've only been twice as I'm aware the O2 has overtaken it for most arena-level bookings. Feel like I even see more at Alexandra Palace, which is even more annoying to get to from where I come into London from.

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  On 1/31/2025 at 1:17 PM, dotdash79 said:

The placement of the Sphere was a bit daft as the o2 is only a few miles away. Wembley arena needs to be pulled down and rebuilt. 

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The o2 being so nearby doesn't really matter - people travel across London for a big concert anyway. The sphere location was also much better connected (ie not on a peninsula). It was a complete eyesore though and looks stupid - I am anything but a NIMBY but f**k that like living next to a 200ft light up billboard

 

  On 1/31/2025 at 4:23 PM, henry bear said:

It used to have a reputation for a muddy sound, but the big renovation about 20 years ago has improved the acoustics. As you say, it鈥檚 not a purpose built concert hall at all, but became more or less the only arena in the UK hosting regular concerts during the 70鈥檚 (Earls Court was occasionally used). Back then there was no such thing as an arena tour in the UK.

 

I鈥檝e got a soft spot for the place. Nearly 100 years old and looks better than ever, with a striking art-deco style facade. It holds a real place in UK rock history and has hosted everyone - Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin etc. I鈥檝e seen Prince, Queen, Oasis and many more there. 
 

Obviously the O2 has overtaken it in the pecking order (personally I think it鈥檚 a shame. The O2鈥檚 not in the most convenient location and isn鈥檛 great if you鈥檙e in the upper tier), but hopefully it still has a place on the circuit

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Wembley Arena is in a far worse location i'd say - its way further out! The area can handle the crowds well though i guess.

 

  On 2/1/2025 at 10:13 AM, charlierc said:

Tbf my only time at Earls Court had pretty crap sound. I know the O2 can be hit & miss, having gone there so many times, but for Arctics in 2013 at Earls Court, the bass was inaudible and something just felt missing from the overall mix. Could just be an AM thing though as I didn't think their sound system was much better at Finsbury Park the following summer.

 

I have heard Wembley is better than it used to be though. So there's that. Even if I've only been twice as I'm aware the O2 has overtaken it for most arena-level bookings. Feel like I even see more at Alexandra Palace, which is even more annoying to get to from where I come into London from.

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Alexandra Palace certainly gets all the interesting stuff, wembley arena is naff in comparison at least for my taste!

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  On 2/1/2025 at 10:35 PM, gfa said:

The o2 being so nearby doesn't really matter - people travel across London for a big concert anyway. The sphere location was also much better connected (ie not on a peninsula). It was a complete eyesore though and looks stupid - I am anything but a NIMBY but f**k that like living next to a 200ft light up billboard

 

Wembley Arena is in a far worse location i'd say - its way further out! The area can handle the crowds well though i guess.

 

Alexandra Palace certainly gets all the interesting stuff, wembley arena is naff in comparison at least for my taste!

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It is curious that Wembley and Ally Pally are both in the 10k ballpark yet one seems to get more to my tastes than the other. Only times I've been Wembley were for Foals (who ironically played Ally Pally on their next tour) and Arcade Fire (before Win Butler's reputational nosedive). But it is what it is.

 

You'd think tbf given Wembley Arena is next door to the main stadium that they'd be able to filter out a crowd. Certainly was less waiting around queuing after my gigs at the arena there than what I had after seeing things at Wembley Stadium itself.

 

I think there's a tastefulness thing too. The Sphere even in context in a city as bright and brash as Las Vegas just looks insane and plonking a giant video billboard in a residential area is something that was naturally going to annoy people. Seems a bit of tail wagging the dog though if that was the dealbreaker for the people that wanted to build the thing - if the arena concept itself with a unique speaker stack and screen is the main thing, why give a sh*t about the shiny coating outside? It doesn't even seem like that amazing a business model given it seems to have been losing money since opening.

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  On 2/1/2025 at 10:35 PM, gfa said:

Wembley Arena is in a far worse location i'd say - its way further out! The area can handle the crowds well though i guess.

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I suppose it depends where you're coming from. As we travel from the Midlands, I suspect the O2 will be far harder/impossible to make it back from after a show -- never been to a show there, but have Billie Eilish booked in July, so I will find out then! I strongly suspect we will only be able to make it as far back as Banbury.

 

I prefer gigs at Wembley Arena because they're definitely doable -- Wembley is on the right side of town to make it possible to catch the last train from Marylebone.

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  On 2/2/2025 at 10:59 AM, mjtko said:

I suppose it depends where you're coming from. As we travel from the Midlands, I suspect the O2 will be far harder/impossible to make it back from after a show -- never been to a show there, but have Billie Eilish booked in July, so I will find out then! I strongly suspect we will only be able to make it as far back as Banbury.

 

I prefer gigs at Wembley Arena because they're definitely doable -- Wembley is on the right side of town to make it possible to catch the last train from Marylebone.

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Weekday gigs at The o2 tend to finish at 11.00, Sunday is 10.30. Seems to be a hard curfew these days, the last two shows I've been to there finished bang on time (one Friday, one Sunday). 

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  On 2/2/2025 at 1:34 PM, Dark Star said:


Weekday gigs at The o2 tend to finish at 11.00, Sunday is 10.30. Seems to be a hard curfew these days, the last two shows I've been to there finished bang on time (one Friday, one Sunday). 

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I seem to recall when I saw U2 at the O2 in 2015 they were done by 10:15 on a Sunday night show so I thought that was the curfew.

 

Saying that, on two of the four times I've seen Muse there, they merrily went through the curfew regardless. 2009s started/finished late due to the band being late getting to the venue after being at a charity gig at the Albert Hall earlier that day, while 2019's just went through the 10:30 Sunday curfew regardless, something they also did at the Olympic Stadium a few months before that.

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  On 1/29/2025 at 1:18 PM, danbailey80 said:

Would be very much up for Semisonic and Embrace! 

 

Semisonic is basically Dan Wilson who's now also one of the biggest songwriters in the world (Adele, Pink etc). 

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Absolutely love facts like this. Just looking through his writing credits on Wikipedia, man he鈥檚 been busy!

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  On 2/2/2025 at 7:20 PM, charlierc said:

Expectation in one of the other threads was dates tomorrow. Maybe we'll also get something during the Grammy Awards later

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Tomorrow is also AC/DC announcement. Don't know if 2 big global acts will announce a tour on the same day. Perhaps Beyonce will announce US dates...

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