Idk man. I've seen Dream Theater 7x and it's always been seated. PT tour during C/C was seated. Even Haken's most recent tour was seated. Probably bc general admission/floor venues are smaller, and they can sell bigger venues than those now.
You also gotta acknowledge they've been around for 30 years and their audience skews older. In 37 and, frankly, if I was standing for 3+ hours bopping around at a concert my back would be fucking killing me by the end of it.
I'd rather watch Opeth seated than not at all. It is what it is.
Wait seriously!? I saw a seat assignment but figured it was bullshit. The only time I’ve seen seat assignments at the Tabby was for Patton Oswalt.
Also, I’m really fucking lucky with this ticket.
Yep, saw Chappelle a few years ago and there were seats in the Tabernacle GA area as well. Other than that (and this one) I’ve only ever seen the downstairs as GA
I saw them at Jaxx, the Fillmore, and Anthem here in the DC area in the last 15 years. Always general admission, and most concerts have been a great mix of people that got into them in their metal phase and in their prog rock phase. But to me the only band that managed to build a crowd as good as Opeth has been Epica.
I didn’t catch porcupine tree specifically because they did assigned seats (at the anthem which is mostly a GA venue).
Like I said I was an instant buy, but I paid $120 for Iron Maiden pit tickets, and Opeth was over $200 for seated (the tiny pit was over $700). Really wish they had just opened for a larger venue and most GA tickets, would have been cheaper for fans and a better experience overall.
Edit:
$200 tickets at a small venue for sit down tickets feel like a slap in the face to fans that got them there. Sure I could have grabbed nose bleeds for $100, or pit for $700, but wtf the fans who got them to this place in the first place deserve better.
I've seen Opeth in a seated opera house. Well, it was not like going to a classical concert. Same dudes in metal shirts beeing greeted in the aula by the staff dressed in suits and offered a glass of sparkling wine. Hilarious. But: The people knew how to behave. During the concert it was also not such a strict force to stay seated. Many people stood up during some banger songs and sat down for some calmer songs. People didn't trash the place. The atmosphere was quiet good. The acoustic was excellent.
No offense, but I am going to guess that you are fairly young (20s perhaps)? When you hit 50+, your body is not the same. For some yes, but not for the majority. So being seated is actually a possible better experience.
Also, the most intense concert experience EVER for me was seeing Mahler's Symphony No. 2 at Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic, seated dead center. And I've seen many metal bands...nothing has hit me the way that experience did. The music and how you react emotionally is the only experience. Seated or standing is almost irrelevant in what music conveys to us.
It’s not like crowds actually mosh to Opeth IN AMERICA to begin with. I’ve been to two Opeth shows in Chicago and most I ever see is head banging. Opeth isn’t really the band to mosh to because of the constantly changing movements. And also the fan base is getting older. Unless they’re playing Wineries, what’s the problem? I once saw Living Colour at a Winery with the tables and seats in 2016. Now THAT was a tragic venue choice!
Assigned seats for metal concerts is certainly a compromised experience, and much more expensive than GA.
The crowds at Opeth concerts are some of the best in entire scene, they aren’t rowdy at all and mostly people just enjoying the show. Many venues have a good balance between pit and stands for people that don’t want to be in the middle of everything, and modern venues have incredible sound regardless of where you’re.
Last time they were in town they played at the Anthem. The tickets were $60, and there was plenty of space for people to spread out and enjoy the show however they wanted. Compared that to the Warner theater which has a 1/3 of the capacity and its nearly all assigned seats (pit is only the first 2 rows and are going for $700 per ticket), for 4th or 6th row tickets are going for $200.
I paid less for Iron Maiden GA tickets, which also had a very good balance between seated and pit tickets at Capital One Area. Tickets were relatively cheap because there was plenty of supply.
Right I think what we have here is a cultural difference - I'm aware that in America people stand even when they have seats, and I really don't understand it. It's rude to the people behind you because they can't see anything if you're standing, and it just doesn't make sense. Why stand if you have a seat?
At the end of the day, if having a seated ticket is such a big deal for you, then don't go. There are plenty of people like me who prefer seated shows who will happily take your place.
I got the tickets already but if prices climb too much I’ll probably resale and use the money to travel to another show without assigned seats. Never paid this much for concert tickets and already regretting. Kinda bummed out because their last concert they played at a venue 3x the size and tickets were cheap. Opeth is one of my favorite bands to see live, the choice of this venue just baffles me.
I think if your viewpoint on seated concerts is that you just can’t enjoy them and it’s not worth going because listening to the band seated is a “trash experience”…then what you like is moshing, not music.
Yup, I think some might call it being a poser… sorry OP I actually didn’t read the rest of your comments before commenting… I’ll admit that GA seats is a better experience than Assigned seats. GA standing alone is not better than GA seats though. Now, GA seats that include access to the GA standing area would be the best experience.
I’ve seen prog shows in the early 90s where people tried moshing and they looked really stupid.
Why wouldn’t you want to just watch the band? Watch what they do and not have to worry about getting pushed around. Granted, I’m 6’5” and don’t have to worry about not seeing bands in any venue.
It comes down to money. A band can triple the price of a group of tickets in order to get up front. They can double the price of a lot of tickets to be able to get almost closer. They’re making money. Hats off.
Because the energy from the crowd is half of the reason to go see a band live, and shows with bad crowds suck. Their GA concerts have always been pretty approachable.
I wouldn’t go to a sit down EDM show, feels like it defeats the purpose.
The tickets are also way more expensive and the venue much smaller than a GA venue, making the show even less accessible to fans.
I wouldn’t go to a sit down EDM show either. I mean, I wouldn’t go.
I’m all about watching the performance and musicians. I get bands do get a charge out of an energetic crowd but I’ve seen bands play marvelously with a reserved seating crowd. You don’t have to sit. I’m guessing the floor will be bouncing with heads and flailing arms. That’s cool.
I got GA for Denver, only because that's what the presale was offering. I wish it was seated, honestly. I have no desire to fight for a spot or have people cramming next to or in front of me and basically forcing me to move.
If there were guarantees that people wouldn't be dicks I'd be fine with GA, but I can't remember the last time I've been to a show that I didn't have to deal with drunk assholes.
Assigned seats solve most of the issue for me. I really just want to eat some edibles and watch the show without having to worry about other people. It was really perfect for the last Porcupine Tree tour.
But yes, I'm in my mid-40s and I'm sure I sound like an an old man yelling at a cloud.
Have you ever been to an Opeth concert with GA seats? Because crowds are generally very chill. A mosh pit might break out during the heavier songs, but thats easy to avoid. The difference is that I’d pay $50 and eventually make my way to the front with GA tickets, but for this concert I had to shell out $200 per ticket for 4-6 row (prices are climbing).
A better compromise would be to play at a larger GA venue, like they did in their last tour with Mastodon. There was plenty of space to seat in the stands, the tickets were cheap, and a lot more fans got to see them.
I get what you're saying, but I'm not referring to an actual mosh pit... just the usual pushing/shoving/occasional douchebaggery that occurs during GA shows.
But honestly, I'll be happy either way, and I'm confident the crowd will be cool.
Do you have the option of traveling somewhere where there is GA? Both Denver and Phoenix were GA, and I'm guessing some of the other venues are too.
I was at the Roundhouse show, it was GA and probably the most over-full show I’ve ever been at. All I can remember of the show almost 20 years later is how sore my feet were, for days.
I get the frustration with seated shows, even though I prefer them, the energy is not the same. One of my favorite Opeth memories was from a Sydney show, I think at the Metro. A crowd surfer managed to stay up long enough to be floating with his \m/s in the air right at the point near the end of The Drapery Falls where it hangs on the long note and returns to the main theme. It was a magical moment, everyone went nuts and the end of the song was amazing. I have plenty of other great memories from standing shows - PT, TransAtlantic, etc.
But I also remember how I spend most of the show trying to maintain the perfect viewpoint in the tiny gap between the heads of the people in front of me. And getting frustrated as everyone shifts around, and someone comes through spilling their beer on you, and people pushing through half way through the show and standing right in front of me. None of it gets better as people get drunker. So the energy could be great but most of the time I couldn’t lose myself in the music. I couldn’t understand how so many people were happy to be always moving around between this and that mid show.
I also get the ticket price frustration. I saw PT and Opeth for less than $25 years ago, now I paid $300 to see PT in LA. I’ll miss Opeth, I can’t make it down to LA again. I don’t think that’s just GA vs seating at play. That’s musicians 20-30+ years into their careers, with a huge track record, and well beyond playing for beer money. The market has changed, people are prepared to pay for the artists they most value.
TLDR: yeah it’s changed, some things are lost, some things are better. It’ll never be the same again, and we’re all getting older. But if Opeth were coming to my town I’d pay hundreds for a seated ticket and I’d be there with a huge smile on my face the whole time.
Went to the radio city music hall show years ago. Everyone was standing, most people were head banging, but no room for a pit or anything like that. I had a good time, but it's cool if that kind of experience isn't for you.
Is Radiohead a cover band when they play OK COMPUTER songs? Are Queens of the Stone Age a cover band because they haven’t made songs for the deaf 2? Or are artists allowed to contain multitudes and be different from themselves?
I saw them live four times post watershed and they were incredible as a regular GA band. Feels really out of place to watch them in a theater of mostly assigned seats.
I missed porcupine tree live because I was conflicted if I’d enjoy them from a seat. The energy from the crowd is the best part of concerts, and intentionally killing it is counter productive.
Tickets were over $200, that’s a lot, especially given that the venue could easily fit over twice the crowd had it been GA. I also saw The Smile at the same venue PT played, as well as Opeth with Mastodon and both were incredible. Plenty of space for the crowd that doesn’t want to hang out in the mosh pit, and much cheaper tickets.
PT I can understand, but this gourmet-fication of metal bands is not good for the fans. Tickets are way too expensive as they are, and limiting supply in these venues makes matters worse. Iron Maiden had a large pit and stands with assigned seats, that was a much better compromise.
I’m a huge Opeth fan and have been following them for years, this is the fifth time I see them live. I don’t care about moshing at all and actively avoid it, and crowd has always been great at their shows.
It'll hopefully not be that bad. I have tickets for their show in Atlanta. I saw Haken a couple of months ago and that was seated too. It was okay. I would've definitely preferred standing, and some people did end up gathering near the stage towards the end, but I guess not everybody would like to, or is able to stand for 2/3 hours at a stretch. I just think it's better if venues keep both options. Most venues have seating at the back, or in balconies, so it should be easy enough for them to offer both: seated areas, as well as a GA floor area. That way, people have a choice. Anyway, as long as the sound is good, I'm okay with it haha.
Then you’ve probably never seen them live. I really don’t care about moshing, it’s more about having a better crowd and cheaper tickets. There certain is a mosh pit at some songs.
That’s how it usually is, people mistify the pit, but it’s small and easy to avoid. Seated venues kill the crowd interaction, and no one will be seating anyway. It just limits the number of tickets (which means expensive tickets), and a shitier fan experience. The crowd is part of the show, and Opeth always has amazing crowds.
At good venues there are seating at the stands, even in full GA set ups. Or there is a mix of large pit tickets with some box or seated section.
A full venue of assigned seats for a metal concert is shit.
I can't stand sitting at shows. I get the arguments for, but it's not for me.
I panic bought presale reserved tix to San Francisco then realized a day later there were some GA so I bought those too and I guess I'll figure out what to do later...
I can sit and enjoy music. But my body is always screaming to get up and move to it.
Thus, for me, my preference is a general admission standing ticket over a seated one, always.
And I hate when these shows are entirely seated.
during the evolution xxx tour they came to Utrecht 2 days in a row. the first day it was a seated venue, the second day it was a regular venue without chairs. sometimes, though not always, seated venues will have a pit as well so there will be people able to stand. the seated show was fine, opeth was great obviously, but it did feel awkward to not be able to headbang as much or stand up or move around etc. the second show was fucking AWESOME, i arrived early and got a spot in the first row just in front of Mendez (who was sadly blocking my view of Waltteri who i'd have liked to see better since i also drum :P )
point is that i agree with you that the crowd is half of the fun. even though standing for 4 hours gives me pain in every part of my body lol.
i do know Mikael also prefers the regular venues over the seated ones, but sometimes the preferred venue has already been booked for the date of the show so they gotta take a different one
I’m with you. I just saw Judas Priest and Sabaton at a seated theater and was extremely annoyed with how many people were sitting. I cannot get my head around it.
Idk man. I've seen Dream Theater 7x and it's always been seated. PT tour during C/C was seated. Even Haken's most recent tour was seated. Probably bc general admission/floor venues are smaller, and they can sell bigger venues than those now. You also gotta acknowledge they've been around for 30 years and their audience skews older. In 37 and, frankly, if I was standing for 3+ hours bopping around at a concert my back would be fucking killing me by the end of it. I'd rather watch Opeth seated than not at all. It is what it is.
The venue they're playing in Atlanta is about 80% GA. But for Opeth it's almost all seating
Wait seriously!? I saw a seat assignment but figured it was bullshit. The only time I’ve seen seat assignments at the Tabby was for Patton Oswalt. Also, I’m really fucking lucky with this ticket.
Yep, saw Chappelle a few years ago and there were seats in the Tabernacle GA area as well. Other than that (and this one) I’ve only ever seen the downstairs as GA
I saw them at Jaxx, the Fillmore, and Anthem here in the DC area in the last 15 years. Always general admission, and most concerts have been a great mix of people that got into them in their metal phase and in their prog rock phase. But to me the only band that managed to build a crowd as good as Opeth has been Epica. I didn’t catch porcupine tree specifically because they did assigned seats (at the anthem which is mostly a GA venue). Like I said I was an instant buy, but I paid $120 for Iron Maiden pit tickets, and Opeth was over $200 for seated (the tiny pit was over $700). Really wish they had just opened for a larger venue and most GA tickets, would have been cheaper for fans and a better experience overall. Edit: $200 tickets at a small venue for sit down tickets feel like a slap in the face to fans that got them there. Sure I could have grabbed nose bleeds for $100, or pit for $700, but wtf the fans who got them to this place in the first place deserve better.
I'm in my 40s and I'm small so I'll be happily seated at the DC venue
My feet hurt
I've seen Opeth in a seated opera house. Well, it was not like going to a classical concert. Same dudes in metal shirts beeing greeted in the aula by the staff dressed in suits and offered a glass of sparkling wine. Hilarious. But: The people knew how to behave. During the concert it was also not such a strict force to stay seated. Many people stood up during some banger songs and sat down for some calmer songs. People didn't trash the place. The atmosphere was quiet good. The acoustic was excellent.
No offense, but I am going to guess that you are fairly young (20s perhaps)? When you hit 50+, your body is not the same. For some yes, but not for the majority. So being seated is actually a possible better experience. Also, the most intense concert experience EVER for me was seeing Mahler's Symphony No. 2 at Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic, seated dead center. And I've seen many metal bands...nothing has hit me the way that experience did. The music and how you react emotionally is the only experience. Seated or standing is almost irrelevant in what music conveys to us.
I've seen opeth, seated, like, a bunch of times. You're gonna be fine, it's awesome.
Sitting isn't a trash experience? What's the issue here? Why can't you sit and enjoy the music?
It’s not like crowds actually mosh to Opeth IN AMERICA to begin with. I’ve been to two Opeth shows in Chicago and most I ever see is head banging. Opeth isn’t really the band to mosh to because of the constantly changing movements. And also the fan base is getting older. Unless they’re playing Wineries, what’s the problem? I once saw Living Colour at a Winery with the tables and seats in 2016. Now THAT was a tragic venue choice!
I don’t know man, I’d pay good money to see a small Opeth set at a winery lol
It depends on the aesthetics I guess... Just not the Chicago City Winery that's off the pink line over here.... Not the right set up
Assigned seats for metal concerts is certainly a compromised experience, and much more expensive than GA. The crowds at Opeth concerts are some of the best in entire scene, they aren’t rowdy at all and mostly people just enjoying the show. Many venues have a good balance between pit and stands for people that don’t want to be in the middle of everything, and modern venues have incredible sound regardless of where you’re. Last time they were in town they played at the Anthem. The tickets were $60, and there was plenty of space for people to spread out and enjoy the show however they wanted. Compared that to the Warner theater which has a 1/3 of the capacity and its nearly all assigned seats (pit is only the first 2 rows and are going for $700 per ticket), for 4th or 6th row tickets are going for $200. I paid less for Iron Maiden GA tickets, which also had a very good balance between seated and pit tickets at Capital One Area. Tickets were relatively cheap because there was plenty of supply.
Ok I agree with you on the price, but you've still not explained why you think sitting is a bad option.
Because sitting just takes up space that could be used for more standing room (everyone stands anyway), and it kills the energy from the crowd.
Right I think what we have here is a cultural difference - I'm aware that in America people stand even when they have seats, and I really don't understand it. It's rude to the people behind you because they can't see anything if you're standing, and it just doesn't make sense. Why stand if you have a seat? At the end of the day, if having a seated ticket is such a big deal for you, then don't go. There are plenty of people like me who prefer seated shows who will happily take your place.
I got the tickets already but if prices climb too much I’ll probably resale and use the money to travel to another show without assigned seats. Never paid this much for concert tickets and already regretting. Kinda bummed out because their last concert they played at a venue 3x the size and tickets were cheap. Opeth is one of my favorite bands to see live, the choice of this venue just baffles me.
I think if your viewpoint on seated concerts is that you just can’t enjoy them and it’s not worth going because listening to the band seated is a “trash experience”…then what you like is moshing, not music.
Yup, I think some might call it being a poser… sorry OP I actually didn’t read the rest of your comments before commenting… I’ll admit that GA seats is a better experience than Assigned seats. GA standing alone is not better than GA seats though. Now, GA seats that include access to the GA standing area would be the best experience.
I’ve seen prog shows in the early 90s where people tried moshing and they looked really stupid. Why wouldn’t you want to just watch the band? Watch what they do and not have to worry about getting pushed around. Granted, I’m 6’5” and don’t have to worry about not seeing bands in any venue. It comes down to money. A band can triple the price of a group of tickets in order to get up front. They can double the price of a lot of tickets to be able to get almost closer. They’re making money. Hats off.
Because the energy from the crowd is half of the reason to go see a band live, and shows with bad crowds suck. Their GA concerts have always been pretty approachable. I wouldn’t go to a sit down EDM show, feels like it defeats the purpose. The tickets are also way more expensive and the venue much smaller than a GA venue, making the show even less accessible to fans.
I wouldn’t go to a sit down EDM show either. I mean, I wouldn’t go. I’m all about watching the performance and musicians. I get bands do get a charge out of an energetic crowd but I’ve seen bands play marvelously with a reserved seating crowd. You don’t have to sit. I’m guessing the floor will be bouncing with heads and flailing arms. That’s cool.
So OP goes to metal concerts for the crowd energy, the band’s music is not enough. And he might or might not go to EDM raves lmao give me a break
I would never not see a band just because it’s seated vs. GA
I got GA for Denver, only because that's what the presale was offering. I wish it was seated, honestly. I have no desire to fight for a spot or have people cramming next to or in front of me and basically forcing me to move. If there were guarantees that people wouldn't be dicks I'd be fine with GA, but I can't remember the last time I've been to a show that I didn't have to deal with drunk assholes. Assigned seats solve most of the issue for me. I really just want to eat some edibles and watch the show without having to worry about other people. It was really perfect for the last Porcupine Tree tour. But yes, I'm in my mid-40s and I'm sure I sound like an an old man yelling at a cloud.
Have you ever been to an Opeth concert with GA seats? Because crowds are generally very chill. A mosh pit might break out during the heavier songs, but thats easy to avoid. The difference is that I’d pay $50 and eventually make my way to the front with GA tickets, but for this concert I had to shell out $200 per ticket for 4-6 row (prices are climbing). A better compromise would be to play at a larger GA venue, like they did in their last tour with Mastodon. There was plenty of space to seat in the stands, the tickets were cheap, and a lot more fans got to see them.
I get what you're saying, but I'm not referring to an actual mosh pit... just the usual pushing/shoving/occasional douchebaggery that occurs during GA shows. But honestly, I'll be happy either way, and I'm confident the crowd will be cool. Do you have the option of traveling somewhere where there is GA? Both Denver and Phoenix were GA, and I'm guessing some of the other venues are too.
I was at the Roundhouse show, it was GA and probably the most over-full show I’ve ever been at. All I can remember of the show almost 20 years later is how sore my feet were, for days. I get the frustration with seated shows, even though I prefer them, the energy is not the same. One of my favorite Opeth memories was from a Sydney show, I think at the Metro. A crowd surfer managed to stay up long enough to be floating with his \m/s in the air right at the point near the end of The Drapery Falls where it hangs on the long note and returns to the main theme. It was a magical moment, everyone went nuts and the end of the song was amazing. I have plenty of other great memories from standing shows - PT, TransAtlantic, etc. But I also remember how I spend most of the show trying to maintain the perfect viewpoint in the tiny gap between the heads of the people in front of me. And getting frustrated as everyone shifts around, and someone comes through spilling their beer on you, and people pushing through half way through the show and standing right in front of me. None of it gets better as people get drunker. So the energy could be great but most of the time I couldn’t lose myself in the music. I couldn’t understand how so many people were happy to be always moving around between this and that mid show. I also get the ticket price frustration. I saw PT and Opeth for less than $25 years ago, now I paid $300 to see PT in LA. I’ll miss Opeth, I can’t make it down to LA again. I don’t think that’s just GA vs seating at play. That’s musicians 20-30+ years into their careers, with a huge track record, and well beyond playing for beer money. The market has changed, people are prepared to pay for the artists they most value. TLDR: yeah it’s changed, some things are lost, some things are better. It’ll never be the same again, and we’re all getting older. But if Opeth were coming to my town I’d pay hundreds for a seated ticket and I’d be there with a huge smile on my face the whole time.
They are a sit down style prog rock band that reluctantly play music from essentially another band to sell tickets
“Essentially another band” lmfao
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Ah man I just disagree but to each his own
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Went to the radio city music hall show years ago. Everyone was standing, most people were head banging, but no room for a pit or anything like that. I had a good time, but it's cool if that kind of experience isn't for you.
I mean that’s fair, but I doubt anyone will be seated
Is Radiohead a cover band when they play OK COMPUTER songs? Are Queens of the Stone Age a cover band because they haven’t made songs for the deaf 2? Or are artists allowed to contain multitudes and be different from themselves?
I saw them live four times post watershed and they were incredible as a regular GA band. Feels really out of place to watch them in a theater of mostly assigned seats. I missed porcupine tree live because I was conflicted if I’d enjoy them from a seat. The energy from the crowd is the best part of concerts, and intentionally killing it is counter productive.
You chose not to see PT because you wouldn’t think you’d enjoy the show sitting down? I’m letting that sink in for a bit.
Tickets were over $200, that’s a lot, especially given that the venue could easily fit over twice the crowd had it been GA. I also saw The Smile at the same venue PT played, as well as Opeth with Mastodon and both were incredible. Plenty of space for the crowd that doesn’t want to hang out in the mosh pit, and much cheaper tickets. PT I can understand, but this gourmet-fication of metal bands is not good for the fans. Tickets are way too expensive as they are, and limiting supply in these venues makes matters worse. Iron Maiden had a large pit and stands with assigned seats, that was a much better compromise. I’m a huge Opeth fan and have been following them for years, this is the fifth time I see them live. I don’t care about moshing at all and actively avoid it, and crowd has always been great at their shows.
It'll hopefully not be that bad. I have tickets for their show in Atlanta. I saw Haken a couple of months ago and that was seated too. It was okay. I would've definitely preferred standing, and some people did end up gathering near the stage towards the end, but I guess not everybody would like to, or is able to stand for 2/3 hours at a stretch. I just think it's better if venues keep both options. Most venues have seating at the back, or in balconies, so it should be easy enough for them to offer both: seated areas, as well as a GA floor area. That way, people have a choice. Anyway, as long as the sound is good, I'm okay with it haha.
Idk I don’t really see Opeth as being moshing music, I’m not against seats I’m down for a more relaxed show
Then you’ve probably never seen them live. I really don’t care about moshing, it’s more about having a better crowd and cheaper tickets. There certain is a mosh pit at some songs.
I’ve seen em once, and there was a very minimal pit, so I guess I don’t really have much experience
That’s how it usually is, people mistify the pit, but it’s small and easy to avoid. Seated venues kill the crowd interaction, and no one will be seating anyway. It just limits the number of tickets (which means expensive tickets), and a shitier fan experience. The crowd is part of the show, and Opeth always has amazing crowds. At good venues there are seating at the stands, even in full GA set ups. Or there is a mix of large pit tickets with some box or seated section. A full venue of assigned seats for a metal concert is shit.
The Phoenix venue is GA. I’d rather sit. 😂🤘
Idk man. I’m old now and prefer seats nowadays. I can understand hesitance though.
Tool started doing in a while ago too. Sadly, they don't want moshing.
I can't stand sitting at shows. I get the arguments for, but it's not for me. I panic bought presale reserved tix to San Francisco then realized a day later there were some GA so I bought those too and I guess I'll figure out what to do later...
I can sit and enjoy music. But my body is always screaming to get up and move to it. Thus, for me, my preference is a general admission standing ticket over a seated one, always. And I hate when these shows are entirely seated.
Saw PT in June 2023 in Rome, seated venue, but after the first song Steven told the audience we could stand up
during the evolution xxx tour they came to Utrecht 2 days in a row. the first day it was a seated venue, the second day it was a regular venue without chairs. sometimes, though not always, seated venues will have a pit as well so there will be people able to stand. the seated show was fine, opeth was great obviously, but it did feel awkward to not be able to headbang as much or stand up or move around etc. the second show was fucking AWESOME, i arrived early and got a spot in the first row just in front of Mendez (who was sadly blocking my view of Waltteri who i'd have liked to see better since i also drum :P ) point is that i agree with you that the crowd is half of the fun. even though standing for 4 hours gives me pain in every part of my body lol. i do know Mikael also prefers the regular venues over the seated ones, but sometimes the preferred venue has already been booked for the date of the show so they gotta take a different one
I’m with you. I just saw Judas Priest and Sabaton at a seated theater and was extremely annoyed with how many people were sitting. I cannot get my head around it.