I'm Torn

[Furious Styles]

Okay, I'm a big Arcade Fire fan. Huge. I bought Funeral when i was but a nipper and have everything they've ever released. Yet I've never seen them live.

I have the opportunity to see them live in Birmingham at the LG arena for £34, but the seats are rubbish. That's okay, though, I don't need to see them just hear them.

The problem is that I'm currently at university in Southampton and getting there and back would mean me missing at least one day of uni- a day on which i have lectures. It would also mean spending £40 on a national express coach and staying in a hotel overnight.]

The total cost would be well over £100, not including food, drink and merchandise- I'm a poor student and that could be a disastrous expenditure. i would also miss possibly vital lectures/anything else that might pop up.

What do you think I should do? I really want to go and see them but the cons are numerous and large.

Have any of you seen them? If so, are they good enough to negate any doubts as to whether I should go?

And I need to decide quickly, tickets and hotel rooms will soon sell out/fill up

 

[Furious Styles]

No thoughts or opinions?

Note, this isn't about the merits of arcade fire. if you dislike them, thats okay, but I don't. Just try to imagine they're your favourite band (whoever that may be) then tell me what you think.

edit: I do have the option of seeing them in Glasgow the following sunday, the seats seem better but its fucking Glasgow! Its like 300 miles away.

The real kicker is I could have gone to see them at the O2 arena in London on the 1st of december, but I agreed to be in the Freshers play on that day so it isn't an option. Damn the theatre!

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Hmmm...I'd say no, because I think the seats matter alot. I've sat in good seats and nosebleeds, and you are very dettatched from the experience if you're way back.

Save your money, book earlier next time.

 

[lacktheknack]

Don't do it. There will be another opportunity later, when you're rich from the great job all those lectures will get you.

The amount of sarcasm you (don't) detect in that statement specifies whether or not you should go.

 

[Furious Styles]

Don't do it. There will be another opportunity later, when you're rich from the great job all those lectures will get you.

The amount of sarcasm you (don't) detect in that statement specifies whether or not you should go.

Huh, helpful.

The problem is they only release albums like ever three years and only tour england when they do... or at least i''ve never seen their tickets on sale here. So if I don't do it now, it could take three more years for them to come back.

 

[Ooksee]

Heh go for it. With stuff like this I reckon it's better not to worry about the money, you might never get a chance to see them again, seats won't matter if they are good enough and if they suck well meh, least you won't regret passing up the chance to see them.

 

[Neuromaster]

Personally, I wouldn't do it but I'm not an Arcade Fire fan. It's just a really big expenditure and disruption.

I might consider it if it was a social thing w/ several of my friends who were also huge fans. Otherwise I'd just listen to one of their albums on the way back from class.

 

[Motiv_]

I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe I miss the thrill of it or something along those lines, but I don't see the point in concerts. With the money I spent on the concert, I can easily buy at least 5 CDs, or even put a down payment on a stereo system to allow me to better hear said music. I can also just watch them on Youtube if I get really desperate.

I say don't go. Save your money, get a hooker tutor to help you with your studies, and buy a few of the band's CDs or something. Hell, I hear that all the cool cats are getting their music digitally these days anyway.

 

[esperandote]

Don't go, save your money... but if you decide to go then save as much as you can, dont buy merchandise, don't spend the night if you can go back as soon as it's over, find cheaper transport (even if it is slower, you're already missing the day), etc.

 

[Furious Styles]

don't spend the night if you can go back as soon as it's over, find cheaper transport (even if it is slower, you're already missing the day), etc.

It just can't feasibly be done, the concert won't finish until 11 in the evening at the earliest, after that there's nothing that will take me back to southampton for a good few hours. 4 i think.

 

[Pariah87]

I don't know, if it were Skynyrd, and the only place with standing tickets left was Glasgow...then I'd go to Glasgow, but I can drive, book time off work etc so the situations are somewhat different.

Can you get a friend or someone else in the lecture to take notes for you/record the lecture/let you look at their notes? That solves the problem of missing lectures (I have to say it's rare to see a student who actually cares about lectures, most of the ones I know are too busy nursing hangovers to worry about it). Then comes the cost. Arcade Fire are not a band I've really heard of, but the shitty seats are £34? Skynyrd Standing and Rammstein standing were only £35 and £40 respectively.

If you really want to see the band though, then it will be worth it. Most of the time I nip up to Birmingham to see bands as I can still catch the last train back to Northampton if I get a move on after the show, only a couple of times have I forked out for train fare AND a hotel, and to be honest, it was worth it. Seeing a band you like is one thing, seeing a band you love is something else entirely.

 

[esperandote]

don't spend the night if you can go back as soon as it's over, find cheaper transport (even if it is slower, you're already missing the day), etc.

It just can't feasibly be done, the concert won't finish until 11 in the evening at the earliest, after that there's nothing that will take me back to southampton for a good few hours. 4 i think.

Can you lend someones car or get a ride with someone?

 

[Furious Styles]

don't spend the night if you can go back as soon as it's over, find cheaper transport (even if it is slower, you're already missing the day), etc.

It just can't feasibly be done, the concert won't finish until 11 in the evening at the earliest, after that there's nothing that will take me back to southampton for a good few hours. 4 i think.

Can you lend someones car or get a ride with someone?

It turns out the last train back to southampton leaves at 23:20. I'll just have to leave early if they don't finish in time. So it can be done... just. And I wouldn't get back to soton until 7am.

It turns out I can get tickets direct from their website in row p of block 2.
here's a map of the seats
http://api.crowdsurge.com/crowdstore/index.php?storeid=31&menu=detail&eventid=2321

I think those are decent seats for £30, especially this late. i'm seriously edging towards doing it, especially now I can get back to uni in time for my lectures the next day.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Well, I don't knwo the band or whatever but I will say this. Economically speaking, how much are your daily classes costing you already, and is it worth missing that lecture for a concert that may or may not be good for a band that will most likely come around again in the future?
Also if by missing this lecture you end up failing said class, will it be worth the money you have to spend to retake it?

 

[esperandote]

It turns out the last train back to southampton leaves at 23:20. I'll just have to leave early if they don't finish in time. So it can be done... just. And I wouldn't get back to soton until 7am.

It turns out I can get tickets direct from their website in row p of block 2.
here's a map of the seats
http://api.crowdsurge.com/crowdstore/index.php?storeid=31&menu=detail&eventid=2321

I think those are decent seats for £30, especially this late. i'm seriously edging towards doing it, especially now I can get back to uni in time for my lectures the next day.

Cool, now, is it safe going there by your own? If not, can you get someone to go with you? I still think getting a car is a good idea if plausible. How long is the travel?

Edit: 2600 post (Atari post xD)

 

[Furious Styles]

Cool, now, is it safe going there by your own? If not, can you get someone to go with you? I still think getting a car is a good idea if plausible. How long is the travel?

Edit: 2600 post (Atari post xD)

Apparently, according to reviews of the venue, the rain station I'm going to is part of the same complex as the venue. i don't even need to go outside!

The train back is a real *****, though. I'm catching the train to london euston, then transferring to waterloo, but i arrive at euston at 1;43 and the train from waterloo doesn't depart until 5am. Which more or less means 4 hours of waiting around.

I've already booked it all, so i'm in too deep to back out now and getting a taxi from euston to waterloo at 2am shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Its just sitting around for 3 1/2 hours in the very early morning while extremely tired in a train station that'll be hellish. I guess I'll either try to get some sleep or read a book or something.

 

[Neuromaster]

You've booked it, you're committed.

At this point just concern yourself with having the best time of your life. Kick ass, raise hell, etc.

I wouldn't have done it, but I'm hardly perfect. Now that you're there, make it awesome. And hopefully tell us about it.

Cheers!