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Music > Gigs outside of Hull
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 Offlinelast online:
May 14 2008, 11:35 AM
Posts: 186
Joined: Jun 07
Last Edit:5 Dec 07, 17:27
| | Posted: Dec 5 2007, 17:07 PM |
After attending The Maximo Park gig at Doncaster Dome and The Kaiser Chiefs at Hull Areana, here is a comparison of how the two cities deal with such crowds and events at two similar council venues.
Doncaster Dome: Maximo Park Vs Hull Arena: Kaiser Chiefs
Dome Smoking: Even though the Dome is a leisure centre it still had a designated outdoor smoking area on the bottom floor where punters entered the arena. You could take drinks and meet up with friends if you lost them throughout the night.
Hull Smoking: Once you are in the Hull Arena, like Royston Vasey, you’ll never leave weather you want a cigarette, are on fire or had left a limb in the Car Park. Many of the Staff also resembled the sitcom in some way
Dome Bar: The Dome set up temporary bars on the lower ground fenced in with steel bars as crowds squeezed though like cattle at a market. It did have a VIP bar upstairs which you had to pay and extra fiver for. The pints in both bars were of extortionate price but the Dome allowed you to buy in pint and a half cups, ideal if you didnt fancy trotting off from the stage for a drink mid-gig.
Hull Bar: The Arena has more bars than toilets, I counted 4/5 in total including the upstairs bar which clearly had no air conditioning and they even put screens on the windows so you couldnt see down onto the stage which I was a little puzzled about, these people had paid for a ticket and I didn’t quite understand why they weren’t allowed to watch the gig from the bar if they wanted.
Dome Staff: When realising there was no area to leave my coat I decided their was no way I could leave it on throughout the whole show unless I was planning on melting. I cheekily asked a huge scary looking member of security if there was anyway I could leave it behind the reception or one of the bars. To my amazement this Security guy was extreamely helpful and took my coat and put it away safely in a staff only area of the VIP bar. ‘Come see me after the gig, I’m Security manager, i’ll look after it for you’. Leaving me realising that huge Security guys aren’t that scary afterall!
Hull Staff: There must have been more staff than punters, checking every wristband with a miserable face, it was like walking into a prison as they slapped a band on your wrist and screamed, ‘Keep it moving!’ in your ear.When taking photo’s of the band, a stern member of staff shouted NO FLASH! Even though this was a strobe lighting gig and every other punter in the audience was flashing away with mobiles and digitals.When wanting to return to my car a member of staff insisted that she’d ,’Have to follow me’ to my car! – There was no way i was wandering into a dark Car Park with a stranger, bloody Hell, is that what you call Security?!
Sound: I’d paid only £16 to attend a gig at a council venue, i wasn’t expecting it to be great. But was pleasantly surprized with the quality of the sound, no matter where you stood in the Dome arena the sound quality was brilliant
Hull Sound: For a 36% higer ticket price, I don’t know weather it was the sound system or the acoustics but i’ve heard better sound quality in The Adelphi Club on De Grey Street.
Dome Security: Helpful security staff dotted around the venue who made sure the public knew where they could grab a beer, go to the loo, for a cigarette and into the main arena
Hull Security: The Arena Security were so bothered about me taking photos and following me to the reception to put my camera away (Not the other 3000 people in the arena who had cameras, just me) and stopping people from leaving to go for a cigarette that they failed to notice that a double decker sized Stage Crew lorry parked at the entrance had been broken into. I think somehow their security priorites were a little muddled.
Dome Parking: Ample parking around the Dome as it is situated in a Retail Park
Hull Parking: Although the Arena is situated in a retail park, the Arena Car Park was so full that cars has to park on curbs and grass. 500 empty spaces were opposite the Arena in the Retail Park parking, but the council had very cleverly put signs up stated ‘Fine for concert parking’ How rude!
Dome Overall Experience: Brilliant. Friendly Staff, great atmosphere and brilliant sound for what i thought would be an awkward venue to hold such a gig.
Hull Overall Experience: Ruined by ridiculous rules and appauling staff that made you feel like an animal or criminal, so much so that i had to leave after the 4th song before i really did cause a murder.
Doncaster Council Venue 1 / Hull Council Arena 0
I'll be going out of town for bigger gigs in the future, it's unfortunate that they're more welcoming
| Offlinelast online:
Apr 27 2008, 11:13 AM
Posts: 8
Joined: Jan 07
| | Posted: Dec 6 2007, 10:21 AM |
Fantastic review Lucy La Clark!!.. The Hull City Council want to be ashamed of themselves!! xx 
| Offlinelast online:
May 15 2008, 12:28 PM
Posts: 120
Joined: Jul 06
| | Posted: Dec 6 2007, 15:43 PM |
Oh dear, having had recent experience of both places I'd have to say that most of the above is sadly far too true
When I told some regular gig going mates I was off to Donny Dome, they warned me that it was the worst venue in the world
Having now been to both I can quite categorically state that this title undoubtedly belongs to hull arena
After going with such low expectations, I was relieved and pleasantly surprised by Donny Dome. Whilst its still a bit 'plastic' as venues go, they do seem to make the best of what they've got
Hull arena on the other hand is manned by over-zealous, dour faced jobsworths who won't let you fart without the appropriate wristband
You've covered most of my gripes such as the sound etc so I won't ramble on, except to say that I can think of nothing less rock n roll than going to a gig there, no matter how good the band
This is a growing problem in the world of entertainment and dealing with crowds though
I'm also a passholder at the KC and the hull city matchday experience is going the same way. Little hitler stewards on power trips who threaten to throw people out for standing up (!!!!?), and just generally treating their *customers* in a hostile, dreadful and contemptuous manner. Its worse there in some ways as the police also get in on the act.
Going to gigs and hull city matches have been two of my favourite activities since I was a kid, but both are slowly having the excitement squeezed out of them by the 'fun police'
When will these places realise that people are paying (far too much IMO) to go to these things to enjoy themselves. The reason I fell in love with both (aside from a love of music and football obviously) was that they were both things that had a real sense of passion and excitement about them, and were all about getting together and going a bit mental with like minded people, like a bit of a release or whatever
The council, stewards, security and even the police are far too routinely allowed to get away with treating the people that at the end of the day actually pay their wages, like cattle
Sort it out FFS!
| Offlinelast online:
May 13 2008, 10:00 AM
Posts: 145
Joined: Aug 07
| | Posted: Dec 6 2007, 16:04 PM |
I totally agree with these comments the Hull Arena needs a good kick up the back side and the staff there need to get out more. I dont think they should allow that place to be a gig venue, its ridiculous and riuns the whole rock n roll experience about going to a gig.
Stick with real venues like the welly club and piper.
Never been to the KC for a gig and dnt think i'l lose sleep over it
| Offlinelast online:
May 15 2008, 12:28 PM
Posts: 120
Joined: Jul 06
| | Posted: Dec 27 2007, 13:43 PM |
In the interests of balance I'd like to add that despite also being at a council owned and run venue, the 'love music hate racism' gig at Hull City Hall headlined by The View and supported by various local acts was cracking and the staff there were great, both doing a good job and looking like they were enjoying themselves in the process
Perhaps some of the staff from the arena should be sent to observe an event there and see how it should be done
Just a thought 
| Offlinelast online:
May 14 2008, 11:35 AM
Posts: 186
Joined: Jun 07
| | Posted: Jan 3 2008, 10:55 AM |
HERE HERE! Agreed, the love music hate rasicm gig was a briliant day, despite some of the staff having to work there from 11am till it finished at 11pm they were all very chipper and much more music friendly, even though this was a charity gig and the venue wasn't cashing in on anything. It was a great atmopsphere throughout the whole event.
down with the arena, it smells like tippex
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