Conference marvin::uk_music

    
    see note 87.0 for MICHAEL JACKSON concert info.

    
    OK, here's what I think....  I've seen gigs, soccer and world speedway
    at Wembley, so ....
    
    On your tix they'll be an entrance number.  This just allows easier
    access all round the ground.  Once you're in (and they'll probably
    check for glass - not allowed usually), you can go *anywhere*, except
    the royal box and VIP seats around the royal box.
    
    The turf will almost certainly be covered over, so picnics here
    can be good.  Sitting on the seats with backs opposite the royal
    box affords a good view.
    
    Sitting on the wide terracing at the back - great wide view, but
    stage appears a long way off.  They'll probably be giant screens,
    so it's not too bad.  Sound is best here, or right at front.  This
    is because it bounces of the back of the stadium, so sitting in
    the middle of the pitch is not so good for sound.  Also, there is
    quite a bit of space at the back, so if you get there late, this
    is OK.  Get there at least 1 hour before the gates open if you want
    a really good spot.
            
    Food/drink - best to take your own, as prices can be high and quality
    can be low.
            
    Hope this helps,
    
    David.

    Re:  .2
    
    Thanks for the info Mike.
    
    Mazzer
    

    The beer sold at wembley is hofmeister in plastic bottles without
    any lids, so that they can't be thrown with such drastic consequences.
    It wouldn't be cricket to suggest taking your own lids, but I ended
    up with beer all over my clothes at the last gig I went to. At this
    same gig I was watching the band on a huge tv screen through some
    borrowed binoculars! ridiculous. In future I'll be careful who I
    go and see at the stadium. I saw David Bowie there previously, but
    the stage show revolved around intricate dance routines, which didn't
    some across too well from half a mile away. I'd recommend deciding
    whether you want to put up with all the agro of getting right to
    the front and having a good view, or being comfortable and being
    able to sit down. I got to the front, but after four pints of weak
    beer needed to pop off to the loo!.
    
    Cheers,
    Brendan. see you at floyd!

    Re. 3
    
    Oops!  Sorry! This should have read - "Thanks David"
    
    Mazzer
    

    Another thing to watch at Wembley Stadium is the car parking, as we
    found out to our cost at the Eagles concert last weekend. If you park
    in the main car park they pack all the cars in bumper to bumper with no
    spaces, so when it's time to leave you have to wait until everyone else
    has gone. It took us an hour to get out of the car park and a further
    45 minutes to reach the Hanger Lane gyratory. It costs �8 to park,
    which feels like a rip-off!
    
    In the past I have tried to park in the streets nearby, but these days
    the police have stopped all that. I would have thought Wembley Stadium
    would have sorted out the car parking by now.
    
    Does anyone have any tips? If you drive to a Tube station, is this a
    quicker option, or is getting on the Tube after the concert just as
    bad?
    
    Mike.

Whyanyone would ever want to drive to Wembley has always been a mystery to me. 
There are 3 stations in easy reach, I've used Wembley Park on numerous 
occasions, and Wembley Stadium (is that the 'new' name for Wembley Hill?) as 
well. OK, there are a lot of people, but you keep moving, and they usually put 
on extra trains.

grahame

    Errr...I've always travelled by tube, and each time I've vowed not to do
    it again...it seems to take an age, and the overcrowding at the tube
    station after the gig is not nice.  I've often wondered why they havent
    provided a large station with fast services to Central London, but
    maybe they have - I havent been to Wembley for years. I prefer to drive
    up to the NEC, which may seem further away, but is often a quicker
    journey!
    
    
    mikef 

    Actually, I've often wondered why Londons major venue has to be in a
    place which is a drag to get to, and a pain to get from (whatever
    transport you are using).  Is it the same in other Countries?  
    
    mikef  

>    Is it the same in other Countries?  
    
In Switzerland (well, you were expecting me to answer this, weren't you?!), 
public transport is pretty uniformly wonderful. On the other hand, I don't 
think there's a single venue of any description, which takes more than about 
20 000 at the moment!

I'd have thought that the only country where you'd expect to drive away quickly 
along with fifty thousand others would be the US.

I thought there were great plans for Wembley, which included a much better 
link to Wembley Park? Or was that just a prelude to them asking for lottery 
money or something?

g

    I'm not sure if the great plans ever came to anything...but like I
    said, I havent been along there in a while.  I just have horrible
    memories of being treated worse than cattle...
    
    Gimme Switzerland any day!
    
    mikef

    I hadn't been to Wembley Stadium for a few years, but the only
    improvement I noticed with the venue as a whole was that the stage was
    along the long side of the stadium rather than being at one end. This
    meant that most of the crowd were a reasonable distance from the stage,
    though there were a lot more seats either side of the stage which could
    not be used.
    
    For this particular event, the seats were pre-allocated, which meant
    that people did not have to turn up hours before the start in order to
    get a good position.
    
    Mike.