Whats the concert experience at Western Springs like?

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dclegg

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Topic # 86707 12-Jul-2011 08:51

My wife is not a big concert goer, but I think I've got her convinced to come to Western Springs for the Foo Fighters concert in December. Or at least I thought I did, until I found out that all tickets are GA only. Once she found that out, she wasn't anywhere near as keen.

I've never been to a concert at Western Springs before, and am hoping other Geekzoners could share their experiences. How crowded does it get standing on the field? Is there respite from the crush of the crowd if you stick to the side or back? And are there opportunities to sit down during the quieter moments (read support bands ;-))? Is the situation better if you opt for tickets on the embankment? I assume you'd be further away from the stage, but is it so far away that it really ruins the concert, or is it still an enjoyable place to view things from?

Also, what is access to the amenities like? Is it a bit of a fight to work your way through the crowds if you need to, and do you then find yourself on the fringe of the action when you want to return?

Any other feedback also welcome (e.g. best strategies for parking).

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Reply # 492312 12-Jul-2011 09:06

You can't beat a good band at western springs on a fine day. Amenities are fine, and never had an issue myself.

It is just like most other outdoor concerts venues. You get crushed at the front, and unlikely to sit down at the front either.

There will be plenty of space to sit down further back.

Weather is the biggest enjoyment risk factor .

One idea is to catch a cab to the venue, and walk into Ponsonby afterwards for some refreshments.

dclegg

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Reply # 492317 12-Jul-2011 09:15

wreck90: You can't beat a good band at western springs on a fine day. Amenities are fine, and never had an issue myself.

It is just like most other outdoor concerts venues. You get crushed at the front, and unlikely to sit down at the front either.

There will be plenty of space to sit down further back.

Weather is the biggest enjoyment risk factor .

One idea is to catch a cab to the venue, and walk into Ponsonby afterwards for some refreshments.

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like its worth fighting for this one then. My "Plan B" was to talk her into going to Def Leppard instead (we were both huge fans in the 80s), but surprisingly she seemed a lot more interested in the Foos. And TBH I reckon that would be the pick of the two concerts (although if times weren't as tough I'd ideally go to both... and Roger Waters).

Is it also safe to say that, due to the space at the back, you're actually better off getting tickets on the field, rather than ones on the embankment? My initial thought was that it may be less crushed on the embankment, but as thats where the cheaper tickets will be, it may not actually be that great up there.

bazzer

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Reply # 492323 12-Jul-2011 09:26

I've been to a bunch of gigs at Western Springs. My wife feels a bit the same way as yours (I guess) about GA. I was talking to her about it the other day, because I was thinking that everytime I've been there the crowd has been pretty laid back, and that is from right at the front too.

I guess because it's so big, but really I don't have an explanation. If it's that much of a worry, the terraces are pretty good. I wouldn't go for the embankment if I could help it. If they are separate ticketing sections, I would imagine the terraces would be part of the field rather than the embankment section.

Edit: Where did you see the concert info, I haven't seen ticket prices/seating yet?

vexxxboy

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Reply # 492328 12-Jul-2011 09:33

i went to U2 at Western Springs and sat on the embankment/ terracing right at the back and looked down over the crowd to the stage, and though you cant see much detail its ok but the sound is really good and theres no crush from the crowd which at a Foo concert can be a problem.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

dclegg

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Reply # 492329 12-Jul-2011 09:33

Edit: Where did you see the concert info, I haven't seen ticket prices/seating yet?

Pricing hasn't been released, but I asked Frontier Touring about it on Facebook. They told me that all tickets are GA, and that the field and embankment will be two different price categories.

Johnk

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Reply # 492331 12-Jul-2011 09:45

Been to one concert there, got dropped off pretty close to venue, traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Amenities are well located and didn't have any troubles there.

I was in the field close to stage so can't comment on embankment but it looked OK from going for a walk around there

Atmosphere was awesome, it was filled with people but never gave you the over crowded feeling.

Ragnor

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Reply # 492350 12-Jul-2011 10:26

Went to AC/DC there last year in feb, was great.. seemed to be plenty of space on the field even though there was 50,000 odd people there.

Many people did sit down on the field between bands.

If your wife is on the shorter side you will probably want to go for the embankment/terraces as there are plenty of tall dudes who will be at the front on the field which might make it hard to see depending on the height of the stage.

The atmosphere is still great on the embankment/terraces even if you are a bit far away.

dclegg

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Reply # 492354 12-Jul-2011 10:37

Ragnor:
If your wife is on the shorter side you will probably want to go for the embankment/terraces as there are plenty of tall dudes who will be at the front on the field which might make it hard to see depending on the height of the stage.

The atmosphere is still great on the embankment/terraces even if you are a bit far away.

Hehe. We were both ripped off in the height department. I personally want to get as close to the action as I can, but have to balance that with the desire to not make it too claustrophobic for my wife. Ideally this would spark a renewed interest in live music, so we can share this experience much more in the future (once the NZD/USD exchange rate sorts itself out).

trig42

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Reply # 492387 12-Jul-2011 12:19

I've been to a few concerts at the Springs and IMHO it is the best outdoor concert venue in NZ. It is an oval speedway track and the stage is on the straight section of the oval, so the field is wide and not too deep (as opposed to when they have it in a stadium and the stage is at one end of the stadium). I have mostly been in the field and so long as you are not right up the front, crushing has never been an issue. If you did get the embankment (which I assume also includes the concrete terraces) then you are still not too far away and the sound is great.

gzt

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Reply # 492561 12-Jul-2011 16:40

Springs is an excellent venue. No other venue gives you that full on concert experience. If Roger Waters was doing The Wall there I'd be going. (Vector experience - even with front row seats - meh)

Imho you will get a good view about halfway towards the stage in the field, the crowd is usually a bit thinner there, esp if sound control is there. You can always advance or retreat from there depending on crowd size. If your partner is really into the music you should be ok there, if not you'll need to beat a hasty retreat to preserve your future concert attendance options. ; ).

If needed, my guess is you will be able to retreat into the cheap area after an hour or so of the headline starting, maybe someone can confirm that based on past experience.

jonofan

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Reply # 493322 14-Jul-2011 13:31

I see frontier released ticket pricing today. Gold and Silver $132.50 and $109.50 respectively.

I'm in the same boat as the OP with wanting to be able to sit and not get crushed.

Any one know whether the embankment/terraces is the silver or the gold tickets?

dclegg

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Reply # 493351 14-Jul-2011 14:01

jonofan:
Any one know whether the embankment/terraces is the silver or the gold tickets?

Frontier mentioned to me the other day that the embankment was a different price tier. I took that to mean they were the silver tickets, but you may want to confirm with them.

jonofan

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Reply # 493440 14-Jul-2011 17:33

They have updated the pricing again, embankment being the cheapest option and field/terraces the more expensive.

So the consensus was the terraces are the place to be? (if not on the field)

bazzer

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Reply # 493625 15-Jul-2011 09:47

Definitely.

jonofan

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Reply # 493720 15-Jul-2011 13:48

FYI

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