O2 closing down for three months ?

Motley Crue

I have to say that I agree with the venue being an improvement on the Point Depo, but only because having both attended concerts and worked there, the old venue was essentially a monument to the past by the time it was demolished. The same could be said about Landsdowne Road (which was never a good place to hold concerts anyway, but that's beside the point).

The thing is that demolition and rebuilding was needed, and that's what has happened, and the 02 is a great example of a modern concert venue in the city of Dublin. Whether people like it or not, and they will complain either way, the 02 was desperately needed just like Aviva Stadium and now both complexes are built it is difficult to see organisers and promoters struggling for business.

These are two venues which will be used for the next 30/40 years and maybe beyond, and make massive improvements on those they left behind, so I can't really see the argument for a few blemishes.

RayCon

Shreddingblood wrote: »

RIP The Ambassador, the best venue in Ireland.

Despite seeing many good gigs there I couldn't disagree more.

Furious-Red

Motley Crue wrote: »

I have to say that I agree with the venue being an improvement on the Point Depo, but only because having both attended concerts and worked there, the old venue was essentially a monument to the past by the time it was demolished. The same could be said about Landsdowne Road (which was never a good place to hold concerts anyway, but that's beside the point).

The thing is that demolition and rebuilding was needed, and that's what has happened, and the 02 is a great example of a modern concert venue in the city of Dublin. Whether people like it or not, and they will complain either way, the 02 was desperately needed just like Aviva Stadium and now both complexes are built it is difficult to see organisers and promoters struggling for business.

These are two venues which will be used for the next 30/40 years and maybe beyond, and make massive improvements on those they left behind, so I can't really see the argument for a few blemishes.

Agreed i never like the point at all was there for a few gigs/events . The o2 is a massive step up and a really nice venue and you can see the stage anywhere.

RayCon wrote: »

Despite seeing many good gigs there I couldn't disagree more.

I liked the layout of the Ambassador but the sound was always shocking

part time punk

RayCon wrote: »

Despite seeing many good gigs there I couldn't disagree more.

Spot on. The Ambassador is a lovely building but the sound was normally brutal for gigs .... Only been to the O2 once but was impressed compared to the Point, except for the €6 pints in plastic glasses ! On the O2 ticket prices, I know some costs are higher here and big artists can get better value in the UK where there could do 6 gigs as opposed to one here. But artists/promoters are still taking the piss with some of the prices here. But as long as the big name/big price concerts keep selling, they'll continue to keep charging higher prices here

honru

Ah, I have fond memories of the Ambassador (back in the day, most of the more "alternative" bands I wanted to see played there, and I rarely went to gigs in the Olympia). It was extremely hit-or-miss with the sound though. I suppose MCD felt money was to be made by hosting club nights and so moved to The Academy. You could say the Tripod fills the void it left, albeit it seems underused for concerts.

PaulieBoy

Meh! I spit on the Ambassador. The SFX was the best venue in Dublin. Been downhill since that shut its doors :-)

argentum

The O2 in Dublin is the second busiest concert venue in the world.
Figures from Pollstar Magazine reveal there were 424,307 tickets sold for the venue in the first 6 months of the year.
That far outstrips the likes of Madison Square Garden in New York and Wembley Arena in London.
The 14,000-seat Dublin amphitheatre is run by Live Nation and opened in 2008.
The only venue busier in terms of total number of tickets sold is The O2 London.


Think this puts to bed the idea that its about to close.
It never has gigs this time of the year ,last year only had 4 between July -September as all the main acts are doing outdoor gigs.
With regards to other venues

Simmonscourt a kip
.SFX great for getting near the stage in the old days before they knocked it
The Olympia absolute kip .
The o2 brilliant if decide which area you want to be in .standing in front of sound desk best place for sound and visuals
Seating Blocks B- f for quieter gigs

Furious-Red

Mr.S wrote: »

Tripod is actually pretty good as a live venue, seen NFG there years ago and was impressed.

Yea i really like Tripod , i seen Jimmy Eat World there last year and really liked the venue

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Mrs Shuttleworth wrote: »

No disrespect Mod but it's dreadful. Not a patch on the old Point - with all its faults - in terms of atmosphere, sightlines and acoustics. I've seen wildly differing acts in the new O2 - Prodigy, Deadmau5, Tina Turner, Kylie, Russell Brand and Roger Waters. They all sucked. Couldn't see. Couldn't hear. Beer/toilet/beer/toilet on and on, and that godawful floodlighting at the back near the foodstalls.

Any venue that makes a Deadmau5/Calvin Harris gig feel like a Sonny Knowles concert needs to think again.

Are you serious??
The point was literally an old shead converted into a venue. Ive been to loads of gigs in both the point and the O2, the O2 is so much better. Ive been to boxing/wrestling in both venues, strained my neck in the point trying to look at the ring in the point. You are the first person I've ever heard that prefers the point to the O2!

Shreddingblood wrote: »

RIP The Ambassador, the best venue in Ireland.

It was a old, dirty and the smell from the toilets would knock you out, perfect for Hard Rock/Metal I loved that place, it was so small you were never too far from the stage.

Mickolution

Mr.S wrote: »

Tripod is actually pretty good as a live venue, seen NFG there years ago and was impressed.

Tripod is the best venue in Dublin at the moment. Horribly uncomfortable when it's full, though.

indiewindy

What about some love for Vicar Street, class venue and no noisy bar in the main venue, like crawdaddy too. Olympia is seriously overrated

ghostdancer

i find Tripod to be awful tbh.
if it's full, the place is a complete sweatbox with no fresh air at all, and for any way quiet gigs, the bar at the back is noisy as hell.
i remember especially being there for Band of Horses last June, just standing listening to some delicate acoustic songs with sweat pumping out of me, and the sound of glasses and cash registers clattering in the background.

PTH2009

where is/was the top hat music venue ??. Metallica played there in the 80's so it must of been one hell of a venue

honru

PTH2009 wrote: »

where is/was the top hat music venue ??. Metallica played there in the 80's so it must of been one hell of a venue

It was nestled in between Dun Laoghaire and Monkstown at Longford Place. In its place nowadays are a block of apartments.

blastman

indiewindy wrote: »

What about some love for Vicar Street, class venue and no noisy bar in the main venue, like crawdaddy too. Olympia is seriously overrated

Having been to my first gig in the Grand Canal Theatre recently, I can honestly say I never want to sit at a gig in the Olympia again. The seats are ludicrously tight compared to a modern theatre. Having said that, standing is usually grand if you're not too far back

Vicar St. is a great venue, as is the Academy.

StaticAge11

Personally I love the Academy. I also really like the Button Factory, but I have only been there once for Less Than Jake

HeartShake

I absolutely love the Olympia. The Ambassador was amazing too. What's happening with it? Will we ever see it as a venue again?

The O2 I'm not that big a fan of. The sound is great, but the floodlighting, ****ty staff and generally inflated prices are annoying.

Big fan of the Academy, Tripod, Vicar St and Crawdaddy.

I kinda feel that in general, we do venues well. Even the RDS Showground transforms well.

Simmonscourt is a dump, however.

Lower level venues around Dublin are fairly hit and miss though. Workmans, Whelans, The Village and The Barge are all great.

The Pint, The Mezz, Gypsy Rose and most other places that have tried haven't impressed me too much.

delbertgrady

I don't think the Ambassador will be reinstated as a gig venue. There was a plan for it to be converted into a library, that would act as an overflow or replacement site for the existing library in the Ilac Centre, but I think that was scuppered by the recession. I expect it will retain its exhibition centre status for the forseeable future.

Mickolution

blastman wrote: »

Having been to my first gig in the Grand Canal Theatre recently, I can honestly say I never want to sit at a gig in the Olympia again. The seats are ludicrously tight compared to a modern theatre. Having said that, standing is usually grand if you're not too far back

Vicar St. is a great venue, as is the Academy.

Couldn't agree more about the Olympia. I'm not sure why it has such a reputation when as you say, the seats are very uncomfortable and standing is only "grand" if you're in certain areas. Terrible venue.

The Village is **** too.

SteM

PTH2009 wrote: »

where is/was the top hat music venue ??. Metallica played there in the 80's so it must of been one hell of a venue

It was some venue alright - used to be a roller rink to iirc.

PTH2009

how come the top hat attracted so many big metal acts such as Metallica,Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake etc.

how big was the place

honru

PTH2009 wrote: »

how come the top hat attracted so many big metal acts such as Metallica,Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake etc.

how big was the place

I guess you could call it the Ambassador of its day. I was too young to have caught a gig there but what it turned in to in the mid-90s (The Fun Factory) was big enough.

I think Nirvana played one of two Dublin gigs there as well.

argentum

Since we have now moved onto our favorite or different venues how about the Star in Crumlin opposite the Hospital
Early seventies saw the mighty Bay City Rollers playing there.They came out onto the balcony to wave at all the girls in their tartan trousers and the local lads went mad trowing stones and bottles at them.
I dont think it was ever used as a concert venue again

mr_delaney

"I think Nirvana played one of two Dublin gigs there as well"

Yep, they supported Sonic Youth there. 1st gig I was ever at. 21st Aug 91.

Ticket was £8.

They were pencilled in for playing McGonagles later that year but postponed due to the success of nevermind. Played the point in June 92 instead.

DUBACC

mr_delaney wrote: »

"I think Nirvana played one of two Dublin gigs there as well"

Yep, they supported Sonic Youth there. 1st gig I was ever at. 21st Aug 91.

Ticket was £8.

They were pencilled in for playing McGonagles later that year but postponed due to the success of nevermind. Played the point in June 92 instead.

Ha! I was at that gig - at the grand old age of 16! My introduction to live music and what an introduction. Caught the bug that has been growing ever since,

Speaking of the Ambassador - i remember it when it was a cinema. I went to see Return of The Jedi there with my folks!! Then returned years later in it's concert venue incarnation. Saw Velvet Revolver there - place literally shook to it;s core that night. Even Slash commented on how 'old-school' the place was!! :cool::cool: