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Ever been to a secret gig?

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  • 26-10-2013 10:58pm
    #1
    paddylonglegs
    Registered Users Posts: 3,540 ✭✭✭


    Never been but very interested in what the atmosphere is like.

    Is it normally jammed full of hardcore fans or just full of customers of the corporations who haven't a clue what's going on? A bit like the premium level at Croke Park

    So, been to any good ones?


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    #2
    Joe_Dull
    Registered Users Posts: 900 ✭✭✭Joe_Dull


    Not really a secret gig, but me and 3 mates won tickets to a tiny Biffy Clyro gig in the o2 a few years ago. About 100 people there, most of them megafans like us. They only played six or seven songs but the atmosphere was pretty magical - being up against this tiny makeshift stage in the middle of a massive venue. We also got a fair bit of crowd interaction with the band with requests and things. All in all a great experience, although it was a little sad they had to run off and catch a flight right after so no autographs for us :(


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    #3
    9959
    Registered Users Posts: 1,785 ✭✭✭9959


    paddylonglegs wrote: »
    Never been but very interested in what the atmosphere is like.

    Is it normally jammed full of hardcore fans or just full of customers of the corporations who haven't a clue what's going on? A bit like the premium level at Croke Park

    So, been to any good ones?

    I've been to some great ones, can't tell you about them though...... 'secret'.


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    #4
    SusanneKn
    Registered Users Posts: 199 ✭✭SusanneKn


    I had been invited once in London.

    There were about 200 people there. 95% were Journalists and the rest Fans. Atmosphere was different, a lot quieter than usual ;)
    Nevertheless, it was a very good performance and for once we all shut up and listened to singers actual voice and took in the lyrics completely.


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    #5
    paddylonglegs
    Registered Users Posts: 3,540 ✭✭✭paddylonglegs


    9959 wrote: »
    I've been to some great ones, can't tell you about them though...... 'secret'.

    Spill it! :)


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    #6
    sabrewulf
    Registered Users Posts: 405 ✭✭sabrewulf


    I've been to a few of German punkrock band "Die Ärzte". Most of you guys won't know them here, but in Germany they sell out arenas with 30K+ people. Once saw them playing in Berlin at the SO36 which is a small 200 people venue and basically the place where these lads have their roots:

    They announced the gig the night before (under a different name that only die hard fans would recognize) and tickets were available at one ticket outlet in Berlin only between 11pm and midnight. I found out about it through a fan forum I visited regularly and one of the members there was so kind buying a ticket for me, since he lived in Berlin. (So, yeah, there were hardcore fans only!). The tickets were personalized, carrying the passport number. I lived in Cologne at that time, booked flight and hotel straight after receiving confirmation that the lad secured a ticket for me, went to work the next day, requested half a day off and flew over.

    Absolutely amazing atmosphere. Very rare songs played from back in the day that you don't get at any other of their shows.

    The band was scheduled to play a sold out gig for 30K people in Cologne 2 days later. And I actually was on the same flight with the band, so I had a quick chat with them and had my ticket signed...

    Another one was a "Yusuf" (fka Cat Stevens) gig in London. While this was running under the Island Records anniversary banner, the Yusuf show was not a secret, just a gig in a 500 to 1,000 people venue. They had a secret support act, and that evening we would find out it was U2, playing 3 songs!

    Great craic!

    sabrewulf


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    #7
    acquiescefc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,369 ✭✭✭acquiescefc


    won tickets to a secret James Dean Bradfield gig on a converted car ferry in Glasgow.
    Even got the train fare from my home...ahem...town in the UK and hotel.
    Gave the spare ticket to a guy on an MSP forum, he got his guitar signed, he was well chuffed.
    First time some of the songs had ever been played acoustically.


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    #8
    Royale with Cheese
    Registered Users Posts: 9,124 ✭✭✭Royale with Cheese


    Got free tickets to Foo Fighters and Jimmy Eat World in the Ambassador back in 2002, damn good gig. Was announced on their websites a day or two before I think, no tickets were sold for it. Was pretty easy to win them in the end, managed to get about 8 for all my mates. Was the night before they both played Witness. Ah, memories.


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    #9
    sadie06
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,706 ✭✭✭sadie06


    I was lucky enough to attend a secret David Bowie gig in '98 I think, in The Factory on Barrow Street. It was an unbelievable experience, particularly as there was no stage. All that divided us from the band were the monitors. He was recording in Windmill by night and rehearsing in The Factory by day.

    To answer your question, it was a real mix of die hard fans and industry knobs. There was a make shift bar area in another room, and many, many of these knobs never even looked in on Bowie as they were too busy getting coked up and talking ****e to each other. It really pissed me off, as my boyfriend at the time would have killed to be there!


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