Billy Joel Aviva Stadium 23 June 2018

joeysoap

robbo1203 wrote: »

Sound on the East Stand also particularly poor ( Section 504 ) especially when the full band were playing, some of the songs were so distorted that it was difficult to work out what one he was performing. At € 130 a ticket I would expect a lot more and it is a real pity that the sound engineers did'nt walk around the stadium to check the sound levels properly. At one stage, it sounded as if Billy was singing in a different key to the musicians behind him. Dont think I will be rushing back to hear a big concert in the Aviva anytime in the future.

I won’t be rushing back either, some of the songs were just like noise. I too blamed the Aviva, (and the sound engineers).

robbo1203

joeysoap wrote: »

I was in west stand too. 523. And I thought the sound overall was pretty poor. If you knew the song -fine, but if not you were struggling for words.

Never seen so many at a concertspend the night tooing and frooing to the bar,.

I dont think that they were tooing and frooing to the bar as you were saying, there was quite a steady exodus from the stadium and many complaints about the appalling sound quality.

Pretzill

Arthur Daley wrote: »

I'd say a lot of the roar expected that they were going to hear 'Vienna' by Ultravox, sung by Billy Joel.

Are you serious? Vienna is one of my favourite Billy Joel songs and I assumed that most fans would know he dislikes Just the way you are himself -

Thought the sounds was strange alright for about the first half hour I put ear buds in to cancel what sounded more like echo than distortion but it did improve as the night went on and I thought the atmosphere was really good overall.

The Premier Man

I was in the West stand upper and didn't find the sound terribly bad, an awful lot better than Bruce in croke Park that's for certain.. On Vienna, I was one who voted for it, think its a top class song but was disappointed it was put up against just the way you are as I would have like to hear that aswell.. Just while we have a few fans here, does anyone know why he doesn't play "tell her about it" live anymore. Might be a reason that I don't know. Delighted we heard "only the good die young" which hasn't made the list of some recent sets

Joekers

Mose Harper wrote: »

I was working the gig and heard over the radio that he cut his set by 3 songs as only 19,000 people in at 7.45 and another 20,000 yet to enter the stadium.
So he came on at 8.15ish instead of 8 .

Don't think this is true as the printed setlist that all the band use had 24 songs and every one of them was played. Seen a photo of it on twitter one of the sound engineers gave it to someone.

Did cut a few songs from when he played in Manchester but that was nothing to do with the crowd.

delbertgrady

I wasn't surprised with Vienna winning the vote; Vienna is incredibly popular, despite the fact that it wasn't a single. Alongside Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, it's probably his most well-liked and best-known song that wasn't a hit. It generally wins; it also got the public vote in Manchester last week. I was a bit disappointed in All for Leyna missing out, but I also love "Don't Axe Me Why", so can't complain.

Besides, as has already been stated by one or two people, the dice are loaded for a lot of these. There's no way Storm Front is ever going to get a bigger response than The Downeaster Alexa, which is why Billy didn't even bother to do a proper cheer-o-meter for the latter, once Storm Front was met with total indifference.

Thunder77

The sound is always hit and miss at the Aviva, i have been to a few gigs there and unless you are near the stage or have a decent seat in the lower stands the sound is never going to be crystal clear,what is with Irish Stadiums and dodgy sound? although i was at the back of the Aviva for Phil Collins and the sound was fine but you hear so many sound complaints from the Aviva every time there is a show on there

Heebie

Mose Harper wrote:

I was working the gig and heard over the radio that he cut his set by 3 songs as only 19,000 people in at 7.45 and another 20,000 yet to enter the stadium. So he came on at 8.15ish instead of 8 .

Aww man. I got ripped off by the songs because gobs***es can't be on-time?

He heckled a pair of women who were obviously way drunk trying to find their seats.
They ended up sitting near me and they screamed away at each other like they were in a pub... they just wouldn't shut up.

hynesie08

Heebie wrote: »

Aww man. I got ripped off by the songs because gobs***es can't be on-time?

He heckled a pair of women who were obviously way drunk trying to find their seats.
They ended up sitting near me and they screamed away at each other like they were in a pub... they just wouldn't shut up.

Sounds like bollocks to me, there would be light cues, videos on the screen and a million small things that would be affected by a last minute change like this, plus the setlist has no songs missing. Plus Billy is always late coming on.

Shedite27

How did the voting work?

Thunder77

Billy Joel loves that song, it's one of his fav songs to play live, it always wins that slot

hynesie08

Shedite27 wrote: »

How did the voting work?

He calls out a song, the audience makes some noise, he calls out the winning song, the audience makes more noise, the winning song starts with a full band arrangement, light show etc.

gipi

PTH2009 wrote: »

Great gig, great setlist and great crowd

Way better than I expected

Whos bright idea was it to hold 2 big gigs in the one area on the same night ?. Chaos around Ballsbridge with loads of drunken teens

Brilliant gig, even if the sound was a bit ropey in section 515.

Allowing 2 gigs on the same night in the same area was absolute madness.

Journey home by bus was pure chaos coz of the RDS gig. Bus left Ballsbridge Hotel at 10.55, by 11.35 we had travelled about 100 yards and had sat for 30 mins. The Merrion Rd was thronged and the Garda did nothing other than stop traffic. When we finally got going, the dozy bus driver heads out past RDS and turns up Simmonscourt Rd, right back into the mess. After an hour and 20 mins, we were at Westland Row - 10 mins walk from the Aviva! Got to Drogheda 2 hours after setting off.
Lotta full bladders on that bus, I can tell you

Checkmate19

I taught the sound was great. Probably depends where u where sitting. Wish he'd played just the way you are. Great concert totally enjoyed it
Great evening for it.

Zardoz

The Premier Man wrote: »

Just while we have a few fans here, does anyone know why he doesn't play "tell her about it" live anymore.

Seems like a strange omission .

I Go to Extremes and All about Soul seem glaring omissions too.

Maybe he prefers the slower tempo songs now that he is 69.

quickbeam

Heebie wrote: »

He heckled a pair of women who were obviously way drunk trying to find their seats.
They ended up sitting near me and they screamed away at each other like they were in a pub... they just wouldn't shut up.

They were chancing their arms for free seats up closer. A steward checked their tickets and sent them back to where they belonged. Maybe they didn't go to their original seats but got somewhere a stewards allowed them to go that was still better than their original seats.

prinzeugen

Mose Harper wrote: »

I was working the gig and heard over the radio that he cut his set by 3 songs as only 19,000 people in at 7.45 and another 20,000 yet to enter the stadium.
So he came on at 8.15ish instead of 8 .

There was 34,250 in the stands (pitch was counted separate) at 20:00. He was not supposed to be on stage until 20:20 as per the planned timings although he did finish slightly later than the 22:20 finish.

The concert finish times were staggered (Aviva 22:30, RDS 23:00) so you would not have 90,000 people trying to get home at once.

I have to agree the sound was hit and miss. I went for a wander and the sound was brutal on the lower east pitch and stand but was crystal clear on the west pitch and in the stands.

joeysoap

prinzeugen wrote: »

I have to agree the sound was hit and miss. I went for a wander and the sound was brutal on the lower east pitch and stand but was crystal clear on the west pitch and in the stands.

It was white noise in the upper West Stand at times.

robbo1203

joeysoap wrote: »

It was white noise in the upper West Stand at times.

White noise in the upper East stand also

The Nal

Theres an easy solution here. Don't sit in the stands at stadium shows.

joeysoap

The Nal wrote: »

Theres an easy solution here. Don't sit in the stands at stadium shows.

Should that not read: promoters shouldn’t sell seats in the stands?

Pretzill

Zardoz wrote: »

Seems like a strange omission .

I Go to Extremes and All about Soul seem glaring omissions too.

Maybe he prefers the slower tempo songs now that he is 69.

He has such a large songbook though it would be difficult to please everyone - I still think it was a great setlist. I actually thought the opposite and thought he kept to the more upbeat choices - would have loved to hear Leningrad or Honesty but hey I was happy anyway

The Nal

joeysoap wrote: »

Should that not read: promoters shouldn’t sell seats in the stands?

They sell Rustlers microwave burgers in Tesco but you don't have to buy them.

Mose Harper

hynesie08 wrote: »

Sounds like bollocks to me, there would be light cues, videos on the screen and a million small things that would be affected by a last minute change like this, plus the setlist has no songs missing. Plus Billy is always late coming on.

He was anxious to get on stage at 7.50 as he wanted to finish at 10.30.He was flying straight out after the gig. .
An alternative set list was then issued before the start.

rubadub

Mose Harper wrote: »

He was anxious to get on stage at 7.50 as he wanted to finish at 10.30.

That is pretty bad, seeing as Aiken officially said it was 8pm start.

Liam Gallagher came on 10mins earlier than the official promotors times. I was saying that was the first time I can recall hearing of an act coming on early. Any gigs I go to with official times usually end up 10-15mins later than that, sometimes 30mins, very rare to be on time..

https://www.aikenpromotions.com/shows/show/1261-billy-joel-in-concert-aviva-stadium-dublin.html
Please note there is no support.

Doors open 6.30pm

Billy Joel will be on stage at 8pm

a tweet on the day also said 8pm
https://twitter.com/aikenpromotions/status/1010463897248256000

if he planned to be on at 7.50pm then if I was the promotor I would be saying 7.30-7.40pm to make sure people who arrive at close to the time can get through security.

Zardoz

Mose Harper wrote: »

He was anxious to get on stage at 7.50 as he wanted to finish at 10.30.He was flying straight out after the gig. .
An alternative set list was then issued before the start.

Would it have killed him to have stayed overnight in Dublin ?
He was getting paid millions and yet he needed to rush off into the night ,its not like he had a gig the following day .
Seems ridiculous.

quickbeam

Pretzill wrote: »

He has such a large songbook though it would be difficult to please everyone - I still think it was a great setlist. I actually thought the opposite and thought he kept to the more upbeat choices - would have loved to hear Leningrad or Honesty but hey I was happy anyway

Indeed, which is why I wish he'd stick to how own fantastic stuff, instead of singing covers. But, at his age, I guess he's entitled, and it was still great.

Pretzill

Zardoz wrote: »

Would it have killed him to have stayed overnight in Dublin ?
He was getting paid millions and yet he needed to rush off into the night ,its not like he had a gig the following day .
Seems ridiculous.

You mean ... in the middle of the night

prinzeugen

rubadub wrote: »

That is pretty bad, seeing as Aiken officially said it was 8pm start.

Liam Gallagher came on 10mins earlier than the official promotors times. I was saying that was the first time I can recall hearing of an act coming on early. Any gigs I go to with official times usually end up 10-15mins later than that, sometimes 30mins, very rare to be on time..

https://www.aikenpromotions.com/shows/show/1261-billy-joel-in-concert-aviva-stadium-dublin.html
Please note there is no support.

Doors open 6.30pm

Billy Joel will be on stage at 8pm

a tweet on the day also said 8pm
https://twitter.com/aikenpromotions/status/1010463897248256000

if he planned to be on at 7.50pm then if I was the promotor I would be saying 7.30-7.40pm to make sure people who arrive at close to the time can get through security.

I work down there and both the briefings we had said 20:20 on stage. His departure was planned with military precision also. Of stage 22:20, out a side gate with a Garda escort bang on 22:30 (he was a bit later than that).

I think the problem with the sound down there is that everything sounds fine during the sound check but sounds different once people are in.

We had problems with our radios as there was interference from the RDS so I wonder if it screwed with the sound system also.

MattressRick

prinzeugen wrote: »

I work down there and both the briefings we had said 20:20 on stage. His departure was planned with military precision also. Of stage 22:20, out a side gate with a Garda escort bang on 22:30 (he was a bit later than that).

I think the problem with the sound down there is that everything sounds fine during the sound check but sounds different once people are in.

We had problems with our radios as there was interference from the RDS so I wonder if it screwed with the sound system also.

He did run out the back of the stage so I remember thinking he was in a hurry