Hi everybody,

Been Front of Stage a lot of times, but last time in Madrid i noticed the following:

I was FOS center catwalk and i walked arround the stadium on the warm up acts. The sound FOS center is really really bad. Don't get me wrong, it's crystal clear but the sound comes from both sides of the stages and i think this is the reason the sound is a bit soft.

Any opinions or are my ears damaged ?

FOS sound can indeed be poor...but the experience kinda makes up for it.

FOS is where the sound is supposed to be good
on Licks Tour I was FOS in Amsterdam ArenA - famous for being ECHO ARENA - and the sound was MARVELOUS! Than in 2006 to my surprise the sound wasn't that good (wasn't that bad either, but just...OK/good).

and Milano 2006 - the sound was totally fcuked up in FOS - I couldn't hear guitars for most of the show - can you believe - watching Keith moving and playing like a tiger and couldn't hear a freaking thing out of it ! But at least - we were there for him so he had nice warm welcome from tribe

BUT...

I've been to many other shows FOS & I gotta say most of the time sound is THE BEST in whole venue. That's what it is supposed to me. So despite those small exception above the sound in FOS is most of the time GREAT.

The best sound is supposed to be around the soundboard where sounds from both PA's intersects. On this tour, the best sound should be around B-stage.

sound of FOS in paris and nijmegen: me screaming like a little girl.

*and i'm just like that bird - singing just for you*

the problem is there are no speakers pointed to FOS. So i think that is the reason. In Slane i'll be FOS but other gigs i won't be FOS anymore. Sound is THE most important thing for me enjoying a gig

Tell me... Sister M... Wrote:
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> the problem is there are no speakers pointed to
> FOS. So i think that is the reason. In Slane i'll
> be FOS but other gigs i won't be FOS anymore.
> Sound is THE most important thing for me enjoying
> a gig


Exactly - couldn't hear a dang thing in Frankfurt - except echo - echo - echo...
In Paris I backed out, about the middle of FOS, now thas effin' great - yep.

I was FOS on the catwalk on Ronnie's side in Lisbon and Madrid last week, and the sound was as good as I've ever heard at a Stones stadium show. Absolutely perfect in fact.

that's strange gaza, in madrid i was same place, only keiths side, and i thought the sound was really low. So i went back and the sound was so much harder and louder over there

Excellent sound FOS Nijmegen, Keith's side.

Let it rock!

Tell me... Sister M... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> the problem is there are no speakers pointed to
> FOS. So i think that is the reason. In Slane i'll
> be FOS but other gigs i won't be FOS anymore.
> Sound is THE most important thing for me enjoying
> a gig


actually, eye contact with woody was what sealed the deal for me in Nijmegen . . .

*and i'm just like that bird - singing just for you*

I was in nosebleed for Dodger Stadium and Hollywood Bowl and the sound was great! (In the old days you had to be in the Box seats at the Hollywood Bowl to get good sound) I will be FOS for Slane so I look forward to making a comparison.

It's difficould to make a comparision between shows because of memory fades. But being FOS and walking arround the stadium (warm up act ofcourse) will do the math.

I think stadiums itself might have strong infuence whenever the sound in FOS is great or it is not. But as I said - 95% of the time when I was FOS I had a great sound - so go for it - plus this is pure joy seeing those guys so close.

Although b-stage is totally different experience - and when you are just right at the b-stage do not expect to have good sound when they will be on the b-stage. When on main stage the sound should be good. But the experience of seeing them SO CLOSE just right in front of you - another joy of the lifetime.

The B stage is different animal...with it's own set of problems.
The difficulties of synching the monitors, the sort of "token" backline and the main PA must be frightening.
That's why any small technical problem on the B stage can cause the whole song to fall to bits if anything drops out.

Similar issues can also affect the main stage of course...but the sound system is obviously geared primarily to work with the main stage and problems are less catastrophic when they arise.
I think folks often forget the sound issues when being critical of some performances. When a band occupies and moves around such a huge stage, they are very reliant on the foldback monitoring and, these days, on the correct setting up of the digital systems that control it.
It needs a lot of discipline...which is rather at odds with certain aspects of the Stones' nature as a band. Some folks want technically perfect performances AND want the Stones' energy and spontaneity to be retained in full measure at all times...which is a bit unrealistic ;^)



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 2007-07-03 15:26 by Spud.

>> I think folks often forget the sound issues when being critical of some performances. <<

thanks Spud - i have the same impression, and (as i guess has been noticed, maybe, a little) a lot of sympathy
for what it's like navigating that headlong hurtle of everything-happening-at-once on a rock & roll stage.
and of course it's immensely frustrating when something technical interferes with the performance,
as it surely will, sometimes, whether we're talkin about the technology of 1965 or of 2007.
but still: it's part of the performers' gig to take the blame when something screws up,
just like it's part of their gig to get the glory when it's all going right.

They have a new sound crew! Since Robby McGrath has gone sound isn't that great anymore.

the sound at the front is great! When you're lucky you can hear the monitors and sometimes the harmonica or sambaballs directly

-Menno

Life's just a cocktail party on the street

The problem is only in stadiums. Not in field places like Oberhausen 2003 or Zürich 2006 or Nijmegen 2007. There is a great sound all around !

If the stadium has a roof the sound-problem begins.

Worst case:
If the roof is closed than the sound is shi....like Amsterdam 2003 or Frankfurt 2007.


Gerhard



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-07-03 14:57 by satisfaction2.

Cardiff 2006

yeah - the roofs are quite problematic.

on the field the sound doesn't have anything to bounce & get back so it's just perfect - I remember that in Horsens, guitars loud and here we go!

Yep,
Enclosed sports stadiums [with or without a roof] are not ideal. Usually there are tall angular structures which could have been designed to produce undesirable echoes and "slap back" !
The smaller, usually lower and more open stadia are usually much better. I've never heard a bad sound from the Don Valley Stadium at Sheffield for example. It's a very open athletics venue with no towering enclosed stands. Far superior sound in most parts of the audience to Twickenham for example in recent years.

And from my earlier post... I'm not suggesting that folks shouldn't criticise the band for certain issues. The band makes the decision to present shows and use the stages in this way. I'm just pointing the issues out as contributing factors...rather than as excuses ;^)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-07-03 15:38 by Spud.

Sound in FOS in Madrid excellent.

carlitos

>> I'm just pointing the issues out as contributing factors...rather than as excuses <<

i'm not sure if it was my response that you're responding to here, but just in case:
i didn't think it sounded like you're making excuses - you're simply pointing out some facts of life on a rock & roll stage,
and i agree with you totally that it's an aspect of the show that's well worth bearing in mind
(sure beats the hell out of diagnosing folks with acute enditallitis because of some sound problem!)

>> The band makes the decision to present shows and use the stages in this way <<

yep. at the same time, there have *always* been sound problems -
their exact nature has varied with the changes in the technology,
but they're simply a fact of rock & roll.

Quite so ;^)

>>acute enditallitis<< ???

whats that?

just a joke, Open-G honey, referring to the outbreak of inflammatory end-it-all posts we've had lately.
some of them *did* seem to be coming from people who were witnessing technical problems
and misinterpreted them as something wrong with one of the performers.

ablett Wrote:
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> Cardiff 2006


too true- awful muffled sound, in my seated location

Cardiff - I was on stage that night, but the stadium looked really weird inside - all closed and the roof wasn't transparent at all and it sort of gave a feeling of bigger arena. can't tell much about the sound, but it could be bouncing around. On Stage sound as I expected, you behind the speakers so you have to focus on it way more to hear it clearly, so that was worth it but only once I think.

I was FOS on Ronnie's side in Paris approx 25 meters from the stage and the sound was really good.
I wish I could say the same about Keith's playing and vocals, but unfortunately he was so-so that evening.