Heartland

Very interested to hear other people's views of the gig, most of which seem to disagree with mine!!

Having spent over 20 years going to the UEA to see bands perform (OK I started early!) and having waited 16 years since the last time I remember seeing the Sisters live (I've been told I have seen them since then, but it must've been a good night as I can't remember it at all ), I was *really* disappointed.

I was one of the people who other posters have referred to as the people who kept shouting out to 'turn it up'. I also went and asked the people on the desks to do the same as did one of the friends I was with (who was told that the sound man had set up early on and then left the venue!).

Frankly, the sound was *iss poor all night (although it did seem to get slightly better towards the end). The sound quality, with a few exceptions, isn't usually stunning at UEA, but this was literally *the worst* I or the friends I was with, can remember.

It was *so* low that we could talk almost normally over the music whether we stood half way back in the pit, by the bar or by the speakers. The proof of this is that my 37-year old ears weren't even ringing that night, let alone the next day, which is always the case after a UEA gig.

In addition, the vocals were so low in the mix that we couldn't hear what was being sung and struggled to make out what song was being played.

All this is really disappointing when you consider that for the very small periods when we could actually hear something coherant from the stage, the band seemed to be putting on a good show. I was also impressed with the choice of songs (once we managed to recognise what they were playing, usally 2/3rds of the way through it!), although one or two from 'First and Last and Always' might've been nice (unless they played some which we didn't manage to pick out from the garbled sound). Nice to (just about!) hear lots of 'Floodland' though......

From an established band who I was really into at the time, still listen to and who charged £20 a pop which is in the top price range for a UEA gig, I expected much better.

Sorry, but the reality is that the dreadful sound quality spoilt the evening for me and my friends and judging by the comments and conversations I overheard and the comments from people I caught up with and hadn't seen for years before the gig, lots of people there seemed to feel the same. Plenty voted with their feet and left early too.

And in obvious reply to the posters who've said that we should've stopped moaning and trying to the get sound sorted and listened to what we could hear, that was the problem in the first place - we *couldn't* hear it!!!

My, what a negative first post..........

You sure you were at the UEA? I reckon you must have been standing outside if you couldn't hear it.

You're joking aren't you! The sound level was about the same as my next-door but 6 neighbour playing their stereo slightly loud with the windows open!!!!

paulvazquez wrote: You're joking aren't you! The sound level was about the same as my next-door but 6 neighbour playing their stereo slightly loud with the windows open!!!!

Then may I suggest that a visit to a hearing specialist might be in order? Seriously, my ears were ringing like fook when I left.

Thanks, funny you should suggest that. At the start of the gig I did wonder whether I'd suddenly been struck deaf until my friends and most of the people around us started to look round and talk over the music to comment on how low it sounded!

Sorry, I've gone a bit sarcastic now haven't I. Oh dear, only my 3rd post too!

Out with the bad air, in with the good air........

I would have to agree that it was on the quiet side

@Gimme_the_ring - perhaps you thought it was louder because you were right at the front? (according to my photo of you!)

Brideoffrankenstein wrote:I would have to agree that it was on the quiet side

@Gimme_the_ring - perhaps you thought it was louder because you were right at the front? (according to my photo of you!)

Yeah but the venue is so small it's not as if the sound has far to travel is it? How far away from me were you, 20 metres?

i was also "down the front"...sorta centre left infront of Ben...the sound was OK...the joke of a pit was amusing (sorry guys...you were alone in a sea of dispondents)...

i can't complain about the gig as i went to enjoy myself and i did exactly that...sweaty brusied and a smile on my face

happy dog

paulvazquez wrote:I was one of the people who other posters have referred to as the people who kept shouting out to 'turn it up'. I also went and asked the people on the desks to do the same as did one of the friends I was with (who was told that the sound man had set up early on and then left the venue!).
[snip]
It was *so* low that we could talk almost normally over the music whether we stood half way back in the pit, by the bar or by the speakers.

I was right by the mixing desk, but I could neither hear people shouting "turn it up" nor talking, so it can't have been that quiet. Perhaps I was just overexcited.

I do agree that I've been to louder gigs, but I found the actual sound quality very good (once they had sorted out the vocals). I'm prepared to sacrifice a certain amount of volume for decent separation any day.

Anyhow, you must have heard worse sound at UEA because the support band might have been a lot louder, but their sound was absolutely appalling...

Gimme_The_Ring wrote:

paulvazquez wrote: You're joking aren't you! The sound level was about the same as my next-door but 6 neighbour playing their stereo slightly loud with the windows open!!!!

Then may I suggest that a visit to a hearing specialist might be in order? Seriously, my ears were ringing like fook when I left.

Then Sir I suggest that you have not been to many gigs. The only quieter gig I can remember at the UEA was Clannad way back in the early 1990's . I felt that the sound was shockingly awful. i have been attending gigs at the UEA now for some 22 odd years and have witnessed all genre's of music.
There is no excuse for any Rock band to have bad sound at the UEA as the venue supports rock and metal better than any other genre because of it's total lack of any real acoustic traps. Mr Eldritch was so way down in the mix he may as well have been in the toilets. £20 to listen to music that my tiny boombox can out perform is not, in my opinion money well spent. I should not be able to stand centre stage two thirds of the way back and have a normal conversation with anyone in the room without raising my voice.
One of the best things about live music is the volume, it gets the blood and the adrenalin pumping and makes the whole gig experience more acute because of it. If you want music that low then listen to a CD.

I was really looking forward to the Sisters show as I had not seen them for a long time I left the venue disappointed and from what I have heard from other people that were there I am not alone

Here we go, more people joining the forum just to slag off the Sisters.

Gimme_The_Ring wrote:

Brideoffrankenstein wrote:I would have to agree that it was on the quiet side

@Gimme_the_ring - perhaps you thought it was louder because you were right at the front? (according to my photo of you!)

Yeah but the venue is so small it's not as if the sound has far to travel is it? How far away from me were you, 20 metres?

Yeah stood on the stairs on the left side (facing the stage)

Gimme_The_Ring wrote:Here we go, more people joining the forum just to slag off the Sisters.

No No No my freind. Please do not take a constructive critisism as a wholy damning statement: In no part of my post did I slag off the Sisters as a band. I love them and have done so since the early 1980's. I am, as my post suggests, merely slagging off the show I was at last Saturday night.

I have seen the Sisters live on many occasions and they have blown me away. This was by far and away one of the worst gigs I have ever attended. (by them or any other band.

Please do put a little perspective into your life. If I had wanted to slag off the Sisters as a band I would have chosen their total lack of fresh output fo 15 odd years.

I hope that the Sisters continue to perform live and I am sure that Saturday was an anomaly as opposed to the norm but allow me to exercise my feedom of speech to air my opinion.

gothbastard wrote:This was by far and away one of the worst gigs I have ever attended. (by them or any other band.

not possible. you've seen clannad.......

seriously though, I am a little bemused by the wide ranging opinions on the sound quality.

For what its worth, i thought it was little quiet - especially out of the pit, but i thought the clarity all round (after the first song or two) was fine - I could certainly make out most of the words.

For most of the gig I was back-right of the pit area, but wandered to the bar and then far right towards the end and generally all round I could hear fine.

Sound problems have plagued this tour from the start. For examples see almost any thread but most especially NYC and London for extreme examples. Most people comment that Andy is mixed too low in an already-too-quiet mix, and that they could have normal conversations with their friends without raising their voices, and that their ears did not ring afterwards, and that the support band was louder. For me personally this is a big problem; some (or "som") don't seem to mind. But I do believe that the issue has been well parsed already in the London thread and many opinions offered as to cause. I think Andy's voice is shot and that he sings very quietly. Therefore the rest of the band (axemen and doktor) need to be pretty quiet as well or he'd be entirely lost in the mix (instead of just mostly lost as he is now). In my opinion Andy needs to rent additional PA speakers to augment the venues' equipment in the future so that what has become a pretty quiet band can at least be turned up to live rock and roll levels. gothbastard put it quite well when he wrote:

"One of the best things about live music is the volume, it gets the blood and the adrenalin pumping and makes the whole gig experience more acute because of it."

I agree: tune in, turn on, turn up the volume...

apparently James Ray (for he was there) was looking for me at the Glasgow gig tonight, just thought I'd share that

James Blast wrote:apparently James Ray (for he was there) was looking for me at the Glasgow gig tonight, just thought I'd share that

name dropper.

needs must C3


I haven't forgotten about the Miami DVD, hang tight

Well, I was more than pleased about the whole concert......I was/am still tingling!
Turned up to catch all of the support group (DARNED good they were too.....will be trying to get some of their stuff too!) and then on came Sisters. Dr Avalanche Mk? was as good as ever and AE hasn't lost any of his talent. SCAREY to think he is 47 now......have been listening to their stuff since 'bout '86.....got nearly all their 12"/45s and cd......compulsive, but I just love listening to it.
The direction now is even better......you don't want to go to a concert and listen to the same music you listen to at home. You want a different version of it!!!
People were friendly and not scarey too.....I was Mr Sad by the pillar to left-back of Mosh pit. Mouthing word to all but 2 of the songs.....I think it was the 3rd song was the first I didn't recognize......
But DAMMED impressive. Was NOT going to miss this concert......missed out on one in early 90s .....i think they were "supporting" Depeche Mode !!!! :D

Nice one
welcome Life-er

Nice to read a positive review from a new member rather than the usual moning-minnies who type an essay on how crap they thought the show was then never post again.

The Norwich gig rocked - end of!

Thanks for the praise.
I see little point in moaning about stuff......if you don't like.....don't do it!! If you've done it and didn't like it.....learn from it and move on!
Only real one "moan" as such......£17 for a t-shirt. I got the "Utterly B*****D Groovey" one, and it cost me £10er.....mind, that was from Andys records in Norwich MANY moons ago. I seem to have bought all my 12" from there and a couple of black-label stuff from Lizard Records as was.......
What I wasnt is Volume 2 of the compilation......Puh-LEASE.....more music.......i've got a whole in my Cee-Dee collection that needs filling!

I got my Sisters t-shirt from these guys.....
Only £5.99 plus £1.95 p&p.

Burn wrote:

Brideoffrankenstein wrote:Also great to see Jo, Lee and Andie again

good to see you too Libby

excellent pics...thanx

Thanks for that.....will book-mark their page.
Joys of Tek-NOOO-logy!

Life-er wrote: Lizard Records

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Thought the support band sounded a bit too much like The Banshees to be honest, not that that's a bad thing but you know