Heartland

And the source is:

http://www.thesistersofmercy.com/news/livenews.htm

! Now that'll be interesting!

Woo hoo! Anyone who's really thinking about this get in contact, - when tickets come out I have good mates in Beirut who should be able to get hold of a bunch.

- Beirut is, without question, the finest town on earth...

- I can even tolerate poodle hair and squealy guitar wank for a sissies show in my favourite town.

RobF wrote:
- Beirut is, without question, the finest town on earth...

No question.

Cheers,

Al

Though I know it's a fantasy, I wish the feckers would play Baalbek and Beit Eddeine while they're out there, and finish up with a show somewhere down south, where the flags are mainly yellow...

Insh'alla.

RobF wrote:Though I know it's a fantasy, I wish the feckers would play Baalbek and Beit Eddeine while they're out there, and finish up with a show somewhere down south, where the flags are mainly yellow...

Insh'alla.

I have it on pretty good authority that



is a HUGE Sisters fan - the writing on the yellow flag translates as "Militant Sex Machine", and it features a motif from the Gift album. Good thing that they don't have form 696 in such places, 'nech?

Ah beardy beardy Hassan and his ridiculously belligerent ways...

Here's hoping for a show in Nabatieh. When's Ashura next year?

I spent a glorious week out there last November and have been looking for the perfect excuse for a return trip...

"here come the golden oldies, here come the hezbollah..."

Right, see you for a few pints down Gemmazeh way beforehand, cripes this should be a classic...

The finest, oddest bar in town, is just off Hamra (very Sunni, except when taken over by Hassan's fellows last summer) called 'American Dream' and run by a depressed Catholic called Tony who gives out around two free shots per beer... Four hours in there watching Olympic power-lifting and eating carrots is one of the finest afternoons available to man.

It's difficult to express how friggin' cool Beirut is.

I agree entirely, RobF - save that my own preferred haunt is Cafe du Prague in the Hamra environs. And another little bar, then name of which escapes me but came highly recommended in the Hedonists Guide to Beirut.

Though more than happy to try the American Dream.

The Forum website seems somewhat out of date and not entirely ticket friendly - I have emailed the venue (heaven knows if that will be of assistance), but any kind heartlanders have any idea of the Lebanese equivalent of ticketmaster?

Whoa! What would tickets (for flying to as well as the gig) cost?

Interesting to say the least!

The joys of American Dream... Land of dingy... Cafe Prague's briiliant for breakfast too.

@Obviousman: Where would you be flying from? London round may should be £270-£600 depending on hoe you go about it.

Obviousman wrote:Whoa! What would tickets (for flying to as well as the gig) cost?

Interesting to say the least!

400€

I have found it for 370 € something...all the lowest prices and best connections have been with Turkish Airlines, as far as I have seen. April 29 seems to be a cheap day for flying, regardless if Beirut or Tel Aviv.

I'm keeping this one as an alternative option if Tel Aviv should fail.

euphoria wrote:I have found it for 370 € something...all the lowest prices and best connections have been with Turkish Airlines, as far as I have seen. April 29 seems to be a cheap day for flying, regardless if Beirut or Tel Aviv.

I'm keeping this one as an alternative option if Tel Aviv should fail.

Try Alitalia… you are going to Leningr……… Sankt Petersburg as well?

RobF wrote:@Obviousman: Where would you be flying from? London round may should be £270-£600 depending on hoe you go about it.

Brussels mostly, though Amsterdam/Paris/something near Koeln is doable too... The only thing I ask is my plane won't drop out of the air unexpectedly

Alitalia doesn't seem so safe an option though, could go bankrupt any day which means a couple hundred fine euros down the drain...

Thinking is being done!

Looking at the dates this one strikes me as the most unusual place to see the IGM

@RobF Is the venue somewhere you know? what's it like?

Will I have to bring my own gear or is there a healthy drug culture?

How far is Tel Aviv from gig?

Anyone else set on travelling from the uk?

Anyone find a better price for a return flight (Tel Aviv) Price per adult including taxes and booking fees: £ 343.90 GBP
Ta

Unfortunately the venue is a purpose built soul-free modern complex on the Coast Road, more used to trade-shows and big arsed techno nights, there are several spaces inside, but it depends how it sells I suppose.

As for gear, there's an enrmous pills culture out there, but I wouldn't

Erm, Tel Aviv isn't very far from this gig, no... Technically... There is a closed border, most of Hezzbollah and the IDF inbetween though

Cyprus or a three country round-trip is the only way to do it.

Cheers

Maybe does prophesies and I can hitch with the hezbollah...

I went out by way of BMI from London in November of last year - but have not had the chance to see if they are continuing their flights. However, it was a cheap alternative then, albeit probably due to the introduction of the new flights and a BMI expansion. That said, the credit crunch and fall in oil costs should, hopefully, inspire costs in flights to be reduced.

Thanks for the venue information, RobF - did not get as far down as the coast road as I found that the bars in Hamra (and forays elsewhere) had a strangely magnetic effect.

Just a follow up - BMI (Heathrow - Beirut) currently seems to be £474 return. Have not had a chance to do further research, so any other input obiouvsly most welcome!

Opodo/Expedia tend to get it down to the £270-£300 mark, depending on fuel surcharges etc. Nearly always Hungarian or Turkish airlines via somewhere odd with a few hours knocking about terminals.

Direct BA or MEA flights are pricy but glorious (breakfast in Brixton, lunch in Beirut, the best way for a day to proceed) around the £600 mark.

I've also flown in via Paris and Amsterdam in Spring before, but there don't seem to be any bargains anymore, I think flights were cut back by Air France and KLM after the 2006 war.

BMI also do the occassional bargain to Syria with flights to Alleppo/Damascus (2 and 4 hours to Beirut in taxis respectively and aound $60) though you would need a Syrian Visa.

It's not cheap, but it's most things are reasonably priced when you get there.

Just thought this might be of interest: I talked to a travel agent by coincidence today, and she told me that flights to Beirut often get fully booked relatively quick (often 4-5 months before) compared to other destinations. The reason is apparently that Lebanon has a very large number of wealthy citizens living abroad, and these people like to visit Lebanon as often as they can...

Maybe RobF or someone else can confirm this - I don't know the situation myself, but so she said...it's maybe something to have in mind.