Bâloise session (ex AVO session) nov 4

[Dragonlady]

OK this is weird.

Alice is scheduled to play this festival (see title)
http://www.avo.ch/en/programme/line-up

I seriously hope that the new sponsors will also be changing the hall set up.

OK forget what I just said it's going to be in a completely different place. Bit confusing really.

I hope this will be different, I also hope this won't be another case of bank executives and clients getting all the seats....

Damn I don't know what to think. Wait and see I suppose

Tickets go on sale Wed 9th September, around 8pm (dixit the website)

[Dragonlady]

Hang on, Stefanie Heinzmann opening? Excuse me?
Did these people even realise what they were doing?

Personally I don't mind her at all, but she's a local pop act, I think she won one of these TV show or whatever (I don't watch TV)

This is going to be .... er odd?

[Dragonlady]

I found a photo of the hall. I know some of the forum members will want to go so this might be useful

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Pj_w ... asel04.jpg
Did you see how close the first row is to the stage? Calling all my guardian angels here

But it's the only venue so far where no tickets are sold through the official site.

[frontrowjunkie]

Very interesting. Toby mentioned they were planning a show in Basle on the 4th, but I was a little surprised when I saw this. I'd rather expected one of the known venues (like St. Jakobshalle or Z7 in Pratteln)...

BTW, tickets go on sale at 8 a.m.on Wed September 5 (not 9), according to the festival website...

[frontrowjunkie]

Hang on, Stefanie Heinzmann opening? Excuse me?
Did these people even realise what they were doing?

Personally I don't mind her at all, but she's a local pop act, I think she won one of these TV show or whatever (I don't watch TV)

This is going to be .... er odd?

I agree. They have absolutely nothing in common. What she does is definitely pop (or worse )

[Dragonlady]

Oh sorry! I always mix up 9 and 5. I checked but yesterday I was having very low blood pressure and that often kills all my concentration. Thanks for the correction!

Yeah I also knew about the date and expected a more "normal" venue. I miss the Z7.

I don't really mind Stefanie Heinzmann, I saw her opening for Tom Jones she has a nice voice and her songs are not as annoying as some. But the mix of styles is odd to say the least. Especially when the website says the nights are programmed around a common musical style

[frontrowjunkie]

Oh sorry! I always mix up 9 and 5. I checked but yesterday I was having very low blood pressure and that often kills all my concentration. Thanks for the correction!

You're welcome. I just thought I'd put the correct date in here...

Especially when the website says the nights are programmed around a common musical style

That was what I was referring to. I don't really mind her either, I just don't feel she's the right support act for Alice.

[frontrowjunkie]

Got row 2 seat 10 and 11 in the stalls

[Dragonlady]

Right I have a ticket. Too bad no one has bothered putting up a seating chart. So now I have no idea if I have a good seat or not

Paying like twice the usual price you'd think it wouldn't be asking too much to let people choose their seats?

According to the photos I saw I understand "Parkett Mitte" as the part in the middle behind all the first rows? If so that's no good.

[frontrowjunkie]

The seating chart is right here:
http://www.avo.ch/pdf/12-Seating-Chart.pdf

[Dragonlady]

Oh I never found this! Thanks!
OK then it's all good

[Diane D.]

Have a great show, Dragonlady and Frontrowjunkie! What's great in Europe, is that you can easily travel from one country to another, by ground. Here, from where I live to let's say Vancouver, it's like 6 hours of plane, same time than going to Europe. Canada is vast.

Always want to ask this question. What is a true Sickie? Maybe FrontrowJunkie could ask this question. So, you guys go see every shows of Alice, in Europe and sometimes in the States? You see the same show, like how many times? How the hell can you do that with your jobs, etc... Just curious. Merci.

[Dragonlady]

Well, I wouldn't really say that it's easier. It takes me 8 hours to get to London for instance and I have to fly as trains would be totally out of reach financially. The flight is only a bit over an hour but you need to count a good two hours to get through check in, customs and security etc. I use my holiday time only for concerts so it's all the good rolled into one.

But the difference is probably that you can have several shows within a few hours of distance and that's better than Canada or the States or Australia etc..
My big luck is that nothing much is further away than 2-3 hours here in Switzerland, and I live a bit centrally so I am bound to be within reach of at least one show :P

Now if you consider this year's UK tour it's really a bit weird, jumping from South to North all the time. It's really not that close from Cardiff to Wolverhampton, or from London to Newcastle. That's a lot of travelling for band and fans.

I'll never beat Frontrowjunkie of course this year will be the most I've ever done with five shows, but the new show promises to be so good!

[frontrowjunkie]

I guess it IS somewhat easier in Europe to do many shows in one tour than elsewhere... It is true that cities here don't tend to be so far apart. That's probably the reason why I've never been to the states. BTW, going to another country doesn't necessarily mean travelling far... For example, Basle is much closer to where I live than most cities in Germany.

Just like Dragonlady I spend all of my holiday time on concerts... Rarely go to see anyone but Alice though. Since my first Alice show, it's been getting more and more each year... For me, it's the best kind of holiday I can think of (especially as I LOVE travelling). Being in the lucky situation to have a job that's paid well, and - even more important - some very understanding bosses - I can get away with taking 6 - 7 weeks a year off work for Alice tours - and I do

The most times I've seen the same show must have been about 40 (Theatre Of Death and No More Mr Nice Guy) It's never been getting boring though...

[Dragonlady]

Also, I am not familiar with travelling prices on other continents. But for me flying to London or Manchester for a concert costs about the same as going to Zurich. And if you look at special offers Paris return (one way is about 5 hours) costs half the price of the ticket to Basel (2 hours, Swiss prices are really mad). But I do have a card that lets me pay half prices on train tickets here so it's all a bit cheaper.

Last year I added the show in Rennes to my program because I was there for work anyway and it would have been impossible to resist. It's a bit play it by ear.

[Diane D.]

That's great, thanks for your replies.

[PatrickS77]

Geez! What a bunch of assholes. Now that most tickets are gone they offer "Saalplanbuchung". Where was that feature on wednesday morning?

[Dragonlady]

Yes I've noticed too. Grumble. They always had it the other years.

Was a little stressful but I apparently got a front row, waaaay on the left side (our side). I hope I won't have to watch the cameraman's back all night again. It was slightly frustrating to see only some parts of Ryan stick out behind the camera in Avenches
But seeing the size of the venue this should be a pretty cool night... just have to survive the UK tour first :P

[PatrickS77]

Ah, good for you. I only got row 3, also way on the left side. Better than the row 17 and 20 seats I got offered for about the first half hour of trying. I wouldn't have gone if nothing better would have come up, but still... I hope I got the right people in front of me. I hate seated concerts.

[Dragonlady]

Well you'll be right behind me with someone in between

Yes I was happy enough once I was sure it was the first row. I'm not too happy about seated concerts either. Worst is if people get up and you're stuck behind a giant. Can't move about like in a standing venue.

If it was the regular venue (Messe) it would be even stranger. It's a bit Vegas style with round tables and six seats around them, and free Pringles... I'll let you imagine

I was always careful to find a seat near an aisle, as usually (not always) people would move towards the front where you have about 5m of space in front of the tables. When I saw Jools Holland and his orchestra I nearly went crazy, how can you sit still when they play? Thankfully there was a table of Brits in front of me who stood up and so I did too.
Completely opposite was when I went to see Tom Jones. As soon as the photographers left I walked straight in front of Tom and stood there at his feet the whole concert. Along with half the people there of course One of my best memories ever