Worst venue in Australia - Festival Hall?

[ManWithNoName]

I ******* hate this place. Burn it down. Seriously. What a complete ******* antiquated dump.

So you buy a ticket to a gig at Festival Hall. You look up where it is. The middle of ******* nowhere. Good start.

You finally get there and walk in, instantly realising you're in a museum. It must be heritage listed because clearly ******* nothing has been touched since the early 60's. But that's okay. Maybe you'll go get a drink. EFTPOS/Paywave? LOL NOPE. Those credit cards, they're just a fad, they'll never catch on. No need to worry about them at Festival Hall!

Say you're on the floor. Only one exit. That just screams safety doesn't it? Or maybe you're lucky enough to get a seat. Perhaps up in the balcony? Looks like a nice view on the seating map. So you turn up and see these are clearly the same seats people would've sat in to watch The Beatles perform. As ancient as the rest of the dump. And if you're anything above 5'6" you can forget about leg room. Someone next to you wants to get out and grab a drink? You're all getting up to let them through. And then getting up again to let them back in.

Or perhaps you're sitting off to the side. Great. You're sitting in 1990's primary school style bucket seats. Kid sized too! And don't forget the 8 foot cable fence and poles obscuring your view in those seats too. The seats you paid full price for. And, just to make it even better, you have useless ******* security guards walking back and forth in front of you every 30 ******* seconds doing very important things like stopping people taking photos. Because apparently at Festival Hall it's still 1985. And they've got the venue to match.

Burn the *er down.

 

[The Passenger]

If I could rescind every liked I've ever made on bigfooty and give it to this post I would.

The location is not too bad. 15 (?) minute walk from Southern Cross and there is a couple of pubs along the way. And because there isn't much else that direction of Southern Cross you know just about any people you come across having a beer are going to the gig so there is a bit of buzz about that.

But everything else is completely s**t house.

You really feel like your at a gig in a prison with all the cages around the side.

The other annoying thing is each standing seat has an entry door. So if you and your mates buy your tickets separately chances are you'll have a separate entry door. The door people don't show any leniency to the policy so you've all got to enter separately (usually after one or more of you have queued at the wrong door not even thinking this policy is going to be enforced, because it isn't anywhere else) and then find each other which is a pain in the **** and becomes exponentially harder with a bigger group.

Only bars in the standing area are at the very back so you gotta fight your way through the crowd there and back.

Terrible terrible venue.

Mind you, if you can put all that to one side, two of the best gigs I went to in Melbourne (Kasabian circa 2010, Vampire Weekend 2011-ish) were at Festival Hall.

 

[crownie]

hate this place as well, during summer its way to hot and the seating is just crap.

 

[grouse mate]

Last time I was there, a few years ago now, they still had the wooden bench seating on the sides up towards the back, makes you feel lucky to get the 50yo theatre seats up in the balcony. Biggest thing lacking from Melbourne is a good sized venue in between stadium sized gigs and the small concert halls.

 

[The Prosecutor]

Went there last night for the first time, was amazed how antiquated it was when I went in then. Surely Victoria needs a new entertainment centre with 5kish capacity?

 

[The_Flying_Egg]

Went there last night for the first time, was amazed how antiquated it was when I went in then. Surely Victoria needs a new entertainment centre with 5kish capacity?

I think Margaret Court Arena is similar in size? That being said I love Festival Hall, and I honestly don't know why. Second only to the Forum for Melbourne concert venues for mine

 

[katana]

it's hardly in the middle of nowhere. and who buys drinks at gigs with a card??

 

[Paul Kersey]

Haven't been there since Slayer in 95. Did the job then.

 

[Heaps of fun]

it's hardly in the middle of nowhere. and who buys drinks at gigs with a card??

It's your god given right, mate.

 

[radiojake]

Only been there once, saw The Pixies a couple of years ago (I think 2010)

Felt like I was cattle being herded through the stables...

 

[kickazz]

Yeah if its your first time there it's age and general feel of oldness can be a bit shocking. Can get a bit hot too.

But it is a great venue to see bands. The sound is good. Even if you are standing near the back you are not too far away. Also, it is just that right size that has had me see many favourite bands when they were almost at their early peak - before they got so massive that they move on to the big stadium gigs. Bands that are about 2-4 albums old, where the gigs are not just all the singles but some other album tracks and B sides as well. I think for this reason, along with the good viewing and sound; sees me keen to go to a gig there if I like the band.

You are right about the general amenity, but if the band is good enough that doesn't bother me too much.

Always thought those side seats looked like they'd be crap hence have never bothered going in them.

 

[revival_mode]

the place has its flaws but i have seen some good shows there. i actually like the location as i live a couple of hours north - its very easy to get in and get out quickly. there are obviously much better smaller venues around but there isnt much else at that size. not big on stadium gigs.
that bars are the biggets problem imo and the place becomes sweaty mess in summer but i dont hate the place

 

[Bomber Bears]

Cash is far better to deal with in a bar line that paywave and especially eftpos.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Cash is far better to deal with in a bar line that paywave and especially eftpos.

How is Paywave significantly slower than cash?

Most times I'd say Paywave is faster.

 

[radiojake]

How is Paywave significantly slower than cash?

Most times I'd say Paywave is faster.

Depends


paywave is easier than eftpos - but at places like a concert when there is alot of people around, and especially if the eftpos machines are running on a wireless system, they can get quite slow at times

 

[ManWithNoName]

Depends


paywave is easier than eftpos - but at places like a concert when there is alot of people around, and especially if the eftpos machines are running on a wireless system, they can get quite slow at times

Can't see it being that much slower than scrounging for cash and change, and the cashier having to give change every time too.

 

[radiojake]

Can't see it being that much slower than scrounging for cash and change, and the cashier having to give change every time too.

true.. and admittedly I was talking from experience of working at a merch stand at concerts.... where everything is priced in $5 increments so it's easy to deal with change and cash ends up being way quicker...

 

[ManWithNoName]

true.. and admittedly I was talking from experience of working at a merch stand at concerts.... where everything is priced in $5 increments so it's easy to deal with change and cash ends up being way quicker...

Merch stands yeah, but drinks and food where it can come to all sorts of different amounts. I'm thinking of times in line at the footy and the like, people paying cash generally hold up the line a lot more.

 

[Kakkle]

I think I've only been there twice, Morrissey in 2013 and Interpol in 2008. But yeah I remember not liking it at all.

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

Love the "House Of Stoush", close your eyes and ya can smell the blood'n'linament.

Saw Motörhead twice 10 years apart there. Ears bled

 

[IAMDASH]

Go see a band ruin their live reputation at Etihad, then you will thank your lucky stars for venues like The House of Stoush!

 

[Mofra]

I prefer it to the stadium gigs and actually don't find it too bad for the 5-6 gigs I've seen there.

You have to be between the line of the speakers though - I'd hate to be in the seats on the side.

 

[slashin_velvet]

If you pick the seats on the side - you're a fool, or you're underage. If you're underage, be thankful you even get to go to a gig, and put up with the s**t seats and view. If you fall into the other category, learn your lesson and buy a floor ticket next time.

I don't mind it. Been there a handful of times. Not too far from spencer street station, and it feels like a rock venue - if only people were still allowed to smoke inside to give you the real effect.

 

[Roos4eva]

Yeah if its your first time there it's age and general feel of oldness can be a bit shocking. Can get a bit hot too.

But it is a great venue to see bands. The sound is good. Even if you are standing near the back you are not too far away. Also, it is just that right size that has had me see many favourite bands when they were almost at their early peak - before they got so massive that they move on to the big stadium gigs. Bands that are about 2-4 albums old, where the gigs are not just all the singles but some other album tracks and B sides as well. I think for this reason, along with the good viewing and sound; sees me keen to go to a gig there if I like the band.

You are right about the general amenity, but if the band is good enough that doesn't bother me too much.

Always thought those side seats looked like they'd be crap hence have never bothered going in them.

Pretty much sums up my view.

Yes, the place needs a refurbish and has so for a long time, but some of the best gigs I've ever seen (Arctic Monkeys, Them Crooked Vultures come to mind) have been there.

 

[Zarrix]

worst venue in Perth for sound is metros freo. only go there for gigs but Everytime I've been there, haven't been able to hear properly the week after the gig.

the shitty nightclub feel doesn't help either.