HOP FARM (UK), 8 SEPT ON GENERAL SALE

[Yorkshire Lad]

So agree, Lightasabreeze and Yorkshire Lad. The thought of a field, the potential traffic problems, the weather, queues for portaloos etc. etc. - and paying £95 for the privilege - maybe I'm just getting old, but it doesn't seem right. I could maybe understand if the tickets were cheaper (OK I know there are cheaper ones, but are they any good?) Why oh why put on a concert in a place where the infrastructure for an event of this size just isn't in place. Kent isn't the easiest place to get to for lots of people. Surely even the dreaded 02 arena would be preferable. As it looked as if we were going to be missed out I gritted my teeth and forked out for Paris, but I really am very uncomfortable about paying such huge prices. I really think LC's management and AEG should consider their policies closely, and hopefully we might have a better deal if and when next year's concerts come to fruition.

Hi Mordy
Looks like we are building up some kind of rebel group here the only problem is whilever the concerts sell out the prices will only keep going one way and that is up . Just an economic fact of life I am afraid. ! It's not so much the price of the tickets that upsets me ( it does a bit ) but all the associated costs involved with traveling to other countries . All I ask is for an indoor venue in the UK please . I genuinely believe he does himself and his music (but not his pocket ) a disservice in the open air

[Yorkshire Lad]

[ Yet people are complaining about a THREE HOUR gig which can host 7,500 people! A lot of people would rather LC was plaing the royal albert hall instead....which has a capacity of 3,000! So to hell with the other 4,500 who would then miss out on seeing Leonard then right?]
Dear despairing Songwriter from a "spoilt " fan
I even saw someone describe this gig a SNUB to LC's uk fans, and suggested there may be some kind of conspiracy against the UK! I despair!

What's wrong with 3 concerts at the royal albert hall or some other UK venue . That.s 9,000 (an extra 1,500 ) They are doing it at Dublin and Ghent why not the UK .

[stargazer61]

So agree, Lightasabreeze and Yorkshire Lad. The thought of a field, the potential traffic problems, the weather, queues for portaloos etc. etc. - and paying £95 for the privilege - maybe I'm just getting old, but it doesn't seem right. I could maybe understand if the tickets were cheaper (OK I know there are cheaper ones, but are they any good?) Why oh why put on a concert in a place where the infrastructure for an event of this size just isn't in place. Kent isn't the easiest place to get to for lots of people. Surely even the dreaded 02 arena would be preferable. As it looked as if we were going to be missed out I gritted my teeth and forked out for Paris, but I really am very uncomfortable about paying such huge prices. I really think LC's management and AEG should consider their policies closely, and hopefully we might have a better deal if and when next year's concerts come to fruition.

Hi Mordy
Looks like we are building up some kind of rebel group here the only problem is whilever the concerts sell out the prices will only keep going one way and that is up . Just an economic fact of life I am afraid. ! It's not so much the price of the tickets that upsets me ( it does a bit ) but all the associated costs involved with traveling to other countries . All I ask is for an indoor venue in the UK please . I genuinely believe he does himself and his music (but not his pocket ) a disservice in the open air

All being well, there will be concerts in the UK in 2013 so it seems to be a question of just having patience. Does the UK have a greater priority than other countries when it comes to organising a tour. He has fans all over the world.

.Open air concerts can be wonderful, a completely different atmosphere especially under the stars. IMO it does not diminish the music

I agree about the ticket prices but, as had been said, musicians no longer make their money from record sales as they did in the past. Most money comes from tours which are very costly to stage. A huge amount of equipment has to be transported over large distances complete with the backstage crew and support staff. Venues are charging more. transport costs have increased greatly. Etc, etc.

I, too, have paid out for Paris( cheap seats!) but it is at the Olympia which holds a very special place in French musical history, and prices will be much higher for such a venue.

Kent is no easier or no more difficult to get to than many places in the UK. At least parking is included in the price of the ticket. The O2 charges over £17 to park!

[dharma]

What's wrong with 3 concerts at the royal albert hall or some other UK venue . That.s 9,000 (an extra 1,500 ) They are doing it at Dublin and Ghent why not the UK .

A point that I don't think anyone else had made is that the Dublin concerts (which aren't getting the same flak as Hop Farm) are pretty much identical in size and seating arrangement as Hop Farm, the tickets are similarly priced (as are those at Ghent and other venues) and both venues are outdoor and subject to the vagaries of the weather.

It therefore puzzles me why Hop Farm is getting such a slating.

I'm sure there'll be additional UK gigs next year, probably at the Albert Hall, so what's the problem?

[songwriter]

[ Yet people are complaining about a THREE HOUR gig which can host 7,500 people! A lot of people would rather LC was plaing the royal albert hall instead....which has a capacity of 3,000! So to hell with the other 4,500 who would then miss out on seeing Leonard then right?]
Dear despairing Songwriter from a "spoilt " fan
I even saw someone describe this gig a SNUB to LC's uk fans, and suggested there may be some kind of conspiracy against the UK! I despair!

What's wrong with 3 concerts at the royal albert hall or some other UK venue . That.s 9,000 (an extra 1,500 ) They are doing it at Dublin and Ghent why not the UK .

Perhaps the albert hall is not available for 3 nights in a row?

Perhaps when organising a world tour not every country can be blessed with 3 concerts?

Perhaps Leonard Cohen himself likes the idea of playing underneath the night sky in the beautiful Kent countryside?

Perhaps he thought playing outside would be a rare treat for his fans given that much of his last tour was indoors?

Have you considered the possibility that there may be many fans who are actually PLEASED and HAPPY (these seem to be rare things in this thread) that this is an outdoor concert? Do you think your demands may appear a little self-centred?

[lightasabreeze]

Remember that if Leonard is the High Priest of the Cohens then forum members are the true Cohenites and we must yield to his calling us to his concerts in a proper and spirited manner.

Blimey Clive, I'm really not sure if you're being ironic here. Where do you get this idea of forum members being "true Cohenites"? To date I seem to have made 143 posts on this forum (whoops, make that 144!). Does that qualify me as a true Cohenite? What about someone who has been a forum member for years but has only made a handful of postings - are they a true Cohenite? What about someone who has only just joined the forum to find a presale link? Most importantly, what about someone who has been listening to and loving Cohen's music for years, but has never felt the need to join in (mostly anodyne) conversations with a bunch of strangers on the internet? Are they a true Cohenite?

You could also say that there are probably many Cohenites who have not even got a computer, would they count? If they were a Cohenite from his early days that would make them pretty much as old as Leonard himself. They would love to be able to get a ticket, preferably not travelling abroad to do it and also preferably not in the middle of a field.

[Mordy]

I guess it's all a matter of personal preferences - I would much rather know I'm going to be warm and dry! I was at Nimes and Florence, both wonderful historic outside venues, but I still reckon the Albert Hall gig had a special intimacy that the outside gigs never have. I'm really looking forward to Olympia - like you, Stargazer - in the cheap seats. I really have nothing against outside gigs - if that's what you enjoy - they're just not for me - and it would be nice to have the choice, without all the added expense of overseas travel and accommodation. Now that LC's so popular worldwide, it's obviously a mammoth task for the tour to cover everywhere. But with the concerts in Europe, for many of us here in the UK, it's a case of so near and yet so far - esp. for those of us for whom the idea of outside concerts in September is unappealing.

[hadley]

I know this has been asked before but does anyone have any idea when the set is likely to start? 3PM seems a bit early (at least from my point of view as I'm likely to be working nearby that day until 6 ) Maybe someone has been to another Day At The Hopfarm thing and might have some idea?

Personally I like the idea of an outdoor event. Take a look at the videos made of Glastonbury

[Vicomte]

What those videos of the very muddy years, or of the less muddy years, or the rare dry ones?

[MaryB]

I(mostly to Facebook), so I could claim that "old fans" are not so old as they claim... I think somebody mentioned word "adulation", that's what changed this Forum since 2008 (or as Ken would put it, "US ladies fans") and nowadays I only rarely read anything, just checking titles of topics...

Tom,
Thank you for using the term "US ladies fans".

[Yorkshire Lad]

I would just like to wish everyone who is going to hop farm an enjoyable concert . As a self-centred ,spoilt and demanding fan I personally prefer to wait and hope that next year there will be an indoor UK venue that I can afford to attend
Yorkshire Lad

[FOXWOOD]

A point that I don't think anyone else had made is that the Dublin concerts (which aren't getting the same flak as Hop Farm) are pretty much identical in size and seating arrangement as Hop Farm, the tickets are similarly priced (as are those at Ghent and other venues) and both venues are outdoor and subject to the vagaries of the weather.

It therefore puzzles me why Hop Farm is getting such a slating.

I'm sure there'll be additional UK gigs next year, probably at the Albert Hall, so what's the problem?

If I hadn't already booked for 2 Dublin concerts then I would be going to Hop Farm.
I would happily pay my £100 per ticket.
I would get my wet weather gear and prepare for a downfall. (Weybridge was a wonderful concert and the rain just seemed to add to the atmosphere)
I would not be able to travel by train because of the difficulties of the train times and position of the station.I would therefore have to drive.
From sunny Yorkshire the drive is 4 hours without any traffic on the roads and so I would have to allow at least 6 hours to get there.
I was one of the first to arrive at Weybridge and was there for the sound check - first in last out - I didn't get out of the car park for 2 hours after the concert.
It would take along time to get out of Hop Farm and therefore I would need a hotel before the 4 hour drive back to home.
The Dublin venue is far easier to get to and from - with numerous hotels nearby.
To go to Hop Farm would be a huge financial and time commitent (unless you live locally) you also have to be prepared to gamble with the weather.
I think these are a few of the problems with this venue and I think they explain why it hasn't sold out yet.
I never thought that I wouldn't be turning down front row seats to a LC concert but the venue (and the timing - being so close to the Dublin dates) made the decision for me.
I am sure it will be a great concert - Weybridge was but the venue is very difficult to get to for alot of the country.

[hadley]

What those videos of the very muddy years, or of the less muddy years, or the rare dry ones?

I meant like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-N67RjFFKs

[lightasabreeze]

i hope at the Hop Farm people will be able to manage without having to leave their places every 5 minutes to get beer and burgers.
At Wetbridge I was in the first row of the second block so there was a gangway between us and the last of the first block. There was a constant flow of people to-ing and fro-ing the whole of the concert, beer in one hand and a burger in the other. I wondered why they were at the concert at all.

[Liamberney]

It's great to see cherrfulness breaking through on this thread
In the spirit of this new optimism, I propose that AEG put all future ticket sales for Europe through Groupon and everyone attending Hop Farm is issued with a bottle of water, half full.

Peace and Love

Liam