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Old 11-24-2018, 05:29 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: The Isle of Albion
Posts: 22,068
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Whenever possible, since I can first remember.

I had frn row seats at the Hammersmith Odeon for Bill Monroe, and for Emmylou Harris and the hot band - so wanted to be up there with them!

Used to sit at the feet of Stefan Grossman and many other acoustic heroes in small basement clubs in London like the Troubadour and Bunjies, Les Cousins etc.

Not quite "front row" but my best friend don had an aunt who worked in a ticket agents in London , and we saw Simon and Garfunkel, Johnny Winter, and a couple of other big names of the time in the Royal Albert Hall, in the Royal box, which is front and centre facing the stage - a ways back but with a perfect view of the fabulous place and it has , I think eight or ten seats which are terraced so the Queen and he Prince sit at the front with their "comoany" around them but not breathing down their necks. They aren't thrones but very comfortable seats, and whether there is Royalty present or not the box always has a waitress seated out side ready to bring drinks (at standard bar prices).

I attended two "stadium gigs - one was Crosby Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell and a few other great acts, and another was Fleetwood Mac.

Crowd was in the region of 70,000. I didn't feel that i was really there, there were dots on a stage somewhere in another town. Hated them.

I prefer smaller gigs and always try to get into the front row a) to really see what the act is doing, and b) to sit as far forward as possible from the p.a. speakers so I hear more acoustically that electronically.

A friend booked tickets to see Stefan Grossman in an arts centre and didn't book front seats, so although the seats weer steeply banked and we had a good view, Stefan kept making jokes about the "finger starers" in the front row - so I was quite glad we weren't amongst them ...I am a finger starer!

In the pub where I hold my club, I have been within six feet of Pokey Lafarge, The Wiyos, Toby, and many other great acts. Sadly the promoter who used to book them doen't operate in my town any more.

My City boasts a fantastic and internationally known theatre and once I suddenly got an urge to see the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. My wife couldn't or didn't want to go, and I phoned to see if there were any late cancellations. There was aont row centre single seat! and I go it.

I was a bit closer then this:

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Silly Moustache,
Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer.
I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom!
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