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Bodo
Nov-14-2006, 14:06 GMT
IP:
Austria

Hi Scaaty

I would say 4 years ago the audience was much more lively. I do not why this has changed. last time this was a summer tour, many open air concerts... The audience was 4 years younger. I would also say the setlist was better (the order of songs was at least much better!). Also Paul was IMO more relaxed. He did no shake hands at the last shows. Some song arrangements are (IMO) not as good as on the last tour (Diamonds, Loves Me Like A Rock). The band is much smaller.
All very minor changes, but in sum think this tour was not as good as the last 2-3 tours.

aJr82
Nov-14-2006, 16:02 GMT
IP:
USA - United Staates America

You people who are sitting.... And, telling others to sit... Have you ever been to a Bruce Springsteen concert?

hannes
Nov-14-2006, 16:35 GMT
IP:
Netherlands

I don´t agree Bodo. I think Paul was pretty relaxed. I´m quite sure he wouldn´t have been laughing over a mistake (50 ways) 10 years ago. Furthermore I think the audience was not more lively. I think it all depends on the stadium/arena/theatre he´s playing. Anyway I enyoyed the show very much and I hope to see at least one more!

Bodo
Nov-14-2006, 16:43 GMT
IP:
Austria

To me it seems as if he is/would be happy that this long tour is over now... He played nearly 50 shows this year.

I hope to see him in a outdoor amphitheater like the Waldbühne again. (standing audience...and I even remember that the people on the seats stood, although it was a amphitheater)

Scaaty
Nov-14-2006, 19:01 GMT
IP:
Ireland

your point about the fast songs not being together is very valid - thats what gets the crowd up. Whether that was deliberate for an allseating show or whether Paul doesn´t have the energy to do a number of fast songs together - but i don´t think that was it either.

does any else think its strange that he dropped Wartime prayers on the last show especially for the day that was in it - 11 nov?

Bodo
Nov-14-2006, 19:14 GMT
IP:
Austria

I think that was very strange. It could be that he thought he has not the voice tonight to sing that song, at the show in London I think the performance was not really perfect too, he stressed some words...it did not sound so good IMO

Michiel
Nov-14-2006, 21:14 GMT
IP:
Netherlands

Hi Bodo,

You might have a point there. Maybe you know me from my review of the Manchester concert 11/4/2006. It was great. And I can tell you that I´m a PS expert as well as you are. His voice was very good in Manchester. When I listened the radio show of Philadelphia, bye the way I was very happy with the link on your great web site, I noticed that his voice there was much worse than in Manchester. If you listen to it, you will notice too, regards, Michiel.

Dave C
Nov-15-2006, 14:58 GMT
IP:
United Kingdom

I was quite firmly man handled by a steward as Paul started to sing How Can You Live In The Northeast, but stayed put until he started Loves Me Like A Rock. If I wanted to sit and look at him I would put a DVD on at home. I read an argument that Paul´s music wasn´t really for standing and dancing to!! Amazed at that statement. He was playing an arena people, not a 3000 seat theatre. My mum, who stayed in her seat said the bloke in front of her stood up for Call Me Al and Mrs Robinson, otherwise he was surrounded by standing people. Why pay all that money to sit?

Jeroen.
Nov-15-2006, 15:32 GMT
IP:
Netherlands

I think you have to realize that having a propensity to get on your feet doesn´t prove you´re a better person than when you´re more of the introverted type. Mr. Paul Simon himself is very thoughtful and introverted, which hasn´t restrained him from keeping to a dynamic mind. Some people in the audience may have experienced the show pretty much in the same way as you and expressed it in a another manner. Glad you liked it, though.

Bodo
Nov-15-2006, 18:20 GMT
IP:
Austria

Well - my attempt is, I pay all that money for the good front row seats just to stand up earlier and be in front of the stage.
If I would buy a seat to sit, then I can have that for much less money.

I remember the Madison square garden concert - a sold out show with about 25.000 people I guess - and all seated. But I had luck, I found one small gate where no security guy was, and could dance there for the whole show. Although I was miles away from the stage I enjoyed that show.
Next to me was dancing a mid 70 year Old woman, we had so much fun. On the other side a man, around 35 years old was sitting, and holding his arms to his ears during the Diamonsd on the soles of her shoes. (you might know what I thought about him...)

The problem with Paul Simon is his diversity in music - he has such a wide spead of different music styles, and therefore such a different audience. Everyone there is expecting different things. And what I too realized - he has a lot of first-time visitors (just read the reviews on this site...). I know concerts where you sit, I even have been to some of them (German musicians) - but there music was not written for dancing, it is poetry, often the lyrics are more important than the sound. (and no, as Paul Simon said, for his music the music is more important than the lyrics). So at these concerts you sit and listen.
But Paul Simon has both, he has many dancing songs, and then clever lyrical songs. I enjoy to stay trough them, but I agree that I could also sit during ´The Teacher´ - but can not sit during ´Graceland´ (and if you do, then drink another beer)

Dave C
Nov-16-2006, 10:02 GMT
IP:
United Kingdom

Excellent point about his musical diversity. Yes I agree about some songs being for standing and dancing and others for sitting. With that it would have been much more annoying, possibly, for people to keep returning to their seats for the sit downs and then getting back up for the dance songs.

On top of this I would hate to think I spoiled a person´s night, but we can go on and on for an age about this. Gotta go - work

Richard
Nov-16-2006, 12:13 GMT
IP:
Unknown

and I suppose that in Bodo´s opinion people who can´t stand up, or who have bad knees or bad backs should simply stay at home or have to sit "on the side" because they have a lower right to enjoy the show?

I am appalled that so many people are prejudiced into believing that people who sit have less right to enjoy the show (or less interest) than people who stand. It seems to me that they paid the same amount of money to attend.

I hope you never have to be in a wheel chair, because then I guess you will have to stay at home all the time. Moreover, you will be "boring" and ´Old at heart´ because you can´t dance.

skay
Nov-16-2006, 12:47 GMT
IP:
United Kingdom

you get a special seat on the side if you have mobility problems. ok, a bit useless if you want to go with more than one person or ,indeed, sit next to that person during the concert (they can sit behind you, generally). but no, i think they should have had a standing area, which i probably wouldnt have had tickets for. adn would have hated to sit down the whole time! sorry if you were sat behind the dancing pregnant lady in birmingham

Bodo 
Nov-16-2006, 12:49 GMT
IP:
Austria

Hello Richard

Your argument of people with wheel chairs or bad knees is not fair, don´t you think? I wonder why I even answer, because your argument is more than childish IMO.
Do you think that for example 10.000 people should sit because 1 person with a wheel chair wants to visit a concert? I wonder if the wheelchair person even wants that...
Or is it really so that 90% of Paul Simons audience have bad knees, use wheelchairs and are delivered directly from the geriatrics section? (Well, I saw other people there, boring mid 40ths - so your argument counts to about 2 or 3 visitors if at all.... (and every concert hall HAS his own wheelchair section now, normaly not placed in between the crowd)

Next argument will be "can´t you think about the islamic woman who are not allowed to dance in publicity...." or what?


No Richard, don´t come with the poor wheelchair people and use them just as an argument because you have no others. This has ABSOLUTE nothing to do with that discussion, there was NO one with a wheelchair, and as far as I can say there was NO one with bad knees - that was never the point.


I do not know what this discussion is even about - at a normal pop concert (and Paul Simon is not classic music) it is possible to stand (most of the time in front of the stage), and to sit (either on the side or mezzanine)

Paul Simon seems to be unclear about his own audience now after this S&G tour. YES, it was better before. In 2002 he played a lot of standing arenas.
I hope for another good tour like that one trough Italy, Switzerland, Germany...Spain, France. I only hope that it is the UK audience which is acting so reserved.



I am appalled that so many people are prejudiced into believing that people who sit have less right to enjoy the show (or less interest) than people who stand. It seems to me that they paid the same amount of money to attend.

Did you ever think that it could have been the ´sitting´ people which destroy the enjoyment for the others?

And on the ticket there is written: "People in front of you may be stand up during the show". So why is someone who is sitting IN FRONT OF ME allowed to destroy my enjoment when I stand? Didn´t I pay the same money to have the same rights?

Bodo
Nov-16-2006, 12:58 GMT
IP:
Austria

Last year I was with a group of 25 people at the Arches National park in Utah - one person with really bad knees.

Was it fair that she could not take the 1 hour walk to the ´delicate arch´, one of the most wonderful places in that area?

Would it have been better if we all wouldn´t go?


She had a nice day at the swimming pool.

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