Standing up at seated concerts

It's a really good question Kathleen..For the first time here in Oz [I stand corrected if this is wrong], all the upcoming BJ shows are completely seated. It will be very interesting - partly because 2 of the venues are outdoors and one [Subiaco] is a AFL stadium in Perth. When I saw the seating chart for Subi, I had assumed [incorrectly] that the stage would be at the end of the lawn area, and that reserved would definitely be in the stands. Instead, the stage will be in front of the stands with nearly all the seats covering the lawn area back to the opposite stand [see attached] - looking at the chart, see where the bold nos. 9 and 24 are - either of those ends of the oval is where I thought Ga would be [like the U2 gig here last year at AAMI Stadium]. People who end up in the silver area will be in the stands so view shouldn't be an issue as far as seeing over someones head. The lawn area of Subi...well that may be a different story...all flat.

I understand someone getting upset because people in front stand...but then what choice do you have if people in front of you stood up, and so on. In tiered seating, I think it's reasonable that people sit...unless every row in front of you all stand up...not a fan of paying big bucks to look at the rear end of some person I don't know all night.

S.

I have trouble being in one position for long periods (trapped siactic nerve - sorry cannnot spell that), so need to swap between sitting & standing or be in pain!! Thus go for standing area where I can move a bit or have a seat so can sit when I want to.

At Rush I was willing everyone round me to stand just so I could move my legs. Just glad they had a break for 10 mins !!!

Kathleen - Your not a "a total shithead" ... the majority where standing then its your choice.

Reading all the replies I think the main answer from most is - never been to a Bon Jovi gig where everyone has not stood for 2 hrs , but would go with the majority.

It's always my personal preference to get seated tickets at concerts, because I like being able to arrive at any time and know where I'm going (ie if I've managed to get good enough tickets, then the view is guaranteed to be as good as it's gonna be no matter when we get there). Also, my wife has some back problems and wouldn't be able to comfortably stand for the duration of an entire show, let alone the many additional hours required for queueing in a GA / GC line in order to secure the best possible vantage points. I truly have the greatest respect for those dedicated enough to do this, especially as it also requires enduring the support act, who will generally be terrible (an entirely separate topic that has rightly been trawled over many times already).

Now, having said all that, it's my personal opinion that anyone who tells you to sit down at a Bon Jovi concert is clearly at the wrong show. However, if people have paid for seats, then they've paid for the right to sit down and let fine rock music wash over them as if they're at a wake, or a Katie Melua show. (Ironically, many people in seated tickets then spend half of their time moving between the aforementioned seats and the bar, which is truly irritating - what's the point in paying a small fortune for tickets to a show that you end up missing huge chunks of?!) While I disagree with this attitude, I think it should be respected. At the two BJ concerts I've attended, my personal perception was that people could generally stand up or sit down accordingly, and this was dependent on two factors - the nature of the songs themselves (eg sit down and rest for a ballad, get up and dance for a rocker), and also audience familiarity (in that new or unfamiliar songs would see a lot of sitting down / toilet breaks / running to the bar etc).

I also note that Dublin crowds are said to the be the best of all, apparently by members of the band themselves on occasion. I would generally agree with this, although at the 2006 HAND show, I was asked to sit down fairly early on in the show by a guy sitting behind me.

I don't normally 'argue' on these boards but feel that this comment is derogatory!
I have been a Bon Jovi fan for over 12 years and usually buy GC standing tickets and enjoy singing & dancing along for the entire concert. I have now developed a condition which makes it difficult to stand for long periods of time so have had no choice but to buy a seated ticket for next years tour.
Many people, for one reason or another, find it difficult to stand for the entire duration of a concert so have no option but to opt for seated tickets.
These people are still Bon Jovi fans and still have as much right to enjoy a Bon Jovi concert as able bodied people....how would you feel if you were unable to stand?!! Surely, this would not be enough for you to not attend the concert!

I sttod, oce again, for the entire duration last night.
I will say this, no one sat for the duration of the post-Lost Highway section of the show.

So did I but we were on the floor last night. The people in the row behind us sat through almost the entire show - but at least they never asked anyone to sit down. I think they could see the screens just fine even sitting down and maybe that's why they were tolerant.

Everyone else around us was on their feet the entire night - even for the slow stuff.

Shithead or not, I'll stand anyway. I've been told to sit down, but like someone said, it's a ****ing rock concert, not a ballet. You should never listen to a rock concert sitting down.

Ice

Another thing , how do you think Jon and the boys would feel if they are giving it their all and everyone is sitting down? I think it would be kinda off putting ?