USA concerts

I got one question for the american people of this forum: I've always asked myself why do americans promoters fill up the fields of arenas and stadiums with chairs for the concerts?
I mean, If I'm going to see an acoustic James Taylor show it could be nice to sit down and relax but I can't say the same for a Rock one.
In Europe if you have a "ground ticket", you can go everywhere you want
except for the "Gold ring areas" where tickets costs more.
Maybe there's a security low for this?

Yup - Read the article posted. I remember that incident all too well. I read that for his last tour, Bruce Springsteen had to get special permission to have a small general admisssion, standing room only area up front. Most venues were reluctant at first based upon what happened in 1979.

Kathleen

Thank you!
I thought this was the reason but I wasn't sure.
I think Europeans authorities should do something like that. Sometimes in a rock crowd there's too much stupid people that doesn't care of his and other's health.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Anything but chairs on the field. Who wants to sit? They are just disturbing.

I know, for us europeans may appear strange to stay in a stadium field for a rock show with a chair behind you...we're not used to it. But I've seen a lot of american concerts (....BJ one last night at Giants Stadium....) and i can't say people doesn't have fun. They don't sit down during the show.
So, I wouldn't be totally negative about that....

It is only disturbing to you because it is different than what you are used too. It doesn't make it bad, but some people do things a different way.

I agree. Chairs are poo! Nobody wants to sit during a rock concert. They wanna jump about and dance! I do think they should reconsider selling alcohol at gigs though. A lot of people may disagree but there are several good reasons for banning it:

1) It dehydrates you, so your more likely to faint or collapse from exhaustion - anyone at Hyde Park last year can vouch for that one!!

2) People who 'over-indulge' and puke everywhere! Not good when everyone's packed like sardines and can't escape the flight-path!

3) People who 'over-indulge' and get aggressive or over-exuberant and try to push and punch their way forward through the crowd!

I think perhaps partitioning the crowd into specific pens that can hold maybe 1000-2000 people would be good. It would allow people free access to nearby gangways between pens and better distribution of cups of water and emergency access by ground-staff and stewards.

and you don't get idiots spending 3 quid on a pint then deciding to throw it all over the crowd. saying that, most big venues only sell carling down here now so i doubt id care if they stopped servign drink.

Just because there is a chair there, doesn't mean you have to use it. You still have the option to jump around and dance.