Robbie
Yesterday I ran home from work. My bus home wasn't running down its normal route and there were predictions that the traffic would be bad down the part it did run down. The school down the road was shut all day. On Thursday I had to argue with a security guard to be allowed to run my normal 5 mile route round the park.
Robbie's here. Yesterday and today he's doing big concerts in Roundhay Park.
Earlier in the week I was a little bitter about this. They were fencing off bits of the park, and stopping me running where I wanted to, and worst of all, I didn't have a ticket. 90,000 or so people each night did, but I didn't.
I don't mind Robbie Williams, but I wouldn't pay the amount of money they were asking for tickets (particularly not the ebay/touted ones once the Ticketmaster allocation sold out). But even the Ticketmaster ones, I saw that they'd released some additional Friday tickets a week or two ago, it was letting me buy them (just good timing I guess, they weren't there long), but I couldn't really justify the cost and buying tickets for a concert when I could spend that money on new running kit or a new car tyre.
Not least because tonight's concert is on TV, and I knew that I'd be able to hear it anyway if I really wanted to.
So I didn't buy the tickets I saw, and then started regretting it a bit. I mean, I wouldn't travel miles for it, but when it's a mile down the road and the area is filled with excited people who are getting worked up for the concert, it kind of seemed a shame to miss out. Running back I ran past the park (and dodged Robbie lovers), and I was getting tempted to see how much the touts were selling for. Until I gave myself a kick, reminded myself of all the running stuff I could spend the money on in Berlin, and went back home. (Incidentally, on the run, the traffic didn't look anywhere near as bad as I'd been fearing, so I didn't really need to do it, but once I'd psyched myself up I decided to go through with it as it was a lovely evening, possibly one of the last of the year.
But, I did venture out for the concert in the end. Instead of paying through the nose and crowding in with the masses I used my local knowledge to end up on the other side of the fenced off area. I couldn't see the stage, but I was probably as close to it as some of the people in the fenced off area who were facing it. I could hear perfectly (to be honest, I could hear from home, I got a good blast of Orson as I got home from work, but I decided to go down there). There was plenty of space (although there were a fair few of us lurkers), no queues for the toilet, and you could take your choice of alcohol (in my case a bottle of red wine with a screw top, so I could transport the remnants back home). I even took a proper glass to drink it out of!
So I propped myself up against a tree (it didn't actually matter which way I was looking), and enjoyed. Except it was a bit more surreal than that. All season my rugby team have been flirting with relegation, and last night was the night we could be confirmed as mathematically safe, depending on the results of the teams who had a chance of catching us. So I had a radio in one ear for updates of the games, and was listening to (but not watching) Robbie through the other. I like multitasking! My attention switched from one to the other, particularly as the games came to an end. And we did it! Safety was confirmed with me sitting in the dark in a park listening to a concert that I couldn't see, with merlot in hand. Bliss.
And then Angels rang out. Love Robbie or hate him, that song is fantastic. I ended up having such a good evening. I didn't need to pay for a ticket - I can watch it face on on tv, but still say I was there live. I didn't feel left out of the event taking place in the park, and we live to fight another season in the rugby.
I still can't wait for them to take the fences down so I can have my park back though!
Robbie's here. Yesterday and today he's doing big concerts in Roundhay Park.
Earlier in the week I was a little bitter about this. They were fencing off bits of the park, and stopping me running where I wanted to, and worst of all, I didn't have a ticket. 90,000 or so people each night did, but I didn't.
I don't mind Robbie Williams, but I wouldn't pay the amount of money they were asking for tickets (particularly not the ebay/touted ones once the Ticketmaster allocation sold out). But even the Ticketmaster ones, I saw that they'd released some additional Friday tickets a week or two ago, it was letting me buy them (just good timing I guess, they weren't there long), but I couldn't really justify the cost and buying tickets for a concert when I could spend that money on new running kit or a new car tyre.
Not least because tonight's concert is on TV, and I knew that I'd be able to hear it anyway if I really wanted to.
So I didn't buy the tickets I saw, and then started regretting it a bit. I mean, I wouldn't travel miles for it, but when it's a mile down the road and the area is filled with excited people who are getting worked up for the concert, it kind of seemed a shame to miss out. Running back I ran past the park (and dodged Robbie lovers), and I was getting tempted to see how much the touts were selling for. Until I gave myself a kick, reminded myself of all the running stuff I could spend the money on in Berlin, and went back home. (Incidentally, on the run, the traffic didn't look anywhere near as bad as I'd been fearing, so I didn't really need to do it, but once I'd psyched myself up I decided to go through with it as it was a lovely evening, possibly one of the last of the year.
But, I did venture out for the concert in the end. Instead of paying through the nose and crowding in with the masses I used my local knowledge to end up on the other side of the fenced off area. I couldn't see the stage, but I was probably as close to it as some of the people in the fenced off area who were facing it. I could hear perfectly (to be honest, I could hear from home, I got a good blast of Orson as I got home from work, but I decided to go down there). There was plenty of space (although there were a fair few of us lurkers), no queues for the toilet, and you could take your choice of alcohol (in my case a bottle of red wine with a screw top, so I could transport the remnants back home). I even took a proper glass to drink it out of!
So I propped myself up against a tree (it didn't actually matter which way I was looking), and enjoyed. Except it was a bit more surreal than that. All season my rugby team have been flirting with relegation, and last night was the night we could be confirmed as mathematically safe, depending on the results of the teams who had a chance of catching us. So I had a radio in one ear for updates of the games, and was listening to (but not watching) Robbie through the other. I like multitasking! My attention switched from one to the other, particularly as the games came to an end. And we did it! Safety was confirmed with me sitting in the dark in a park listening to a concert that I couldn't see, with merlot in hand. Bliss.
And then Angels rang out. Love Robbie or hate him, that song is fantastic. I ended up having such a good evening. I didn't need to pay for a ticket - I can watch it face on on tv, but still say I was there live. I didn't feel left out of the event taking place in the park, and we live to fight another season in the rugby.
I still can't wait for them to take the fences down so I can have my park back though!
posted by YP at 11:46 AM
2 Comments:
OOOO I AM SO JEALOUS! Robbie is my FAVOURITE singer of ALL time. I have been to both concerts he's had here in NZ, though on this tour he's not coming down here! :( And, being a poor student, I can't justify spending the money it would cost to travel to Australia to see him.
I love how you don't mind doing things on your own, and are just happy being YOU. You rock. :)
I don't think we have Robbie Williams over here in the U.S., but I'm glad that you found a way to experience the concert without paying exorbitant fees!
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