Doctor Who Live Tour!

Hooyah!

All 'round the UK, this fall! Been following this since it jumped the gun a bit yesterday - here's the officialness:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10118464.stm

A bit of background and extra links/connections in my blog just now:

http://cuenotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/side-shows-part-two.html

Eee!

Are you planning to fly over for this as well warped?

Full details at the official website here.

Tickets on sale 9am BST Friday. Although the countdown clock says Midnight.

And... so far, Cardiff comes up on LiveNation, and Manchester comes up on TIcketMaster. No London yet. With 3-and-change days to go.

Very confusing. Are other big UK tours like that, all higgledy piggledy with the ticketing?

Live Nation & Ticketmaster are inter-related companies. Ticketing in the UK is very much a closed shop. A stitch up closed shop at that.

A 16-piece orchestra? Is that a bit small?

It's sort of the size of Orchestra you'd get at a small West-End Musical. As opposed to the 60+ piece BBC National Orchestra of Wales that will do the Proms.

This whole venture very much reminds me of last years "Walking with Dinosaurs Live" Tour, which was good fun but equally pricey!

Yeah, I was thinking, adding it up, it would be more value to pay over the odds for some proms tickets for me and my niece then spend the same amount on this. Which I think I will do!

Get to the Albert Hall good & early and queue up for Promenader Tickets. There's something like 1,000 per show.

What about gallery tickets for standing? Is that a good view? I notice that weekend gallery tickets are £12.50!

You are a very, very long way up, in the Gods as it were. But you'll still get the atmosphere and there'll be big screens showing the action.

If you look at this photo, you're above the circle at the very top.

Cheers boss!

The Co=Ordinator wrote:Are you planning to fly over for this as well warped?

We *might* already be on that side of the drink then. Plans are in flux.

Live Nation & Ticketmaster are inter-related companies. Ticketing in the UK is very much a closed shop. A stitch up closed shop at that.

Then why can't they get their ducks in a row? I mean... who will be selling the Wembley tickets? I'd like to set up an online account at the appropriate website in advance. Any suggestions?

Rich Flair wrote:A 16-piece orchestra? Is that a bit small?

Murray says "band." Different arrangements, different sound. (No doubt filled out with a couple of singers, a string quartet and a few brasses.) That's the appeal for me personally--it'll be new & different.

The Co=Ordinator wrote:..."Walking with Dinosaurs Live" Tour... good fun but equally pricey!

It is pricey, I agree! If you like big orchestra *better* than a band/ensemble, it may not suit you. And if having the actors/actresses there as hosts is an important part of the appeal, then that'd be a put-off.

But... I wouldn't lay bets that you could stay home and be sure of getting a broadcast or DVD of the tour later. It sounds like the event's specifically touring a lot of dates and venues so that you have some reasonable chance to go see it in person.

warped wrote:[I mean... who will be selling the Wembley tickets? I'd like to set up an online account at the appropriate website in advance. Any suggestions?

Ticketmaster I'd imagine. The Wembley website itself would likely redirect you. An account can probably be set up when booking. In my experience most of the time you get "e tickets" from Ticketmaster that you simply print yourself.

The Co=Ordinator wrote:In my experience most of the time you get "e tickets" from Ticketmaster that you simply print yourself.

That's one of the reasons I hate them - it's nearly a fiver extra to get physical tickets. And I have to get physical tickets, so I can put them in my 'gigs I've been to' scrapbook.

Again, it's an enduring mystery why I'm single...

The Co=Ordinator wrote:Ticketmaster I'd imagine. The Wembley website itself would likely redirect you.

Wembley says they're a LiveNation house and LiveNation says they process transactions through Eventim. But LiveNation's website keeps crashing, while Ticketmaster UK uniquely will store credit card information in advance (scary as a concept, but easier at 4 am, y'know).

On the other hand... Tony, aren't you a tad busy that weekend?

Yes. Time & Space Convention Saturday, and possibly an Avengers Convention on the Sunday. Bit of a logistical nightmare!

Graymalkin wrote:
That's one of the reasons I hate them - it's nearly a fiver extra to get physical tickets. And I have to get physical tickets, so I can put them in my 'gigs I've been to' scrapbook?

Can't you just photocopy the e-ticket?

I've had a regular mailing that I get fro Wembley Arena, and the buy tickets link takes you to this page.

So that's where I'm heading on Friday morning.

stanmore wrote:

Graymalkin wrote:
That's one of the reasons I hate them - it's nearly a fiver extra to get physical tickets. And I have to get physical tickets, so I can put them in my 'gigs I've been to' scrapbook?

Can't you just photocopy the e-ticket?

It's just not the same... eTix are usually boring and horrible looking...

The Co=Ordinator wrote:So that's where I'm heading on Friday morning.

Can you or anyone who's been to a similar show at Wembley predict what might be "good seats"?

None of the sites have anything other than the standard/default Wembley layouts up (and, "epic monster battle", can't be right for all those mid-floor seats). And I'm inclined to trust online ticket companies' automagic ideas of "best available" seats.

What'd likely be near the band/wee orchestra, with a good view of that and a reasonable view of the... battle zone?

It's nigh on impossible to say as we don't know the layout.

However, and this may be way off the mark, X marks the spot where the Ninja & I sat for Walking with Dinosaurs last year. This was a good view for that show.



The £25 seats will be in the like of blocks N15 & S15.

Hmm, very interesting - and... Ah - I think Ticketmaster's seating plans may have >updated< just lately. (Thoughts?)

Go for anything in the line from N7 across to S7. B2, 3 & 4 will be at ground level looking up, but are obviously right in front of the stage.

£25 tickets will be miles away.

Looking at that plan, I wonder if the orchestra may be behind the main stage? "Stage B" souns intriguing. I can see more "monsters coming up from under the auditorium" happening there!

I dunno where the orchestra will be, but do you see the wee middle gray bit? I was expecting it to say "mixer" or "tech"--but it says "stage 2". Interesting...