Sound mix matters when picking seats By Heath McCoy, Calgary Herald October 12, 2011
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Sound+m...#ixzz1aanbYkTY
Concert . July 2004. Fleetwood Mac at the Saddledome. I've never been more keenly aware that not all Dome seats are created equally than at that moment.
The barrage of outraged letters flooding my e-mail box the day after the concert hit the point home like one sharp slap to the head after the other from disillusioned Mac lovers.
Save for the shortfalls of Stevie Nicks, whose voice has seen far better days, I enjoyed that gig and my review reflected as much.
From where I was sitting in the Herald's cosy suite, the sound was great (or at least acceptable by the standards of a cavernous hockey arena).
Apparently that wasn't the case for everyone.
Judging by the letters that poured in, the acoustics in the 'Dome were tragic that night with several pockets of the arena receiving little more than a hideously mixed racket.
Other sections were luckier, according to the odd letter that came to my defence.
That evening was an extreme example, but in the 11 years that I reviewed concerts for the Herald I learned that for every show your seats mattered, and the rules changed depending on the sonics and the sound mix at individual concerts.
Prime seats at a Metallica concert might not be as peachy when it comes to the Dixie Chicks.
As for me, when not in the Herald suite, I usually found that the lower balcony aisle seats on either side of the stage were a good bet for both sight lines and acoustics.
And I always appreciated it when the promoters would seat me at the end of the row so I could come and go easily.
Deadlines, people! Deadlines!