dylandog

I really didn't know that. Been lucky to get decent seats for all the tours to date. Surely there must be something under the Trades Description Act ( if it still exist) to stop this practice? It's knowingly selling goods which aren't actually provided. All arenas now have seating plans available to view on line so I'm at a loss to know why people don't google the arena before purchasing.Yes, the lay out may change slightly but TT always have a second stage and unless the main stage is situated in the middle, then people should have a good idea of the restricted seats. For the MEN I asked for Block 118/119 which they said was fully sold out ( not true) so went for Block 114 towards the front and they were fantastic seats. I didn't purchase them on the day of the sale and actually waited 4 or 5 days. Given that, I'm struggling to understand why those with priority tickets weren't allocated better seats as many on forum sites have mentioned paying high prices for poor seats.

I feel so sorry for the fans who end up in the kind of seats you've described, Kath. I believe they should never be sold. Yes, arenas are so large that screens are a necessity, but everyone should have an adequate view of the stage(s). If they decide to release restricted seats, and this is a big if, then they should be sold for a nominal sum - say 20 quid and no more, with a very clear description of their location. I couldn't understand why there were vacant seats in prime positions on the night I went and yet there were people seated up in the gods. MEN must have known those seats were available and should have re - allocated them to people in the highest tiers.

It was Ticketmaster. I go on from time to time from time to time as it's nice to read tour reviews from other peoples perspective. Some have complained about ticket costs but speaking to people I know TT tickets aren't that much more expensive than comparable artists and their productions costs are obviously considerable higher - so value for money overall. There have been mutterings about the VIP tickets - but I won't entertain them, or at least find out what the package is before purchasing. Merchandise has also been expensive this tour so I simply made a conscious decision not to buy anything. We were lucky with fantastic seats but we did extensive research on the arena seating plan before buying. I can see why some people are angry because the night I was at the MEN some people were to the side of the stage and so high up their view must have been really restricted - and there were some seats still available in good spots so they should have been moved.

Thanks for the review ( please post more often )and glad you enjoyed it so much. It was a fab concert, wasn't it and far better than Progress. The dynamics between the three was great and the atmosphere fantastic. I would have loved Jay to have been there and he would have been in his element in the contemporary dance routine, but the three compensated for his absence incredibly well all considered. I have read the odd scathing review.One 'fan' stated the concert was poor in comparison to recent Olly Murs/ID concerts. She complained about her view and TT's static performance on the front stage and vowed never to see them live again. I don't know what show she saw but it certainly wasn't this tour ! The night I was there their work ethic was phenomenal and they constantly moved around the arena so everyone would have an opportunity to see them. Overall this tour has been a triumph with largely brilliant reviews. Celebrities have recently tweeted how fantastic the show is - Gary Kemp said some really lovely things and Grahame Norton was gushing about it on his radio show this weekend.

Hope you have a fab, fab time!

So glad you enjoyed the concert and trip to Manchester. We appear to be quite similar in our opinion of the concert. Flaws was, as you say, a rather sweet section in the show and a lovely contrast to some of the more upbeat numbers. We also seem to have a similar view of Affirmation as one of the weakest parts of the concert and Portrait. HUAL is undoubtedly a song that is stronger live and Mark commands the stage really well during it. I thought the problems with the sound would have been addressed by now, but obviously not. I'm sure someone with knowledge of sound production would be able to explain the issues. Gary did sound sharp, almost nasally, but as I said when I put my fingers in my ears his voice sounded rich and warm, so I can only assume the balance wasn't quite right.

The explanation for the downturn in sales is indeed a complex one. What I find strange is that people waited 10 years for their return and each album sold in the millions, so why would the public stop buying their music right now? The reasons are multiple: Firstly, the return of Robbie put some people off , although paradoxically Rob is the one who gained from the collaboration ( canny man). Secondly, the Progress album was too far removed from their earlier work and didn't represent the accepted TT sound. In my view the album sold off the back of The Flood which was more representative of TT's previous work and not the Progress album itself. Thirdly, the tax issue undoubtedly hit TT on a massive scale. Prior to this Gary's documentary had come out and the public were universally praising it, and this reflected in TT's album sales shortly after the documentary aired. Fast forward a week or so and TT were in the papers for all the wrong reasons and I don't think they've ever fully recovered from it. Fourthly, their prolonged absence and Jay leaving - although these factors would have had less of an impact if the tax issue hadn't reared its head. Fast forward and although I really like 3 , These Days, whilst a catchy song isn't the quality of their earlier single releases. They need to recapture the earlier sound of BW. Why they veered so far from their initial sound isn't one I fully understand? The next album release is crucial in my view - stop the experimentation with sound and produce songs with strong melodies and harmonies. The quality of the music is key and it would result in increased sales, although I can't see them ever reaching the heights of 2006 - 2011.

Gary and Eliot have just won the Broadway audience award for best musical score.

I haven't heard HTH played on any radio station. Radio 2 always put TT on their play list but it doesn't have any impact outside of the initial single release. The only TT song I've heard on the radio in recent weeks is These Days. It's crazy that radio stations are still playing a single 6 months old, but totally ignore any follow up singles. They really, really should promote HTH somehow. As it stands, I agree with others, it won't chart. I can see why they chose These Days as the lead single because it's catchy, but I would have gone for a more ballad like song with These Days as the follow up single. I still can't fathom the staggering drop in their album sales. I do wonder if the Progress album was a step too far for TT? I know there are people who rate it, but I've yet to meet anyone who does. Far too removed from their earlier offerings in my view and this may have back fired.

Hope you have a fantastic time Cat62. Enjoy every moment because it goes so quickly.

I didn't see any noticeable change in Gary's dancing, but then he's not the most light footed! Mark on the other hand - a natural mover. Howard - still supple and obviously a good dancer. Can't think of one specific stand out moment, but for me Said It All and Rule The World. The sound from the crowd was deafening all the way through and I love both songs, so those would be my choice. You would think that Portrait with the flying machine would be the highlight but most people were silent throughout this, waving and taking photos so the atmosphere was muted. That said everyone had a smile on their face as it was quite funny looking at them in that contraption. Progress was quite a dark and cold feeling concert in terms of atmosphere. This one was more in the vain of other TT concerts - fun, engaging and warm. The audience spanned generations from 5 or 6 years olds up to 70 plus years, although I would say the majority of people were in 30 - 50 age bracket. There were also far more men in the crowd than I expected to see.

I had great seats and it's the first time I've been really up close. They actually mounted the bike /flying machine (whatever you call it) right in front of me and flew over us. Portrait actually sounds ok live, better than the video clips I've seen and the crowd received it quite well, but it wasn't the stand out moment in the show and it still isn't one of my favourites off the lll album. I think they missed a trick with HTH and they could have fitted it into the set list. I absolutely loved Said It All- much underrated song in my view, but I wasn't so keen on the RMF rendition on this tour. RTW is just a fantastic song and the crowd participation does make me feel a little teary. One thing I didn't mention was the poor sound quality. Gary sounded like he'd swallowed helium a lot of the time, but when I put my fingers in my ears he sounded wonderful! Can anyone tell me the reason for this ? I hope you have a fab time, Jay. In spite of my criticisms it really was a lovely, enjoyable evening and their work ethic was phenomenal. Not their best, but still head and shoulders above most pop concerts.

Thanks ,Milly, I did! Review - Manchester 26th May. An ostentatious, energetic, fun and visually stunning pop show. Leave any cynicism and music snobbery at the door and simply embrace the joy of their concerts as they always deliver a fantastic performance. The show was very slick, professional and at times, frantic; perhaps too much so. A little more 'light and shade' would have off set the larger than life set pieces and would have provided some much needed respite between the big numbers. The opening to the show tried to emulate aspects of The Circus opening, but didn't quite have the creativity of The Circus and cutting 5 minutes off would have resulted in a slicker intro to the concert. The lads were consummate performers and worked the arena incredibly well, making it feel quite an intimate experience. Mark was particularly energized and really engaged with the audience throughout. They really are a joy to watch and their love of performing simply shone through. Highlights included RTW, Patience, The Flood, Shine, Never Forget, Pray, BFG, Greatest Day, Said It All, HUAL and from the newer numbers Flaws ( a rather touching part of the show) and to a lesser extent These Days. The crowd also loved CIBM, but I preferred the BW version) All these songs garnered a fantastic response from the crowd. In contrast there was a more muted response to newer numbers with Affirmation undoubtedly the low point. From a visual perspective is was creative and imaginative, although the puppet element should have been kept throughout the whole of The Garden in my view, as it was far more inventive than the quite gaudy section to The Garden and UAN. Was Jay missed? Yes, up to a point and this was most noticeable during RMF, Pray and CIBM, but surprisingly it wasn't a major issue which is testament to the band's performance. On a purely superficial level - Gary is one stunning looking man!! Rating - lll Tour 4 * In comparison BW Tour - 4.5* ( the set list was better than the current tour) Progress a weak 3* The Circus 5* ( A quite brilliant pop concert; up amongst the best)

The cinema should have been in the city centre and not out of town close to the airport - what a strange location!! Robbie has been active as a performer since the early 90's and has toured extensively for over 20 years gathering a world wide fan base. TT came back to extensive media coverage in the UK but nowhere else. They didn't undertaken any major promotional tours outside of the UK, aside from Germany. Rob's PR is clearly far more professional and TT should really push for better promotion outside of the UK , but I can't see that happening. Unfortunately for fans outside of the UK and some European cities there is little chance of them touring. I think so many dates in Germany is a mistake and one date in Germany with some dates in other European countries, with good promotion thrown in would have been more productive. I agree with many, TT's management and PR is quite poor for a well known act not that's not going to change now - it is what it is.

I saw the BW tour in Birmingham and loved it. I then went to the cinema with a different friend to see the show from the 02. It was a great experience and although you don't have the immediate atmosphere of a live gig, it did allow me to see many things I'd missed at the live show. Because TT do have large productions a cinema show actually works really well for them. Glad TT have rolled out the cinema show to many more countries. I would be astonished if you didn't absolutely love it, Milly !! I also saw Gary's solo show and it was so very, very different to a TT show. The music was the integral part of the show, it was less frantic and the set list was actually far more to my liking that the Progress tour, for example. My favourite part was the acoustic section which really showcased Gary's voice and was a lovely mellow section in the concert. The piano section in the middle of the arena was also wonderful and I actually think that TT should to some degree go ' back to basics' and use their production elements far more sparingly.

Oh Jay, so sorry you were underwhelmed by the concert. It has received fantastic fan reviews , but a concert is a very personal thing. I hope it doesn't put you off seeing them again because I genuinely think they are the best around. Having seen all their tours post 2006 the only one I didn't enjoy was Progress, partly due to the set list. I think you would have loved the BW tour as it struck a good balance between production and music and the set list in my view was fantastic. I also loved the Circus. I saw the last but one night in London and it was truly magical . TT are somewhat caught in a dilemma in that they're known for big productions so I now think the band feels they have to top the last one. Consequently the music can get lost in the visual production and sea of dancers. I'll post my review next Wednesday after the Manchester gig - I hope I love it as the price of the ticket coupled with travelling and an hotel is staggering!!!

I've also listened to the full song three times . I think its simply wonderful , outstanding - a beautiful, beautiful song. Christina sounds fantastic. It's a great interpretation of the song and I think if released would stand a great chance of being a hit. I wish TT would revert back to this kind of song !!

I still haven't warmed to Affirmation or Portrait and I've watched a lot of the tour videos. I quite liked Portrait on the album but it doesn't sound strong enough live while Hold Up A Light is an example of a song which in my view sounds better live. I think The Flood still sounds great, even with the 3 of them, although it doesn't quite have the depth of sound it previously had. I would have dropped Relight My Fire from the set list - I know many like it but it isn't one of my favourites. It would have been interesting to hear one or two of their B sides such as Rocket Ship. And I must admit that I wouldn't miss Back For Good if it was left off the set list either!

Thanks. I'm struggling to understand why TT's sales are so low in comparison?

I'm surprised they've sold over 80,000 this year - that' s quite good going but the sales overall are really low for Take That. For some reason I thought they had already reached the 500,000 mark. Does anyone have the sales figures for SISYL?

A good climb in the charts. I think this album really has under performed and deserves wider recognition. If they had followed earlier campaigns with an official TV show I believe sales would have been higher. I find it strange that the album has climbed back up the charts as I would have thought all those going to the tour would have bought the album - obviously not the case. It would be nice to see Higher Than Higher performed on a show but the tour will limit that possibility. Also wondering if there will be an official video for it? Does anyone know if there will be?

I actually miss Everything Changes. I liked the BW tour version and your right in saying that Howard could have taken the lead on it or BW. I' ve seen quite a few tour videos of Affirmation and whilst the lighting is fantastic I loathe the song; I really do. I don't think it has any redeeming features, although I may be one of the few with such strong feelings about it.

SORRY FOR ALL THE MULTIPLE POSTS - DON'T QUITE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!!

Thanks for the review. It was really interesting to read your opinion of the show and its comparative strengths and weaknesses. Your comments about the relative weakness of the newer songs in relation to the older songs in some way confirms what many of us have been saying. lll is a good album as a whole but lacks stand out songs. Transferred to a show where they have to stand on their own merit the songs therefore fall short in comparison to the well established songs. I'm not surprised you thought that Affirmation was the weak spot in the concert as I cannot fathom why they chose it? If another song was needed for Howard there are better choices from their back catalogue. Mark is undoubtedly a warmer personality than Howard or Gary and reminds me of a little puppy who's always eager to please. Howard is far more reserved and is known to be quite shy. Gary is a more interesting character. Having seen one of his solo concerts he undoubtedly has a great sense of humour and isn't afraid to make fun of himself, but he isn't a natural conversationalist and always strikes me as somewhat guarded and stilted when speaking to an audience. I actually think that TT works because of their differing personality types, but I do wonder if they would have continued if Mark had been the one to leave instead of Jay? Will post my review after I've seen them in Manchester on the 26th May and it would be nice to read reviews from anyone else going from this forum. For anyone interested the reviews on the Ticketmaster site are generally excellent.

Thanks for the review. It was really interesting to read your opinion of the show and its comparative strengths and weaknesses. Your comments about the relative weakness of the newer songs in relation to the older songs in some way confirms what many of us have been saying. lll is a good album as a whole but lacks stand out songs. Transferred to a show where they have to stand on their own merit the songs therefore fall short in comparison to the well established songs. I'm not surprised you thought that Affirmation was the weak spot in the concert as I cannot fathom why they chose it? If another song was needed for Howard there are better choices from their back catalogue. Mark is undoubtedly a warmer personality than Howard or Gary and reminds me of a little puppy who's always eager to please. Howard is far more reserved and is known to be quite shy. Gary is a more interesting character. Having seen one of his solo concerts he undoubtedly has a great sense of humour and isn't afraid to make fun of himself, but he isn't a natural conversationalist and always strikes me as somewhat guarded and stilted when speaking to an audience. I actually think that TT works because of their differing personality types, but I do wonder if they would have continued if Mark had been the one to leave instead of Jay? Will post my review after I've seen them in Manchester on the 26th May and it would be nice to read reviews from anyone else going from this forum. For anyone interested the reviews on the Ticketmaster site are generally excellent.