Hiya,

I've never been to the Carling Academy, but there is an event which I would like to go to, where is the Best place. Standing Main Floor area, or Balcony?

Is it a good view to the stage where ever you go?

Personally I'd always choose to go downstairs as I like to feel part of the crowd and if I'm too far back i feel detached. Nowhere is too far back at the Academy really. View when you are standing is subjective. I can be on the next to front row and not see a thing as I'm a shortie but also you can stand near the sound desk and see loads. My preferred spot for Roxy gigs is left hand side, just on the edge of the dancefloor but I went right to the front for the Coral as it wasn't such a mosh pit so who knows? It's not like an Arena gig you don't need your specs to make out who is on stage.

lol thanks for the reply... :)

Another vote for downstairs!
Wherever you stand you can see the stage.
Excellent venue.
The layout inside is exactly the same as it was when it was Roxy`s.

My only quibble with carling is when you go out to the smoking area your drinks either get swiped or spiked,

My only quibble with carling is when you go out to the smoking area your drinks either get swiped or spiked,

Wouldnt it make sense to finish it before you go outside? :confused:

Wouldnt it make sense to finish it before you go outside? :confused:

A lot of people enjoy a drink and smoke combined. If you can't take it out with you atleast to have it waiting for you when you come back in rather than waiting 15 minutes for one at the bar.

My only quibble with carling is when you go out to the smoking area your drinks either get swiped or spiked,

I think you`ll find most bars/clubs are like that.

Avoid the balcony at all costs - you will not be able to see anything unless you are at the front.

Main floor is great but gets packed and you get beer thrown over you from the balcony, personally, I prefer the balcony; can see better and no beer drenching!!

see the recent thread on the nick cave gig. DONT go on the balcony. the sound is bad, the view is worse.

Stand down on the main floor.

downstairs defo

I just wish they could get the doors sorted. Last night, doors open at 6.30 supposedly. Sell out gig. I eventually got inside about 7.45.
Support band had already started (main act came on at 820, so I'm guessing I missed a fair bit of the support act). It's bloody winter and cold. No-one wants to stand outside for an hour or more.

While I'm in my whinging mood......
I was going to buy 2 tickets for a gig on the internet through the Academy site. Tickets £18.50, processing charge £1.50 (which is to pick them up at the booking office) and £4.62 service charge.
I was walking past there today and decided to just call in and get them. £37 in total.
So I have to pay £6.12 extra just to order them off the internet, even though I have to pick them up at the same place.

The Plug only charge 50p extra by the way.

Downstairs, Just wear good shoes, The carpets are sticky!

While I'm in my whinging mood......

I'll have a whinge about this venue too, went to see Complete Stone Roses on 6th Dec with my husband. Just before the band came on he nipped to the toilet, 10 minutes past and he still wasn't back, OK maybe there was a queue, 20 minutes passed, the band had come on and he was still nowhere to be seen, so I start to panic, I eventually find him stood outside. The bouncers had thrown him out because get this the bloke in the toilet next to him had been smoking! Yeah when my husband came out of the cubical the boucers were there and says to him "you've been smoking, your leaving" so my husband told them it was the bloke next door and so the bouncers dragg him out and then turn to my husband and say "your going anyway" So I was left in there with no money, my husband had left his phone at home by mistake and so I couldn't contact him, when I did find him I obviously left with him. £20 down the drain, I have complained and they are "looking into it"

I'll have a whinge about this venue too, went to see Complete Stone Roses on 6th Dec with my husband. Just before the band came on he nipped to the toilet, 10 minutes past and he still wasn't back, OK maybe there was a queue, 20 minutes passed, the band had come on and he was still nowhere to be seen, so I start to panic, I eventually find him stood outside. The bouncers had thrown him out because get this the bloke in the toilet next to him had been smoking! Yeah when my husband came out of the cubical the boucers were there and says to him "you've been smoking, your leaving" so my husband told them it was the bloke next door and so the bouncers dragg him out and then turn to my husband and say "your going anyway" So I was left in there with no money, my husband had left his phone at home by mistake and so I couldn't contact him, when I did find him I obviously left with him. £20 down the drain, I have complained and they are "looking into it"

Yes, the security are idiots. Aggressive and unhelpful.

While I'm in my whinging mood......
I was going to buy 2 tickets for a gig on the internet through the Academy site. Tickets £18.50, processing charge £1.50 (which is to pick them up at the booking office) and £4.62 service charge.
I was walking past there today and decided to just call in and get them. £37 in total.
So I have to pay £6.12 extra just to order them off the internet, even though I have to pick them up at the same place.

The Plug only charge 50p extra by the way.
What's the cheapest way of buying Academy tickets (i.e. not being ripped off with greedy service charges?!!) Does Jack's sell tickets for all the gigs? If picking up from the Academy, is it open during the day? Do they charge less for cash or debit rather than credit cards?
I'd like to get tickets for Elbow in March and for the Specials in April but they're not available on Ticketweb - advice much appreciated.

What's the cheapest way of buying Academy tickets (i.e. not being ripped off with greedy service charges?!!) Does Jack's sell tickets for all the gigs? If picking up from the Academy, is it open during the day? Do they charge less for cash or debit rather than credit cards?
I'd like to get tickets for Elbow in March and for the Specials in April but they're not available on Ticketweb - advice much appreciated.

Go to the venue. The box office is on the right. They had The Specials tickets in there yesterday, nearly bought some but had just spent over £200 on other tickets and good sense kicked in. I paid cash and got the tickets at the face value, ie no service charge or booking fee. No idea if the lad made a mistake or if that is correct. Jacks have to charge extra, they actually have a piece on the wall explaining how the charges are set by the Academy and not them.
Sorry don't know opening times for the box office, I just went midday ish on wednes, I have a feeling they aren't open for as long on a saturday, cos I know I've turned up and it's been closed before now.

I think the Academy is a corporate sh**hole!
Attended to watch the Quireboys in the small venue with its' hideous lighting (4 halogen lamps over the bar and not much else); that awful non-slip carpet that sticks to your feet like treacle and........
I've mentioned before..........the band finishes it's set and they are there immediately: "would you mind moving over there" herding the punters like sheep towards the doors.
OK, owt for a quiet life, you move over to finish off your last, JUST BOUGHT pint and it's: " can you get you drinks off please?" to be repeated 2 minutes later
OK let's get out but let's recycle the beer before hitting the cold night air.
We are in the Gents in mid-stream and the same clown appears " can you hurry up there?" I advised him that all this establishment wanted ,was to take the punters' money, sell them drinks and tell them to p**s off the micro-second the gig finished and that I objected to being herded about like a farm animal on its way to milking (OK maybe I was being milked!)
This only made the d**head smirk
A Corporate sh**hole!

Spike, take your band elsewhere on your next visit to Sheffield

Crap, poncy 'cool' no soul venue

I can't stand this venue. I've been 3 times - each was disappointing...the bands were amazing but it was ruined by 1. Unfriendly, agressive, pretensious doormen/security...rude and herd you out as soon as the gigs done so they can get punters in for transmission or whatever else they put on after...the prodigy gig finished at 11 for christ sake! At pendulum I even saw the security confiscate glowsticks from someone...2. No pass outs for smoking or fresh air! 3. At prodigy i was on the balcony - which i was not informed of when buying the tickets...I didnt find out till they came in the post...which also meant 4 of us were on the balcony and 2 on the floor...im 5''3 and couldnt see a damn thing until i finally squeezed my way to the front for the last few songs. Unless you are on the front row you will not see anything...even if you are of normal height! Bearing in mind there are about 5 rows of people on the balcony. I think its disgusting that they heard people up there knowing full well they wont be able to see the ****ing gig!

All in all its a nasty corporate venue with an awful atmosphere run by people who seemingly know nothing about music or gigs and what people want. In the future Id sooner go further afield to manchester or leeds if there was someone i really wanted to see.

Just an update to my ealier post, the boucer who threw my husband out as not been sacked or so we've been told and another got a written warning and me and my husband can go on the guest list for another concert

Just an update to my ealier post, the boucer who threw my husband out as not been sacked or so we've been told and another got a written warning and me and my husband can go on the guest list for another concert

sounds like a trap :suspect::hihi:
Only joking - at least they appear to have taken the right action.

I went to see cascada last november and it was brilliant, we were standing and really enjoyed it as we got to be really close to the stage and the atmosphere in the crowd was amazing!, definitely recommend standing!! though I haven't been balcony before so I can't compare but if I go to another event then I'm going standing again.

Hope this helps :)

Thanks for all your messages, I am thinking of going to see N-Dubz, just but i'm taking someone who's 14 and she isn't that tall... It's mainly for her this gig, as she loves them.

Just need the best bit hehe for her to see... I don't drink myself "we would just be going to see the concert" so drinks isn't a problem lol...

The last time I went to a Standing event, I went to the "Octagon Center" to see Cascada, it was all standing and the floor get's very sticky with Beer and Plastic bottles all over... but it was a great night... Just very crowded... I'm not sure on this "O2 Academy"... There's good & bad comments hehe...

ok booked it, going Standing on the floor :)

Whilst I've slated the Academy on another thread about their club nights, you can't really fault their live music in the main room (the small room upstairs is another matter). The city has needed a venue like that for years with the Leadmill/Plug being too small for some bands, Octagon is like watching a band in a sports hall and Arena is well... an Arena.

I'd definitely go for the floor, generally good viewing everywhere but I always nip round to the far side, a lot less congested. I agree with another poster about drinks throwing, never understood why people do it and you do seem to get it worse there than in other venues, no idea why.