Close to the stage

Am I being old fashioned or just being a dad that I hoped I'd take Dan to his first gig? In fact, it was his mum and her partner that took him and Abi to see Fall Out Boy at Manchester Arena a few weeks ago.

I'd hoped, though, that seeing The Wedding Present at Manchester Academy 1, this evening, would trump that. But it was not to be. Despite the venue being relatively small - certainly in comparison to the Arena - we were still too far back for Dan to get lost in the Weddoe's sublime guitar noise. Which isn't to say that he didn't enjoy himself because I could see that he did. It just wasn't as good as seeing a band he loves from what, it transpires, were very good seats at the Arena.

I've never liked big gigs, as it happens. The first one I went to was to see The Cure at Wembley Arena. The band was so far away that I could just make out their bodies and the sound was weak; I remember it being drowned out by people singing along to 'Fascination Street'. 

I've succumbed a few times over the years but usually regretted it. When I saw U2 at Roundhay Park - their biggest gig to date in front of 70,000 fans - I ended up lying down on the grass and just listening to the excellent sound system. I might as well have listened to the radio. 

For me, the preference is for small venues: The Deaf Institute; The Brudenell; The Albert Hall (Manchester); The Forum (properly The Town And Country Club); The Manchester Apollo; the Shepherd's Bush Empire; Liverpool Royal Court; Burnley Mechanics; The Lexington; Academy 3; Hebden Bridge Free Trades Club; Holmfirth's Picturedrome; the list goes on.

If you can't see which fret their fingers are on, the venue's too big.