Moving seats at concerts...

[pastoralguy]

Teamsaint made an interesting remark about moving seats at 'slow' nights at the opera. Mrs. PG and I have done this in the past and have, as yet, not been caught. Does anyone else do this and have positive or negative experiences?

I do have a naughty experience but I'll wait until tomorrow to relate it...

[David-G]

There have been times in a not-very-full house when I have moved to a better seat in the interval with not a care or worry. When the house is rather fuller, I have sometimes worked hard in the first act to identify an empty seat that I might move to; but the move in the interval may then be rather fraught. I may be on tenterhooks in case I misidentified the seat, and someone comes to claim it; or in case the seat owner arrives late. My heart is in my mouth until Act 2 commences and I can relax. In recent years this has all seemed just too stressful, and I don't move unless I am absolutely certain that no problems will arise.

[David-G]

Years ago I took a cousin from abroad to the ballet at Covent Garden, it was "Romeo and Juliet". We were standing at the side of the Amphi - the view is rather restricted. As the lights dimmed for the start of the performance, my cousin observed a couple of empty seats in row B of the Amphi, some way in. She made a dash for it and dragged me with her; we had to push past several people on our way in. When the interval came we thought that we should stay in the seats to continue our claim to them. Imagine our consternation as an usher slowly walked down the steps toward us, and at row B stopped and turned in our direction. My heart was beating furiously as he approached, and I was thinking how best to apologise for our misdemeanour. But the usher stopped at our neighbour, and remonstrated with him - I know not why. The neighbour left, the usher did likewise, and we were left in possession of our beautiful row B seats for the remainder of the ballet.

[teamsaint]

All comes naturally to us veterans of the terraces, where picking your spot, subject to certain restrictions, is your birthright. More difficult, but not always impossible in these days of all seated stadia !

Anyway, if the "adopted"seat at a concert or opera is in a swathe of empty seats, I don't feel any guilt at all. In fact I sometimes book near such a block, or chose near one if buying on the night, so as to give a good chance of a minor upgrade. I had rotten seats at the RFH recently, cheapies admittedly, and moved at the interval to something similar in price but far better.

I have also attended a concert with a fellow MB member, who appeared to be thoroughly expert at such shenanigans.

I must say I have only ever given myself minor upgrades, might be fun to really go for it one night !never been picked up on it,and have noticed others doing the same.

Incidentally, at the RFH and some other venues, nobody ever checks tickets for the second half.....I wonder if locals ever just go in after the interval for free......would be a doddle !!though quite naughty, obviously.

Looking forward to PGs continuation. I too have one naughty story, though footy related.........

[Old Grumpy]

I too have one naught story, though footy related.........

Zero interest then, on both counts!

I too have moved seats, but only to a seat of the same price, with a better view (usually due to who is - or isn't - in front). I see no moral dilemma in this situation.

OG

[gurnemanz]

I remember seeing Spike Milligan in Son Of Oblomov in the the late 60s. The house far from full (Mermaid Theatre?) and Spike, who was ad libbing outrageously throughout, interrupted the action and invited the audience to fill the gaps and come down the front.

At concerts I am reluctant to do the interval move gambit - unlike my wife. Lively discussions sometimes take place and on a couple of occasions she has moved and I have stayed put.

[pastoralguy]

Well, my story is this. Some years ago, I planned my first trip to the Albert Hall for a Proms concert. Since I didn't know the layout of the hall I booked what I thought were good seats (well, one seat!), but found on the night that I was in some kind of box with other people. This would have been ok but they shuffled around, chatted and were generally annoying. So, at the interval, I spoke to one of the ushers and explained my problem but added that one of my fellow 'boxee's' had a poor sense of 'personal hygiene'!

The usher was horrified and said that, although the concert was sold out, she would see what she could do. After 5 minutes, she returned and said 'follow me'. I was then escorted into the area that I believe is used for the Royal Box when such occasions happen. As I was sitting there, in splendid isolation, I could see other people nudging each other and muttering 'who's he'? I thought it best to give a regal wave occasionally to increase the intrigue.

I'm not sure I would have the nerve to do that these days.

Incidentally, the only time I've ever seen anyone get a telling off and sent back to their original seat was last year at the Queen's Hall during the Edinburgh Festival. However, that's par for the course since this particular venue rejoices in treating its audience as an unwanted intrusion!

[HighlandDougie]

It seems to be accepted practice in France where at a good many concerts where I've been present people hover and just before the concert begins rush to claim seemingly unsold seats. Shamefully - it was done out of sheer cantankerousness on my part - when at a recital at a recent Roque d'Anthéron Piano Festival (sitting in a seat which had cost me €50) and asked by a French person hovering in the aisle whether the - empty - seat next to mine was taken, I said, "yes" and he slunk away. Somehow it's not so bad when people do it discreetly at the interval but it just seems somehow wrong even before the concert has begun. Very petit bourgeois and mean-minded of me, I know, which I suspect definitely makes me a bad person. Not quite as bad as the awful French habit of rhythmic clapping until whoever the poor soloist has been plays an encore, irrespective of how good - or bad - the performance has been. I was perversely delighted recently when Pinchas Zukerman (who had just delivered a fine performance of the Beethoven concerto as soloist and conductor with the Monte Carlo Phil) ignored the clapping and the clappers didn't get their little 'bis'. There's a funny reference to the habit in one of Gareth Davies's recent LSO blogs.

[kea]

This is why I like going to contemporary music concerts—someone will always storm out in disgust and it'll usually be someone who can afford a more expensive seat than me.

[MrGongGong]

Something I have frequently done
Sometimes i've been given comps which are in "expensive" seats and have moved to "cheaper" seats because the sound is better.
I have also been directing concerts where I have asked the audience to move to the front, it's horrible to be on a stage with a scattering of folks.

Turning up at 1/2 time could mean that you can simply walk in and sit anywhere, but I never said that was ok

[Ferretfancy]

Something I have frequently done
Sometimes i've been given comps which are in "expensive" seats and have moved to "cheaper" seats because the sound is better.
I have also been directing concerts where I have asked the audience to move to the front, it's horrible to be on a stage with a scattering of folks.

Turning up at 1/2 time could mean that you can simply walk in and sit anywhere, but I never said that was ok

A few months ago I went to a very poorly attended but excellent concert at the Royal Festival Hall, where the whole of the Balcony was empty. We had bought seats in an upper box on the keyboard side because we like the sound there. The staff offered us alternative seats downstairs, but we said that we liked it where we were. So we sat in lonely splendour near the roof as it were, gazing down on the empty Balcony below, in the only occupied box in the hall!

[amateur51]

A few months ago I went to a very poorly attended but excellent concert at the Royal Festival Hall, where the whole of the Balcony was empty. We had bought seats in an upper box on the keyboard side because we like the sound there. The staff offered us alternative seats downstairs, but we said that we liked it where we were. So we sat in lonely splendour near the roof as it were, gazing down on the empty Balcony below, in the only occupied box in the hall!

`You've mentioned before how much you like the sound there Ferret - I've never sat in a box at RFH so I must give it a go

[gurnemanz]

Turning up at 1/2 time could mean that you can simply walk in and sit anywhere, but I never said that was ok

We arrived about 10 minutes late for ROH a few years ago (M4 issues). It was Korngold Die tote Stadt and there was no convenient gap during which they could get us to our Amphitheatre seats. They led us to our own private box round the side at the front just above orchestra. We felt slightly privileged and certainly got a new perspective on the whole show, even able to get a good view of the conductor, Ingo Metzmacher.

[visualnickmos]

....I do have a naughty experience but I'll wait until tomorrow to relate it...

Come on maty! What's stopping you? You can't half start a story without the dénouement....

[visualnickmos]

Incidentally, at the RFH and some other venues, nobody ever checks tickets for the second half.....I wonder if locals ever just go in after the interval for free......would be a doddle !!though quite naughty, obviously.

Not at all naughty in the slightest; the management must surely know what they are doing, and clearly have no objection. The idea could be that if someone does this often enough, they will eventually become "hooked" and buy a ticket to the full concert.