It’s not for me, it’s for you

One thing is for sure: Bristol needs a new arena. I say that with my ‘we’re all in this together’ head on because for me, I honestly could not care less. Personally, I’d settle for a refurbished Colston Hall in order to host the League One and Championship level bands but it’s not just about me: it’s about everyone in our fair city.

The Premiership acts are not for me. I note that Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena has a number of star attractions in the coming weeks and months. Here are just a few of those appearing:

• The Australian Pink Floyd (a tribute act)
• Liam Gallagher (a poor Oasis tribute act)
• The Elvis Tribute world tour
• Snow Patrol ‘reworked’ (a greatest hits tour with all the songs sounding different to the original – why?)
• Elvis in concert (this could be tricky)
• Killer Queen (some kind of tribute show)
• James Blunt (a total shit show)
• The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour
• The Who (or rather half of them)
• Rick Astley’s Greatest Hit tour (all right: it say Hits, really, but I only know one of his tunes)

I’ve picked out the acts I consider to be the very worst acts appearing in Cardiff because there are one or two (two actually: the Chemical Brothers and the National) who I wouldn’t mind seeing but sod going to Cardiff to see someone I’d merely think about going to see. I’d only go to see someone I really want to see. So, no one.

I do appreciate that for some music is not their first love and that it’s enough to listen to a musical turd on the radio, like Heart, Smooth or Absolute Shit (I may have made the last name up). I know that not everyone likes to hear new music and Cardiff’s list of coming shows reflects that. For all my gentle sarcasm, I’ll bet that all these shows sell out. Whilst I would not cross the road to watch any of them, thousands would.

We are not exactly blessed with great music venues in Bristol. The O2 in Frogmore Street remains a cinema with no seats and that’s one of the biggest venues. But we do have SWX, Motion (where I saw the magnificent Avalanches two years ago, my favourite gig ever), the tiny but cosy Louisiana and the legendary Fleece. By and large, they satisfy my urge to see live music.

My last arena gig was at the Birmingham NEC, or whatever it’s called this week, to see Bad Company. I am not an arena fan but a) this was a bucket list opportunity and b) despite the size of the venue, Paul Rodgers managed to fill it more than adequately thanks to his awesome pipes. I’ve seen the Monkees, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Steely Dan, Take That (!) and one or two other big acts in arenas but given the choice, give me a small hall any day of the week. CSN were far better at the Bristol Colston Hall than they were at the Cardiff Motorpoint.

What we don’t have in Bristol is choice. If you want to see a geriatric heritage act like the Who pummel through their 1960s favourites, it doesn’t seem right that you have to drive miles to get there. If you want to see a hologram of Whitney Houston, why should you have to go to cardiff? If you want to see James Blunt, I know a very good psychotherapist because I suggest you might need one, but that’s another story.

Let’s have that arena and have done with it. It’s not as if I have to go, is it?