Zoe Ralph speaks her mind for Arena Concerts

It may sound cheesy, but the excitement that fills an arena just before the artist or band comes on stage is immense and this feeling can only be created by big scale concerts. There is no doubt that arenas can put on much better shows than smaller venues.

With more sophisticated technology to create amazing pyrotechnics, lighting and lasers, which definitely make the concert more entertaining and impressive, large venues just cannot be matched by their smaller counterparts. Bigger gigs can allow the music to be properly performed and appeal to all your senses rather than just your ears.

Some people might argue that this detracts from the music but smaller gigs are too simplistic and not worth the money. Why make the effort to buy tickets and spend money on an experience that’s similar to watching an unknown band in an anonymous venue?

Music is such a big part of life for a lot of people and some find idols in their favourite bands. The most popular who become icons for generations are undoubtedly great performers who can command a large stage, for example Madonna and Freddie Mercury. The shows that these people can create are only stifled by smaller venues, not enhanced. It is true that most artists and bands start their careers performing at smaller venues but move onto arenas as soon as they can. If they do not progress to playing bigger venues and become real performers, they shouldn’t charge people to watch them.

The point is, watching some one play an instrument is unquestionably dull, unlike seeing a song being performed. Also, smaller venues’ sound systems cannot compete with the powerful ones in arenas, which make your favourite songs sound better than you ever thought they could.

Another thing is: why would you want to pay to stand in a dingy small venue for hours? And you’re never sure who you’ll be squashed up against because it’s almost impossible to get – and then keep – any personal space! Even if you do manage to get close to the stage, the tall people right in front of you aren’t going to give up their space so you can see.

It strikes me that the lack of atmosphere felt at smaller venues could be down to the audience being made up of not necessarily music fans but rather those who want to look at other gig goers and be looked at; especially as the small gig scene seems to have been hit with the ‘trendy’ stick. In contrast, arena concerts appeal to all ages and all types of people – keep it to yourself, but this writer has been known to go to a concert with her Mum.

And let’s not forget, it’s only in an arena that you will find the community feeling of thousands of fans doing a Mexican wave.

Samantha Gildea gets frank about Small Gigs

Music is a very personal endeavour. Your own musical preferences are unique to you – which is exactly why small gig venues are superior to the arenas and stadiums. The smaller the venue, the smaller the crowd - and the more personal the experience for each lucky ticket holder.

This writer’s view in the gig venue debate is largely biased due to growing up in a city full of fantastic, small gig venues – Leeds. The Cockpit, the Refectory, LMUSU, The Faversham, Joseph’s Well, not to mention all the pubs across the city that stage local bands – Leeds has a wealth of gig venues which provide live music addicts such as myself the opportunity to see fantastic bands in venues where you can be merely inches from the lead singer.

The problem with arenas is that they get rid of the intimacy that the band-fan connection depends upon. Being one in thousands you’re highly unlikely to get anywhere near the band you’ve paid so much money to see, and even if you do, you’re likely to be crushed by all the other desperate fans trying to get close to their idols.

Small venues mean you get a perfect view of the band, without compromising your health; you can even enjoy a pint as you watch every note, every word, and every song being played up close and personal. The band members become real people, not the tiny figurines you can barely see in arenas.

Music goers have had to accept that you cannot see every band in an intimate venue. Some bands are just two big for places like Leeds Met or The Faversham, and so they have to succumb to the MEN or Wembley. The band are still likely to be fantastic, but the magic is gone – you’re not privileged to be there, you’re one of thousands who have paid double the ticket price to spend an evening craning your neck to view the band beyond the crowd, on a stage way above the heads of the fans, with security lining the barriers just in case a fan actually gets close to their favourite band.

Small venues give you the chance to capture the magic of a band before the arenas suck them in – You could have seen the White Stripes, along with thousands of other people, at Leeds Festival, yet their performance can barely compare to their gig at Manchester Apollo, one of the best venues in this region, approximately the size of a school gym.

The personal connection we have with music is not dependent upon masses of people, fancy light shows, extravagant stage props and cinema screens with close ups of the band. The connection relies on you being able to see the sweat on the guitarist’s brow, make eye contact with the lead singer, and walk out of a gig feeling privileged to have been one of the few people who saw the band that night. The thriving small venues in Leeds help to keep the magic of live music alive, but sadly, with plans for a 12,000 capacity arena in the city, the magic could soon be gone.

Editor’s note: Apologies for the lack of photos of Arena Concerts - the camera could not get close enough.