# Gareth Brooks Concert



## dewdrop (30 Jan 2014)

Is the rapid sale of 240000  tickets and demand for more an indication that the recession must be on the wane?


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## Purple (30 Jan 2014)

dewdrop said:


> Is the rapid sale of 240000  tickets and demand for more an indication that the recession must be on the wane?



... or that pensioners haven't been that hard-hit after all.


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## fobs (30 Jan 2014)

Purple said:


> ... or that pensioners haven't been that hard-hit after all.


 
Love it!!!! Goy tickets and it will be the first concert me and my husband will have gone to together. Would not be a fan myself but am dusting off my check chirt and cowboy boots and practising "friends in low places".


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## dewdrop (30 Jan 2014)

The surprising aspect of the people in the queues that i saw was the large number of young people which i find it hard to understand


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## Purple (30 Jan 2014)

dewdrop said:


> The surprising aspect of the people in the queues that i saw was the large number of young people which i find it hard to understand



They were getting tickets for their granny. Young people are great that way.


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## TarfHead (30 Jan 2014)

dewdrop said:


> The surprising aspect of the people in the queues that i saw was the large number of young people which i find it hard to understand


 
They're probably hoping that he plays lots of his new stuff, and leave the back catalogue stuff for another time.


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## Delboy (30 Jan 2014)

Is ticket touting illegal in this country? I thought it was. And yet the online sites are full of tickets at several times the face value since mid morning.


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## michaelm (30 Jan 2014)

He's no Daniel!


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## Berberis (30 Jan 2014)

michaelm said:


> He's no Daniel!


 
 He definitly has a face made for radio


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## The_Banker (31 Jan 2014)

He has put on a few lbs since his visit...


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## dewdrop (31 Jan 2014)

He will also add a few pounds to his bank balance


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## poundhound (31 Jan 2014)

It amazes and bothers me in equal measure that Roger Waters only sold 35,000 tickets for his show in the Aviva last year. 

Which in my 27 years of gig going was the best outdoor gig this country has ever seen. 

Yet, Garth Brooks sells out 3 nights in Croke Park in record time?


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## PMU (31 Jan 2014)

I don’t think it indicates anything other than in Ireland there is still a large constituency for the ‘singing cowboy’,  like Gene Autry, Singin' Sandy Saunders, Roy Rodgers and Trigger.

  [And it’s Garth not Gareth.]


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## dewdrop (31 Jan 2014)

What about Big Tom?


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## Betsy Og (31 Jan 2014)

I have a vague notion that its a statement that the nation wants to have fun. Garth has a few great songs, gives the impression he's a nice guy and people seemed to enjoy it last time he was here. 

So its nostalgia & feel good seeking...having a 'hoot' ... with a risk of "we love him cos we're now known as his biggest fans in the world ever" - a factor which we'll refer to as 'the David Gray factor'.

I'm not expecting a massive resurgence of line dancing& jiving (beyond its currently apparently healthy state) and God between us and that country 'n' Irish drivel !!!!

I'd be willing to bet that most of the audience are not country fans beyond this guy, maybe Johnny Cash and a few of the greatest country hits like Country Roads. So fair play to the astounding number of ticket buyers, & if I was given a _*free*_ ticket I might even go.


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## Time (1 Feb 2014)

Delboy said:


> Is ticket touting illegal in this country? I thought it was. And yet the online sites are full of tickets at several times the face value since mid morning.



Nothing illegal about it. 

It is called the law of supply and demand. Whilst the demand is there, there will always be a supply.

Plenty of people see these concerts as a business opportunity to make money. A cursory look at donedeal will show this.


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## Purple (1 Feb 2014)

Betsy Og said:


> I have a vague notion that its a statement that the nation wants to have fun. Garth has a few great songs, gives the impression he's a nice guy and people seemed to enjoy it last time he was here.


I met him in Eddy Rockets in Donnybrook one night a long time ago. He was there with his kid (kids?) on the way back from a show. One of them wanted a "proper" burger and the bus driver suggested they stop there (their, or they're ).
We had no idea he was in there when we went in. Everyone was asked to leave him alone while his group ate but he was very nice to everyone afterwards. When the father of a young girl  went outside and asked for an autograph for here because she was too shy to say hello Brooks came back into the restaurant and crouched down to chat to her. It was very late and I'm sure he was exhausted and I'm sure he meets fans every day but he really seemed to care and was a total gentleman.


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## bullbars (2 Feb 2014)

poundhound said:


> It amazes and bothers me in equal measure that Roger Waters only sold 35,000 tickets for his show in the Aviva last year.
> Which in my 27 years of gig going was the best outdoor gig this country has ever seen.
> Yet, Garth Brooks sells out 3 nights in Croke Park in record time?





PMU said:


> I don’t think it indicates anything other than in Ireland there is still a large constituency for the ‘singing cowboy’,  like Gene Autry, Singin' Sandy Saunders, Roy Rodgers and Trigger.
> 
> [And it’s Garth not Gareth.]



Musical snobbery is alive and well I see.


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## PMU (2 Feb 2014)

bullbars said:


> Musical snobbery is alive and well I see.


  No. It’s called having taste, discernment and critical ability. (Although I’d make an exception for Martina McBride.)


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## Sunny (2 Feb 2014)

PMU said:


> No. It’s called having taste, discernment and critical ability. (Although I’d make an exception for Martina McBride.)



Sounds snobby to me. What makes you think your taste or critical ability is better than someone going to a Garth Brooks concert.


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## PMU (2 Feb 2014)

Sunny said:


> What makes you think your taste or critical ability is better than someone going to a Garth Brooks concert.


  I was afraid it would descend to this; that a jocular remark would lead to a discussion on the merits of C&W music.  

To tell the truth,  I just don’t understand the whole country and western aesthetic.   

Possibly because I wasn’t born in Georgia (and neither was my Pappy); I’m not a gamblin’ man; I know who both my parents were; I wasn’t raised in the county home; I’ve never drowned my sorrows drinkin’  rye (whatever that is) when my girlfriend ran off; and I wasn’t born in the back of a flatbed truck hightailin’ it on Highway 41.  I just never had those advantages.


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## bullbars (2 Feb 2014)

PMU said:


> I was afraid it would descend to this; that a jocular remark would lead to a discussion on the merits of C&W music.
> 
> To tell the truth,  I just don’t understand the whole country and western aesthetic.
> 
> Possibly because I wasn’t born in Georgia (and neither was my Pappy); I’m not a gamblin’ man; I know who both my parents were; I wasn’t raised in the county home; I’ve never drowned my sorrows drinkin’  rye (whatever that is) when my girlfriend ran off; and I wasn’t born in the back of a flatbed truck hightailin’ it on Highway 41.  I just never had those advantages.



That really has nothing to do with it but just reinforces the "My musical tastes are far superior to the rest of you"


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## Deiseblue (3 Feb 2014)

PMU said:


> I was afraid it would descend to this; that a jocular remark would lead to a discussion on the merits of C&W music.
> 
> To tell the truth,  I just don’t understand the whole country and western aesthetic.
> 
> Possibly because I wasn’t born in Georgia (and neither was my Pappy); I’m not a gamblin’ man; I know who both my parents were; I wasn’t raised in the county home; I’ve never drowned my sorrows drinkin’  rye (whatever that is) when my girlfriend ran off; and I wasn’t born in the back of a flatbed truck hightailin’ it on Highway 41.  I just never had those advantages.



I wasn't born in Georgia myself although my Dublin born wife insists that I'm a redneck !

Despite that geographical drawback there is nothing quite as enjoyable to me as the high lonesome sound of Hank Williams or Dwight Yoakam or the country rock of Gram Parsons or the more recent acts such as Ryan Adams , Drive by Truckers .

Nothing wrong with people having divergent musical tastes - it seems a bit snobbish to presume otherwise !


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## dewdrop (3 Feb 2014)

In my innocence I had hoped the discussion would be about where is the money coming from if so many people are in financial dire straits.


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## Sunny (3 Feb 2014)

Deiseblue said:


> I wasn't born in Georgia myself although my Dublin born wife insists that I'm a redneck !
> 
> Despite that geographical drawback there is nothing quite as enjoyable to me as the high lonesome sound of Hank Williams or Dwight Yoakam or the country rock of Gram Parsons or the more recent acts such as Ryan Adams , Drive by Truckers .
> 
> Nothing wrong with people having divergent musical tastes - it seems a bit snobbish to presume otherwise !


 
To be fair, you could write some decent country and western music about the Waterford Blaa.


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## Betsy Og (3 Feb 2014)

dewdrop said:


> In my innocence I had hoped the discussion would be about where is the money coming from if so many people are in financial dire straits.


 
It has the makings of a classic country song; hard times, done down by "the man" (Seanie Fitz & whoever else), but he aint gonna get me down cos I'm a drivin the pickup to Croker, me 'n' Garth gonna have a good time. ..........Yeee Hawww!


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## Deiseblue (3 Feb 2014)

Sunny said:


> To be fair, you could write some decent country and western music about the Waterford Blaa.



More suited to a rhapsody sung by a heavenly choir perhaps ?

Particularly if the aforementioned Blaa was filled with red lead ( known to the rest of the country as luncheon sausage ! )


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## Bronte (3 Feb 2014)

Deiseblue said:


> Particularly if the aforementioned Blaa was filled with red lead ( known to the rest of the country as luncheon sausage ! )


 
Are you sure you don't mean diesel?


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## Purple (3 Feb 2014)

Deiseblue said:


> Particularly if the aforementioned Blaa was filled with red lead ( known to the rest of the country as luncheon sausage ! )



What's a luncheon sausage?


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## STEINER (3 Feb 2014)

I have little interest in C & W music, but it is surely better than that agressive type of music rapping on about that motherbleep that, my nbleep that, my hbleep that, not to mention the poleece brutality.

I say there are a few hardcore fans who are going to all 3 and now 4 of these GB concerts.  A guy I once worked with went to all 3 U2 Celtic Tiger era Croke Park concerts, 3 nights in a row.  Another guy went to see the same Lord of the Rings movie 5 times in a row.


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## Betsy Og (3 Feb 2014)

The greatest country album in the World Ever would probably be fairly decent:

Country Roads
Fulsom Prison Blues (& a load of other Johnny songs)
Friends in Low Places, The Dance  (dunno about If Tomorrow Never Comes - a bit too saccharine)
Stand by your Man (a feminist anthem .... oh wait)
Sweet home Alabama  (originally meant to be an ironic kind of song)
9 to 5??

I suppose I wouldnt be allowed put in The River by Bruce Springsteen - it does have the line "they bring you up to do, like your Daddy done" - sounds country to me.

Any other guilty secrets out there??


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## Janet (3 Feb 2014)

Betsy Og said:


> T
> Any other guilty secrets out there??



You left out Jolene, Blanket on the Ground, Lucille, the Gambler and, and, and..... 

And I don't feel even the teeniest bit guilty either. 

I went to a John Denver concert in the point once and he told a joke about how, unlike heavy metal music, which when played backwards was all satanic, country music, when it's played backwards is completely different. Your wife comes back, your hair grows back, your beer gets cold again, your truck works again and your dog comes back to life. 

Rascal Flatts took that joke and even made a song about it, too.


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## Bronte (4 Feb 2014)

Purple said:


> What's a luncheon sausage?


 
I think he means luncheon roll.  It's shaped like a large sausage, the 'meat is an odd pink shade, and it's generally covered in red plastic, it's sliced like ham or corn beef.  I think it's just about the cheapest 'meat' that can be bought.  I'd imagine it's nor really meat at all, and probably very unhealthy, but tasty.  Normally used for sandwiches or salads Irish style, 3 slices of meat, 2 pieces of lettuce and a chopped tomato, though raw peppers are added nowadays to give it the exotic touch.  I'd say Gareth Brooks is more into American fried chicken or ribs given his girth.


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## Ceist Beag (4 Feb 2014)

'Gareth', or Garth as he's known to his fans, is obviously just recession proof, simples really!  I'm not going along myself but I certainly would prefer listening to him over a lot of the crap that passes for music these days and it's no surprise that his concerts sold out so quickly.


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## Betsy Og (6 Feb 2014)

Tis gone to biblical proportions, a 5th night!!!

I think this must be a national yearning for an Italia 90 like experience. Maybe the history books will record it as the event where Ireland shrugged off the recession....... (or maybe I've completely lost the run of myself, but 5 nights in Croke Park cant be shrugged off as something not meriting broader comment??)


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## Purple (6 Feb 2014)

5 concerts; 400'000 people. Amazing.


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## Sunny (6 Feb 2014)

Betsy Og said:


> Tis gone to biblical proportions, a 5th night!!!
> 
> I think this must be a national yearning for an Italia 90 like experience. Maybe the history books will record it as the event where Ireland shrugged off the recession....... (or maybe I've completely lost the run of myself, but 5 nights in Croke Park cant be shrugged off as something not meriting broader comment??)


 
It's mad stuff. At this rate he will be half time entertainment in the All Ireland finals!  

I think you are right about the Italia 90 like experience. People just associate the music with good times in their lives which is what music should be about no matter what type it is. Fair play to him and I hope everyone has a ball.


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## Time (6 Feb 2014)

The idiot tax is working better than expected.


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## michaelm (6 Feb 2014)

Will there be anyone in the country who doesn't know someone who's going to the concert?


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## Time (6 Feb 2014)

Me.


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## Purple (6 Feb 2014)

Time said:


> Me.



one in every ten people will be going... are you a recluse?


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## Time (6 Feb 2014)

Actually out of my whole family in Ireland, none of them are going. None have any interest in him or his music.

So in some houses most of the occupants must be going.


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## Ceist Beag (6 Feb 2014)

More like quite a few will be going to a number of the concerts I would say. I think Betsy Og hit the nail on the head there with it being a yearning for an experience (like the last time he was here I'd say) - hopefully for those attending Mr Brooks is still capable of putting in a performance (or actually 5 of them!) like he did 20 years ago!


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## Betsy Og (6 Feb 2014)

(like the last time he was here I'd say) [/QUOTE said:
			
		

> The "he" referred to above is of course Mr. Brooks, while I like to think I touch (not literally of course !! ) the lives of all who encounter me, I've generally only been able to escape the island for short periods
> 
> I wonder is this phonomenon being reported on abroad?, I'm past caring about the tone of the coverage or possible inferences about Ireland, but would this be seen internationally as a bit of a shocker?, I'm fairly gobsmacked I have to say.


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## Time (6 Feb 2014)

He would sell out another 5 dates if they were available.


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## backothehill (6 Feb 2014)

In raging, failed on the lap top, to get tickets for show 4 this morning. I then went for a four mile walk in the country when the wireless announced show 5!.
Frantically got the iPhone out & logged into ticketmaster etc. eureka! After 15 mins wait they allocated me 2 cusack lower tickets. All set to complete & pay when the the site failed. I could have wept. By the time I got home to the lap top it was sold out.On reflection I blame the captcha carry on. It was nearly impossible to make it out on the iPhone4s. :-(


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## Janet (7 Feb 2014)

backothehill said:


> In raging, failed on the lap top, to get tickets for show 4 this morning. I then went for a four mile walk in the country when the wireless announced show 5!.
> Frantically got the iPhone out & logged into ticketmaster etc. eureka! After 15 mins wait they allocated me 2 cusack lower tickets. All set to complete & pay when the the site failed. I could have wept. By the time I got home to the lap top it was sold out.On reflection I blame the captcha carry on. It was nearly impossible to make it out on the iPhone4s. :-(



Don't worry. As was mentioned many times on the giant thread on boards, the premium tickets still haven't gone on sale. Apparently holders of the premium seats will now be offered the chance to buy concert tickets for their seats. If they don't want them, those tickets will be released to the public. It isn't usually announced so just check ticketmaster every now and again. And apparently there's also something called production tickets - that's when they don't release some seats immediately because the stage set-up might not be exactly finalised. When those final details are organised then those seats are released for sale, too. 

I'd love to have been able to get a ticket for the Saturday and would have gladly used up most of my holiday budget to fly back for that day (can't get holidays that week so would have had to fly back Saturday and then home again on Sunday) but I didn't manage to get through the website on time. And in the meantime I've found out I've a wedding to go to in June that I definitely do not want to miss so that's that. Loads of people on the boards thread seem to be going on multiple nights and I'd say quite a few people, not just ex-pats, will be flying in for it. Someone suggested that he should have done this two years ago and we'd already be well out of the recession by now.


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## Kimmagegirl (7 Feb 2014)

[broken link removed]


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## Sunny (7 Feb 2014)

And once again the hotel industry outdoes in it's ability to take advantage. People flying in from abroad are really going to want to return. Anyone care to stay on Gardiner Street for €400 on the Satuday night??

http://ie.hotels.com/search.do?destination=Dublin%2C+Ireland&current-location=Dublin%2C+Ireland&arrivalDate=26%2F07%2F2014&departureDate=27%2F07%2F2014&searchParams.rooms.compact_occupancy_dropdown=compact_occupancy_1_2&rooms=1&searchParams.rooms%5B0%5D.numberOfAdults=2&children%5B0%5D=0&pageName=HomePage&destinationId=&searchParams.landmark=


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## Purple (7 Feb 2014)

Sunny said:


> And once again the hotel industry outdoes in it's ability to take advantage. People flying in from abroad are really going to want to return. Anyone care to stay on Gardiner Street for €400 on the Satuday night??
> 
> http://ie.hotels.com/search.do?destination=Dublin%2C+Ireland&current-location=Dublin%2C+Ireland&arrivalDate=26%2F07%2F2014&departureDate=27%2F07%2F2014&searchParams.rooms.compact_occupancy_dropdown=compact_occupancy_1_2&rooms=1&searchParams.rooms%5B0%5D.numberOfAdults=2&children%5B0%5D=0&pageName=HomePage&destinationId=&searchParams.landmark=



Try booking a hotel in Aberdeen. Dublin is a bargain by comparison!


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