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| From left to right: M. Shadows (Vocals), Johnny Christ (Bass), Synyster Gates (Guitar) and Zacky Vengence (Guitar). |
Introduction
"Bro, A7X is coming back." - Ash
That was the exact text message I got from my fellow Avenged Sevenfold loving buddy. Needless to say, I purchased tickets the day it went on sale. I have been waiting for this day since they came and left in 2008. And honestly, why not? Their last concert gave me such a wonderful experience that I simply could not say no.
Date: 28 April 2012 (Saturday)
Venue: The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel, RWS.
Prices: $95 (early bird), $107 (standard price), $123 (door sales) - all prices are exclusive of the $3 SISTIC surcharge
Event concept
Here as part of their Nightmare tour to promote the album which shares the same name, the band made sure that the set looked almost identical to the sets in the US, complete with the album's artwork as their backdrop! I was really glad that they did this, as I thought that they might have scaled things down when they brought it around the world!
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| Lovely, isn't it? |
No surprise then, that the majority of songs played came from said album, with accompanying imagery on the backdrop. It would have been weird any way else honestly. I was really happy, as I felt that this was their best album so far!
Objective and purpose
The first objective was to promote the band’s newest album – “Nightmare” (hence the name “Nightmare tour”), as well as to boost their popularity around Asia.
As news of the concert spreaded, more hype was generated. Fans started talking about it, hence spreading the band’s name. Friends of the fans who were tagging along and generic rock fans who were going for the concert also listened to A7X’s songs to prepare themselves. There were also the people who did not know the band, but tried to listen to them as the buzz spread! Being a huge fan, I'm always glad to know that more people get exposed to their music! I only wished that they had advertised the concert on more mainstream channels, such as over the TV.
Date
SO glad that it was held on a Saturday. Can you imagine how horrible it would have been otherwise - adults having to work and the teenagers having class? I imagine that that would have affected sales significantly, so kudos to them for good planning! On a personal note, the fact that it was just as my term started meant that I had less commitments - yay!
SO glad that it was held on a Saturday. Can you imagine how horrible it would have been otherwise - adults having to work and the teenagers having class? I imagine that that would have affected sales significantly, so kudos to them for good planning! On a personal note, the fact that it was just as my term started meant that I had less commitments - yay!
Environment & Venue
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| The Coliseum just before it started! |
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| The Coliseum in the day |
It was a little disappointing that the fireworks could be heard though (they should have used it for the concert itself, hehe). Wish that the organisers had struck a deal with RWS to not blast any on that night.
Programming
The first segment – the beginning –started with Nightmare! Loved that they used this as the opener! It clearly defines what the concert is about. Mind you, the crowd literally went WILD!
The second segment, the hype, started with M. Shadows addressing the crowd and introducing their new drummer (Their previous drummer,The Rev, passed away last year. RIP, we miss you). We thrived on every sentence spoken, following it up with loud cheers. Again, I feel that this is well placed. I doubt that fans would have enjoyed queuing for hours just to have the concert start on a solemn note.
After Bat Country ended, the band gave out picks before packing up. The crowd immediately made their feelings known with a chorus of "we want more!". Another 5 minutes of silence pass and dejected fans begin to leave when... they returned! We got to enjoy 3 more wonderful songs before they left for good. The only flaw in an otherwise well though out program here - any fan who has been to (or at least watched) any of their concerts would know that they ALWAYS do this. The organizers could have done away with in the interest of time.
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| Second Heartbeat, LIVE. (Check out the crowd!) |
I felt the set list played had a good mixture. 5 out of the 13 songs played were from their Nightmare album, while the other 8 songs played were from 3 of their previous albums in a 3:3:2 ration. It kept the Nightmare theme but allowed fans (like me!) to fall in love with the original hits all over again. It also exposed new fans to their old songs.
P.s. Did I mention? They played Second Heartbeat during the encore! I can die a happy man now.
Nothing outstanding here. The manpower was small but sufficient. As the queue swelled, staffs quickly organized the protruding crowd into neat snakes. The ticket checking staffs and entry staffs were also efficient at their jobs, thus allowing the queue to move quickly. This helped to keep the fans happy, as some of them grew annoyed from having to wait to see the idols on a hot and humid night.
Before we entered The Coliseum, staffs checked our bags - They were nice enough to let me keep my water bottle! Again, they were fast but efficient. The efficiency of the staff kept fans happy as they did not have to wait any longer. During the concert itself, security staffs constantly patrolled to catch any disruptive behavior. I must admit that there was sufficient manpower, as I got warned for trying to climb a barricade to get a better view (hehe). From what I observed, other such “offenders” were quickly stopped too.
The pre and intra concert checks helped to ensure that it was safe fun at the concert. While it did make things less fun (such as by having your view blocked), it ensured that nothing went out of control and no one got seriously injured. Not too high a price for me.
Logistics
This being only my second visit to RWS, I had to rely on signs to guide me. However, there were only a couple of signs (around 4?) to guide me, and I had to make use of vague memories to guide me. Needless to say, I ended up wandering around like a lost sheep, and ended up reaching 20 minutes later than expected.
During the concert itself, I disliked the fact that there were no raised platforms for fans at the back. As such, they frequently had their view blocked. I know that the platforms are rare, but I honestly feel that it is worth a try. The other problem for me was that the speakers were concentrated near the stage, thus causing the sound to be distributed unevenly. Did not really affect me at the back, but I can only imagine how it was for people in front...
To solve these issues, the organizers could have simply used more directional signs. They should have also tried using raised platforms and some of the speakers could have been relocated to the rear. There was a small fault with the lighting as well, but it was fixed in minutes.
Two good points about the venue were that the array of spotlights helped to create the right atmosphere and the stage itself was high enough for the band to stand out. The use of a free-standing location was good too, as it gave the fans the freedom to jump about, hence adding to the upbeat mood - it was like a giant club!
Products and Services
Admittedly, I would have rated this much lower if not for the wonderful concert(since the main product that was sold was the concert itself.)
During the concert, various drinks were sold at a makeshift bar. Apart from that, common band T shirts and CDs were sold at a very inconspicuous table (I'm still not fully convinced that they were official retailers). This was a letdown to me, as I was hoping to purchase exclusive memorabilia and perhaps even get autographs.Why couldn't they have organized a meet and greet session, or sold tickets with backstage access? It would have been better if a more ‘obvious’ merchandise counter was set up to sell exclusive products. I mean, why not? Fans get exclusive merchandise while the organizers make profits. It's a win-win situation!
Final Thoughts
Being a student who studies Events Management has really given me a fantastic insight into the world of events. If there is only thing I learnt, it's that there are SO MANY factors towards a successful event. Considering the amount of planning required, I really have to take my hats off to the organizers. The venue and programming was a major improvement from the last time. Even for people who missed the first concert, I still dare say that $123 for 2 hours of non-stop music by an internationally acclaimed band is worth every penny, considering some concert tickets go up to $400!
All in all, I thought that the event organizers did a pretty good job of organizing it, as everything moved quickly and we did not have to wait long. The fact that they solved a lighting glitch in mere minutes was a testament to how efficient they were too. Of course, there is still room for improvement. The most blatant disappointment, to me, would most definitely be the lack of better directions and merchandise on sale in the future *cough cough*.
I'm still quite amazed as to how well tickets sold, despite the lack of conventional advertising - I only read about the concert online or through word of mouth (which is a testament to how these are 2 of the most powerful marketing tools). I feel that there is no harm though, in promoting it even more.
All in all, I thought that the event organizers did a pretty good job of organizing it, as everything moved quickly and we did not have to wait long. The fact that they solved a lighting glitch in mere minutes was a testament to how efficient they were too. Of course, there is still room for improvement. The most blatant disappointment, to me, would most definitely be the lack of better directions and merchandise on sale in the future *cough cough*.
I'm still quite amazed as to how well tickets sold, despite the lack of conventional advertising - I only read about the concert online or through word of mouth (which is a testament to how these are 2 of the most powerful marketing tools). I feel that there is no harm though, in promoting it even more.
I think Joe summed it up best though: "I would come again, even if it's $500 per ticket!"
FINAL RATING: 9/10
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| Best memorabilia ever! |
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| Set list for the night! |
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| The 4 of us! |
Set list:
1. Nightmare
2. Critical Acclaim
3. Welcome to the Family
4. Almost Easy
5. Buried Alive
6. So far Away
7. Afterlife
8. Beast and the Harlot
9. A Little Piece of Heaven
10. Bat Country
Encore
11. Fiction
12. Second Heartbeat
13. Unholy Confessions
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References:
Avenged Sevenfold + Singapore. (April 29, 2012). Retrieved on June 18, 2012, from http://averagemadness.blogspot.sg/2012/04/avenged-sevenfold-singapore.html
Temasek Polytechnic. (2012). Events Management Lecture 1: Introduction to Events & Events Tourism (part I of II). Singapore: Temasek Polytechnic Hospitality and Tourism Division.
Temasek Polytechnic. (2012). Events Management Lecture 4: Event Marketing. Singapore: Temasek Polytechnic Hospitality and Tourism Division.
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Planning to rock out at The Coliseum soon? Take this handy tips with you!
1. There's no air-conditioning! Avoid long sleeved clothing
2.Bring a pack of wet tissues or a mist spray to keep yourself cool!
3. Travel light. You don't want to party while worrying if your items will get stolen!
