Ten Years Ago Today: MEN Arena

[Slim]

The final UK Rush tour kicked off ten years ago this evening at Manchester.  I had a pretty good seat, just a few rows from the front.

It was a good night, but the set was almost entirely composed of post-'70s material. I suspect a lot of fans would have felt a bit alienated. For me though, despite the absence of the earlier material, this tour was the most enjoyable of all the 21st century outings - mainly because I really liked Clockwork Angels.

It's a bit sobering to think that this is ten years ago. I well remember setting off in the direction of Manchester at midday, the tram ride into the city centre, meeting up with some Rush chums in a pub in the afternoon.

I was reminded of this today because a news piece about Lee Rigby, murdered on the same day, came up on the BBC news site earlier. The news appeared on a TV in the pub while we were in there, although above the general noise, it was difficult to work out what had happened.

[pxr5]

I was at that gig too, a few rows back from the front. Sat next to me was a guy from Australia who had travelled over just to see Rush - wow. My wife and I mingled with a few other fans at the Hard Rock Café beforehand. A great concert.

[The Picnic Wasp]

My last ever Rush experience was the Glasgow night of that tour. It is a memory of mixed emotions but definitely high on the emotions scale. I have suffered from atrial fibrillation randomly over the years and has interfered with my quality of life to a certain extent, but due to surgical interventions although never cured it is in the background of my issues most of the time. However, on the morning of that last Rush visit to my home city, as my feet left the bed to get ready for work, I got that pit of the stomach sensation which told me an AF episode, and a strong one, had begun.

Still, the concert was some 15 hours away so there was a chance things would correct themselves before the gig. But no. It was a rough day at work struggling with the symptoms and normally I would just go home and hope that sinus rhythm would kick back in before the next day, otherwise a hospital visit might be necessary.

But this was not a normal day, Rush were in town and the show for me had to go on. It was tiring standing there trying to soak up everything that I love about musicianship, when wishing I could just lie down and get better. Occasionally, because I was close to the stage, in those rare moments when Neil was keeping a steady beat on his kick drums, I could feel that pressure hitting heavily against my chest and from time to time I would mistakenly think that Neil had reverted me to sinus rhythm, but my overall feeling of malaise and a quick grasp at my pulse produced nothing but disappointment.

Strangely I felt a slight degree of satisfaction that I had shared something with my favourite musicians. A thing that has blighted my life to an extent became a weirdly unforgettable bond with them, however unwelcome. My last Rush show and as I stepped off the train, drained but in a way content, I kind of realised they wouldn't be back.

[Red Lenses]

The final UK Rush tour kicked off ten years ago this evening at Manchester.  I had a pretty good seat, just a few rows from the front.

Almost looks like the view I had although I was about 7 or 8 rows back....was £85 for the ticket if I remember correctly !?!?
TPE train down from Glasgow on the day, met lots on TNMS folk in pub before the show and then stayed in a windowless 1 person room at the Britannia Hotel before getting the train back up the road the next day.
Got to see them again in Glasgow, Amsterdam, Koln and Berlin on this tour which enabled me to catch all the alternating songs with The Body Electric as the last song to catch in Berlin !!

[Slim]

Meant to post this last night, but forgot. Ten years ago last night, my final Rush gig occurred at Sheffield Arena. I'd bought a ticket for this gig at the same time as I bought the Manchester ticket. But after Manchester I decided one Rush gig on the tour was enough, so I sold it to a fellow TNMSer.

Then I changed my mind and bought another ticket and by a happy turn of fate, I'd propelled myself a few rows forward, into the fourth row. Glad I did, because I got to hear The Body Electric at this one.

This was actually quite a special night, there was a real sense of a shared spiritual experience in the crowd which honestly reminded me of the two Stafford gigs in September 1979. Actually my single favourite Rush gig since the Hold Your Fire tour.

I was on Geddy's side of the stage and I didn't get any particularly good shots of Alex.

Wrote about the tour here: http://www.jamesgibbon.com/rush-tour/

[R6GYY]

My last Rush gig too. Half-price ticket purchased for me by my girlfriend of the time.

I don't normally drink before a Rush gig, but I got myself slightly oiled for this one, and my state made it very enjoyable. I was lucky enough to get a seat with no-one directly in front of me, so to speak. Bottom row of a rear block.

Excellent view, if a little distant.

I have very good memories of the evening.

Shot this (Carnies) on my digital camera:

[Matt2112]

They always played a corker of a show at Sheffield Arena for some reason - even though it was relatively not that well attended.

Wish they could have played Leeds Arena - an amphitheatre set-up where anywhere on the floor section feels like an Academy-sized gig.

[Nickslikk2112]

I was front row at Sheffield. Felt like a very big Academy sized gig

[Nick]

Bit late to the thread and still shocked at the 10 year time gap. I saw them last in Amsterdam on this tour with my late mate Martin, had a great time in the city bars and met up with ex-uni and old schoolmates and TNMS types. However I think I knew I was more or less done (as were the band in my opinion), think I overdosed on gigs after R30 onwards.

I did manage to get refunded x 2 (nice mistake)by EasyJet for a late flight back to the Westcountry which was a bonus and paid for the Amsterdam trip.