Question

[radiokills]

ok i have a few questions for wilco fans not from the US, or anyone else that would know

 

basically, i travel abroad a good amount, and have been in europe when wilco is touring there as well. i was wondering if wilco has the same amount of popularity in foreign countries as it does in the US. [/retarded question]

 

i have also been wanting to catch a wilco show abroadfor a while now but havent gotten around to it. lately, i havent wanted to go to wilco shows in the us, because the size of venue that wilco is playing is gradually increasing, due to their increasing popularity, and obviously i do not like this. is the same thing happening in other countries?

 

does that sound dumb?

 

thanks

[froggie]

i was surprised by the turn up down here in april (especially selling out the first show in melbourne), considering no air play on radio and the albums not necessarily burning up the charts.

 

the venues seem to have doubled in size this year since 2003 plus there wasnt much (any?) media exposure during that time

[DickDarlington]

Vicar Street in Ireland where they're doin 2nights is very small.

 

Capacity is 1000 and its a really nice venue.

 

Tweedys solo gig was there in November.

[radiokills]

Capacity is 1000 and its a really nice venue.

 

thats the perfect size for a wilco gig :

[DickDarlington]

Yeah its an awesome venue, smaller than where they've played before in Ireland, i guess thats why its 2nights, theres also nowhere in the place with a bad view,. Prob pics and stuff of it on the net, i know it has its own site, google Vicar Street I guess, its a place that usually has small gigs and comedians

[50footqueenie]

I saw them in Paris, Ghent and Amsterdam back in May and all venues were around 1000 - 1200 - just perfect and all sold out. Last year I went to see Calexico and Iron and Wine in Brussels at the Cirque which was great too.

 

I enjoy going to these gigs in Europe as the crowds seem much more into the music, rather than talking or screaming or throwing beer around which we seem to specialise in in this country. So although the venues are smaller than in the states I don't think that's any reflection on the band's status - I really admire them for playing smaller venues as it's probably earning prohibitive for them to tour in such a fashion.

[Bubs101]

When I saw them in Turin there can't have been more than 500 there and only one of the people I was speaking to there was from Italy. They're nowhere near as popular with young people her (ireland)

[lordgoat]

Yeah its an awesome venue, smaller than where they've played before in Ireland, i guess thats why its 2nights, theres also nowhere in the place with a bad view,. Prob pics and stuff of it on the net, i know it has its own site, google Vicar Street I guess, its a place that usually has small gigs and comedians

 

You're a little bit off, the last wilco headline gig in Ireland was in Whelans in 98 (i think) i know they played oxegen a couple of years back but that hardly counts.

 

In the opposite of the OP i'd love to see them at a huge venue with loads of fans ( and be right up the front)

 

Wilco are not that well known in Ireland as stated above but there's a good few fans, I'd say both nights will sell out relatively quick, t

[DickDarlington]

You're a little bit off, the last wilco headline gig in Ireland was in Whelans in 98 (i think) i know they played oxegen a couple of years back but that hardly counts.

 

In the opposite of the OP i'd love to see them at a huge venue with loads of fans ( and be right up the front)

 

Wilco are not that well known in Ireland as stated above but there's a good few fans, I'd say both nights will sell out relatively quick, t

 

Wilco played Ambassador in 2002

http://www.wilcobase.com/event.php?event_key=95

 

and Olympia in 1999

http://www.wilcobase.com/event.php?event_key=595

 

reason I know is a friend was at both and met the band afterwards.

 

Wilco in Whelans, imagine !!!!

[badger]

I live in the Czech Republic and went to the Dresden show, which was amazing at the Alter Schlachthof. This venue is almost unique in that it has two halls, one slightly larger than the other. I was apprehensive prior to travelling to Dresden because I really dislike large venues. I would honestly rather see some mates of mine playing covers in a pub to 3 blokes and a dog than virtually anyone in an enormodome, Anyway, Wilco played in the smaller of the two halls with a capacity of around 400 (I think the larger one could take 600+) so I was happy. You could move pretty freely in the crowd and get whatever view you wanted of the show. Also, such a small hall afforded absolutely superb acoustics. But to finally get to your question, I thing that maybe two thirds of the crowd was German and to be honest, I wasn't sure (numbers-wise) just why they decided to play Dresden. If they played there for the same reasons I really appreciated that venue (acoustics, intimacy, quality) then they confirmed everything I have always loved about them.

[auria]

I have seen them every time they've come to Spain, I think (not every concert, but every tour), and things have changed a lot. The first time I saw Wilco was in the Primavera Sound in Barcelona just before the release of A Ghost Is Born, and they were not the most important band of the day, they played before The Pixies. So most people there were waiting to see the Pixies, who had just got together for that tour so there was a big expectation to see them, and it was hard for me to get a place near the stage, where I was sorrounded by people who did not care too much about Wilco, although, of course, there were a lot of keen Wilco fans scattered aroud the place - a very weird environment, but a great show.

Then I saw Wilco in Barcelona again almost a year after that, I think it was 2005. It was at a small venue, I think there were about 1000 people there, and it was much better. I had never seen something like that, not only the music (which was amazing), but the people. Everyone was devoted to the concert and having a great time together.

After that, people in Spain started talking about Wilco more and more, they appeared in more magazines and they became a "cool" band (I don't know if I'm explaining myself propperly, and maybe there are other people from Spain that do not see things like this, but I do), something I had not imagined.

Then, last December, Jeff Tweedy played 2 solo performances in Madrid and Barcelona, in small venues (1000 people). I went to Madrid show and, maybe it's because I'm used to Barcelona atmosphere, but I did not feel like I did in Barcelona in 2005, as if most of the people were there because they had read somewhere that they should be there.

And I last saw Wilco last May in Primavera Sound again, and they were the last group of the festival, in the main stage. Many fans, but also many people that, I believe, saw Wilco for the first time, and that either were curious about them or wanted to see if the new record was as poor as the Spanish press has said (I don't know if this happens everywhere, but press here loves to say that a band is great and then is eager to say that they have lost their greatness, and it has a lot of influence in people's opinions). The show was great, and it had good reviews, in general. I don't know what happened in the last concert they played in Spain, last August, as one of the most important bands in Benic