Amy MacDonald review (HMV Picture House gig)

I normally post about my creative bits’n’bobs but today I am sharing my personal review of the recent Amy MacDonald gig at the HMV Picture House in Edinburgh!   First and foremost Amy MacDonald and her band were great as were the support pair, Ben Montague and his drummer. BUT... I love going to live gigs but I would like to see the whole stage and not just a tiny part of it. 

Seriously this was my view from my wheelchair. 

directly in front of me with flash on

I spent the entire night peering through the railings under a shelf to watch the performances.  We were sat at the balcony where there were bar stools for able bodied people and for those able to perch on the stools to look over the railing. For half of that time I was screwing my eyes up against the intensely bright spotlights that would sweep over the audience to temporarily blind them. As for the sound quality, well, for the most part they sounded just great but when they cranked up the volume it just sounded like a jumbo jet in the background.  The noise distortion or whatever it is called drowned out that actual music.  What or who was at fault I have no idea, amplifiers not up to the job, sound engineer  not quite getting it right in the mixing, the acoustics of the building or just my ears. I was speaking to someone after the gig and they didn’t think there was anything wrong with the noise output/level/quality.

Ben Montague and drummer Jonty Finn (?) flash off with camera shake

Amy and band, camera sitting on my knee with a bit of zoom

Don’t get me wrong – I still enjoyed the gig.  I liked all the songs they played and loved their version of ‘Your love keeps lifting me higher and higher’ and the Bruce Springsteen number and Pride and the encore especially was really rockin’!   I will definitely see Amy again but not at that venue.  Amy herself moaned about the facilities backstage as she came on, she was not a happy bunny so I don’t think she will be rushing back there either.  The venue was acquired my MAMA last December so maybe they will do a revamp and have a serious look at the area they offer their disabled patrons.