On Tuesday 11th April I went to a concert at the Milton Keynes Theatre - Caro Emerald was headlining. I had a great night out and thought I’d write about it. Though Ms Emerald was brilliant, this post is not going to be my normal kind of gig review. This article will not be about the set list or the on stage antics, it will instead focus upon why the outing was so different and therefore got me reflecting.
The first point to make (and regular readers will appreciate the significance of this) is that the music genre was jazz. And yep you read that right – not punk music or heavy metal for a change.
The next landmark was that Mrs Baldwin came with me. And this dear readers is quite something; we have been married for more than 15 years (and together for longer) and yet, Mrs B. has never been to a gig with me before. Though to be frank, she hates metal/punk and that has been a bit of an obstacle.
Upon arriving at the theatre, it became clear that I was helping to lower the average age of the audience. Though it disappoints me, I have got used to turning up to gigs and realising that the grey hairs (I have a growing and simultaneously shrinking volume of them) are poorly represented. In MK though, grey was the new black, the hair colour of the masses. On the 11th, instead of being the old guy, I was a relative youngster.
The show was all seated. No standing, no mosh pit…all very civilised and a bit disconcerting for me. For most of the show, most of the punters stayed seated. Caro did eventually manage to encourage/cajole a percentage of the crowd to stand and dance but it was touch and go.
I danced…
…obviously.
The audience was well dressed in the main. For the blokes, chinos and shirts with collars (I am much more used to scruffy tee shirts, denim jeans and leather jackets); for the ladies, dresses were the norm.
In between the acts, the break was, rather formally if you ask me, called the “interval” and drinks could be pre-ordered. Once again, very civilised, wine everywhere not just beer in plastic beakers. No sound checking took place (obligatory at my normal gigs) because everything had been tested already. Very efficient I thought.
When the acts were ready to take to the stage, a polite sounding bell was rung to suggest that the audience should make its way to its seats. You don’t get that kind of service at my usual gig!
On the subject of drinks – none were thrown around.
In fact nothing anti-social occurred anywhere as far as I could tell. No one heckled, there was never a suggestion of fisticuffs, instead at the end of every number there was polite clapping. My parents would have fitted in just fine and most likely enjoyed themselves.
The experience at Milton Keynes Theatre was, perhaps unsurprisingly, much more like a theatre outing than a gig. I came away a tad confused and wondering if the more sophisticated, higher quality, sweeter smelling, cleaner, drier, more comfortable and more socially acceptable night out should start to replace my typical energetic, sweaty, noisy, more aggressive, dirtier, edgier and more tiring kind of event.
But I think not. I can’t see bands like Iron Maiden, Desert Storm or the Bleach Boys wanting to play in such surroundings, salubrious though they might be. So grittier venues like the Craufurd Arms and Club 85 (but not to see Iron Maiden) will continue to be the kinds of haunts I’ll be more likely to be found in. At least until I am much closer to retirement anyway.
A Caro Emerald related post from 2013
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The first point to make (and regular readers will appreciate the significance of this) is that the music genre was jazz. And yep you read that right – not punk music or heavy metal for a change.
The next landmark was that Mrs Baldwin came with me. And this dear readers is quite something; we have been married for more than 15 years (and together for longer) and yet, Mrs B. has never been to a gig with me before. Though to be frank, she hates metal/punk and that has been a bit of an obstacle.
Upon arriving at the theatre, it became clear that I was helping to lower the average age of the audience. Though it disappoints me, I have got used to turning up to gigs and realising that the grey hairs (I have a growing and simultaneously shrinking volume of them) are poorly represented. In MK though, grey was the new black, the hair colour of the masses. On the 11th, instead of being the old guy, I was a relative youngster.
The show was all seated. No standing, no mosh pit…all very civilised and a bit disconcerting for me. For most of the show, most of the punters stayed seated. Caro did eventually manage to encourage/cajole a percentage of the crowd to stand and dance but it was touch and go.
I danced…
…obviously.
The audience was well dressed in the main. For the blokes, chinos and shirts with collars (I am much more used to scruffy tee shirts, denim jeans and leather jackets); for the ladies, dresses were the norm.
In between the acts, the break was, rather formally if you ask me, called the “interval” and drinks could be pre-ordered. Once again, very civilised, wine everywhere not just beer in plastic beakers. No sound checking took place (obligatory at my normal gigs) because everything had been tested already. Very efficient I thought.
When the acts were ready to take to the stage, a polite sounding bell was rung to suggest that the audience should make its way to its seats. You don’t get that kind of service at my usual gig!
On the subject of drinks – none were thrown around.
In fact nothing anti-social occurred anywhere as far as I could tell. No one heckled, there was never a suggestion of fisticuffs, instead at the end of every number there was polite clapping. My parents would have fitted in just fine and most likely enjoyed themselves.
The experience at Milton Keynes Theatre was, perhaps unsurprisingly, much more like a theatre outing than a gig. I came away a tad confused and wondering if the more sophisticated, higher quality, sweeter smelling, cleaner, drier, more comfortable and more socially acceptable night out should start to replace my typical energetic, sweaty, noisy, more aggressive, dirtier, edgier and more tiring kind of event.
But I think not. I can’t see bands like Iron Maiden, Desert Storm or the Bleach Boys wanting to play in such surroundings, salubrious though they might be. So grittier venues like the Craufurd Arms and Club 85 (but not to see Iron Maiden) will continue to be the kinds of haunts I’ll be more likely to be found in. At least until I am much closer to retirement anyway.
A Caro Emerald related post from 2013
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