Now, there’ll be some who question the need to get out to the venue well before the show is scheduled to begin. If they’re not satisfied with that question, they’ll almost certainly point out that while Bruce is scheduled to start at seven-thirty it’s usually very close to eight when he actually takes the stage.
There are three points that can be offered in response.
The first is that you’re actually there once you’ve arrived, and there's nothing that can cause you to miss the show. There’s the possibility of some factor impinging on the logistics of getting there, and if that happens it pays to have a bit of time up your sleeve.
Second, of course, you never know who you’re likely to run across when you’re there, particularly at a Brisbane show when most of your acquaintances are Queenslanders. Get there early and do your share of prowling around the corridors outside the actual arena and you’re maximising your chances of a chance encounter with someone you may not have seen for ages.
On that front, the last two visits to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre may have drawn blanks, but the two before that produced a flatmate from twenty years earlier and the kid who used to work in Townsville’s Wavelength Records and went on to manage, among others, Silverchair.
And, thirdly, get there early, find your seat reasonably quickly once the doors open and you’ve got the possibility of having a chat with people around you before the show starts.
Someone, say, like my left-hand neighbour who’d managed to attend all eleven shows on the tour and was off to the two in Auckland in the morning.
The right-hand neighbours, on the other hand, were Bruce virgins but had some interesting things to say about shows in the old Festival Hall and lighting technicians.
It was shortly after the main gates opened when I made my way into the venue, and that minor detail added another to the list of reasons why it makes sense to be reasonably early. You’re going to need to eat at some point, particularly if you’ve skipped lunch.
I turned left once I’d been through the turnstiles and indulged in a salmon dish that was probably overpriced but was probably a better option than the fast food options inside. More significantly, there was minimal queueing, plenty of space to sit and eat, and it maximised the time that could be spent prowling the corridors looking to see if there’s anyone familiar in the offing.
Actually, once I made my way up the stairs I had another little snippet to add. Bruce and the band were still engaged in the sound check, and for the next three-quarters of an hour we were treated to repeated snippets of the old Bee Gees Stayin’ Alive, which, predictably, opened the show.
And afterwards, some swift footwork got me to Boondall station in time to grab a seat on the train that delivered me back to Central just after one in the morning.