The Smiley Smile Message Board

Tickets go on sale to members today, 10.00am tomorrow for general sales. Shows are on Friday 9/16/11 to Sunday 9/18/11.

Great! But: a year in advance? And what are 'members'?

Fan club members, perhaps?

Or: members of SS.net??? ;D

Hell, that'd rule, but only if someone pays for my airfare.


Andrew, up for a game of blackjack? :D

RFH members, unfortunately.

A year in advance is becoming common over here - Cliff Richard's been doing it for years. Good business practise: you put the dosh into a high-interest account and even if it all goes brown and smelly and you have to refund the tickets, you still make a little.

Now... a year's lead time should give Brian's 'people' plenty of time to arrange some decent merchandising (I'm guessing the Disney songs album will be out by then) and maybe something for the fans beyond a meet-n-greet with Brian every night.

Let's hope, as it's been a Mickey Mouse operation most of the time.


Sorry, couldn't resist. ^_^

Well... I have good hopes to be there then. Andrew - what does your instinct say to you about (a) possible show(s) in Holland? Previous occasions sold very well if I am correct.

On recent form, yes, Brian sells well in Holland. I'd be surprised if there weren't Dutch shows... but then, I'm not scheduling this tour.

BTW, for those who divine a significance in these things, the first night in London 2011 is 50 years and one day after The Pendletones played "Surfin'" for Hite Morgan for the first time. Be cool if he started with it.  ;D

Cheers, keeping fingers crossed then. Holland is easy in terms of logistics, and all kinds of venues in the west are readily available. The Paradiso would be nice. We'll see. It'd be great if he would do a set with Gershwin and Disney stuff, apart from his own material.

I hope to catch at least one show at RFH, preferably all three!  :)

Ummm, the BWRG album is out now - and he's doing the tour NEXT year???

And what about that other Disney album?

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2009/10/brian-wilson-signs-with-disney-records.html

"Brian Wilson has signed a contract to release new material through Walt Disney Records with two albums coming out in the coming year."

/b

Arse to you, Brian. I haven't got the bloody money now to buy the no doubt ridiculously expensive tickets to these shows, but if you made them available in, i don't know, january or feburary I would. By that time, of course, the whole thing will have sold out. ARSE.

Already committed work-wise those dates.  Brian, if you're reading this, could you not re-arrange?

Hey brother, cool down. RFH tickets never were ridiculously expensive. And if the shows sell out as quick as you predict, there will be certainly 2 to 3 extra dates.

If it's any consolation, I've very likely got less £££ than you... no chance to buy tix tomorrow, but I doubt the place will have sold out by 9/11 - the only 100% sull RFH gigs I've ever been to were the first nights of Pet Sounds and Smile.

eesh, hope you are right. I've just had to miss out on so much cool stuff lately because of lack of money.... Michael Rother, Jonathan Richman (in my local pub, no less!)and VDP all sailing past :(

may have to finally renew my passport and plan a little vacation.  :)

have not been to england/scotland since 1988.

I'll make an exception, cry off work and go if this tour's to promote something shiny and new -  a kind of H&V meets Rio Grande meets Ol' Man River concept album - not an album of Disney retreads.

Hmmmm... just been to the RFH site where it says:

"BRIAN WILSON REIMAGINES GERSHWIN
"Friday 16 September 2011 - Sunday 18 September 2011
"Legendary songwriter, producer, arranger and co-founder of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson returns to Royal Festival Hall following hugely celebrated concerts here in 2007 to perform tracks from his latest critically-acclaimed Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin as well as classics from the Beach Boys back-catalogue."

So they're BWRG gigs.

As bsten says, he's touring a year after the fact... no Disney covers in the interim?

Mind you, it took him 34 years to tour Pet Sounds, 37 years to tour SMiLE ... I guess this is swift promotional activity by comparison!

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/music/gigs-contemporary/tickets/brian-wilson-reimagines-gershwin-55331

Will there be a real orchestra this time?

I went to three of his Dutch shows in the last three years. Carre, Amsterdam & Oosterpoort, Groningen in 2007 and Paradiso, Amsterdam in 2009. Only the Paradiso show sold out.

 But does anyone think that's really what he'll be playing a year from now?
And will there be a hue and cry from the ones buying tickets now, if by that time he's playing a newer Disney album with only a few Gershwin pieces, and of course, opening the show with "Surfin" ?

I'll ask my mate Melinda.  ;)

The Disney album will be out by then, unless something unpleasant happens in the interim... and the "Surfin'" suggestion has already been forwarded.  ;D

Ugh...I'm a teacher in the States.  It doesn't look good to take time off in September, just after school starts, though I do have a lot of sick time banked!  Hmmm...

Unlike many of the whiners in the fan community, I don't disparage the UK at all for getting Brian gigs.  But I am a little disappointed that gigs have been announced for the UK and Austrailia, with nothing for the US.  When we found that BWRG was being released in the US first, I was sure that we would get concerts first as well...like a gala show at Disney Hall, which is also home to the LA Philharmonic.  This was all speculation on my part, so it's only my fault if I'm disappointed.  But it seemed so obvious!  I really wonder what's up with the promotion, and if Disney is going to do more to back the covers album.

What are the ticket prices?  I suppose the "best" seats will sell first; will a non-sellout mean the remaining seats are still good?
never been to RFH, heck never been to the UK; but if you're a member and I can float the $$, maybe it would work...  Do they take Paypal?
But You get your  seats comped by Brian/the band anyway, don't you?

The RFH is a gorgeous hall. Acoustics are great IMHO, and even the lesser seats are still dandy - well, the distance is large of course, but my first Pet Sounds Live I had opera glasses, and the sound was brilliant, even on the balcony and far away. Plus: it's located wonderfully, and it has a nice bar with affordable prices for a good bitter (I'll not easily forget the time when I went to order beers, heard a familiar voice, looked to my right, and there was Paul Weller talking to Richard Ashcroft).

Tickets are £55/£45/£35, which considering I've paid £65 for, I think, TLOS in 2007, is reasonable.

I know, amazing - I nearly knocked Roger Daltrey arse over tit at a Pet Sounds gig. he seemed most amused. I was dying.

Wonderful story! I find the irony so funny, us middle-aged guys bumping into elderly rock stars and feeling like small kids... ;D

Darn it, I shall be in Australia next year and will obviously be unable to go.

Does anyone else think that the dates of these shows indicate that Brian will not be joining in a BB reunion tour?

No, I think these dates indicate that Brian will be playing in London between September 16th & 18th next year.  ;D 

Seriously, it's (so far) five days out of a year. That leaves 361.

Ha - I thought the same but forgot to bring it up. I think our AGD can make an educated guess. I'd say: if the RFH dates are a major game plan in relation to both BWRG and the forthcoming Disney album, it seems unlikely that he will also join a reunion, as this will be a challenge with tensions all of its own.

Furthermore: I guess the RFH sets will be part of a world tour centered around the two solo albums. Perhaps it won't be on the scale of BWPS, but Brian has his loyal followers who will guarantee good ticket sales, esp. in the light of the performance of new material.

Good call, Paulos.

Love your wit!

I know, it's just that the logical date for a reunion would be around September which makes me think that Brian will not be part of any BB tour.


I just realized I used the word 'logical' in relation to The Beach Boys......

The Beach Boys have historically celebrated their anniversary - when they remembered - in late December, based on the now-disproven belief that the Ritchie Valens Memorial show on 12/31/61 was their first show.

How have you let them go on that way, AGD? They must correct their inaccuracy and set the anniversary date proper! You know what you must do... _{Email Melinda! :lol}

I think we all need to calm down before someone offers to make Smiley-board name badges for all posters who're planning to go to the gigs.

:lol

Email, hell - I'll phone.  ;D

Actually... that's a damn fine idea.

Joking, just joking...  ::)

Also they celebrated their 20th in late 1980 from memory so end of this year could be used as the 50th! ;D

Been about that long for us too.  If we are all still on this side of the grass then maybe we could together......would require a little more planning than Morgantown...but definitely within the realm of possibility.  8)

Yes, it was not their first show, but significantly it was The Beach Boys themselves who considered the Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert on Dec 31, 1961 to be their first true concert performance.  This could have been due to faulty memory, but perhaps they considered the Valens Memorial Concert to be their first real concert appearance because they felt it was the first time they appeared with a well performed setlist featuring mostly their own material.

I was amazed ten years after the fact, when I heard Mike Love announce at the Long Beach Arena, that their first concert had been almost 10 years ago "next door" at a Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert at the Long Beach Auditorium.  (The Long Beach Arena is still there, but the Auditorium, although still next door in December 1971, is now long gone, replaced with a huge convention center.)  Ritchie Valens, up until the release of The Beach Boys Today in 1965, had been my all time favorite artist. With the release of The BB Today it became a tie.  Valens had only a six month recording career, whereas The Beach Boys, by mid 1965, had been recording for around three years.  By the time Pet Sounds was released the following year, The Beach Boys had moved to number one, where they remain today, hence this post on the SS board.  

And, for anyone unfamiliar with the amazing talent and guitar work of 17 year old Ritchie Valens, whose guitar instructor later taught Carl Wilson and David Marks, please check out any of Ritchie Valens CDs.  Incredible stuff, imo.  In addition to Valens' influence on Carl and David, Bruce Johnston worked for Valens' label, Del-Fi, and his manager Bob Keene/Keane/Kuhn in 1960.  Finally, if you find any of this historical info of interest, and for some reason you have not read Stebbins/Marks book The Lost Beach Boy, get off your butt and order it today!  

I wouldn't be surprised if there's someone around here making a nice design for those badges as we speak ...

(no, not me)

Just tried the RFH website, and it's playing silly buggers, so best order through box office at 0844 847 9910.

Seems Sunday night might be your best bet for a center stalls seat as of five minutes ago.

I shall do my best to be at one of the RFH gigs.

Well, being that I was there for the first nights (and a few others) of Pet Sounds, Smile and TLOS, I'll have to be there but I won't be able to get tickets until early next year.

Would the shows sell better if they were after a reunion had taken place? Just thinking if these 'free gigs in each continent' did take place, wouldn't it make sense to do them in the Summer?

Either way, I'm off to make my badge and hope I can scrounge another Meet and Greet pass!

Out of interest, how many M&G's did Brian do after the Smile gigs at RFH? I went to the first one but I heard he may have only done one more after?
Thinking about it, the one at The Roundhouse got cancelled too.

As I recall, he did M&Gs after all the Smile gigs, and the TLOS ones too. And there was an M&G at The Roundhouse - before the gig. Brian was in good form

You're right-all the Smile ones went ahead but I got told only the first couple of TLOS M&G's happened before they were cancelled due to tiredness (these are someone else's words who should know, not mine, so am happy to be corrected by people there!)

Roundhouse-I still have the M&G pass (it was written on an old TLOS pass!) but only got told after the gig, that it had already happened.
Great memory was seeing Gary Griffin trying to explain the keyboard collapse
Bad memory-boring Nick Walusko about his Jaguar guitar and Ratt pedal and getting the '.....gotta go-bus is here', knowing full well the band were over the road in a pub  ::)

What's one of those?  ::)

OK, Mr. Picky - a relatively high-interest account.  :)

I really hope someone with influence takes notice of this mini-anniversary and it comes to pass. I'm sure you'll be lobbying for it. I won't even be there but that would be VERY special! :)

Got my tickets! Front stalls, row L on the 18th! ;D

Has everyone made plans for a pre-concert meet up with dinner, drinks, singalongs, and memorabilia up the ass yet? :)

Workin' on it.  ;D

Well, let's just hope Brian doesn't piss Mickey off...

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/221278/nobody-is-ruining-this-event (http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/221278/nobody-is-ruining-this-event)

Sorry, I couldn't resist either.

New date for September 2011 -

20th - Casino de Paris, Paris. Tickets on sale now.

Update of European BW gigs. List is getting longer and longer, but still no German concerts, which surprises me a bit.

September 9, 2011: Isle of Wight - Bestival 2011: Robin Hill Adventure Park
September 10, 2011: Gateshead, England: The Sage Gateshead
September 11, 2011: Glasgow, Scotland: Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
September 13, 2011: Manchester, England: Manchester Bridgewater Hall
September 14, 2011: Birmingham, England: Birmingham Symphony Hall
September 16, 2011: London, England: Royal Festival Hall
September 17, 2011: London, England: Royal Festival Hall
September 18, 2011: London, England: Royal Festival Hall
September 20, 2011: Paris, France: Casino de Paris
September 21, 2011: Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Paradiso
September 22, 2011: Brussels, Belgium: Ancienne Belgique
September 24, 2011: Kopenhagen, Denmark: Store Vega
September 25, 2011: Stockholm, Sweden: Cirkus
September 26, 2011: Oslo, Norway: Sentrum Scene

Too bad, as I'd like to see him in concert at least one more time. Maybe the Gershwin album didn't sell too well in Germany? (I don't keep track of these things...)

I was in Paris last weekend and saw these all over the city:

(http://i53.tinypic.com/kaojlj.jpg)


Any ads in other cities?

 :o All the pictures advertising the Gershwin project looked incredibly forced and this is no exception.

No Ireland  :-\ :-\

I profoundly disagree with you  :police:

Yeah - it's a big chunk of land just to the left of Wales.  :)

For them as is interested, as of last night, the sales for Brian at the RFH this fall are as follows:

16th - 1291 (49%)
17th - 1555 (59%)
18th - 1122 (43%)

Fair enough, it's just something that kind of bugged me on a very superficial level. I hope he's proud of the Gershwin project and I'd love to see one of the shows.

putting the grand and him in that suit on the beach woulda been cool imo.  but it still works.  and that woulda been corny really easily.

That's great so far

Agree. It's only Feb, so there's some 7 months to go. Many fans prolly won't know at this point in time whether they can attend at all, or which date suits them best.

Almost all the 'good' seats - front stalls - have gone, as have the boxes and the sides. Rear stalls range from about half full to one fifth while the balcony is essentially empty each night