Refurbished for the modern age, but still dated (Wembley Arena (London))

Member Name: mrjoegoodwin

Product:	Wembley Arena (London)
Date:	28/07/09 (136 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: History, Wembley Way approach, refurbished building

Disadvantages: Inferior to the O2 in every way!

Orginally built for the 1934 Olympic Games, where it used to be known as the Empire Pool, Wembley Arena, situated in North London is one of the UK's most well known indoor arenas.

Converted into its current arena format in the 1970s, the original pool still lies underneath the main building, preserved with 'listed building' status, which has restricted the rejuvenation of the site in recent years.

Wembley Arena is best reached by public transport, where passengers should alight at the Wembley Park station on the famous London Underground, and walk the 15 minutes or so down Wembley Way. The first thing you notice on exiting at Wembley is the imposing structure that is the new Wembley Stadium. Dominating the skyline even more so in the modern age with its symbolic arch, it's easy to spend 10 minutes gazing at the stadium as you walk down towards the arena. Upon reaching the entrance to the stadium, a quick right turn points you in the direction of the accompanying arena, and a short walk takes you into the 'Square of Fame'. As part of Wembley's much needed refurbishment in 2006, the Square of Fame mimics the Hollywood walk of fame in Los Angeles, with commemorative plaques lining the pavement from some of the famous names who have played the Wembley stage. Commencing with Madonna, the square now includes acts such as Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie and Status Quo. A walk around the Square of Fame is a nice way to start your evening at the arena, where if the need for a dodgy burger really strikes you, you can also eat at one of several vans and stalls that line the perimeter of the arena square. At night and particularly after events have finished, the fountains in the arena square light up and provide an enjoyable end to the evening as you head back towards the tube.

Having visited Wembley Arena twice myself in 2000, before the refurbishments took place, I can only be impressed at how the building and surrounding area now looks compared to previously. In addition to the square, and the surrounding entrances to the building being improved, the front of the building has a new facade that features in the new Wembley Arena logo (shown in the accompanying picture to this review). Entering the arena does now feel like you are about to witness a world class musical performance, instead of the old building, which - with its dingy feel and flaky paintwork - felt more like you were attending an illicit rave in an old warehouse, or a private viewing of a new aircraft in a secret hangar. Now, the main entrance and concourse areas mimic the modern multi-purpose arena, with the usual array of food/drink stalls, bars and merchandise stands to bleed you of your money.

The Arena itself is in 3 parts. The floor can be used for either standing or floor seating, with most rock acts opting for the former, Dolly Parton/Kylie Minogue the latter. As with all standing events, arrive early and you can get to the front. Arrive late, and you are at the mercy of Wembley's notoriously hit and miss acoustics.

The seating levels are split into 2, with the lower tier seats nearest the stage unsurprisingly offering the best view. There are tiered seats at the rear of the standing area for some events (depending on the size of the standing floor area), which although in the lower tier, still place you miles from the stage. I would personally avoid these seats, but each to their own.

The upper tier seats are usually the cheapest on offer, and some blocks can offer a decent view of the stage, though having sat at the very rear of the upper tier at the back of the arena for my first ever gig at Wembley, I can't vouch for these being good seats. I think it was Pearl Jam on stage that night, but what with the muddy sound and distance to the stage, it could have been anybody.

And so to the elephant in the room. Now that London has the bigger, more expensive, flashier O2 Arena...is there really any need for a refurbished Wembley? I would argue not, although London likes to have lots of everything, large soulless arena not being unique in this respect. The only reason I can think of for an artist to choose Wembley over the O2 arena is that a) the O2 is booked that night, or b) the artist in question isn't quite popular enough to fill the large capacity venue in North Greenwich. Otherwise, the acoustics, seating, refreshments and overall concert experience is far better at the O2 Arena.

Wembley Arena does have its place in history, and I've seen 5 concerts here that I have enjoyed. I think I have enjoyed them in spite of being situated at Wembley Arena, rather than because of that fact, and although the 2006 refurbishment makes the experience a lot more enjoyable, there are far better venues to see your favourite band than at an old Olympic swimming pool.

Summary: Is there a need for a Wembley Arena in the age of the O2?