Article: Most of today's flights to Sydney are sold out due to Taylor Swift

[Mattg]

I once flew on a 767 for CBR-MEL.

Ah, the old QF811 leaving at 09:10!

That was my favourite CBR-MEL flight. It would run from Monday-Thursday, coming in as QF804, the 07:20 departure from Melbourne (which was usually full, especially when parliament was in session) and then return half-empty most of the time.

 

[AIRwin]

It would run from Monday-Thursday, coming in as QF804, the 07:15 departure from Melbourne (which was usually full, especially when parliament was in session) and then return half-empty most of the time.

I just looked up my flight log and I have indeed flown on QF804 (operated by VH-OGL and departing at 7:20)

 

[Forg]

I just looked up my flight log and I have indeed flown on QF804 (operated by VH-OGL and departing at 7:20)

Heh heh, just looked up the history of QF804 & last time something with that flight number flew was 2020 ... except it was a Dash 8-400.

I just looked-up VH-OGL ... apparently via a few owners after Qantas it was eventually bought by Amazon in 2020 & they started freighter conversion for Amazon Air, the site I used ran out of interest after that but ANOTHER site shows it's still very much in use, eg: Planespotters.net Flight Tracker

 

[RooFlyer]

O/T, but in addition to cramming planes, the Swift concerts crammed the telco networks at the venues.

Why Taylor Swift’s Eras tour has kept the Telstra boss Vicki Brady awake at night

There’s good reason. There were nearly 100,000 mostly screaming teenage girls each night in Melbourne and more than 80,000 at Sydney’s run of shows. Imagine if they didn’t have access to Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and dozens of other video-hungry mobile apps all putting unprecedented strain on the phone network.

Added to the challenge was the fact that so many fans were standing on the vast playing field below the stage, where it is harder for mobile signal to reach, given much of the transmitter tech is designed to get to people sitting high up in the stands.

To give some indication of the extent of demand placed on the network, the Melbourne concert used around 35 terabytes of data – the equivalent of 645 days worth of storage of high-definition video.

And to highlight the generational gap among the Taylor Swift fans, the Melbourne concerts used twice the amount of data over an equivalent-sized crowd or event at the MCG.

 

[MooTime]

And to highlight the generational gap among the Taylor Swift fans, the Melbourne concerts used twice the amount of data over an equivalent-sized crowd or event at the MCG.

Interesting tid bit above that is.... not sure if it's the youth or what but so many at concerts you see ppl videoing the concert on their phone... How's much of the concert are they actually watching with their own eyes.

It's a sea of mobile phones in the air.... Blocking views from behind. Likely the videos are just of other mobiles in front of them, hardly of the performer.

 

[Himeno]

Ah, the old QF811 leaving at 09:10!

That was my favourite CBR-MEL flight. It would run from Monday-Thursday, coming in as QF804, the 07:15 departure from Melbourne (which was usually full, especially when parliament was in session) and then return half-empty most of the time.

Just checked my records, yes it was QF811 in august 2009. VH-OGD.
The old CBR terminal. Had to walk across the apron and up the stairs to board.

 

[Himeno]

Interesting tid bit above that is.... not sure if it's the youth or what but so many at concerts you see ppl videoing the concert on their phone... How's much of the concert are they actually watching with their own eyes.

It's a sea of mobile phones in the air.... Blocking views from behind. Likely the videos are just of other mobiles in front of them, hardly of the performer.
View attachment 372591

Another reason to prefer Japanese events over events in AU/US/UK. Use of phones (or any type of device that can record/take photos) is banned, especially during the performance.

 

[MooTime]

Another reason to prefer Japanese events over events in AU/US/UK. Use of phones (or any type of device that can record/take photos) is banned, especially during the performance.

Now that makes total sense, like it, but imagine the uproar here if that was to be even mentioned yet alone implemented.

There'd be even more protests down capital city main streets.

 

[Pushka]

Interesting tid bit above that is.... not sure if it's the youth or what but so many at concerts you see ppl videoing the concert on their phone... How's much of the concert are they actually watching with their own eyes.

It's a sea of mobile phones in the air.... Blocking views from behind. Likely the videos are just of other mobiles in front of them, hardly of the performer.
View attachment 372591

We regularly watch a run of Queen and Freddie performing at Wembley for the Live Aid concert. Performance of the decade, likely ever. My opinion The stadium was packed. 1985. We commented how wonderful it was simply to see the crowd just living the moment and not a phone (obviously) in sight.

 

[Forg]

It definitely used to not be allowed to take recording devices or cameras into events in Oz, I have vague recollections of bag checks on the way in (and stories of people taking in all sorts of illegal substances which were ignored but the Polaroid was confiscated ).

I don't know when that stopped!

It's occurred to me every time I've seen it that these people have more interest in getting others to look at their ToikTok or Instagum or whatever posts than they have in enjoying the event. And there are SO many of them.

 

[Pushka]

It definitely used to not be allowed to take recording devices or cameras into events in Oz, I have vague recollections of bag checks on the way in (and stories of people taking in all sorts of illegal substances which were ignored but the Polaroid was confiscated ).

I don't know when that stopped!

It's occurred to me every time I've seen it that these people have more interest in getting others to look at their ToikTok or Instagram or whatever posts than they have in enjoying the event. And there are SO many of them.

When performers and influencers discovered there was a lot of power in everyone feeding their Insta feeds and the use of @ and # for tagging.

 

[Himeno]

The only time I've seen people with phones out at an event in Japan was when the performers gave permission to record a given song.

Only allowed to record that one song. It was also from their single that had just been released 2 days before and when the group was relatively new. (Their 2nd live event after getting a group name, their first had been 3 months before)

 

[Pushka]

The only time I've seen people with phones out at an event in Japan was when the performers gave permission to record a given song.

Only allowed to record that one song. It was also from their single that had just been released 2 days before and when the group was relatively new. (Their 2nd live event after getting a group name, their first had been 3 months before)

Coldplay in Melbourne a few years ago asked fans to turn on the torch for one of their songs. But I think recording was still allowed. I expect indoor events it's different and rightly so.

 

[Chicken]

Coldplay in Melbourne a few years ago asked fans to turn on the torch for one of their songs. But I think recording was still allowed. I expect indoor events it's different and rightly so.

You can record photo or video at gigs in Australia. No one cares, everybody does.

I go to Oxford Art Factory, Enmore, Metro, Hordern all the time, and also multiple times at Sidney Meyer and Corner Hotel. Everyone records.

 

[Pushka]

You can record photo or video at gigs in Australia. No one cares, everybody does.

I go to Oxford Art Factory, Enmore, Metro, Hordern all the time, and also multiple times at Sidney Meyer and Corner Hotel. Everyone records.

Likely not performances at major productions inside though. Although I don't know current as I haven't been to a musical here for ages. I just know all photography was banned at the UK Pantomine performance I went to in December. One person tried to lean over me with her bright screen at an Andrea Bocelli concert a few years ago and I politely shoved nudged her hands away from my space.

 

[Steamrollersam]

Another reason to prefer Japanese events over events in AU/US/UK. Use of phones (or any type of device that can record/take photos) is banned, especially during the performance.

Pretty sure this isn’t right. I watched Bruno Mars in Tokyo Dome in January and most people had their phones out. Hardly anybody singing so the arena was a bit dead, yet mobiles still out.

 

[RooFlyer]

Last time I went to opera, def no phones out (in fact phones should be right off). But is a couple of years now.

 

[Himeno]

Pretty sure this isn’t right. I watched Bruno Mars in Tokyo Dome in January and most people had their phones out. Hardly anybody singing so the arena was a bit dead, yet mobiles still out.

That just means that they were given permission to do so.
Recording at most Japanese live events isn't allowed without permission from the people performing/their management. It's on the ticket sales sites, the ticket and posted around the venue with staff looking out for people with cameras.

 

[Princess Fiona]

That just means that they were given permission to do so.
Recording at most Japanese live events isn't allowed without permission from the people performing/their management. It's on the ticket sales sites, the ticket and posted around the venue with staff looking out for people with cameras.

To get back somewhat on topic.
Plenty of phones at Tay Tay in Tokyo

 

[Steamrollersam]

To get back somewhat on topic.
Plenty of phones at Tay Tay in Tokyo
View attachment 372603

And Tay Tay last night. Didn’t ask permission for mobile in Sydney nor in Tokyo.