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53-516: O 2 Academy Birmingham is a music venue located in Birmingham , West Midlands , England. The original O 2 Academy Birmingham was located at Dale End (the venue is now known as Forum Birmingham ). In September 2009, the O2 Academy moved to the site of the former Dome II Nightclub located on Horsefair, Bristol Street. The decision to move to a brand new venue was decided twofold. The former venue

106-415: A cover charge if a live band is playing. Some jazz clubs host " jam sessions " after hours or on early evenings of the week. At jam sessions, both professional musicians and advanced amateurs will typically share the stage. In Japan, small live music clubs are known as live houses (ライブハウス), especially featuring rock, jazz, blues , and folk music , and have existed since the 1970s, now being found across

159-425: A dress code . The busiest nights for a nightclub are Friday and Saturday night. Most clubs or club nights cater to certain music genres , such as house music or hip hop . Many clubs have recurring club nights on different days of the week. Most club nights focus on a particular genre or sound for branding effects. A stadium is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of

212-549: A music festival . Music venues are typically either private businesses or public facilities set up by a city, state, or national government. Some music venues are also run by non-government organizations, such as music associations. Some venues only promote and hold shows of one particular genre, such as opera houses . Stadiums, on the other hand, may show rock, classical , and world music . Music venues can be categorised by size and capacity. The smallest venues, coffeeshops and tiny nightclubs have room for tens of spectators;

265-470: A string section . Large rooms were also more common in the Swing era, because at that time, jazz was popular as a dance music , so the dancers needed space to move. With the transition to 1940s-era styles like bebop and later styles such as soul jazz , small combos of musicians such as quartets and trios were mostly used, and the music became more of a music to listen to, rather than a form of dance music. As

318-404: A combination of the two, depending on the event or time of day. Discothèques are mainly designed for prerecorded music played by a disc jockey . Live music venues have one or more stages for the performers. Venues may be unticketed, casual entry available on the door with a cover charge , or advance tickets only. A dress code may or may not apply. At some venues, the main focus is watching

371-596: A field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event. Although concerts, such as classical music, had been presented in them for decades, beginning in the 1960s stadiums began to be used as live venues for popular music, giving rise to the term " stadium rock ", particularly for forms of hard rock and progressive rock . The origins of stadium rock are sometimes dated to when The Beatles played Shea Stadium in New York in 1965. Also important

424-528: A live audience for the same reason. Jessica Delfino holds the record for most comedy sets performed in one night by a female comedian. Phyllis Diller holds the Guinness World Record for most laughs per minute, with 12. Taylor Goodwin holds the Guinness World Record for most jokes told in an hour with 550. Lee Evans sold £7 million worth of tickets for his 2011 tour in a day,

477-450: A marketing campaign by members of the marketing team known as O 2 angels. Like the former Academy venue, the new venue has a multi-room operation with the main room having a capacity of 3,009 (of which there is a dedicated 600 capacity seated area) and two other rooms, the O 2 Academy 2 with 600 and O 2 Academy 3 with 250. However, in an improvement to the Dale End site, the new venue

530-496: A prominent part of British , Irish , Breton , New Zealand , Canadian , South African , and Australian cultures . In many places, especially in villages, a pub is the focal point of the community. In his 17th-century diary, Samuel Pepys described the pub as "the heart of England". Most pubs focus on offering beers, ales and similar drinks. As well, pubs often sell wines, spirits , and soft drinks , meals and snacks . Pubs may be venues for pub songs and live music. During

583-423: A publicly funded music venue is a bandstand in a municipal park; such outdoor venues typically do not charge for admission. A nightclub is a privately funded venue operated as a profit-making business; venues like these typically charge an entry fee to generate a profit. Music venues do not necessarily host live acts; disc jockeys at a discothèque or nightclub play recorded music through a PA system . Depending on

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636-508: A result, smaller clubs with small stages became practical. In the 2000s, jazz clubs may be found in the basements of larger residential buildings , in storefront locations or in the upper floors of retail businesses. They can be rather small compared to other music venues, such as rock music clubs, reflecting the intimate atmosphere of jazz shows and long-term decline in popular interest in jazz. Despite being called " clubs ", these venues are usually not exclusive. Some clubs, however, have

689-441: A specific genre of music. A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music, although some jazz clubs primarily focus on the study and/or promotion of jazz-music. Jazz clubs are usually a type of nightclub or bar , which is licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. Jazz clubs were in large rooms in the eras of orchestral jazz and big band jazz , when bands were large and often augmented by

742-421: A specified number of paying guests with them to receive stage time. As well as being a mainstay of the comedy circuit, festivals often also showcase up-and-coming acts, with promoters and agents using the festivals to seek out new talent. Experienced comics with a following may produce a television special or a comedy album . It may be recorded on tour or at a show advertised and performed specifically for

795-448: A stage for live music, one or more dance floor areas and a DJ booth, where a DJ plays recorded music. The upmarket nature of nightclubs can be seen in the inclusion of VIP areas in some nightclubs, for celebrities and their guests. Nightclubs are much more likely than pubs or sports bars to use bouncers to screen prospective clubgoers for entry. Some nightclub bouncers do not admit people with informal clothing or gang apparel as part of

848-426: A theater. They may range from open-air amphitheaters to ornate, cathedral -like structures to simple, undecorated rooms or black box theaters . Some theaters may have a fixed performing area (in most theaters this is known as the stage ), while some theaters, such as "black box theaters", may not. For the audience, theaters may include balconies or galleries, boxes , typically considered the most prestigious area of

901-512: A variety of indie/pop music. Subculture, a well known metal/rock club which was hosted at the Dale End Academy, moved to the new venue on 26 September 2009. The O 2 Academy Birmingham has three performance areas. The main room, simply known as the Academy is by far the largest performance area in the complex, with a total capacity of 3,009 of which 2,409 is standing room in the stalls. Above

954-526: Is a theatre venue constructed specifically for opera . It consists of a stage , an orchestra pit , audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building. While some venues are constructed specifically for operas, other opera houses are part of larger performing arts centers. Indeed the term opera house itself is often used as a term of prestige for any large performing-arts center. The Teatro San Carlo in Naples , opened in 1737, introduced

1007-644: Is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium . Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. Opera houses , bandshells, and concert halls host classical music performances, whereas public houses ("pubs"), nightclubs , and discothèques offer music in contemporary genres, such as rock , dance , country , and pop . Music venues may be either privately or publicly funded, and may charge for admission. An example of

1060-460: Is called an opera house . The theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces. The facility is traditionally organized to provide support areas for performers, the technical crew and the audience members. There are as many types of theaters as there are types of performance. Theaters may be built specifically for a certain types of productions, they may serve for more general performance needs or they may be adapted or converted for use as

1113-511: Is considered America's first stand-up comedian. The first documented use of "stand-up" appeared in The Stage in 1911, describing Nellie Perrier delivering 'stand-up comic ditties in a chic and charming manner'. However, this referred to a performance of comedy songs rather than stand-up comedy in its modern form. The term appeared again in the “Stage Gossip” column of The Yorkshire Evening Post on November 10, 1917. The article discussed

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1166-455: Is difficult to successfully sue for joke theft regardless due to the idea–expression distinction . According to Anna Spagnolli, stand-up comedy audiences "are both 'co-constructors of the situation' and 'co-responsible for it ' ". In stand-up comedy, an unspoken contract with the audience allows for the exploration of unexpected, controversial, or scandalous subjects. The reception of a joke, whether met with laughter or disapproval, hinges on

1219-567: Is followed by the opener, the feature, and then the headliner. The host may also act as the opener for smaller shows. Proven comics tend to earn regular bookings at clubs that are part of a chain and comedy venues. Jobbing stand-ups may perform sets at two or more venues on the same day. Clubs and small venues often run open mic events; these slots may be booked in advance or left for walk-ins. Comedians use open mics to work on material or to show off their skills to get an opener slot. "Bringer shows" are shows that require amateur performers to bring

1272-507: The jester's privilege , which is the right to discuss and mock anything freely without being punished. Social commentators have referred to the concepts of "punching up" and "punching down" in attempting to describe who should be the "butt of the joke". This carries the assumption that, relative to the comedian's own socio-political identity , comedy should "punch up" at the rich and powerful without "punching down" at those who are marginalized and less fortunate. Many comedians have criticized

1325-463: The 1970s pubs provided an outlet for a number of bands, such as Kilburn and the High Roads , Dr. Feelgood , and The Kursaal Flyers , who formed a musical genre called pub rock that was a precursor to Punk music . A nightclub is an entertainment venue and bar that usually operates late into the night. A nightclub is generally distinguished from regular bars, pubs or taverns by the inclusion of

1378-615: The 1980s, arena rock became dominated by glam metal bands, following the lead of Aerosmith and including Mötley Crüe , Quiet Riot , W.A.S.P. , and Ratt . Since the 1980s, rock, pop, and folk stars, including the Grateful Dead , Madonna , Britney Spears , Beyoncé , and Taylor Swift , have undertaken large-scale stadium based concert tours . A theater or playhouse is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed, or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. A theatre used for opera performances

1431-586: The 19th century contained between about 1,500 to 3,000 seats, examples being Brussels ' La Monnaie (after renovations, 1,700 seats), Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater (with 1,636), Warsaw 's Grand Theatre (the main auditorium with 1,841), Paris ' Palais Garnier (with 2,200), the Royal Opera House in London (with 2,268), and the Vienna State Opera (the new auditorium with 2,280). Modern opera houses of

1484-584: The 20th century such as New York 's Metropolitan Opera House (with 3,800) and the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco (with 3,146) are larger. Many operas are better suited to being presented in smaller theaters, such as Venice 's La Fenice with about 1,000 seats. In a traditional opera house, the auditorium is U-shaped, with the length of the sides determining the audience capacity. Around this are tiers of balconies, and often, nearer to

1537-559: The appeal of stand up is in appreciation of the skill of the performer, as studies have shown that many people find the idea of standing on stage daunting; research on the subject has consistently found that the fear of public speaking is more intense than the fear of dying . The audience is integral to live comedy, both as a foil to the comedian and as a contributing factor to the overall experience. The use of canned laughter in television comedy reveals this, with shows often seeming "dry" or dull without it. Shows may be filmed in front of

1590-399: The audience's understanding of the premise and appreciation of the punchline. A seasoned comic is able to instantly react to the audience's reaction and use it to further the narrative. Stand-up comedy, distinct from traditional performing arts, features a lone comedian directly engaging the audience. Success hinges on creating spontaneity, fostering intimacy, and deterring heckling. Part of

1643-404: The back half of the shell protect musicians from the elements and reflect sound through the open side and out towards the audience. Bandstand is a small outdoor structure. A concert hall is a performance venue constructed specifically for instrumental classical music . A concert hall may exist as part of a larger performing arts center. Jazz clubs are an example of a venue that is dedicated to

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1696-420: The background, such as a performance on a grand piano in a restaurant . Music venues can be categorised in a number of ways. Typically, the genre of music played at the venue, whether it is temporary and who owns the venue decide many of the other characteristics. The majority of music venues are permanent; however, there are temporary music venues. An example of a temporary venue would be one constructed for

1749-404: The career of a comedian Finlay Dunn, stating that Dunn was "what he calls a stand-up comedian'" during the latter part of the 19th century. However, the term may have been used retrospectively. Stand-up has multiple genres and styles with their formats. Common ones include: In a typical stand-up show, the host, compere, or emcee "warms up" the audience and introduces the other performers. This

1802-665: The country. The term is a Japanese coinage ( wasei eigo ) and is mainly used in East Asia . The oldest live house is Coffee House Jittoku (拾得, after the Chinese monk Shide "Foundling") in Kyoto , founded in 1973 in an old sake warehouse. Soon afterwards, the idea spread through Japan. In recent years, similar establishments started to appear in big cities in South Korea and China ; many of them are also locally called "live houses." An opera house

1855-510: The cultural rhetoric concerning "punching up" and "punching down", including Colin Quinn , who described the terms as a product of activism and "not created by humorous people." Appropriation and plagiarism are considered "social crimes" by most stand-ups. There have been several high-profile accusations of joke theft, some ending in lawsuits for copyright infringement. Those accused will sometimes claim cryptomnesia or parallel thinking, but it

1908-460: The development of routines, which they construct and refine with jokes and interconnected "bits." These bits form an interwoven narrative, leading to the "closer," the final joke that ties the show's themes together for a satisfying conclusion. Most jokes are the juxtaposition of two incongruous things and are made up of the premise, set-up, and punchline , often adding a twist, topper ,or tagline for an intensified or extra laugh. Delivery relies on

1961-592: The horseshoe-shaped auditorium, the oldest in the world, a model for the Italian theater. On this model were built subsequent theaters in Italy and Europe, among others, the court theater of the Palace of Caserta , which became the model for other theaters. Given the popularity of opera in 18th and 19th century Europe, opera houses are usually large, often containing more than 1,000 seats. Traditionally, Europe's major opera houses built in

2014-520: The house, and "house seats", known as "the best seats in the house", giving the best view of the stage. Standup comedy A performer in this genre can be known by the masculine and gender-neutral terms stand-up comedian and stand-up comic , or by the feminine term stand-up comedienne . Performances can take place in various venues, including comedy clubs , comedy festivals , bars, nightclubs , colleges, or theaters . Stand-up comedy originated in various traditions of popular entertainment in

2067-492: The largest venues, such as stadiums, can hold tens of thousands of spectators. Music venues are either outdoor or indoor. Examples of outdoor venues include bandstands and bandshells ; such outdoor venues provide minimal shelter for performing musicians and are usually located in parks. A temporary music festival is typically an outdoor venue. Examples of indoor venues include public houses , nightclubs , coffee bars , and stadia. Venues can play live music, recorded music, or

2120-575: The late 19th century. These include vaudeville , the stump-speech monologues of minstrel shows, dime museums , concert saloons , freak shows , variety shows , medicine shows , American burlesque , English music halls , circus clown antics , Chautauqua , and humorist monologues, such as those delivered by Mark Twain in his 1866 touring show Our Fellow Savages of the Sandwich Islands . Charles Farrar Browne (April 26, 1834 – March 6, 1867), better known by his nom de plume , Artemus Ward,

2173-497: The main stalls there is a tiered-seated balcony with a capacity of 600. This area has its own entrance, bar, toilets and cloakroom facilities. Academy 2 is a smaller room which caters for audiences of up to 600. In the Academy 2 there is standing room only , although there is a raised disabled viewing area. Academy 3 is the smallest of the three stages, with a total all-standing capacity of 250. Music venue A music venue

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2226-452: The operas of Richard Strauss ), it can be more than 100 players. Similarly, an opera may have a large cast of characters, chorus, dancers and supernumeraries . Therefore, a major opera house will have extensive dressing room facilities. Opera houses often have on-premises set and costume building shops and facilities for storage of costumes, make-up, masks, and stage properties, and may also have rehearsal spaces. Major opera houses throughout

2279-427: The purpose. A TV special originally released on television, video on demand , or in film theatre's may be re-released as an album on audio CD , LP record , or audio streaming . A "half-hour special" is typically between 20 and 35 minutes in runtime excluding commercial breaks and an "hour-long special" is typically between 40 and 65 minutes excluding commercial breaks. Stand-up comedians define their craft through

2332-434: The show, such as at opera houses or classical recital halls. In some venues that also include food and beverage service, the performers may be playing background music to add to the ambiance. Amphitheaters are round- or oval-shaped and usually unroofed. Permanent seating at amphitheaters is generally tiered. A bandshell is a large, outdoor performing structure typically used by concert bands and orchestras . The roof and

2385-428: The singers, since trained opera singers are normally able to project their unamplified voices in the hall. Since the 1990s, however, some opera houses have begun using a subtle form of sound reinforcement called acoustic enhancement . A pub, or public house, is an establishment licensed to sell alcoholic drinks , which traditionally include beer (such as ale ) and cider . It is a social drinking establishment and

2438-544: The stage, are boxes (small partitioned sections of a balcony). Since the latter part of the 19th century, opera houses often have an orchestra pit , where many orchestra players may be seated at a level below the audience, so that they can play without overwhelming the singing voices. This is especially true of Wagner 's Bayreuth Festspielhaus where the pit is partially covered. The size of an opera orchestra varies, but for some operas, oratorios and other works, it may be very large; for some romantic period works (or for many of

2491-513: The type of venue, the opening hours , location and length of performance may differ, as well as the technology used to deliver the music in the venue. Other attractions, such as performance art , standup comedy , or social activities, may also be available, either while music is playing or at other times. For example, at a bar or pub , the house band may be playing live songs while drinks are being served, and between songs, recorded music may be played. Some classes of venues may play live music in

2544-426: The use of intonation, inflection, attitude, and timing as well as other stylistic devices, such as the rule of three , idioms, archetypes, or wordplay. Another popular joke structure is the paraprosdokian , a surprising punchline that changes the context or meaning of the setup. In order to falsely frame their stories as true or to free themselves of responsibility for breaking social conventions, comedians can use

2597-513: The world often have highly mechanized stages , with large stage elevators permitting heavy sets to be changed rapidly. At the Metropolitan Opera , for instance, sets are often changed during the action, as the audience watches, with singers rising or descending as they sing. This occurs in the Met's productions of operas such as Aida and Tales of Hoffmann . London 's Royal Opera House , which

2650-608: Was designed to allow all three venues to be in use at the same time. A dedicated queuing system and box office is also in operation for each room. Therefore, the venue has a full capacity of 3,859. To coincide with the launch of the Bristol Street venue, the club night Propaganda moved from the Gatecrasher venue in Birmingham to the Academy on Friday 18 September 2009. This is now a club night spread over all three academy rooms, playing

2703-523: Was remodeled in the late 1990s, retained the original 1858 auditorium at its core, but added completely new backstage and wing spaces as well as an additional performance space and public areas. Much the same happened in the remodeling of Milan 's La Scala opera house between 2002 and 2004. Although stage, lighting and other production aspects of opera houses often make use of the latest technology, traditional opera houses have not used sound reinforcement systems with microphones and loudspeakers to amplify

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2756-525: Was the use of large stadiums for American tours by bands in the later 1960s, such as The Rolling Stones , Grand Funk Railroad , and Led Zeppelin . The tendency developed in the mid-1970s as the increased power of amplification and sound systems allowed the use of larger and larger venues. Smoke, fireworks and sophisticated lighting shows became staples of arena rock performances. Key acts from this era included Journey , REO Speedwagon , Boston , Foreigner , Styx , Kiss , Peter Frampton , and Queen . In

2809-518: Was unsuitable for the needs of a modern music venue and the building complex it resided in, along with the Oasis Centre above, was scheduled for demolition as part of a project called Martineau Galleries . At the new venue in Bristol Street, local band Editors headlined the opening night followed by further gigs the following nights by The Twang , The Streets and Ocean Colour Scene . For these gigs, commemorative wristbands were given out as part of

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