Live Action Arena

Author
Discussion

RacingBull

2 posts

137 months

Thursday 16th January 2014
quotequote all
Sorry James but it was awful. You can't say visitor numbers prove that your live action show was any good because we'd already paid to get in before we discovered it was a pile of ****.

I know its slippy and stuff but surely you can do something a bit more inventive and get people sliding around in a bit more of an imaginative way. The interviews were too long and the racing was just boring, I almost walked out half way through.

V1DL3R

560 posts

128 months

Thursday 16th January 2014
quotequote all
It's easy to say you didn't like something and get negative, just as it's easy to brush aside negative comments but please do listen to what people are saying here. The first half was indeed live and was in an arena but was far from action packed - I love crofty on the BBC but the first half was intensely boring. When the action did start it was good but also felt very short, mainly because you had to sit through so much boring chat at the start I felt that time had actually slowed down. Kids in our row looked very bored and I felt bad for them as it's clearly one of the main reasons they come to the show.

The promotion of various car models was not cool, we all know what a ford fiesta looks like you don't need to parade them in front of us a 5 mph and I felt embarrassed for the young divers that had to sit in caterhams and be told repeatedly (presumably 4/5 times a day over the 4 days) that they had not won the young diver competition. If I just take the bits that were live action I enjoyed it, including the FMX guys but unfortunately the rest of it made you feel like you had over paid for little action and the organisers were desperately filling time.

The drivers were all fantastic and when action was happening I was thoroughly entertained!

khm

340 posts

200 months

Thursday 16th January 2014
quotequote all
overall I did enjoy the show, good day out with mates in winter, I understand the difficulties with the surface and for me the second half of the show was fine, kept moving with stuff happening, just ditch the 2 boring people talking, just felt like they were trying to pad it out with something, better to be a great 30 min show than a drawn out 1 hour show, sure people would be happier with that, the key word in the name is ACTION that's what we all want, not droning on for 25 mins

yes I will come next year, just a good laugh with my mates, we always come and have done since it started, just might not bother watching the arena, or just get an isle seat so I can leave if it's like this year

think that's about it LOL

willthisnamework

103 posts

130 months

Thursday 16th January 2014
quotequote all
JamesHayward said:
Although I'm not a PH rep I am a rep of the show and this is the first time I've seen this thread. And for the record I am far from embarrased. The show went incredibly well and visitor numbers along with exhibitor feedback reflect that.

Live Action arena is a tough one to call. The problem is that we are trying to create a race track on a polished concrete floor where there is NO grip at all so there is a limit to what we can do. It's a shame but it is what it is. I agree on the FMX too, I see Freestyle Moto X all the time and as amazing as it is I struggle to get excited by it. However the guys in the Live Action Arena were outstanding!

I didn't see the weekend show with Polyanna Woodward so I cannot comment on that.
Just a little constructive feedback. This years show was st. whoever plans it needs to buy some tickets to nitro circus and go watch. Now Im not saying copy them but I bet they get some good ideas and inspiration. Some things just don't work in the LAA autocar road car bit how is that action?


The old F1 cars don't work. DFV's only sing and sound spectacular above 8k as you said with the polished concrete and short space they don't stand a chance to get much above tick over.

Just drop the autosport award the winner got announced at the start of December it's boring. Just to add it's pretty pathetic of the MSA steward threatening one of the lads in the caterhams with points on his race license for doing donuts. How many points does terry grant have?

So what to keep, F1, F2 stock cars, oval silhouettes and auto grass cars. What to add is rally and rally cross cars. Sod off crofty and polyanna big tits and get ken block in he's fiesta etc a few touring cars how about racing trucks? I thought the drifting was a bit pants and why did we need the tv interview Shane Lynch?

Zumbruk

7,848 posts

259 months

Friday 17th January 2014
quotequote all
khm said:
just ditch the 2 boring people talking, just felt like they were trying to pad it out
After some thought it occurs to me that the tedious bit at the beginning is actually to allow time for numpties to find their seats before the proper show starts. So, why not show a "summary of the year in motorsport" video instead/ (Because that'll cost money and the two nobodies cost 46p.)

BullyB

2,344 posts

246 months

Friday 17th January 2014
quotequote all
Crofty and the bird obviously had a bet that they could get some sex positions in to the conversation (1630 show on Saturday). I have to admit that that bit made me smile.

Generally too much bks talking.
The races were good!

ZNSsupercars

976 posts

113 months

Thursday 1st January 2015
quotequote all
I thought the Lotus F1 cars were amazing!

MikeO996

2,008 posts

223 months

Friday 2nd January 2015
quotequote all
So any change to format for this year? What can we look forward to?

Website still says;
"The live action arena programme will be released soon. Check out the highlights from Autosport International 2014 and we look forward to bringing you even more high octance action in January:"

Edited by MikeO996 on Friday 2nd January 09:21

JamesHayward

655 posts

163 months

Friday 2nd January 2015
quotequote all
MikeO996 said:
So any change to format for this year? What can we look forward to?

Website still says;
"The live action arena programme will be released soon. Check out the highlights from Autosport International 2014 and we look forward to bringing you even more high octance action in January:"

Edited by MikeO996 on Friday 2nd January 09:21
Yea there is a few exciting things happening this year. I think the release is going out today.

MikeO996

2,008 posts

223 months

Friday 2nd January 2015
quotequote all
No new news yet today, but this was from 19th Dec;

"Finalists from the motoring bible’s Britain’s Best Driver’s Cars 2014 will also be put through their paces in the Live Action Arena, with the winning 458 Speciale accompanied by the McLaren 650S, Porsche 911 GT3 and Jaguar F-Type.

In the Live Action Arena and a special Performance Car Show presentation, attendees will have the first opportunity to see a selection of category winners from the prestigious What Car? Awards 2015, after the accolades are handed out on the eve of the show."

Sounds like what people were moaning about last year, except possibly two parades rather than one, "best drivers car" and "What Car award winners" (that well known petrol heads bible!) Nothing wrong with Ferrari, Porsche and Jag combo, but I suspect they will be better showcased outside in the static displays.

Tbh we've always enjoyed the live action show, but nobody wants a load of inane chat, and the excuse about the slippery surface doesn't hold water if the show has deteriorated over the years (unless you've been gradually polishing it)

PhillipM

6,515 posts

188 months

Friday 2nd January 2015
quotequote all
One would think a polished, slippery floor would be a great thing given it means the cars can get out of shape at low speeds without hazard to the spectators....

Haven't been to the AS show for a few years due to it being the same tired old ste most years. But might go this year as I've been given a ticket - one thing is for certain, based on the above enthralling description, I won't be wasting any money on the LAA.

Ginge R

4,761 posts

218 months

Saturday 3rd January 2015
quotequote all
I don't know what Race Retro is like these days, but the outdoor circuit used to work pretty well there.. that though, is autosport available in it's natural setting. In respect of the polished floor inhibiting the impact of the show (and let's face it, unless it has impact why do it?), then there's a case to be made for binning it if it's going to be pretty lame due to circumstances beyond PHs control.

mr_fibuli

1,109 posts

194 months

Friday 9th January 2015
quotequote all
The show was very similar this year - a lot of boring chat and faux winner announcements, along with a couple of 5mph Skoda, Fiesta and Supercar parades.

On the plus side Terry Grant and Petter Solberg put on great shows that beat the drift team display. The grass track cars were nuts and there was an ear pain inducing monster truck.

chrisgtx

1,195 posts

209 months

Saturday 10th January 2015
quotequote all
A good show ruined by loud music drowning out the sounds of the cars. It's a real bug bear of mine.

aka_kerrly

12,416 posts

209 months

Monday 12th January 2015
quotequote all
chrisgtx said:
A good show ruined by loud music drowning out the sounds of the cars. It's a real bug bear of mine.
So true. I think the only vehicle which the music couldn't drown out was the Monster truck!!!

I was dam gutted about the Live Show, having pre booked tickets ages ago I ended up sat right behind a fking pillar where as a mate who booked his ticket earlier in the week ended up sat a couple of rows to the side of VIP sat next to Terry Grant's dad!

Taxi racing...... seriously guys, could have filled that space with far more rally/race cars, perhaps if you're going to insist on parading the "best handling cars" you could arrange a parade of some historic race/rally cars that are likely to have far more wider appeal given the nature of the show than seeing a Fiesta ST at 5mph.

Zumbruk

7,848 posts

259 months

Monday 12th January 2015
quotequote all
chrisgtx said:
A good show ruined by loud music drowning out the sounds of the cars. It's a real bug bear of mine.
We didn't bother going to the "Live" "Action" Arena. It's boring, samey ste (and you're right; the music's too loud - I watched the whole thing with my fingers in my ears last year) and yet another one of the bugbears that's stopped me going to Autosport every year, and may well stop me going altogether. In previous years it was an extra cost add-on, so I could save a tenner or so from the outrageous cost by not going. Now it's included, so I'm being robbed even more. £35 to get in, £10 to park, £5 for a (useless) Show Guide, scamming prices for food and drink - the whole thing must have cost me pressing on for £100 if I include the cost of the diesel to get there. And it wasn't worth £100. And people reckon opera's expensive ...

Edited by Zumbruk on Monday 12th January 10:44

eps

6,272 posts

268 months

Monday 12th January 2015
quotequote all
My two-penneth worth...

We went on Saturday. I've been before and was fairly ambivalent to the Live Action Arena... but I was going with my 9yr old and he really enjoyed it (make of that what you will). Overall it was 'okay' - maybe about 8 out of 10 (in terms of it being what it was and the space limitations).

Terry Grant - very skilful, but this must be around the 10th year on the trot he's been going... Crofty (he was on his own presenting) seemed poor, although he did handle Petter's language slip well! The commentator from Motors TV handled things well on his own. I think Louise Goodman and Mark Blundell were quite a good double act way back..

The Action for the most was really good. The chap on the Start/Finish line was giving full beans as they crossed the line! The guys on the motorbikes were brilliant! Especially when they went 360 head over heels!

The Monster Truck bit was fun and amazingly loud and great at doing doughnuts.

Petter Solberg was the star of the show for me, along with the guys on the Motorbikes. Petter is just a complete nutter with fantastic car control.

The BRiSCA cars were good fun as was most of the racing. It's all a bit panto (especially the taxis) but good for people to see some form of live motorsport.

I didn't enjoy the following.. The What Car, Car lineup - they drove on, then drove off... Nothing of any real note there (literally - I think the 458 driver blipped the throttle once - but it almost seemed like a mistake!). The parallel parking part, could have been good and I guess there wasn't space at the front, but it was performed behind the jumps, which sort of negated the whole aspect of it being carried out Live in front of an audience as you could only see it on the screens.

As an aside if the entry / exits could have been made separate that would have helped... As it was we were all funnelled in and then funnelled out.. through the same narrow corridor.

chunder27

2,309 posts

207 months

Monday 12th January 2015
quotequote all
If you want to see how to do a Live Action arena, admittedly rally focused, type Bettega memorial 2014 into youtube.

And this is from a cash strapped country. Kubica, Sandro Munari, Ken Block, Gigi Galli. Dump a load of dirt down, build some jumps, get some decent cars there It's not hard is it.

It might mean you have to SPEND SOME MONEY, but you might also get a benefit instead of bleeding the pockets of people with nothing to do and offering them very little in actual spectacle.

Think outside the box a bit eh?

aka_kerrly

12,416 posts

209 months

Tuesday 13th January 2015
quotequote all
chunder27 said:
If you want to see how to do a Live Action arena, admittedly rally focused, type Bettega memorial 2014 into youtube.
Or even the Special Stage at the Wales Rally at the Millennium stadium, that's a good mix of mud an tarmac with space for monster trucks and FMX riders to.

Pete F

46 posts

115 months

Tuesday 13th January 2015
quotequote all
robturner2707 said:
Its more a less the same every year
Yup , agree there. The arena show was pretty much saved by Solberg who was spectacular and an all round great guest driver. The organisers seriously need to come up with some NEW ideas!!!