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are already on sale - via the band's website

Bournemouth may have to be done.

Awesome!

thinking there wasn't one.

Bristol for sure, even though it's a horrible venue.

Is simply not true. It's a brilliant venue, they just sell 500 ticekts too many. When it is massively under-sold it is the best.

We are looking at Amsterdam for this tour, as Academy will be horribly full and pointless for it.

Fuck it I might go anyway

I saw Digitalism there and there were about 500 people. That was great. But most gigs there do sell very well or sell out (at least most of the ones I find myself at), so the point applies, as you yourself admitted in your second paragraph.

So yes, to be clearer... when full, it's horrible. I was there for Ben Folds Five on Friday and that was the case. Have tickets for Orbital this coming Monday and that's sold out too...

...that it's rarely massively under-sold, because generally promoters have a reasonable idea of what sort of crowd they can draw, and book accordingly. That said, the one venue that fits halfway between the smaller venues in Bristol and the Academy, capacity-wise, is the Anson Rooms, and that's hardly used these days. I think that's about 900 capacity, Trinity Centre is something like 600... am I missing anything?

the promoters are.

Wedding present the other day was probably about 400 people. Was amazing. Also over the years seen lot's of poorly attended shows there that were fantastic.

I know what you mean though, just think it is an important distinction.

In fact I loaded up my basket on bristolticketshop with Ben Folds and Orbital tickets when they were announced, then looked at the costs (£120 for two nights out, for two - entry only) then remembered they would both be rammed so wouldn't be able to see a thing, and ditched both of them.

I bought 2 off the Eels site last night and inclusding fees it came to £55 so saving a bit there. The Belfast prices show as euro on the Eels site so you have to pick the currency change option. Saving a few quid plus a smallish venue setting will be good. Last time in Belfast they played Mandela Hall and the last time I saw Eels was in Vicar Street so I think it's a pretty good price.

at bristol academy. Seeing Mercury Rev a few years back, 2010 ? such a brilliant gig. Plenty of room to move, undersold massively. Then Doves when Kingdom of Rust came out. Awful experience, absolutely rammed, had to stand on a stool in the corner up against the wall by the doors to get any sort of view. Really considering not going to Eels based on this. Can anyone convince me otherwise ?

unless, as mentioned above, it's not sold out.... My wife fainted in at an Arcade Fire gig there a number of years ago and it took me about 10 minutes to get her out from the middle of the main part of the venue... annoyingly I had to sit out the back and watch the rest of the gig on a monitor with no sound. She selfishly fainted during the first song too... annoying...

Northside there in 1991 alongside about 49 other people. Great venue.

for about £26ish, bit better. Still surprised at the venue, I haven't been in the new 'Limelight 1' yet since the renovation though, has it upped the capacity?

Was always annoyed at myself for not going to that Mandela Hall show.