The Forum is kick-ass for metal concerts. Â I saw Metallica here on December 18, 2008. Â I remember that night too well.
This place is huge and I got to see Metallica up close. Â The highlight of the concert was when James Hetfield threw out guitar picks at the audience. Â I so wish I caught one.
This concert was epic. Â I received a free Metallica album along with my concert ticket. Â I ordered my CD online and it arrived by mail. Score.
In the 1980's and parts of the 1990's, this arena was one of few NBA meccas. Â From the Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain era to Magic's Showtime, the Fabulous Forum played home to many of the most entertaining NBA teams in history. Â With Chick Hearn's radio and TV calls, Angelenos were lavishly entertained by a different brand of basketball emphasizing both speed and team play. Â I was fortunate to catch the latter years of Magic's career when he doubled as coach and player. Â Seeing the many artifacts with those '70's (Goodrich, West, Chamberlain, Baylor, Hairston, and McMillan) and '80's (Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Byron, Nixon, Rambis, and A.C.) Lakers widened my eyes and brought a grin to my face. Â I still remember seeing Jerry West standing in the walkway tunnel peering out to glance at the game. Â It was nice to see the various trophies and awards in the glass cases, now moved to the Lakers' new home named Staples. Â It was also cool to see James Wood waiting in the food line with us.
Fast forward twenty years.... Â this venue is located in Inglewood, now equal in fame to the Rodney King riots. Since this time, the Lakers have won a few more NBA championships with some guys named Kobe, Shaquille, and Pau. Â Heck, even the Kings (can they play hockey in SoCal?) have won a Stanley Cup since departing. Â So what is left here? Â The recent reviews reveal that this is now a concert venue, outdated and now disappointing. Â
As Bob Hope used to say, "Thanks for the memories!"
Don't pay for the outrageous parking fees. Every time I have gone in recent years I have always parked on the streets for free and walked a few blocks.
It's place isn't too modern to rave about, I give it high marks for the feeling of history inside - Lakers, GNR's legendary longest concert ever was here...
Been here for a couple of big shows, been both at the seats and the pit. It's huge, it's old and dirty... your typical rock show venue on the large side. Related, a plus is that because of its size and "plain" / utilitarian essence, the artist does have a lot of freedom in stage design, and I've seen some pretty creative setups (NIN: Lights In The Sky tour, Rammstein, etc.). Parking's expensive, and like any large venue it's packed and takes a long time to exit. I'd rather choose a closer venue but sometimes this becomes the only LA stop for some big names so you'll have to deal because you know whatever show you're coming for is worth it.
Review Source:In sum - a terrible venue.
I attended a Bob Dylan concert some years back here, and sure he might be hard to understand as is, but try comprehending a single syllable coming out of his mouth in the LOGE section of this dilapidated  poor excuse for a venue. Horrendous.
Parking fees are obscene. This other time when I went to an IFL (MMA) event some years later, some union members were picketing outside; not a surprise that management that would permit this venue to fall into the shape it is currently in would also screw its employees.
If you can, avoid at all costs. You have been warned. - E
Not really sure why I haven't Yelped this place. Â I literally spent the entire 1990's here rooting for the LA Kings but since they moved to Staples Center in DTLA, this is all just a memory for me. Â A forgotten stepchild...
Well for what it was worth, The Forum was pretty fabulous in its' heyday. Â I would purchase the cheapest seats possible just to get my keester in here for a hockey game. Â My co-workers and I would come to see the Kings battling it out with just about anyone.
The Forum is by no means modern. Â In fact it's just the opposite; kind of grungy, torn up seats, tight aisles, and restroom lines that stretches forever. Â Getting around people during intermission was a trip (sometimes literally). Â The floors were always littered with food, beer, and trash. Â The style and design reminds me of MSG in New York.
I was pretty lucky here a couple of times. Â I've seen my name light up on the jumbo-tron (won a signed player picture or free tickets for later games) and actually saw a player's tooth fly over the board and onto someone's lap.
I had good times here and miss it somewhat. Â The Forum is not located in the best of areas but there's plenty of parking for whatever. Â I'm pretty sure The Forum still hosts many concerts.
For what it was worth...*sigh*.
Been here a couple times for concerts. From what I can remember, parking has usually been like $25 online (purchased with concert tickets). The bathrooms are downstairs and the walkways are always jam-packed. They have a bunch of restrooms so the lines move quick. Parking is like any other venue trying to park. Close to the freeways and places to eat.
It's a good place to jog without having to worry about loose animals or cars unexpectedly popping out of nowhere. Parking for this is usually on the side of a small street and sometimes gets full in the evenings during the summer.
Outdated, musty and old (man, the restrooms are especially OLD) but not without a sense of history and authenticity, the Forum is still a landmark that is hard for anyone living in LA not to visit due to its current popularity as a music venue. Â
Yes, the neighborhood isn't great and for 25 bucks, the parking's a bit of a rip off but I've been here for a Weezer concert and a Foo Fighters concert and the facility was still good enough to provide fun experiences...if you can make the most of it.
:((((
I wanted to like The Forum. I really did. My beloved Lakers played here during the glorious Showtime era, and I kinda idolized it, as a place where greatness took place.
I finally got a chance to experience this "magical" place for a Foo Fighters concert, and boy was I crushed. It was pretty much the opposite of everything you wished for in a venue:
-Parking is bananas. $20-$25 for a compact space with not much safety guaranteed. Seriously?
-Entrance to the actual arena is inconvenient and confusing! I sweaaaar we spent like 15 minutes trying to find the right door to get in through. And I promise it's not because we're dumb! But the order of the 'columns' make little to no sense, and they won't let you in just ANY door. Estupid.
-Nobody helps to point you in the direction of your seats/sections. Which sucks bc it's difficult to find your seat/row after they've dimmed the lights.
-The steps leading up to the higher sections are steep as hell! Not even the Stairmaster gives me that kind of work out. -_- There's a slight chance that I might be out of shape tho'. =x
-It is SOOOO hot. It seems like there is just NO A.C. on during the show, which is ridiculous when you consider how many people and their body heat attend the show. You will DEFINITELY end up leaving sweaty and gross. Don't bother with the pretty makeup, ladies.
-The sound SUCKS! I could hardly hear when Dave Grohl was telling his stories!! =/ Super lame.
-And most importantly the bacon-wrap hot dogs were $5 instead of the usual $4!!!! Are you kidding me?!!? -___________________-
Although it holds a lot of memories and makes people nostalgic about "the good ole days", it really is a crappy venue and I cringe at the thought of coming here again.
Oh my dear Forum, what has happened to you? If you're a Lakers fan like I am, it's hard not to try to sympathize with the Forum because it has a lot of historic meaning, but I'm sorry to say the Forum is a shell of it's former self. I've seen several concerts here over the years, as well as a Laker's anniversary pre-season game a few years ago.
I, like many of the most recent reviewers on here, attended the Foo Fighters concert at the Forum this month and a number of things continue to go downhill. The bathrooms are on the appalling side for a huge venue like the Forum. This is no divey music club that can get away with having bathrooms in disrepair. Girls, you know what I'm talkin about when I say AVOID. I didn't buy a $65 ticket for conditions like this.
Also, the parking situation is definitely tricky at the Forum. For the Foos, my boyfriend and I arrived later than we usually do to concerts, and we had to park at the horserace track parking; a dirt lot for $20. Not exactly a great deal, but it's a concert and to be expected. If you want to park in the Forum's parking lot, be sure to get there early.
So, going into this show, I already knew about the crapp bathrooms and parking, but this time I was surprised to notice that the AC sucks in the seated section. I'm not sure if the colonade and lodge section are always like this at the Forum because I usually am on the floor or a lower section of the lodge, but DAMN it was hot up there. And, we were sitting! AC should be working at a concert venue. It was even hot walking out where the concessions are...I had a tank top on and I am usually cold, so something is going wrong there.
So those are definitely the areas that the Forum needs to improve. What is nice, if you can look beyond those flaws, is the fact that even the cheapest seats are not too far away. The place is big, but is designed to have a smaller felling than, say, the Staples Center. Acoustics are really good in the Forum as well.
If they could just find a way to fix the bathrooms, messy parking, and the newest offender: the AC, then the Forum could set up to be a great, rather than good venue once again. The Fabulous Forum needs a facelift to keep the word "fabulous" in the title.
This place harkens to the days of old.
When I was a kid, the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, every team played here. Then they all moved to the Staples center and forgot about this place.
Like a sore thumb it's off by its lonesome self.
I've been here twice, both times was to see the Foo Fighters. It seems like old-school bands like this place as well, seeing as how its one of those establishments that stand the test of time.
Getting in was no problem. $25 parking is a damn joke, though. Beer inside is insanely priced.
Once inside though, you figure out that this venue is awesome because you're kind of in a good spot no matter where you are.
The stadium is smaller than Staples center and the concerts here seem more immersive than say at the Staples Center, you end up feeling lost in a crowd of thousands at Staples, but here, you feel like a small cohesive group.
Bathrooms were quick and easy to locate.
My only gripe is that leaving was terrible. Parking signs and navigation are pretty bad. Once you step outside, its pretty hard to find your bearings.
I came to the Forum in May to see the German band Rammstein I wanted to get front view tickets which is standing only not seating tickets. I prefer standing only (pit section) tickets but for Rammstein I had to settle with seating tickets because the 'standing only' was already sold out. Like any other concert/show it was really crowded and it was hard to get to your destination whether it was for food, seat, restroom, or alcohol, it was packed. While the show was going on I had to watch the moshing going on from a distance, since I was so far away, at the seating area. Boo!
Parking was a flat rate of twenty dollars. I parked near the exit so when the show was over I didn't have to deal with the parking lot traffic that goes on after a show.
This venue has seen better days, and I've been to better venues.
After 3 visits (only 1 of which was for a musical artist, Coldplay) in 5 years, I am astounded as to how they keep booking stuff here. Why anyone would pay $25 to park in Inglewood is beyond me. The sound system is average at best, and getting in and out of Inglewood on Manchester can be a pain.
As the former home to the Lakers and the Kings, the Forum is an important piece of LA history. But at this rate, we won't be saying "I remember when the Lakers and the Kings played here." We'll be saying "I remember when this was the Forum."
Dang! A lot of yelpers HATE this place. I am not one of them. Is it in a sketchy neighborhood? Yeah but lots of neighborhoods are sketchy. Is the parking a little shitty? Yeah but the parking is a little shitty everywhere in L.A. pretty much any time of day or night.
I was just here to see Prince. And besides walking out of there wanting to have all of his babies and make sweet dirty love to him, I also walked out of there with some love for the Forum. Prince took some time during the show to acknowledge the Forum as a historical venue for many, many musical acts throughout the decades and I hope that the place sticks around for many years to come.
I happened to pay a little pricier price for killer seats but honestly there were tons of GREAT seats in the $25 range as well. In fact, there are few bad seats in the place. It's in the round so you get a great view of the stage no matter where you sit and since Prince works that stage like a prostitute with a habit whose jonesing for a hit, I felt like he was performing right to us a ton of the time just like every other single concert goer likely did that evening. Plus the sound and video screens were awesome as well.
The bathrooms are kind of weird underground dungeons but the lines move super fast. The concessions are expensive so get lit before you go and wait until afterward to buy a bacon wrapped hot dog from the street vendors that are waiting right outside. The only big annoyance was the craziness from the ushers in regards to cameras and cell phones. Seriously? This is 2011. Everyone is tweeting this shit. And it's great, free publicity for the Forum and the Entertainer so... don't threaten to kick my friend out. Especially not when she paid top dollar for her ticket. How else is she supposed to get a snapshot for her spank bank?
I do my best to avoid going to shows here if I can. I'll drive to San Diego if I have to. The Forum has been a shithole for as long as I can remember. I had no choice but to come here last week since it was the only stop the might RAMMSTEIN was making in So Cal. Since I've been here more times than I'd care to remember, I already knew the joys awaiting me.
First off, parking sucks. Don't dare park off-site in a neighbor hood or business lot - you'll either end up getting your car jacked, damaged or towed. To park on-site is $25, but the lot RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the Forum's lot is $20, so walk a few extra feet and save $5.
I've never had seats here, always floor, which is a bitch because they only let you enter from one specific gate. Gate 6, I believe. Then you begin a subterranean trip down into the depths of the general admission floor section. It's cramped, hot hallways are made worse by the stench of the nearby restrooms and having lots of sweaty, drunken metalheads waiting in lengthy beer lines. News flash, fellas, there are two bars located on either side of the back of the floor, and they almost NEVER have a line. Of course, they only had ONE beer to offer: Dos Equis, and it was $12.
The floor is very open down here, and they don't oversell it. I've been to lots of shows where the floor area is positively packed with people, leaving you with very few options if you need to get out of the crowd or find a new vantage point. I had plenty of room here.
True story: Steven Tyler was standing behind me in the sound booth area (hitting on a girl who looked young enough to be his great-granddaughter) and the dude must be 5'7", maybe 5'8" tops. I always thought he was taller. Weird.
The sound here is decent, but nothing compared to some newer, large-scale venues I've attended shows at before. I don't know how it carries up to the seated areas, but it's not too bad when you're right down in front.
Exiting is a bitch, plain and simple. Everyone has to file out of two exits, and the buildup of people in such a small space (like I said, the hallways are tight) made my friend and I wonder if it poses some kind of fire hazard risk. The air is so thick you can slice off a chunk to eat on your way out. Breathing fresh air never felt so good once I finally got out of there. I'd advise you wait a good 15 min. to head out after the crowds disperse.
Ditto goes for leaving the parking lot, which can be a frustrating experience if you're in a rush. Unless you're standing right next to the exit before the band leaves the stage, expect to sit in your car for a solid 20 min. at least. I usually waste time checking out merch and haggling with bootleg shirt sellers in the parking lot. Once the crowds clear out, those shirts can hit $5 real fast.
$25 PARKING IS RIDICULOUS and OFFENSIVE. So I don't pay it!!
Here's what I do:
1. Get to the Forum a couple hours early.
2. Park for free in the nearby neighborhoods. Wear walking shoes.
3. Go to SIZZLER. This place is CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!!!
The $25 you save on parking will pay for a burger, fries, salad bar and 2-3 beers!!!
I could not get over how beautiful and NEW this Sizzler was. I was waiting for very late friends before a Prince concert. I had a burger and the salad bar. The salad bar was awesome (and I usually hate salad bars). Beautiful lettuce choices and killer bleu cheese dressing. I had a Bud Light and I was in heaven. (BTW, beer is cheap so you can get a few in before you have to pay $12 for a beer at The Forum.)
I am food snob. All of my friends will tell you I'm obnoxious about cleanliness and good food. I had a great meal here with some decent beer. Nice experience-- will definitely go early to concerts at The Forum from now on.
I saw Prince play a concert last night at the Forum with Sheila E. Â It was GREAT! Â The "Great Western" Forum was a classy venue from start to finish. Â Note that this show did not sell out, so it was not as crowded as other people may experience. Â I also had a good time seeing Red Hot Chili Peppers here back in 2004.
Pros:
- The management did a good job running the show.
- Venue is not huge, so 90% of the seats have a good view. Â
- Parking: Safe and didn't take long in or out
- Sound quality was good (not great)
- Video screens were AMAZING. Â Four huge ones.
- Security staff was friendly and professional
- Seats were comfortable, even in the Colonnade section
- Lots of bathroom stalls
- They sell both hard liquor and Mexican beer
Cons:
- Parking was expensive at $25
- Venue is in a questionable neighborhood
- No urinals in the bathrooms, only the "trough".
- Food lines were extremely long until Prince came on stage, then they were suddenly empty
- Some seats are crazy high up, like the Colonnade rows 15 and higher
Final note: The floor seats all seemed too low. Â I think the best seats are the Loge Rows G and higher. Â The side sections (11,10,9,8) are much closer to the center stage when compared to the end sections (1,2, etc)
Attend a concert at this venue with confidence. Â The show will be good.
UPDATE: Visited again last week for Soundgarden show. Â This time I had pit tickets. Â Don't let this secret get out, but I parked 4 blocks away for free on West Blvd. Â Seemed like a safe walk both directions, but let's be honest: I risked my life. Â Attending the downstairs/pit area is totally different than the upper seats. Â The hallways are thin and claustrophobic, packed with people, bathroom lines are insane, I didn't even attempt to buy a drink due to the lines. Â Once I entered the floor, everything was cool. Â Great view of the band, sound was OK but not great. Â NO VIDEO SCREENS for this show. Â Was fine for me because I was close, but may have sucked for people in the upper deck. Â Bottom line: If there are video screens, it is much more comfortable to attend a show at the Forum with upper deck seats.
Old, expensive, run-down, and just generally tired.
-25 bucks to park? Eff you, Forum.
-Lacking seats on some of the toilets? Â I don't expect state of the art, automatic flushing or anything, but some seats please?!
-Food lines are long and it's expensive; drinks are expensive as well. Â
-The security checkers don't really check, but somewhat harass through repeated questioning. Just check my bag, or believe me when I say I don't have a camera!
That all being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my time here! Â That, however, was due to how much Prince rocked the house! Â He gets 5 stars, for sure.
I'm only giving the Forum 5 stars for hosting the BEST effin concert I've seen in a while: PRINCE!!!! His "Welcome to America" tour has made a stop in LaLaLand...actually, Inglehood. Either way, FABULOUS show for ONLY $25! If you don't already have tix, there are still 3 shows left 4/21-4/23 and most seats are only 25 bucks!
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ticketmaster.com%2FPrince-tickets%2Fartist%2F735895%3Fac_link%3Dprince10_local_spotlight%26spotlight_ren_od%3D1%26tm_link%3Dtm_homeA_4_f1&s=6fde5fd94bf4d7ce01ea90adc2133956152178a5b0fecd9c723bff7fecfb4627" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.ticketmaster.…</a>
Come 'on, it's PRINCE people! You know you wanna be that girl or guy singing along to Purple Rain and Beautiful Ones. Just go already...everyone's doing it!
Ok I saw Prince there last night. I must say the venue is older but doable.
What I dont like:
$25 for parking SUCKS!
Inside is CASH only!
What I did like: The food was cheap. I guess they figure we charged $25 to get in this pace might as well give you a break on the food! Â It wasn't great though. Just snacks.
Section Colonnade (sp) 36 is the BEST for the cheap seats it set us right at the front of the stage and it is a lower upper section. Try to sit there ESPECIALLY if you are going to see Prince next week ( April 21-23).
Terrible venue, why oh why does all my favorite band like to perform here?
Sound quality is f* awful, parking is a whopping $25 with dung-filled bubble heads directing you all over the damn parking lot, after an hr you end up in the same spot where you started and still not parked! and what's up with the neighborhood? I need bullet proof windows on my car! Air circulations is non-existence, who needs 2nd hand pot smoking? the BO is enough to get me high!
Need to tear this place down and build a Disney concert hall in its place!
Yada, yada, yada!! Say what you want about the traffic getting there, expensive parking and concession stands, and standing in the long lines for the bathroom but think about it, where DOESN'T this happen when you're at a huge concert ANYWHERE?!?!?
I've been here a total of three times, maybe four, I think I came here when I was younger watching the Ice Capades but I could have the wrong venue. Each time was for a concert, never been here when the Lakers used to call this home but I wish I did looking back on it now.
All I have to say is that I've always had a kicka$$ time when I'm here. The first time was for a Foo Fighters concert, I had a floor ticket and that show was AMAZING! Dave Grohl is the man! The second time was to see Weezer and they were entertaining from start to finish. The most recent trip here was last night for GREEN DAY, this show definitely takes the cake with the most energetic performance ever! When their song "When I Come Around" came on, I suddenly had a flashback of blasting their music in my junior high days, *sigh* memories...
For being up for more than four decades, the acoustics here are pretty good. Yes, it's no Staples Center, The Forum could use some work but they get the job done in providing entertainment. So thank you, Forum aka The Great Western Forum, for all the memories I've had here, and I hope there will be many more to come!
I chanced upon some same-day tickets to the Sold Out Kings of Leon show here, and had never experienced The Forum.
The first tip I can offer you, is to...at ALL costs...avoid Manchester Blvd. when making your trek to The Forum. Whip out those iPhone gps' guys, and take another route.
The parking is a bit of an awkward situation. The parking attendants guide you in, with only the waving of an air traffic conducting short-stemmed light saber and the look of desperation. They urge you to park as close to all the other cars as you can- so that as you are walking away, you're wondering if your car will be in one piece...or at least still have a nice paint job.
In any case, the floor seating seems sketchy at first, you walk down 3 levels, into a cement, underground walkway only wide enough for 2 or 3 people to walk side-by-side, intersecting lines of belligerent fans and women waiting, impatiently for the never-ending bathroom line. Once you get out onto the floor though, it's a pretty cool feeling. The seats above, surround you, while you walk aimlessly around the forum floor.
Another tip: The pretzels were way salty and the nachos were movie theater-esque.
Someone tell Bruce Springsteen he'd have a hit on his hand if he just amends the lyrics to his "Glory Days" to fit the current state of The Forum!
When the Lakers abandoned this arena a dark cloud moved in and cast a depressing gloomy shadow upon this venue! The Lakers took all the liveliness with them over to the Staples Center. They stripped the walls of the over sized jerseys of retired players, the championship banners and virtually everything else.
Right after the Lakers ditched this place for the new and shiny Staples I caught a Depeche Mode concert here and I thought it was ok, but that was a long time ago and times have changed. Time has not been a friend to the forum. It has not fared well in its new skin.
More recently, I took my roommate to see Coldplay here for her birthday. Not only did the sound system not do the voice of Chris Martin justice, but the special effects could have been so much better if the technology in this venue was up to current 21st century standards. To add insult to injury Coldplay gave the second worst concert performance I've ever seen (if you're wondering who the #1 spot goes to.... drum-roll please.... The Killers!) Chris Martin had to restart a few songs because he tripped up the lyrics! If this concert was for their first album it would have been charming, but this was the Viva La Vida tour!
It also didn't work to this treacherous review's advantage that although this venue is a mere 15-20 minutes away from our house we were in traffic from the exit to the parking lot! We practically parked behind Hollywood Park and had to hike up to the forum. It took entirely way to long to get into the parking lot from the exit.
The Forum feels cold, abandoned and beyond run down. I bet if Madonna had to do a song about this place she would be busting out with the "You abandoned me, Love don't live here anymore" Rumor has it a church bought it. Lord if that's true that is even more depressing! Not only does Love not live here...Jesus wouldn't want to live here!
Memories... in the corner of my mind...
People who are giving bad reviews for the Great Western Forum clearly aren't from Los Angeles. Â I grew up in LA in the 80s, and the Forum was THE spot to go, for concerts yes, but especially for the Lakers!
The Forum was the magical place of my childhood. Â When my parents got married, they didn't buy a house or a car... they bought season Lakers tickets (which they still have today, some 35 years or so later). Â We still have pictures of me with Magic Johnson, Kareem, and others from the fan nights where the players would come into the stands to take pictures with the fans. Â The first set of pictures? Â From when I was 3 weeks old. Â Yep, I bleed purple and gold.
And the fans... ah the fans. Â They truly made it magical. Â Dancing Barry dancing through the aisles, the crazy women flashing the court, Jack Nicholson sitting courtside (of course). Â
I remember Dr. J's last game in Los Angeles, when the Lakers bought him a rocking chair (thank you for retiring!). Â I was also at Kareem's last game at home, when Dr. Buss wheeled out a Rolls Corniche convertible as a parting present... and I also remember the fact that Kareem had always wanted to be a point guard, so he had his one chance to dribble the ball all the way up court.... and proceeded to bounce it off of his knee and out of bounds. Â I remember going to see the Lakers versus the Bulls in the finals, and seeing Michael Jordan miss a wide-open dunk that he slammed so hard that it bounced off of the rim and all of the way back to center-court.
The food was terrible of course. Â And I'll never forget the smell of beer and cigarettes. Â The underground, 200-foot long urinal trough was disgusting. Â But it all added to part of the mystique.
And don't forget that the Forum was home to 5 NBA titles (GO LAKERS!!!!) and countless groundbreaking concerts. Â In the 80s and early 90s, ie LA's heyday. Â Back then, the Forum was THE spot in LA.
In short, I understand that the facilities are terrible, but when you consider the history possessed by this structure you have to pay tribute to and show respect for one of the all-time great and ground-breaking event venues. Â Please don't ever tear it down. Â The Forum will always occupy a very special part of my heart and fondest memories. Â 5 stars, I LOVE LA!
I'm deaf right now.
I went to the AC/DC show last night, and it was fucking amazing! I get to put another notch on my classic rock belt. It was night #2 of a soldout two show stay in L.A., I had to be there.
As far as the show goes, 100% LOUD. Just like I like it, except for the ringing in my ears, which I still have, but whatevers.
I've increased my star count for the forum, because...of several factors that were taken into consideration last night.
I had one of them "paperless" tickets, which meant I went straight to the entrance, no pat down, no waiting, straight on through to the chick with the portable credit card scanner, she printed out my voucher and to my seat I went.
Initially, I was about 50 feet from the stage, when I was pointed out by a fan that I was in his seat, and told me mine was over there. *points 20 feet closer to the stage* I shook the spot in a hurry! It was like having a free seat upgrade, but the mistake had been mine! Nice.
Time to quench my thirst. I went through the exit, and to my left there was this "new" posh-like lounge. I think they're new, I've never seen them before. No way, did I want to mingle with the commoners, I went in and ordered my 12$ Jack on the rocks and proceeded to drink it real slowly. Note: 12$ for a Jack on the rocks stings a little. Oh, and as I was walking to get my drink, I ran into Riggs, former Rob Zombie bass player and (current?) Ozzie bass player. Dude's little.
Anyways, what I'm saying is that I was in/out, everything was so freakin' efficient, I can't believe it was the same place.
They done good.
I saw AC/DC last night at The Forum. I'm not a huge fan, but my friend had an extra ticket and I'm so glad I went. Holy crap Angus Young rocks.
But here's what I think of The Forum:
Parking in: Fine
Parking out: All of my long, pretty hair was on the floorboard of the car.
Apparently  I'm a suburban retard so I'm going to complain about the parking. It's expensive, fine. But it was totally a nightmare to get out. Nobody was really sure which way to go so everybody just kind of sat in their cars for an hour in a daze.
And actually, yes, I would be a little nervous to park anywhere else. There was a shooting last night just down the street on Manchester. Security at the venue was not tight at all, my handbag was barely searched. Â I could have brought in all sorts of naughty things!
Other than that it's cool if you're a midget and you like orange. This place is totally old but it was fitting since The guys of AC/DC are  fossils too. I felt like I was back in the 70's.
the forum sucks. after getting through the insane lines to park, you are then asked to fork over $22 for parking. FUCK you very much is what i say. they know they have you by your balls because you can't park somewhere else. effers.
now on with my review. if it's based only on the forum, then i give it one star, but you throw in the weezer concert from yesterday (10/14) into the mix and it's now considered OUT OF THIS WORLD. WEEZER rocks!! 5 stars and then some, any day, every day, i love you LOOOOOOONNNGG time weezer...i want to have your euphonic baby. i'm a long time fan circa the 90's when they first jammed. once bitten, forever in love. hip, hip.
i was a bit sad that i couldn't get us floor tickets. being on the floor and close to the stage is like being wedged in the middle of a tasty sponge cake. that's what a good concert experience is like...getting wrapped up in the music and the energy pulsating through the crowd. of course the annoyances of shoving and lack of space gets avoided when you are seated, but i don't mind shoving back as long as i'm closer to the stage and can almost touch a riff. alas, seating myself in column 3 row 4 yesterday felt like i was watching weezer through a neighbor's window. i felt SO far away...and i was.
anyways, i took what i could get out of the sorry ass seats and i still enjoyed myself immensly. loved the weezer goofiness, loved the l.a. fan band playing "island in the sun" and "beverly hills," and above all else, loved all the oldies and goodies that they delivered. weezer is dope. word. forum is crap, double word.
Saw Coldplay here!! Â Coldplay rocked my socks off as ALWAYS!!!! Â However, this is definitely not one of my favorite venues. Â The place is really old... but parking and coming in and out wasn't as bad as I expected it to be - I've experienced waaayyy worse trying to leave from a concert and Coldplay was a sold out concert too! Â
Sucky thing is parking is $20 and there's no street parking in the neighborhoods because you need a permit to park there.
Be careful when leaving the Forum... we smelled hot dogs and got lured in. Â These little ladies with portable carts were grilling bacon wrapped hot dogs topped with grilled onions and we thought we'd order ourselves one, forgetting to ask about the price. Â The moment they handed over the hot dog we asked how much... $5. Â :(
Seriously, they need to destroy this place. Take a wrecking ball so they can stop torturing music lovers. You have to blame some of it on the artists I guess. I'm sure it much cheaper to perform here, than say LA Live or Staples Center.
I saw coldplay here last night. The show was just OK. Sound system is fine and all. But those seats! So cramped, my back is killing me today. The concession stands? Disgusting. I can't believe they haven't been shut down by the health dept.
Zero selection for food, nachos, dogs, and burgers. That's it. The condiment stations were gross. They just had a bucket of mustard with a laddle in it, people reaching their dirty hands in there and scooping yellow mustard onto their dry 8 dollar burgers.
The employees in the back, some in uniform, some in dirty, greasy white t-shirts. The girl could barely work the register, and had a hard time with english and taking our order. Be careful not to get in the cash only line or you will find yourself getting back in line for the credit card register. With only one credit car register this line was much longer.
Lines for the girls restroom was a mile long, lines pointing this way and that way, it was mass confusion. I really dislike seeing shows here. But sometimes it's the only so cal stop for an artist.
Don't be a lemur and just get in a long line to park or leave. There was one single realllllly long line of cars to enter (and leave), but 5 lanes going into/out of  the parking lot. So yes, I was that guy who went around all you fools and got right in.
Things need to get sorted out here, or someone is liable to get hurt. Not due to mechanics. Â Not due to a lack of safety precautions. Â Not because some people might consider this a bad neighborhood . Â But strictly out of fear that someone is going to unload on another out of sheer frustration.
As already noted, the parking strikes more fear than a Messianic sacrifice, when you're the offering.
Well, actually, the parking is probably the hell that unites us all. Â The look of bewilderment on the faces of fellow concert-goers is enough to make you chuckle. We're all in this together -- the hyper-walkers, the hand-in-hand couples, the scalpers walking in stride with you as they mumble their bargain du jour, and the chatterboxes, disclosing what songs the headlining act should sing. Â We're all in this together, and it almost makes you forget that you parked 3 huge blocks away.
For me, this is part of the ritual. Â If you're going to The Forum, and you're seeing an artist even slightly bigger than Weird Al Yankovic, than you should expect this kind of packed house. Â Still, it's not so much the parking I detest as it is the backed up traffic leading up to a couple miles away from the venue. Â Now THAT is ridiculous!
The parking is $22 if you're at the actual Forum parking lot. Â It's called "Preferred Parking." Â I'd prefer to get this if I could, you know, actually get there. Â It gets filled up pretty quick, if you're going to see a Grade A act. Â There's one, huge parking lot adjacent to the main one, on Manchester. Â You pay $2 less, but it allows you to walk more -- both to and from the venue -- so you can work off the beers you paid $9 each for. Â Yay!
The venue, itself, is a great place to see a show. Â The sound partially depends on the people controlling the soundboard, but the venue encases the sound nicely. Â There really isn't a bad seat in the house. Â You can sit in the nosebleeds and still feel a sense of euphoria as you hear and see every note.
I was here to see Coldplay perform live last night. Â Parking is never going to be so much of a bitch that watching Coldplay is going to make you...well, bitch.
If a band is going to play here, it better be worth it.
(See my Coldplay - Live @ The Forum review for details on the show.)
Remodel this place or blow it up!
If I could give the forum ZERO stars, I would.
It is outrageous that the food/bev vendors only take cash, and of course that leaves you with paying a $5 ATM fee to withdraw cash (since you just spent $22, yes... $22 to park). The people walking through the stands to sell drinks and "snacks" look like they were literally pulled off the street to sell this crap. They were sloppily dressed in orange T-shirts with random ill fitted pants. Some of them it seems were unable to run a comb through their hair between being pulled off the street and being handed a crate of snacks and bottled soda to sell. Appearance is everything, at any other venue this would be unacceptable, and I'm appalled that it this is how the forum runs their operation.
I've accepted and am willing to pay the ridiculous prices for food/beverages at events such as this, but I expect a certain level of quality that is clearly lacking at the forum.
I was there for the George Michael concert, and while he was amazing, I stated I would never go back to that God forsaken hell hole again. I would drive 400 miles to the next nearest venue if need be. Well, what is that saying...Never say never? Yeah, I later realized my prized tickets to see Coldplay are at the freakin' Forum! DAMN IT!
But after that show.... that's it! I swear.
Returning last night to the Forum one of the original entertainment venues of Los Angeles (--- well, okay, at least it was in my world) was a little surreal. Â I can't deny it has aged.
My father worked at the forum part-time as the head of security. Because of that, we attended;
*Laker Games(it was the Golden age of basketball according to this nostalgic girl; kareem, magic, rambis, worthy, nixon, lots of championships, jack nicholson waving as he drove in and the players smiling & saying hi as they walked through the tunnel and we were in the back employee areas walking around and Jerry Bus' daughter being one of the first people to be "oh so cool" and sport a Suzuki Samurai)
*King Games
*Harlem Globetrotter Games (amazing that they always won, huh?)
*Ice Capades (it was always a little creepy when Big Bird tried to come steal you from the crowd to skate around w/him, no thanks)
*Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey Circus (a million times better than ghetto Circus Vargas, the animal tent you could cruise through before always smelled of elephant kaka but we'd blame that on my older brother farting and kinda the same creepy thing like Big Bird above, except this time it was scarier, it was a freaky clown!)
*Concerts - this is where it can get embarrassing---- Â (shawn cassidy's christmas tour and in my defense, i was probably barely 2 or 3; kenny rogers - okay, shut up, that was 2nd grade, nirvana, stp, alice in chains, the smiths, depeche mode, foo-fighters, george michael-- that was several times including last night--what can i say? Â I was such a dorky Wham fan in jr high?!?!?)
The venue itself is pretty large.
We normally sat in the "senate" seating aka the Loge (servers dressed as romans in gold dresses would serve us) Â but I think the venue is not as large as I recall so in reality, mostly any seat (provided that you are NOT behind a beam) is a good seat.
The parking situation, though pretty plentiful was somewhat chaotic and not as organized as the years gone by. Â That can be frustrating.
Oh..but my favorite part, is the guys selling the bootleg t-shirts (from the freeway exit to cruising the parking lot and exit) are still there. Â
It's just so retro when you are there - it's a flashback - the gold and orange seating is STILL there!!!!
Don't get me wrong, prices increased w/the times. $8/$10 beers always suck. Â
And when the Lakers moved to Staples so did those cool retired Jerseys. Â All that appears to remain is the shell of what once encompassed so much of my entertainment as a youth. Â But that shell, sure did put out a good show last night. Â I was pretty taken back. Â The Forum still has a few good shows left in it, hence the reason why this is my 100th review!!!
A cell phone rings.
I asked what is that tune.
"Cobra Starship."
Which reminded me of how great that concert was. Â After all, we spent $14 a ticket (and the near rapage of charges from Ticketmaster) to watch Fall Out Boy and one of the opening acts was Cobra Starship.
We drove on the streets all the way from Hollywood so it took a long ass time but there's no better way really. Â Then you're stuck paying the $20 parking fee only to get nearly run over in the parking lot.
It's confusing on how to enter. Â But eventually we made our way. Â The restrooms are cleanish.
And the Cobra Starship CD is only $10. Â At that time, I liked that one song from a movie soundtrack (you know the one I mean, Snakes on a Plane) and by the end of the show, I actually really liked the band.
Oh, and FOB...Damn the gay boyfriend.
But alas, the parking sitch is a bitch and I wouldn't come back to scratch no musical itch.
DO YOU LIKE METAL?
I wanna rock and roll all night and every day.
I know, I know. It's not a Iron Maiden song. But, you got to RUN to the Hills! Oh man, what a show!!!! Bruce D. on tour again. Will this guy ever? I haven't seen a show at the Forum in a long time, and this time must be the best by far. Very small and intimate venue for a arena this size, only 14,000 sold out fans came here from all over. Only two venues in the US of A and we were here! To see one of the only heavy metal band of its era.
Good ole rock and metal.
I am basing this rating on one experience. I will be seeing another concert here in September so hopefully I will have something more pleasant to say.
First thing.. My buddy from Reno was in town and we were going to the Honda Civic tour concert.. We pull into the Forum's lot only to find out that parking is 22 dollars. 22 DOLLARS?!?!?! Are you serious? I mean maybe I am just used to parking at other venues.. like in Reno. But this shocked the hell out of me. I bought the tickets for us which came out to 100 dollars total.. then 22 dollars for parking... And what about a T shirt? $122 later and I am not even sure I want one anymore.
Other than the parking.. the show was fine. I don't think there was anything too exciting about this place, it was ok. Just a huge place to pack a ton of people in to see a show. I so prefer more intimate venues. It's always better to see bands before they blow up.
Then when we went to leave.. we were sort of turned around and when we asked these two ladies (who work at the venue) where the front entrance was.. they couldn't agree and neither one of them told us correct information! My buddy and I figured it out ourselves.. and it was for surely not what we were told. I mean.. come on.
How much more expensive can concerts get? You know what? I don't want to know.
Awwhh poor Forum, ever since Staples came along it's like you are the red-headed bastard step-venue time forgot, but ya know what, I'm here to give you some love, cuz that just isn't right and I respect my elders.
So last night I came here for Muse and quite frankly, Muse could have played in a sewer and leeches could have been nipping at my kneecaps and I still would've had a kickass time, but this is not a review about one of the most awesome live bands around, no no no, this is a review about the Forum.
But did I mention how amazing Muse was?
Okay, sorry. So, parking.
Is. Insanely. Overpriced. I mean really, $22? Come on Forum, that is ridiculous. But considering we sat in their parking lot for a good 2 hours drinking and eating BBQ, I just look at it as $11 an hour, which split between the two of us isn't much more than going to dinner at a restaurant, so oh well.
The staff.
Besides the fact that they cattle call at you like you're a mindless simpleton who can't tell where the line starts or what door to go into (Hello, I can read signs and numbers people), I thought that overall, they were pretty cool and had a sense of humor about things. I am always super nice to these people, because if I had to deal with a few thousand drunken idiots in one evening, I would probably go postal, but more importantly I would really appreciate a smile or someone who was understanding and patient while I was trying to do my job.
The concession stands.
I'm sorry, $10 for Dos Eques? Geez, Louise, it is expensive to drink at shows, but oh well, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I really liked that there were stands everywhere and not super long lines and bonus points for having them down on the floor where we were. Made the dreaded hike back up the stairs a non-reality and for that i am always appreciative.
The bathrooms.
Nice job guys. With a packed venue, there were no overflowing toilets of disgustingness. There were no wet, beer soaked floors or puke, it was just clean and nice and for that, I can't even tell you how grateful I am.
The overall.
I really liked that it never got too hot in there. At a packed concert it can sometimes be hell on Earth down on the floor, but it was totally do-able and nice.
My tips.
Okay, let us help you help yourselves next time you go to a show at the Forum.
A. Bring a bottle opener for the beers you bring to the parking lot. Based on our experiences you will have to ask 4 to 6 people before you find one and dammit, that beer is getting warm!
B. Bring wetnaps if you are going to stop at mom's BBQ on Imperial. That is some messy grub, but with enough wet naps, the tickets won't stick to your hand when you are trying to present them to the ticket taker.
C. Bring comfy shoes. This should be pretty explanatory, especially if you are on the floor
and D. If Muse ever plays here again, call me and take me PLEASE!!! Damn I love that band!!!
First off: Â I searched yelp before writing this review and I'm sorry I had to start my own, because I refuse to review The Forum as "The Forum Club". Â If anything it's the Great Western Forum but I checked to see what it is officially called and it is the LA Forum.
Most importantly, this is where THE magic happened for the Lakers' and the Kings'. Â This is where all those retired jerseys hanging up at the Staples' Center made their mark on sports history. Â
When I saw Pearl Jam this past Fall here it first brought me back to the pre-Staples' Center time. Â It was great being in there, there wasn't a bad seat in the house. Â Eddie even stopped in the middle of their set to point out how there isn't a SINGLE advertisement up in the Forum. Â Just your standard "SNACKS, FOOD, EXIT, BEER" signs... no "Verizon, Toyota, Carl's Jr., Taco Bell" logos every where. Â He said it was the ONLY place they'd play in...and what Eddie wants Eddie gets.
The concert was amazing, the sound was great, the crowd was great, it was a very memorable night.
The Forum is IT and I can't wait to be able to see another show there. Â I know the MUSE is playing in the very near future...so hopelly we'll see other yelpers reviews on that. Â :)
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