Le National — Attraction in Montreal

Nice venue, your typical Montreal theatre-style indoor layout. Cramped entrance, but, whatever. The building isn't the issue — it's the staff.

I went to see The Dillinger Escape Plan with three friends; we went outside after one of the openers, and when we came back in, the bouncers stopped one of my friends because he "didn't have a stamp." He had his ticket stub, though. The bouncers had stamped half of us, but neither me nor my friend. They told him he wasn't allowed to come back to see Dillinger, because he couldn't "prove" it was his ticket, and not a stub someone had passed him. WE DROVE FROM OTTAWA TO SEE THEM.

We spoke with the owner, who told us, (in spite of the fact that I was let back in with only a stub and no stamp) that we needed to present our receipt to prove we had bought tickets, and that his bouncers were awesome and doing their job completely. (Neglecting that we had already been in, so if we were given stubs, the bouncers let us sneak past them, or, as we said, they just didn't stamp us.) Fortunately my friend had his smartphone on him, and I quickly showed the email receipts. Their smarmy owner finally admitted he was wrong, and let us back in.

So. Great venue, but the owner and security are absolute clowns. If you want to have to fight just to see the show you paid for, go to Le Nationale. I've never been so insulted as a customer and patron, and my friend nearly missed the main act because these highly organized individuals can't even handle access control at this...

Great historic theater, but in a dire need of investment and renovation. Even if you can write off some things as "vintage charm," the AC is terribly loud on the balcony, and it impacts the enjoyment of the show. Bathroom lines are embarrassinly ridiculous - either you get another drink from the bar or lose the one you have in you, can't do both during the intermission. View from the balcony gets another point knocked off, most spectators even in the middle were sitting with the seats turned up. Can't take photos, so no proof, lol. The staff does a...

Tant de plaisir et de professionalisme en un si petit endroit!! Grâce à son style, ses vieux lustres d'antan et sa scène qui ressemble encore aux anciens théâtres de la vieille époque, cet endroit, ayant gardé son cachet original du bon vieux temps, est un petit bijou de l'histoire de Montréal..! Sous ce monument se cache, certes, une ribambelle de bons vieux souvenirs.. je dirais peut-être même quelques fantômes lol!!!

Mis à part un staff des plus strictes et professionnels qui soit et son cachet architectural bien gardé, le National a tout de même ce désavantage de n'y avoir que peu d'espace et une attente interminable pour les toilettes lorsque vient le temps de l'intermission!! Tout le monde se retrouve dans le même tas..c'est-à-dire, dans le vestibule d'entrée.. soit pour commander à boire au seul véritable comptoir-bar existant de ce lieu ou pour se tailler une place dans la file d'attente pour les bécosses!!

Disons que cela nous ramène vite à la réalité d'aujourd'hui..où ..pour le prix qu'une "sortie" peut coûter, les gens selon moi, préfèrent d'emblée avoir une chance d'être de retour à leurs siège(aussi inconfortable soit-il..) lorsque le spectacle est recommencé!

Ce serait donc, malgré la capacité de l'endroit, beaucoup plus plaisant pour la clientèle, de penser à réaménager ce qu'on appelle "le petit coin" ou de simplement rajouter quelques minutes supplémentaires aux...