But it's all fixed seating, no good for the type of acts the carling academies tend to host!

The proposed convention centre (going down the bay or in Callaghan Square) is to be part of a bigger scheme to create a 12,000 seat indoor arena. With that on the horizon I can't see them building another arena in between it and the size of the Motorpoint, especially with the WMC, St David's Hall and even the new Ice Rink on offer

The SU great hall holds about 1500 for a gig. I think Motorpoint is around 6000.

Motorpoint could do with a refurb, but I think a city centre location is much better for something like this than the bay, so I'd keep it for now.

From memory I think Motorpoint is 5,000 seated and 9,000 all standing. That was a few years ago though.

I think that if such arenas (with an appropriate rate of return for the private investors)were so bankable, then we would have had one by now, be it in Bristol or in Cardiff.

I can therefore only conclude that they aren't (without a sizeable input from the public purse), so (if the public purse strings are restricted), I'm not holding my breath for any announcement on one any time soon.