I mainly play learn a song and it seems like you dont unlock venues by playing songs like in the old game so is there a way to unlock them without doing things like score attack or the arcade ? Id rather just play some songs than mess with the other stuff.I always fail the score attack anyway and gain nothing so it seems pointless.

keep playing songs and do the missions, I just maxed out the venues today :D

Yes, they unlock after a while. It's pretty random though.

 

I ended up turning off the crowd anyway, since that gives a pretty significant performance hit (I play using a laptop).

 

And the crowd implementation of RS2014 truly blows -- the ghosts, er, people are all looking the other way, watching a different band on another stage in an alternative universe. And they keep cheering in all the wrong places. And those people filming me with their smartphones? You know they're all iPhone users cause they're all holding their phones the wrong way.

 

I definitely preferred my robo-groupies in RS1.

I played a load on guitar and never unlocked anything, when when i completed the bass on the songs i'd already done both lead/rhythm on it unlocked a load of venues so you could try that.

The venue are unlocked by completing missions.  On a PC press <ctrl> at the main menu to see the current missions.  Here is a list of what you get when you complete mission:

 

Inlay: Rocksmith

Skin: BTQ-30

Venue Size: Level 1

Skin: AT-810BC

Inlay: Split Parallelogram

Skin: LW-25B

Skin: CS-410BC

Inlay: Trapezoid

Skin: Cali-38

Venue Size: Level 2

Skin: AT-112.1C

Gear: Vintage HiFi

Skin: AT-120

Inlay: Small Block

Skin: HG-212C

Venue Size: Level 3

Skin: CL-SS 90

Inlay: Crown

Skin: Orange Rockerverb 50 MkII

Skin: HG-215C

Inlay: Block & Triangle

Song: Playground Kings - Self Trap

Skin: HG-100

Gear: Epiphone Electar Century

Skin: HG-212C

Skin: CL-SS 120

Venue Size: Level 4

Skin: Marshall Plexi

Skin: CSS-212C

Inlay: By the Nymbers

Skin: EN-30

Song: Versus Them - Impossible Dreams

Skin: CSS-1120C

Inlay: Parallelogram

Venue Size: Level 5

Skin: CSS-1515C

Gear: Marshall JTM45

Skin: Orange PPC412

Inlay: Block

Skin: HG-180

Inlay: Prophecy

Skin: CA-1510BC

Venue Size: Level 6

Skin: CSS-240B

Gear: PS-115.2C

Skin: GB-415BC

Inlay: Red Storm

Skin: Marshall 1960a

Skin: BT!-45

Song: Disonaur - Sea to Swallow

Skin: AT-1150BC

Gear: Orange 'Jimmy Bean' Amp

Inlay: Stars Skin: BH-975B

Venue Size: Level 7

Skin: TW-215BC

Skin: AAMTW-26

Inlay: Artisan

Skin: Orange AD50

Skin: CH-410BC

Venue Size: Level 8

Skin: HW-300B

Gear: Gibson GA-79

Inlay: Iron Cross

Skin: CH-21BC

Song: Matt Montgomery, Brian McCune and Brendan West - On Top of the World

Skin: Marshall JVM410H

Skin: EN-50

Inlay: Numerals

Skin: CH-3120BC

Venue Size: Level 9

Skin: BH-600B

Gear: PS-600

Skin: Orange OBC115

Inlay: Skull Skin: BH-410BC

Song: Crimson - Don't Stop Skin: AT-20

Gear: Console Radio

Skin: BH-115BC

Inlay: Hearts

Skin: Marshall 1960 TV

Skin: GBC-50

Venue Size: Level 10

Skin: BH-212BC

Inlay: Raving Rabbids

Skin: AMTW-22

Gear: Orange 'Jimmy Bean' Cab

Skin: CS-15BC

Inlay: Diamonds

Skins: BH-880B

Gear: Audiophile Speakers

Skin: Orange OR50H

Venue Size: Level 11

Skin: CS-112BC

Skin: GBC-1H Inlay: Scythe

Skin: GB-412 MKII

Song: Sabaka - Monochromic

Skin: CSS-300B

Inlay: Celtic Cross

Skin: Marshall JCM800

Skin: GB-412 MKII

Venue Size: Level 12

Skin: AMTW-40

Inlay: Epiphone Oval

Skin: Orange PPC212OB

Gear: Boom Box

Skin: GB-412 MKI

Skin: CLH-350B

Inlay: Clubs

Skin: EN-212C

Venue Size: Level 13

Skin: Cali-85

Skin: Marshall 1960 AX

Inlay: Put a Bird on It

Skin: EN-4120C

Song: Bedowyn - Snarling of Beasts

Skin: HW100B

Skin: TW-112C

Gear: Jukebox

Skin: Orange AD200B

Inlay: Spades

Skin: BTQ-15

Venue Size: Level 14

Skin: TW-110C

Inlay: Prince of Persia

Skin: CLH-300B

Skin: Marshall 1936

Skin: TW-410C

Inlay: Citation

Skin: HW-400B

Song: Hail the Sun - Eight Ball, Coroner's Pocket

Skin: AT-0112C

Inlay: Full Deck

Skin: GBC-38

Venue Size: Level 15

Skin: CA-112C

Gear: Gramophone

Skin: CLH-600B

Inlay: Just Dance

Skin: Orange OR100

Skin: CA-412C

Skin: Cali-100

Inlay: Skullboy

Skin: CA-215C

Skin: Orange OBC810

Inlay: Ultima

Skin: CSS-75B

Gear: PA-999C

Venue Size: Max!

Skin: BT-112.1C

Inlay: Broken Hearted

Skin: CL-SS 100

Song: Ubisoft - Rocksmith 2012 Theme

Inlay: Celestial Skin: BT-1120C

Skin: HG-500

Inlay: The Gentleman

Skin: BT-410C

Inlay: Dragon

Song: Aching Head - Self-Destruct

I played a load on guitar and never unlocked anything, when when i completed the bass on the songs i'd already done both lead/rhythm on it unlocked a load of venues so you could try that.

Did you master those songs or just pay them on each arrangement ?

The venue are unlocked by completing missions.  On a PC press at the main menu to see the current missions.  Here is a list of what you get when you complete mission: Inlay: RocksmithSkin: BTQ-30Venue Size: Level 1Skin: AT-810BCInlay: Split ParallelogramSkin: LW-25BSkin: CS-410BCInlay: TrapezoidSkin: Cali-38Venue Size: Level 2Skin: AT-112.1CGear: Vintage HiFiSkin: AT-120Inlay: Small BlockSkin: HG-212CVenue Size: Level 3Skin: CL-SS 90Inlay: CrownSkin: Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIISkin: HG-215CInlay: Block & TriangleSong: Playground Kings - Self TrapSkin: HG-100Gear: Epiphone Electar CenturySkin: HG-212CSkin: CL-SS 120Venue Size: Level 4Skin: Marshall PlexiSkin: CSS-212CInlay: By the NymbersSkin: EN-30Song: Versus Them - Impossible DreamsSkin: CSS-1120CInlay: ParallelogramVenue Size: Level 5Skin: CSS-1515CGear: Marshall JTM45Skin: Orange PPC412Inlay: BlockSkin: HG-180Inlay: ProphecySkin: CA-1510BCVenue Size: Level 6Skin: CSS-240BGear: PS-115.2CSkin: GB-415BCInlay: Red StormSkin: Marshall 1960aSkin: BT!-45Song: Disonaur - Sea to SwallowSkin: AT-1150BCGear: Orange 'Jimmy Bean' AmpInlay: Stars Skin: BH-975BVenue Size: Level 7Skin: TW-215BCSkin: AAMTW-26Inlay: ArtisanSkin: Orange AD50Skin: CH-410BCVenue Size: Level 8Skin: HW-300BGear: Gibson GA-79Inlay: Iron CrossSkin: CH-21BCSong: Matt Montgomery, Brian McCune and Brendan West - On Top of the WorldSkin: Marshall JVM410HSkin: EN-50Inlay: NumeralsSkin: CH-3120BCVenue Size: Level 9Skin: BH-600BGear: PS-600Skin: Orange OBC115Inlay: Skull Skin: BH-410BCSong: Crimson - Don't Stop Skin: AT-20Gear: Console RadioSkin: BH-115BCInlay: HeartsSkin: Marshall 1960 TVSkin: GBC-50Venue Size: Level 10Skin: BH-212BCInlay: Raving RabbidsSkin: AMTW-22Gear: Orange 'Jimmy Bean' CabSkin: CS-15BCInlay: DiamondsSkins: BH-880BGear: Audiophile SpeakersSkin: Orange OR50HVenue Size: Level 11Skin: CS-112BCSkin: GBC-1H Inlay: ScytheSkin: GB-412 MKIISong: Sabaka - MonochromicSkin: CSS-300BInlay: Celtic CrossSkin: Marshall JCM800Skin: GB-412 MKIIVenue Size: Level 12Skin: AMTW-40Inlay: Epiphone OvalSkin: Orange PPC212OBGear: Boom BoxSkin: GB-412 MKISkin: CLH-350BInlay: ClubsSkin: EN-212CVenue Size: Level 13Skin: Cali-85Skin: Marshall 1960 AXInlay: Put a Bird on ItSkin: EN-4120CSong: Bedowyn - Snarling of BeastsSkin: HW100BSkin: TW-112CGear: JukeboxSkin: Orange AD200BInlay: SpadesSkin: BTQ-15Venue Size: Level 14Skin: TW-110CInlay: Prince of PersiaSkin: CLH-300BSkin: Marshall 1936Skin: TW-410CInlay: CitationSkin: HW-400BSong: Hail the Sun - Eight Ball, Coroner's PocketSkin: AT-0112CInlay: Full DeckSkin: GBC-38Venue Size: Level 15Skin: CA-112CGear: GramophoneSkin: CLH-600BInlay: Just DanceSkin: Orange OR100Skin: CA-412CSkin: Cali-100Inlay: SkullboySkin: CA-215CSkin: Orange OBC810Inlay: UltimaSkin: CSS-75BGear: PA-999CVenue Size: Max!Skin: BT-112.1CInlay: Broken HeartedSkin: CL-SS 100Song: Ubisoft - Rocksmith 2012 ThemeInlay: Celestial Skin: BT-1120CSkin: HG-500Inlay: The GentlemanSkin: BT-410CInlay: DragonSong: Aching Head - Self-Destruct

Oh wow, I just got boombox not the long ago so I'm almost done with unlocks,, kewl. I usually try to complete a mission when I turn the game on, which would explain unlocks all the time, I never put the 2 together, I just thought it was random.