I'm pretty much the same as you Dave and I get far more out of participating in a session than I do out of listening.

When I listen, I also like small venues - a pub is perfect but I also like other small and more informal venues and never bother with big concerts as I get little out of them - the negatives such as me not particularly enjoying being in large crowds, feelings of being restricted in seated theatres, etc. can at times be greater than any enjoyment I get out of the performance.

Providing I'm comfortable in the venue, I prefer the "this is how it is now and this is how they sound" to the typically highly polished studio recordings and ,within limits, have nothing against the occasional mistake, hiccup in the system or whatever - in fact it makes the whole thing more human to me. There is also the act's own "presence" which is something a recording can not give (OK there are live recordings but it's not the same as actually being there and being "involved").

Jon