Audience behaviour

[gjones]

I was at a gig of my Niece's band. She plays loudish rock and the venue had about 150 to 200 people there.

 

I don't usually video bands that I go to see but decided I'd video one of the songs as a memento.

 

After about 20 seconds some guy behind me asked me to stop videoing because it was spoiling 'his view'.

 

I attempted to explain that I was videoing my niece and was only planning to video one song but he was having none of it. He could have stepped a foot to the left and he would have had a perfect view of the band. At that point I realised he was just being a total d***head and I felt I had no choice but to tell him to **** off! and have a nice day.

[Doctor J]

Were you holding the phone in front of your face, compromising your view, or up high in the air, compromising the view of all the people behind you?

[SteveXFR]

8 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Not over enthusiastic - they tell you that is the rule, its written everywhere when you come in, and in the venue, if you break the rule, someone will come and tell you not to break the rule again. If you break the rule again, you get kicked out of the venue. That seems very reasonable.

 

And as a result, having seen tool with my eyes rather than through a wall of other peoples phones, I realise how good it is, and how good gigs used to be

 

A member of the group my friends went with was removed without a warning for checking a message between songs. That seems a bit much.

There are medical devices now which use smart phones. We wouldn't risk a Tool gig because my wife has her blood sugar monitor linked to it so checks it quite regularly and sometimes it's more than just a quick look.

[Japhet]

We also get really annoyed with people who talk (more like shout) to each other right through a gig. Nearly always women. My Mrs has regularly told them that we paid to listen to the band, not them, and if they want to carry on, maybe they should f*** off outside.

[gjones]

1 hour ago, Doctor J said:

Were you holding the phone in front of your face, compromising your view, or up high in the air, compromising the view of all the people behind you?

The guy was making a point, as his view was not spoiled by my videoing. I'm not sure what point he was making?

[TimR]

The screens are very distracting for anyone sitting near you. 

 

As has already been said, you go to watch the stage, not the surrounding audience members' phones.

 

It's the same when there is a TV in a pub, people will be continually turning their attention to the TV screen.

 

When we run dance competitions we allow recording under 2 criteria, your child is in the performance and you stand at the back of the hall. 

 

Standing at the back of the hall allows us to monitor who is videoing what, but mainly allows the judges to concentrate on the performances. 

 

It's a domino effect, one person does it and all of a sudden everyone is doing it. 

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

A member of the group my friends went with was removed without a warning for checking a message between songs. That seems a bit much.

 

it does seem a bit much. I saw people checking messages and using their phone discreetly and security had no problem with that. It was holding your phone up to video that got you thrown out

 

2 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

There are medical devices now which use smart phones. We wouldn't risk a Tool gig because my wife has her blood sugar monitor linked to it so checks it quite regularly and sometimes it's more than just a quick look.

and I am sure that you can explain that easily without having an issue, if your wife doesn't need to hold her phone up above her head while videoing to check it, but whether you go or not is your choice.

I am 100% behind their decision, it made the gig so much better for the rest

[toneknob]

Here's one I took at Tool at the O2 last year. Look, hardly any phones!

 

(I think this was the one song we were "allowed" to)

[Doctor J]

1 hour ago, gjones said:

The guy was making a point, as his view was not spoiled by my videoing. I'm not sure what point he was making?

 

That you were spoiling his view when you held your bright phone screen between his eyes and the stage, perhaps? You make the point that he could have moved to accomodate you and had a perfect view, so surely you accepted you were actually interfering with his concert experience in some way, but you don't seem to think you should have accomodated him and the rest of the people behind him? It sounds like it was a small enough venue, could you have moved to the side or the back to take the video without getting in anyone's way or compromising your video?

Edited September 15, 2023 by Doctor J

[Woodinblack]

I have a friend who goes to a gig and then posts sets of photos (I think facebook has a limit of photos you can post) - she doesn't edit, she dumps everything she takes anywhere on facebook (so you have a lot of ones that should have just been deleted), Looking at the last set she posted, there are 5 sets of 80 photos (so 400 photos), and a load of videos, many of which are over 5 minutes. So much so that if you go through the photos fast (and note I doubt anyone has gone through the photos), they are almost movie like as there are only seconds between each one, so there will be like 8 photos of the singer walking across the stage).

She also livestreams sections when she goes to a gig (which I find incredibly rude).

 

That is how she experiences gigs, I guess that is how some people like to do it, experience it through the screen. 

 

I remember when I was a kid there was a whole thing about sneaking a tape recorder or camera in, and how security wouldn't let any of it through. I am a huge fan of having a camera I can take everywhere but do believe that in the process we have lost something, a forgettable memory.

[Lozz196]

I don`t really care if people are using their phones or not, held aloft or not. I don`t understand it mind, I prefer to concentrate on listening mainly but also watching the performance. Maybe I`m just too old to multi-task.

[gjones]

6 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

 

That you were spoiling his view when you held your bright phone screen between his eyes and the stage, perhaps? You make the point that he could have moved to accomodate you and had a perfect view, so surely you accepted you were actually interfering with his concert experience in some way, but you don't seem to think you should have accomodated him and the rest of the people behind him? It sounds like it was a small enough venue, could you have moved to the side or the back to take the video without getting in anyone's way or compromising your video?

I was at the back, the only other person behind me was him and his pal. Maybe he snuck up behind me so he could complain.......we'll never know.

 

 

[Supernaut]

Humans have become way too attached to their 'smart' devices. Bringing us closer together by having us all stare at a screen... 

[Maude]

Ha, bloody audience on their phones. 

I once bought a car on eBay between songs at a gig I was playing. 😂

I was keeping an eye on a car for my wife that ended that evening, I forgot to bid before we started and suddenly remembered during the gig. My phone was on my amp which is usually kind of beside me when I play doublebass, I quickly opened ebay at the end of a song and saw the auction ended in a couple of minutes. Shouted at the guitarist to do a double length intro to the next song while I stuck a bid in. Checked ebay in the break to find my wife now owned a new convertible. 😁

[Woodinblack]

4 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

 I prefer to concentrate on listening mainly but also watching the performance. Maybe I`m just too old to multi-task.

 

I like to watch the performance but in general you can only really see it through other peoples smartphones. As a result I don't really go to that many big gigs any more, I can listen to the music loudly and distorted and watch my own smartphone!

[BigRedX]

I never take my phone to gigs where I'm in the audience. I'd be worried that it would get lost/stolen/broken and therefore it just gets in the way of me having a good time.

 

For gigs where I'm playing it spends most of it's time in my bag in the dressing room buried under a pile of equipment cases. I keep meaning to take some photos of the stage setup for the more impressive gigs but most of the time I'm too caught up in the moment of the gig to remember.

[chris_b]

18 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Maybe if you've had a couple of million selling albums, then you can afford to try lay down the law about how your audience should behave...

 

 

Ry Cooder banned smoking at his 80's Wembley Arena gigs. It was a very early anti smoking stance which IMO improved the gig no end.

[chris_b]

Most of the people at my gigs are checking their phones to see when they should take their medication.

[Bluewine]

We've taken gigs where we knew we weren't a match or knew the patrons weren't really live music folks. So they act like they're not interested because they're not.lol

 

Blue

[SH73]

I went to see Maiden at O2 with my young child (single digit age). I booked  tickets on release day and had a nice seat facing the stage right by the exit for an easy access/escape with my child, just in case. When Maiden started, the bloke who was also with his kids stood up and blocked my view. I didn't hesitate and politely asked him to either move slightly to left or sit down explaining he was blockin my view. He didn't like my request but he did move. I understand it's a facking metal gig, but have some respect for others. Then the phones, constantly in the air. Last year I went to see Anthrax at Brixton Academy and Joey encouraged people on balcony to stand up , everyone did , organisers did not like it ..no standing signs..

People are the reason I no longer go to cinema.

 

Back to the topic, surely they can't control the phone use, some.might need phones for family emergency etc. But having it in air constantly... I agree, ban it.

[Newfoundfreedom]

23 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Humans have become way too attached to their 'smart' devices. Bringing us closer together by having us all stare at a screen... 

 

I will ironically like this post. Considering in liking it by staring at the screen on my smart device. 😂

[MrDinsdale]

It’s nice when people upload videos and pictures of us playing and it’s free advertising. It’s a little disheartening when people are glued to their screens but at then end of the day if they’re not there to see you or you’re just not their thing it’s probably unrealistic to expect their undivided attention.

[odysseus]

On 14/09/2023 at 17:57, Musicman666 said:

maybe venues could jam mobile phones ...?

I'd love that - mobile phones have killed pub quizzes. Unfortunately I think it's illegal, as well as difficult to confine to a specific area without fancy, expensive gear.