Phones at concerts

[StriderShinryu]

It seems to me like this is something of a notable topic these days and I don't recall seeing it brought up here so I figured why not.

There seems to be something of a recent clash between musical acts (and more old school music fans) and the current generation of concert goer. The current gen concert goer loves their cell phone, and loves using it during a concert. They talk, they text, they tweet. They take pictures and video of themselves and the band (sometimes even when asked by the band themselves not to). The artist and the old school music fan find this annoying and distracting. They wonder why after paying a usually fairly high price to get in and see the band live, you're instead watching the whole show through a preview screen. They wonder if you're ever going to watch those super shaky videos with poor image and sound quality.

So, where do you all sit in this spectrum?
Are you someone who feels that phone use at a concert actually enhances the experience for you?
Are you someone who is so old school that you won't even bring a camera to the venue unless the artist specifically says it's okay (and even then you don't)?

Personally, I'll readily admit I'm very old school. I just don't get the desire to go to a show but then spend the whole event concerned with my phone. I do find it distracting when I'm trying to watch a show and see nothing but a sea of cell phone screens in front of me (behind, of course, the people needing to take selfies at the show during the show). But I'm not only old-school, I'm also fairly old compared to some. Maybe there's something that I'm just not getting about the whole thing.

 

[Barbas]

Taking pictures of people shouldn't be done without their consent. There are laws you must abide by and then there are matters of simple decency and consideration. There are consequences for both.

Bring a phone/camera by all means, but keep it switched off during the performance, because you are surrounded by others who paid to get in as well. If the performers say they're all right with you taking a picture then go ahead - preferably without blinding them with the flash. Don't hold stuff up that'll block the view of people behind you if you won't even get a good quality picture on it anyway.

In Disneyland Paris, there were a lot of Parisians filming throwing litter into the water and blinding you with their camera flashes during the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Oh yes, and talking constantly and loudly as if they were standing in their own living room. We tried to go as early in the morning as we could, just to maximize the chance of missing said people. People like that can take a lot of the fun out of a situation that should be great wheeze to begin with.

 

[Auberon]

If I actually had phone with a camera (ancient Nokia flip from 2006 or so), I do believe I would at least take some sort of selfie with band backdrop. But not filming when I have the music to focus on, and I have no desire to mingle in social media.

So from those simplified options, it would enhance the memory but event itself no.

 

[shootthebandit]

The art of story telling is dead. Everything needs to be tweeted, vined, facebooked or whatever. Instead of actually going to the gig and afterwards saying "I went to see so and so and they were amazing. They had fucking flames shoot out of the guitar during the solo".

Im lost with social media. Im a member of a social network called "the pub". Its great. You sit around and basically chat shit for a few hours. Theres a rule in the pub. If you are on your phone then you must buy a round

 

[MetalDooley]

Im lost with social media. Im a member of a social network called "the pub". Its great. You sit around and basically chat shit for a few hours. Theres a rule in the pub. If you are on your phone then you must buy a round

That pretty much sums me up too.If I'm at a gig/movie/whatever then my phone gets basically ignored for a few hours.I can't understand peoples need to constantly share every single thing they're doing all the time

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

My phone doesn't have a camera or an internet connection, and have nobody to text to about anything during a concert. What am I supposed to write? They're playing this... and now they're playing that...

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I don't have a problem with people taking a couple of photos, or calling a friend that couldn't be there when a particular song comes on. I do have a problem with people using their phones all the fucking time. Watch the band through your eyes, not through a screen. Personally I'd be too paranoid about my phone getting destroyed if I had it out too much, especially considering I tend to be at least a little inebriated. If you stand next to a circle pit and your phone gets smashed then you're a fucking idiot and it's no one's fault but your own (I've seen people do that and proceed to whine at people in the pit, only to be, understandably, completely ignored).

Basically, I'm fine with it in moderation. People tend not to do it in moderation though.

 

[JoJo]

Taking pictures of people shouldn't be done without their consent. There are laws you must abide by and then there are matters of simple decency and consideration. There are consequences for both.

Eh, I have to disagree here, there's no law in most jurisdictions against taking a photo of someone without their consent, otherwise CCTV wouldn't be legal.

On the other hand, I agree using your phone to record at a concert is a waste of time, just enjoy the moment. More than enough time to tweet and facebook when one is at home.

 

[Barbas]

Taking pictures of people shouldn't be done without their consent. There are laws you must abide by and then there are matters of simple decency and consideration. There are consequences for both.

Eh, I have to disagree here, there's no law in most jurisdictions against taking a photo of someone without their consent, otherwise CCTV wouldn't be legal.

On the other hand, I agree using your phone to record at a concert is a waste of time, just enjoy the moment. More than enough time to tweet and facebook when one is at home.

Oh yeah, I mean it's definitely the latter and not the former. You can even film the police if you like (at least here, no matter what they decide to tell you), but there's videos plastered all over YouTube of people trying to antagonize them up by doing that.

 

[Esotera]

Taking pictures of people shouldn't be done without their consent. There are laws you must abide by and then there are matters of simple decency and consideration. There are consequences for both.

Eh, I have to disagree here, there's no law in most jurisdictions against taking a photo of someone without their consent, otherwise CCTV wouldn't be legal.

On the other hand, I agree using your phone to record at a concert is a waste of time, just enjoy the moment. More than enough time to tweet and facebook when one is at home.

It depends on where the event is. In general, it's completely legal to take photos in public without getting consent from anyone in the shot. But if you're on private property consent would have to come from whoever's in charge at the venue.

OT: I can see the attraction of taking a few photos, but the sound is going to be crap for any video so I don't even see the point in attempting it. If you spend anymore than a few minutes on your phone at a gig, you are wasting your money, or listening to a really bad band.

 

[Eleuthera]

I generally try to take 1 good photo(this can take a few tries) of each artist at a concert. I probably will also FB something about the show before it starts (or after the opener is done and we're waiting for the main act).

But other than that I keep my hone tucked away, I'm here for the music/show.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I don't see a real problem with this. If anything, this is good publicity for bands to see fans posting photos of their performances (if fans photos become popular of course). I understand some people may not like seeing people snap photos at a concert, but I say enjoy the concert and don't worry about what others are doing. That's what I'd do.

 

[Private Custard]

If I want to film something, I try to do it right.

If I want to photograph something, I try to do it right.

Phones do neither of these things right. All they do is piss off everyone else behind you, almost to the same level as those girls that sit on their long-suffering boyfriends shoulders, or the twats that decide a giant flag is a good idea!

Utterly ridiculous.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

While I don't have a problem with it, I find people are right morons for wasting their time and money instead of enjoying what makes a concert fun. I'll admit I've gone to other arena events (WWE for example) and spent most of my time taking pictures but in my defense I study the hell out of in-ring performance and use a camera with action function to take sequential pics.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

If I want to film something, I try to do it right.

If I want to photograph something, I try to do it right.

Phones do neither of these things right. All they do is piss off everyone else behind you, almost to the same level as those girls that sit on their long-suffering boyfriends shoulders, or the twats that decide a giant flag is a good idea!

Utterly ridiculous.

Nailed it.

People upload that footage to youtube too, and it's always atrocious. We need a revolution in phone-etiquette. I persistently find myself fighting the urge to snatch the smeggin' things away and stamp on 'em.

 

[Ten Foot Bunny]

I kind of like the trend because it's VERY different from how it was in the '90s (well, any time before smartphones). Back then, almost every venue had strict rules that forbade cameras or other recording equipment. The crowd would be behind the barrier that's five to ten feet in front of the stage while photographers with massive cameras walked around inside of the barriers. Only press and roadies were exempt from the camera rule.

I'm not a fan of any bands that play arenas and so all of my concerts are at smaller, more intimate venues. I don't know what it's like at arena shows, but people taking pictures with their phones aren't a big problem at general-admission gigs. Sure, almost every person you see will pull out their phones and snap a couple of pics throughout the night, but they put away their phones after each pic and only dig them out again when they want to get another. Some might hold up their phone to record (what I'm assuming to be) their favorite song. Again, not a problem because they put their phones away immediately after the song ends.

So I guess my point is that smaller shows seem to have very respectful and restrained audiences when it comes to phone use, and that's why I don't see it as a problem.

 

[Shill]

Why does it matter?