Went to see a show with DH, the tickets and signs at the venue all clearly stated no flash photography or recording equipment of any kind. Bags were search at the door for security and supposedly to check for any banned items such as outside food, alcohol, etc.
So the lights go down, the show starts, and as soon as it does it's just flash, flash, flash from all over the arena and loads of people with their faces lit up by that mobile phone screen glow. And if continued for the whole performance, the girl in front of us seemed to watch the whole show show via the viewer screen in the back of her camera, which she kept lifting above her head to get a clear shot.
One guy pulled a camcorder out and it was taken away from him but a girl was using a flash camera next to him and she was allowed to carry on. Some of the flashes were really bright and because it was dark they were quite distracting and dazzling, they definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the show.
I tried to tell a steward my issue but couldn't get out of the row without disturbing everyone (we were right in the middle), then I tried at the interval but by the time I found one it had restarted, he couldn't hear me clearly, and I didn't want to bellow my comments at him.
AIBU to complain to the venue about it or is it just part and parcel of events now? DH was annoyed by it too and some friends of ours who were also there but in a different area said it really pee'd them off too.