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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think going to a concert and then spend all of it watching through a mobile phone is odd?

28 replies

Stillhopingstillhere · 27/09/2013 23:46

Why do so many people spend the entire time filming?! Do they ever watch it again?

A lot of people take stills as well, can't really see the point in that either as never looks like anything but to basically watch the entire concert through a camera screen is weird I think. And very distracting if the people are sat in front of you.

Tonight I had David Bailey next to me who took a lot of stills using the flash. She then reviewed them on the camera and edited and deleted before taking more. They ALL looked the same, a tiny silhouette of a man against a brightly lit background, why, why? They were hardly pictures to go in the album. Unless the album were to be entitled "pictures of tiny people against bright lights." And why use the flash? It was highly annoying.

There's my mini moan for this evening!

OP posts:
tigerdriverII · 27/09/2013 23:49

Totally baffling. Some of it is "I was there". But you don't need hours of that. Quite sad really.

Original poster
Stillhopingstillhere · 27/09/2013 23:54

Yes, I will concede that perhaps one photo would be ok.
But all the photos look the same! It is so distracting when people in front are filming and their phone screens are all lot up.

OP posts:
Travelledtheworld · 27/09/2013 23:54

I agree. It's so annoying.

NoMoreMadCatLady · 27/09/2013 23:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

liquidstate · 28/09/2013 00:08

I stopped going to concerts and gigs because of this. Have even seen it in the theatre (the staff didn't notice for ages).

very annoying.

marcopront · 28/09/2013 04:29

At my daughter's last assembly someone was filming it on two phones at the same time.

Original poster
Stillhopingstillhere · 28/09/2013 09:43

Glad it's not just me that finds this annoying! I wish they'd ban it!

OP posts:
SavoyCabbage · 28/09/2013 09:48

When I went on the London Eye, every single other person in my pod- thingy watched the footage that they took on the way up as we descended. It made me sad. I looked for Her Majesty in her back garden.

MardyBra · 28/09/2013 09:54

I found it really odd when all the athletes at the Olympic Opening ceremony recorded their lap of the stadium in their phone. It's not as if it wasn't being televised or anything. Confused

Original poster
Stillhopingstillhere · 28/09/2013 09:55

I just think you miss out on what's really happening if you're constantly recording it!

OP posts:
elcranko · 28/09/2013 10:19

Irritating! They just want to put the video on their Facebook page to show off to their mates Grin

NotInTheMood · 28/09/2013 10:36

I had a great view at the last concert I went to. As soon as the concert started a girl a few rows down the front held her iPad up!!!! All through the first half I was watching if through her iPad until I started a chant during the break hopping she got the message!!!

extracrunchy · 28/09/2013 10:40

I hate this! People are so keen to record their "experience" and show it off on Facebook or wherever that they forget to actually experience it!

Mawgatron · 28/09/2013 11:12

I do this Blush but I try to be aware of people behind me. And I won't record the whole concert, just little bits. I enjoy watching them back afterwards and show off later on Facebook

jamdonut · 28/09/2013 12:35

Oh dear. Guilty. But I do watch them again ,(and annoy the hell out of my kids with them!). I only do small amounts at a time though,just to give a flavour of the event. I realised quite quickly that you have to actually enjoy what you've come to see,rather than looking through the screen all the time.
I was devastated when I lost all my footage of Muse at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester back in June!! Sad Sad Sad

MardyBra · 28/09/2013 17:39

But surely the whole point about going to a live concert is to experience the moment of the live music, not a recording of it later.

Quodlibet · 28/09/2013 17:46

I went on holiday recently to somewhere very scenic - lots of amazing rock forms etc. There were coachloads of tourists who all got off the bus and walked in herds with their ipads held out in front of them, not actually being in the scenery or enjoying the scenery, just taking photos of the scenery and each other in the scenery. Then they'd all get back on the bus and go to the next 'scenic' spot. It's bizarre.
YANBU, I hate it when people do this at gigs. Who wants to look at your bad footage with bad sound? Just remember it, using your mind, like in olden times.

ImATotJeSuisUneTot · 28/09/2013 17:52

We were at a gig last night (manic street preachers) and I thought it was going to be the same when they first came on.
However everyone pretty much took one picture then put the phones away.
After that I was bouncing too much to notice anyway. Grin

corlan · 28/09/2013 18:02

I don't get it either.

I was watching Chic play at Glastonbury on the BBC this summer and, towards the end, they invited members of the audience up on stage to dance. It seemed like everyone under the age of 40 on the stage immediately got their phones out and started texting. It's like they can't live in the moment, it's almost as if it's not real if they haven't tweeted 'On the stage with Chic. LOL.'

(Or maybe I'm just an old gimmer!)

MaidOfStars · 28/09/2013 21:25

Saw an amazing lecture at the start of the year, on generational theory. Youngsters today live an experience by 'being in it'. Hence the athletes with their camera phones/tablets and the concert goers who film the action, rather than watch it - the mindset is needing to demonstrate you were there, that you were part of it, being interactive with the experience.

Oldraver · 28/09/2013 23:11

My view of DS's Nativity was partially blocked by fucking I-Pads with their flappy folders

jamdonut · 29/09/2013 10:50

I record to relive it. I never went to concerts when I was younger, because I couldn't afford it.I'm 49 now.

And bands like Muse,Kings of Leon etc are a true experience that you want to be able to share with others.

I guess I do feel like it is all a bit unreal when I go, and recording the footage to watch later makes me feel special....I can't explain it very well...I feel like they are treasured momentoes (sp?) just as much as buying the programme or merchandise (but cheaper lol). I can show "I was there".

Nocturtle · 29/09/2013 11:07

When someone posts a shaky video of a gig on Facebook it comes across as:
"I don't go out very much, but would like you all to think that I do."

jamdonut · 29/09/2013 12:18

MaidOfStars... I totally get that...except I'm not a "youngster".

post · 29/09/2013 12:29

Can I ask people who record, though, if someone tells/ told you it's bothering them ( because in the dark, that bright screen is a totally distracting PITA to me) do you/ would you say, oh, ok, sorry, and switch off, or tell them to get lost?