Mobile phones at gigs

[Lemon221]

Just got back from an amazing gig I’ve been looking forward to for so long. I haven’t been to a gig in probably 4 years now. Tonight I’ve come away feeling so annoyed at the amount of people filming the entire songs, they block the view behind them and I have to watch them through their screen! It was driving me nuts. The woman directly in front of me looked miserable, but filmed most of the first three songs, I moved closer after that. I understand getting a few pics and short videos, but I just kept thinking why can’t we just live in the moment without having to document everything!? What’s the likelihood these people will go back to these video clips again and again?

100% agree, these people are massive insta dickwads and should all fuck right off with their compulsion to record everything rather than actually y'know just have the experience.

I too find it amazing how many people will record the entire set. I can’t imagine ever sitting down to watch a 45 minute video of a gig I was at, especially if it was filmed by me holding my arm up in the arm so probably wobbly/ out of focus/ artist looking miles away.

They wanted to make a memory (for any number of possible reasons) of the event that wasn't just in their head, you could hear just fine, do you really need constant sight of the stage? Any gig i've been to has big screens to show close ups of the stage anyway. Depending how far from the stage you were, the view could have been shite anyway, so stop pissing on everyone elses chips because they wanted a reliveable memory of the event. It's a given with gigs/cinema/theatre/sport arenas etc that there will inevitably be people taller, in headwear, like to keep standing etc obscuring views anyway. Who knows, maybe someone shorter got stuck behind you and had a shit view of the back of your head the whole gig. You had the atmosphere and the live music, you're just spoiling it for yourself really nit picking over how others chose to enjoy it.

People don't live their lives any more. They 'remember' through photos and videos but weren't actually fully present at the time.

The beer bloke became famous because he actually watched.

stop pissing on everyone elses chips because they wanted a reliveable memory of the event

This is called 'memory'. Something that is quantifiably worse in people who use devices for tasks their brains can do.

Agree. Anyone who films and watches via their phone is an antisocial selfish idiot. I wish all venues had a no filming policy.

I've been to 7 gigs this year, a few with loads of teenage fans and haven't seen it being that bad.
Lots of phone at times, yes, but none constantly in the way of the people behind and I'd notice as I'm only 5 foot tall!
I take photos and videos myself, but nothing too intrusive, I also watch them back as I post them on Insta/FB.
(I'm sure this is a naf crime too!)

unfortunately this is the world we live in and yes it’s totally annoying but unless the organisers and venue totally ban phones then it’s always going to happen.

Obviously don't ruin someone else's view but I love videos. How many people take videos of their kids lives so they can relive the moments again and again years later. It's the same now it's not ruining if it's a great memory

Who is really even watching this crap back anyway?! That’s what gets me. In the early days of camera phones I took a few photos or videos of gigs but I soon realised I was never looking at them. Take one or two photos/videos and your phone will remind you about it every year. Although it’s not like you forget a good gig. Are these people really having fun?

I've been to 7 gigs this year, a few with loads of teenage fans and haven't seen it being that bad.

That doesn’t surprise me. The handful of teenagers I know are less phone and social media obsessed than people my own age.

Agree! A wall of phones blocking my view of the stage for ages at a time is v annoying. The odd pic/clip I understand. As a shortie, I expect to be on tiptoes peering past heads and shoulders, but the phone thing makes it much worse and is so
distracting. Maybe it’s a generational thing? I’m old!

I honestly haven't seen that or had it happen to me @PrincessGraceless

My ds works in the industry. he worked a gig recently (big, international artist)where the artist banned mobile phones, to the extent they had to be handed in before the event.

Before anyone says this was also unreasonable it was made very clear at the point of sale that this would be the case.

I haven't been to a concert in years but when I see footage i see a sea of phones. Must be super annoying. i think they should ban phones after the first 5 mins and record the event and give everyone at the event a link to watch a playback

Totally agree - I've been to a few smaller gigs with local-ish bands where the front row has just been men standing there stock still and filming. It really hasn't made for a good atmosphere! After a few drinks I may have been known to squeeze in front of them and start dancing, normally others join in 😅

People don't live their lives any more. They 'remember' through photos and videos but weren't actually fully present at the time.

This! I don't get it. Record a bit, understandable but the whole thing & view it through your lens rather than your eye. Also how many people actually watch it back?

I'm going to see Elton John in October. Hopefully it'll be an older audience like me so I won't have this problem. I'll be pretty annoyed if I have to watch through someone else's screen though.

They wanted to make a memory...

"Make a memory..." That's the catchphrase of these twerps.

I’m on the fence with this one. Of course I don’t like getting stuck behind someone who’s filming whole songs, but I’ve been really grateful for those videos too. Especially with some of the smaller artists I love who have now sadly passed away, in some cases, this is the only footage we now have of them as they weren’t big enough to have high quality professional footage filmed. I saw Elliott Smith three times back in the day, had no phone and now can’t remember a single thing about any of those shows.

Personally, I don’t film whole songs or sets as I don’t want to watch a show through a phone, even my own, but I will take photos and short videos. If I care enough about the band to do that, I try to be close enough to the front that hopefully I don’t annoy too many people. I absolutely do look at them and enjoy them after the show. In my main fan community, we’re still swapping photos and videos from a tour that happened in April!

I hate it. It ruins events. I don't want to see the stage through phones. I want to see the stage.

If you cared enough about the band @madamedesevigne you would watch and experience their live performance instead of recording it, watching through your phone at the time.

Any kind of live performance is about being in the moment, experiencing it and having the memories. In your head.

I agree completely, I have an old school friend and he’ll post each song from whenever he goes to a gig. I just don’t get it. I want to be present, see the stage, the crowd, feel it all. How can you get the gig experience watching it through your phone? There’s a big stage in front of you but it’s like watching it on a tiny tv. As Garth said to Wayne - live in the now!

They are ruining it for themselves too. It's been scientifically proven:

www.mic.com/articles/95410/science-proves-that-using-your-cellphone-at-a-concert-is-ruining-the-experience/amp

I video maybe three or four clips of ten seconds each in a two hour set. I don’t think that’s excessive.