This tainted what was meant to be a pleasant evening

[HelpMePleaseeee]

Okay, it didn’t ruin my night, but I went to a candlelight concert last night. It was in a cathedral and it was tiny and intimate, a string quartet played a mixture of modern songs with candles around them. It was so cute and it was a cheap but different activity with DP.

The guy next to me was scrolling through his emails the whole time, with his phone glaring into my eyes.
Everyone in front of me kept filming every song. It’s a tiny venue and we were right at the back so it did affect my view. Phone screens left right and centre. Also, on the other side of the room, constant red flashes from someone’s camera.

When did this start happening? There can’t have been more than 200 guests and it was a string quartet in a tiny venue. Why couldn’t people just listen to it?

Am I wrong here??

YANBU. I watched a whole gig through the phone of the man filming infront of me all night 🙄 he was pissed and zooming in and out of the backs of people’s heads. Utterly pointless. As others have said, who is really going to watch them all back?!

I really don't understand people who hold their phones up to record at concerts. Why don't they enjoy the moment- literally nobody will want to see their grainy wee screen memento ?

I had a similar experience when I went to an upmarket spa with my friend recently. People trying to scroll on their phones in the jacuzzi. Friend and I were enjoying a salt room when a young man got up and started taking a whole bunch of selfies with his DP. I mean he clearly had no interest in the old crones on the opposite bench but it still felt horribly intrusive and spoiled our relaxation.

Yep and it's not just children that feel the need to snack throughout a performance. Some years ago, I visited a theatre where if you bought sweets, they decanted them into a quiet (paper) bag.

Things like that should have a no filming or no phones rule. It’s sadly a way of the world these days everything is recorded. At my wedding I politely asked my guests to not film the ceremony (I hired people to do that!) because I didn’t want to look through wedding photos or films and see everyone’s face behind a screen!

YANBU. We got in to an arguement with a woman at the cinema last week who kept checking her phone and the light was really distracting.

When challenged, she protested she was "expecting an important call". Well how about you don't go to the fucking cinema until you have received that call then?

People are actually self obsessed narcissists these days. Thinking they’re so important that people give a shit that they’ve been to these things that they have to document it like someone will watch their shit blurry footage. It’s been annoying me for a decade. Watch the performance, it’s so cringy and distracting watching people film.

I recently went to see Moulin Rouge (utterly fabulous) and they did a bit at the beginning for everywhere to film/take photos of actors etc and then they said-that’s enough-phones off now. And everyone did-it was great!

I missed the Big moment in Frozen at the theatre as I got distracted by someone in front of me being told to put their phone away

At that particular show also saw someone not only being told to stop taking photos but making sure they deleted the photos they’d taken.

Phones should be banned in such places

The same people were probably glugging from water bottles in case they die of dehydration without it for an hour.

People have forgotten how to be in the moment, it’s a real shame.

Or put it on vibrate?

It’s ridiculous that people should have to be told this.

The trouble is that even if there are rules some people will just ignore them. People have become that narcissistic and self absorbed.

I’ve sat behind people on planes who haven’t unreclined their seat even when the plane is about to land. Cabin crew didn’t do anything and DH told him to do it in the end.

What's wrong with drinking water at a performance?

we went to an intimate classical concert in Vienna on NYE, and a woman next to me was recording - with a FLASHLIGHT on!! A performer told the audience (not directed at her but it was obvious it was too her) to NOT record them especially with the flash on as it impacts them, it interrupts them and it impacts other peoples viewing pleasure... well this woman had the most almighty tant she was like a petulant 3 yr old, for the rest of the performance, she was squirming in her chair, she was fidgeting, she was just being annoying, she was checking her phone, scrolling, bright light, she was berating her husband, she was doing anything but watch the concert, actually holding her head to the side and not looking toward the stage! her husband was telling her to stop, it was ridiculous. It was a relief when she didn't come back after the intermission.

Alongside that, the woman in front of me was using her tablet as her camera... not a phone - a huge tablet - the people behind me were making fun of her (noisily), she blocked my view... people are so uninterested in being in the moment... they want to record everything - and never watch it again most likely! Phones should be banned during the performance from places like this.

You’re completely right OP and it’s frustrating as hell

I worked in theatre for many years and I can promise you that performers/musicians see this all the time and think these people are twats. I’d have so many performers coming off stage ranting about the dickhead filming in row 5 or half the audience sat there scrolling. It’s such a shame people can’t put the phone down for a couple of hours!

Annoying. If the organisers didn’t have a ‘no phones’ rule, or didn’t enforce it, wouldn’t go there again.

I wish someone would come on and say "well I do this and here's why". They never do ..but given the number of mn users you'd have to assume some do.

Very rude of them, mobiles should be put away and on silent during live performances. I never understand why people want to view everything through their phones instead of just sitting back and enjoying the performance right in front of them!

I work in a string quartet doing these candlelight concerts and the organiser always makes a speech at the beginning (as part of our introduction) saying no filming until the last song. Mostly people seem to stick to it, you must’ve been unlucky, I’m sorry, it sound shit and I hate it too.
If you get a chance to rate the concert (if it’s run by Fever then you do) I would make sure you let them know so they can be more strict on it in future.

They seem to take the audience ratings quite seriously.

I went to see a show recently and it came through the tannoy that phones should be put away, that it's distracting for others and they wanted people to enjoy the show. No phones were used. It was brilliant.

Exactly this. I don’t get this obsession with documenting every movement in life even watching a little show like this, ridiculous. People seem to be far more into their ‘likes’ than actually living life.

I love that! What a creative way to manage the issue.

I drink water (I don't 'glug' from a bottle) because I take medication for hypertension that gives me a dry mouth / throat, making me very uncomfortable. If I don't drink enough, I cough, which is disruptive for everyone.

I'm sorry that my medical condition inconveniences you.

When did it start happening? The advent of affordable digital cameras, and then the advent of camera/smart phones.

The onus these days is on the artist(s) to request that photos and video recordings are not made during the performance, and anyone doing so will be ejected. Has worked fine for the few concerts/musicals/theatre productions I've been where this is enforced. I just wish it was enforced everywhere!

We saw Six The Musical recently. We were told no photography but we would be given an opportunity at the end.

It worked really well- about 5 minutes before the end, we were told to get out phones out (obviously in a cooler musical way!) and they did a song and plenty of poses etc. I'd taken my daughter who was desperate to go; so I videoed a full song and took a load of pics in the last few minutes. This means she can re-watch that song and have a few picture memories. I thought it was an excellent idea. It meant people actually watched the performance but still got some pictures/video's etc.

But I'm with you 100% OP, it's so rude to get a phone out during performance.