Concert Etiquette

[Siennaa]

I have spent years going to many concerts, and it's getting shitter and shitter with people killing the atmosphere who just want to film it on their phones. I went to see Pink last night, and I can't believe so many people just want to sit there quietly at this type of concert! Is this just life now? We just accept that atmospheres are being killed so people have Instagram worthy videos?

So in this situation, what do you do? Do you stay seated and quiet so you're respecting the people around you, do you stand anyway and dance and enjoy the show how you want to?

Wouldn't it be better if venues offered areas that you weren't allowed to stand in? So I know you get standing tickets but not everyone can get hold of them, does that mean they should either sit for the whole show, or follow what's happening around them?

I would love to have sitting only area. I’m paying to see the concert and to hear it and when 6 feet guy in front standing up (and even shorter guy would be a problem, I’m not very tall) and I can’t see anything plus he is singing along loudly and out of tune and waving his mobile phone around so guess what - the sound I’m getting is not good either.
So yes, I want those who want to stand to be in the standing area enjoying themselves.

I think filming should be banned and if it is accepted then there needs to be an area for people who want to film.
I don’t agree with people singing along, the audience around them came to see the performers/ artists, not hear hairbrush vocals in stereo - it doesn’t matter if they are in tune or not, they are not the ones people came to hear.

take the kid to better gigs then, not just the big stadium events.

I go to around 50 gigs a year. Mostly smallish venues so all standing, but when i'm in a seat, for sure i sit, unless everyone around me is standing and i want to see.

I have not noticed, iin all my years of gig going that anyone sitting quietly at a gig ruins the atmosphere. That would be a shit band.

yeah, I wouldn't have accepted that. Security, or wild dancing. it would have been sorted one way or another.

I go to a lot of gigs, and if I went to one where I could hear a pin drop in the audience that would be a really shit gig.

well, i think you're pretty strange for thinking the ONLY way to enjoy any gig is to dance the whole time.
If you are in the standing area - have at it.

If you can't get tickets to the standing area - either tough, or you get seated and the chance that you will have to sit at least until the encore. Your choice.

I went to a gig a year or two back - band touring again after a long time, had been put of twice due to Covid. 2 Enormous guys stood in front of me and DH. Just walzed in when the band played the first chord, pushed me back and went in. And i said "mate, get behind me, then we can both see" and ... he did. (amazed, tbh)

I fail to see how, when anyone is fully enjoying a gig, singing dancing and whever, how a couple of people sitting down ruins the atmosphere.

I saw TS on Friday in the standing section but I would never do it again. The volume of phones in my face/whacking me in the head or blocking Taylor was maddening. It really put me off going again. Just enjoy the moment.

People don't seem to know how to enjoy an experience anymore. It's all about what other people on social media think about your experience not about enjoying it yourself.

Where have I said the only way to enjoy a gig is to dance the whole time? Honestly it's pointless you commenting you are just making stuff up every time you comment.

I said it ruins the atmosphere when huge amounts of people are sitting quietly recording on their phones, no interacting, no singing, no dancing. Just phones out like zombies. That's a shit atmosphere.

Singing - OK
Standing in seated - OK
Recording - Not OK
Ipads - Hard kick to the back

What about if the performer asks for it? In Eras Taylor says in one of the first songs (Cruel Summer) “does everyone know the words to the bridge. Then prove it!” asking everyone to sing along! And that also sets up the culture that singing along isn’t only permitted, it’s wanted. Lots of artists love hearing crowds singing their songs back to them. I think different gigs are different so go with the flow, but I love being part of an audience singing along with everyone else, and hearing the crowd sing along too. It makes me feel part of something. If I wanted to hear pure singing in silence then I’d listen to the albums at home on my own. But there’s definitely a read the room aspect to it.

That goes for singing, not screeching though. I saw people around me at Eras singing their hearts out but I couldn’t hear anyone individually, just the crowd noise as a whole, which was quieter than Taylor (and I had Loops in as well which helped muffle crowd noise). Screeching like this is awful and I’d be pissed off if someone next to me at a concert started that.

Nope. Seats are so you can sit down if you want to and to avoid the mosh pit crush, people have always stood at gigs, it's not a classical concert! If you just want to sit and listen, you can have the CD at home.

If you can't get tickets to the standing area - either tough, or you get seated and the chance that you will have to sit at least until the encore. Your choice.

That isn't the case at some venues though @Brefugee. For example, at Wembley Arena and the Indigo O2 you are permitted to stand in your seat. There is nothing to say you can't stand, either on the venue Ts and Cs or on the tickets themselves and if people who are sitting complain, they are told by security that standing is allowed.

YOU think you are singing.

Others around you might disagree.

You are the one who complained about "ruined atmosphere". I disagree with you.
maybe concerts are not for you, try karaoke?

I would question the sound system if you could hear a pin drop.

On the other hand, screeching from over-excited people right next to me, yes I can hear. We all suffer in silence when we're stuck with them 😂

We saw Springsteen at Cardiff a few weeks ago and was horrified when he came on stage and everyone around us remained seated. I've never sat at a concert in my life before. About half way through though, the atmosphere changed and by the end everyone was on their feet dancing and singing. I refuse to book standing tickets after being caught up in a really nasty drunk kick off. I personally would ban alcohol sales and mobile phone use.

Any seated concert I’ve been at (here in Ireland) the security go nuts if you stand up. Especially in the Olympia. This is why I love outdoor concerts. We were at Pearl Jam last weekend and it was great. Just go where you like. If someone’s bugging you just move away.

I don’t object to people choosing to sit/stand in the seating areas, you do you, but what I can’t abide is people being allowed to get absolutely shit faced on beers and ruining the concert for other people. This has gotten noticeably worse over the years.

At Wembley they ask you to sit down from a safety point of view in the high stands. At the last concert I went to there, some twat who was too drunk was stood up and he fell 3 rows forward onto a lady who was seriously injured.

agree with you on the filming thing though, why pay all that money to sit there on your phone?!

God you're hilarious. Have you not read all of the other comments of people completely agreeing no? Maybe try tuning into Netflix instead of going to shit gigs where people dare to sing.

I do wonder if, in larger venues, there ought to be a small “no standing” section to accommodate people who get annoyed by others standing in the seated section. I tend to do a combination of standing and sitting but I can imagine it would be difficult if you can’t stand for long periods of time but don’t qualify for the wheelchair / mobility section.

Maybe the whole seated/standing thing depends on the venue. If its an arena then it's almost certain that sitters will stand. But at CIty Halls (read: stuffy theatres) then sitting down is more appropriate and only the rebels will have a boogie. And of course the act plays a part - although most live music is designed to be enjoyed by some sort of interaction. A bit like stand up comedy - if people just sit quietly and laugh inwardly its a shit gig for the act.

so your OP wasn't really asking a question, you just want people to agree with you?

If you are that obnoxious when someone simply put their opinion forward, and you get miffed because they reply in the same tone as yours, I can imagine your behaviour in a concert. 😂

The funniest thing is that you are not even complaining that someone told you to shut the hell up, you are complaining because someone else dare behaving differently.

Priceless.

I don’t understand how people go to a concert and want to sit down for the whole thing. Unless you have a disability/medical need, what’s the point in that?

I saw Nicki Minaj in London last month and had a VIP seated ticket for that. Everyone stood whilst she was on stage and sat down for a little break when she’d go off stage.

Two days later I saw her again in Manchester and had a Golden Circle Standing ticket. I always prefer a standing ticket but I noticed the convenience of sitting down when the artist was off stage to rest your feet a little.

As for this, It's the filming the entire concert and not enjoying the moment one bit, it's killing atmospheres at concerts. I really don’t understand how people filming the concert impacts you at all? I mean, unless their phone is blocking your view then what’s the problem? I don’t think it kills the atmosphere at all. A great time can still be had and people can do what they want