I stood at a concert

[MangosteenSoda]

Went to a concert and had a seat to the side of the stage. In my experience, everyone stands when the act comes on. This didn’t happen universally, but probably around a quarter of the crowd started by standing. I was a little in front of most of the other ‘standers’ and sort of leaned on my seat a bit to minimise myself I suppose, but wanted to enjoy the songs and not sit.

A few songs in, a lady behind me tapped my arm and asked me to sit because her boyfriend/husband (sitting next to her) couldn’t see. I just said, ‘I’m sorry, but this is a concert’ and carried on standing. I’m pretty small and there were massive screens and a stage. I don’t think I blocked it all out.

A few songs later, the ‘very popular and famous’ song was performed and everyone stood up including the woman and her boyfriend. After that, most of the crowd continued standing and a bunch of people were dancing like windmills and nobody bothered them. The angry man and his girlfriend stormed out at this point.

I don’t have a particular aibu, but I felt that I was only asked to sit because I looked like an easy target to ask. It annoyed me that the woman had to ask for the guy and that it was put to me that I should sit because this guy’s preference was all important. I also felt sad for the woman because she was wearing the band T Shirt (so I assumed she was the fan) and this guy seemed to ruin her night with his moans and complaints while she just seemed to want to dance and enjoy the concert like everyone else.

So, should there be areas at concerts where everyone has to stay seated? I don’t think all the seating areas should be this way because they outnumber the floor and it would make for pretty sedentary concerts but maybe a compromise somewhere?

All the bands I like, standing is limited and sells out immediately so it's not always an option.

Even then you get people moaning because someone tall is standing in the standing section.

Everyone moaning about blocking the view -you can barely see anything of thr performer in a big venue because they are so far away, that's exactly why they have the big screens in the first place. If you're 80 feet away from the stage it's not as if you can see the guitarist plucking the strings or anything anyway.

In most places its not like there are just a few hundred seats - there are thousands. If all of those people weren't allowed to stand up i imagine theyd rather not attend.

Perhaps its the type of gigs i go to but I can't imagine sitting there politely nodding my head and tapping my knee while the band is giving it everything and singers are jumping all over the stage. Surely bands want to see their audience enjoying themselves and engaging with the music (singing, dancing etc) not sitting down staring straight ahead as if they're at the cinema.

Maybe there should be a "seated all the way throughout" option but I doubt it would be popular. Most people go to gigs because it's a more interactive experience rather than to have an amazing view, otherwise they'd just watch recorded gigs on YouTube or whatever.

To be fair you're posting on MN where people don't answer the door and get offended if they're expected to socialise with colleagues once a year or attend the hen party of their closest friend, rather than spending every weekend raving it up.

It would be interesting to see how many people saying you are unreasonable frequently go to gigs and what type.

I imagine if you posted on a band forum or tiktok you'd get very different answers!

So out of interest would the people agreeing with the op happily stand in front of a child at Taylor Swift for example and say well fuck them they can look at the screen? Kids under 14 generally can’t go in the standing area so they have to sit. God love them if they are sitting behind someone with some of the attitudes here.

My local venue has standing and seating. I rarely go into the standing, because I can never see. I don't expect those in the seating area to stand throughout the gig, regardless of who's playing. It's just plain rude to block the view of people behind you. I might make an exception for standing for the final big number.

If you want to dance, might I suggest a disco?

....or buy a fecking standing ticket in the first place where you wont spoil anyone elses night

They don't exist though
I am not eligible for the accessible area. I have no registered disabilities. But I absolutely cannot stand for a whole concert and wouldn't want to.

@UtilitarianNameChange true, but not always the case, I'm afraid.

Have a look at those prices for standing tickets at the O2 in London. The closer you get to the artist, the more expensive it is sometimes.

What happens if (as with Eras) almost everyone else is standing? I wouldn’t have sat on request there, because then I wouldn’t have been able to see either. It would have required the whole block in front of me to also change, so I’d probably just respond with something like ‘sorry, but everyone else is standing so I won’t be able to see either in that case’.

I would support seated only stands as directed by stewards, and it’s definitely a read the room type thing, but standing in seated areas is totally normal in concerts and if everyone else is standing (and standing in seated areas is permitted by the venue) then it’s unfair to expect the person in front to sit down.

I would love if they had specific areas for seating as I hate standing. But I do.

However if everyone around you is seated its pretty rude to be the only person standing.

Eras isn't something I'd have gone to 😀I have also stood up during certain songs, but I don't pay to have someone wiggling their arse in my face...
I don't doubt I've been cursed by people I've asked to sit down, but nobody has said no to me this far

Seated tickets mean you don't have to battle your way back and can dump a coat, bag, snacks etc. I want to dance, not faff about losing my spot or who I came with.

@Ginnnny out of curiosity, what kind of gigs do you go to? Just for me to work it out how your requests for people in front of you to seat were met.

Not in those words, but I wouldn’t sit down for a child because (as I’ve said in other posts) literally everyone else in my block was standing, so sitting down would mean that I couldn’t see either. It was permitted by the venue and almost expected that the crowd would be on their feet dancing all night, wherever they were in the venue. I’m sure parents bought their children Eras tickets knowing this. Taylor Swift isn’t a children’s artist, and aren’t the main audience.

There was a child in front of me in my eyeline who seemed to have a great time, dancing behind an adult who’s “fucked in the head” hair bow was perfectly in the the kid’s line of sight (until they fell asleep at some point). I’d support seated only stands, and think it would be unreasonable to stand in those, but otherwise generally it’s expected at most concerts people will spend some or all of it on their feet.

My point wasn’t specifically Eras, but an example of a gig where almost everyone is standing throughout. If I sat down for you, I wouldn’t be able to see, and your view still probably wouldn’t be great. It would require the whole block in front to all agree to sit down, and outside of stewards enforcing this, it isn’t going to happen. So I don’t think it’s unfair in that circumstance for the person in front of you to decline to sit.

Interesting.

Indoor concerts

2023

Madonna at The O2 twice. I was in block A1 for the first show and it was seated but pretty much everybody stood up.

Pet Shop Boys at the M&S Bank arena, Liverpool and we were sat 4 rows from the front of the stage. All seated but most of us were standing and I was one of the first to stand up.

Elton at The O2 - all seated.

2022
Lost in Music - Disco tribute at Motorpoint arena. We were 3 rows from the front, all seated but most up dancing.
Roxy Music at The O2 - we were sat in block 113. Seated in front of the stage.
Dionne Warwick at St David’s Hall, all seated
Squeeze at St David’s Hall, all seated
From the Jam - Cardiff Student’s Union was standing only

2021

Altered Images/Tom Bailey/Human League - Motorpoint Arena, all seated. We were a few rows from the front of the stage. Stood up a lot of the time when Human League were on.

Scritti Politti/ OMD - Motorpoint Arena, all seated.

2020

Madonna at London Palladium, all seated

2019
Elton John at Cardiff City Football Stadium, all seated
Hall & Oates at Birmingham NEC, all seated
Squeeze at St David’s Hall, all seated

Do you stand up and dance in the theater during Cats, the cinema during the greatest showman, restaurants with live music?

A seated ticket is SEATED. It being a 'concert' does not change that, if you wanted to stand and the venue allows it they would have 'standing area tickets' (which are separate, seated ticket holders have always been escorted back to seats when trying to enter standing zones). Abide by the ticket you have.

Took the words right outta my mouth!

I think there has to be common sense and courtesy. My Dh is 6’2”. Imagine if he stood in front of you for an entire gig. Or in front of your child. You’d all be ok with that?

I got your point; I'm not naive to think everyone in the seating area should keep their arse on the seat the whole time the concert is going - and as I said I too have stood up for certain songs. But not everyone in the seating area wants to stand up and dance, or have their view blocked by people doing so. I'd love to be in the standing area dancing the whole time, but I can't physically manage anymore!
I guess I'm lucky nobody has ever refused to sit, and I'd not be annoyed if they did. My experience might be less, but you can't control others actions.

If I pay for a seat I expect to see the performer, not your back.
There's a reason there is a standing area.

This is from take that's most recent tour this year. It's a "fully seated" concert. Do you think the atmosphere would have been the same if everyone was just sitting there? Watch some of the choruses etc. People on the floor are all standing and some are jumping around and waving their arms.
Honestly as i said if I was told i needed to sit throughout that show I just wouldn't go.

"A seated ticket is SEATED. It being a 'concert' does not change that, if you wanted to stand and the venue allows it they would have 'standing area tickets' (which are separate, seated ticket holders have always been escorted back to seats when trying to enter standing zones). Abide by the ticket you have."

You are simply wrong @housethatbuiltme

The nature of the event completely changes it. Do you expect the arena to rip out the seats because it is something like King of Leon where the majority wish to dance? Maybe they can pop them back in in time for a classical evening. Or should they just not bother selling tickets for the fixed seating at their venue?

Go to the FAQs on any arena site and they agree with me. Here's Sheffield Utilita for example.

YABU.

It's a seated concert, you can stand if everyone is standing, however if the people behind you aren't standing it's incredibly rude to stand and block their view.

The idea you can't enjoy the songs sitting down is quite sad to be honest.

Have you seen any of the footage from the latest TS tour?! The majority of people were standing and there were people paying hundreds for seats behind the actual stage.

Screens are there to allow everyone to see the band or performer close up and a lot of TS personal footage taken from concerts were of the screens because of how far away she was from the majority of seating.