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?

I'm applying the same logic as other posters are using. I completely agree that it’s selfish, as is the behaviour of anyone who knowingly blocks someone else’s view so that they can enjoy the gig more.

I went to Pulp and waited for the people behind me to stand and then I stood also.

I guess the aim if I could only sit would be to be on the front row of the seated section.

UB40 at Leeds arena everyone was invited to stand and dance by the support band and UB40 but the way its tiered when i got knackered from dancing i could sit down and still see the band, my OH always stays seated his health isnt the best and hes 6ft 4 so tall enough to see over heads without spoiling it for some poor short person behind him ,most of the gigs we go to at some point everyone stands

A lot of people in this thread have it backwards. IMO it is selfish to ask people to sit down at a concert where standing and dancing along is the norm.

You can love salmon and go to a seafood restaurant despite your shellfish allergy, and the restaurant can do its best to accommodate you by making sure there is no cross contamination, but you cannot expect guests to only order lobster if they are at least 3 tables away from you. Not even if that means that you just cannot go.

How do you know it’s a preference and not a disability? If I buy a seat I expect to be able to see while sitting

Does it depend on the venue? Theatre gigs, people refer to sit, and stadium gigs people prefer to stand?

’Cause I’m an old gimmer, (but no disability) , I prefer to sit, but will stand for the big numbers and have a dance at the end and during the encore.

Some bands are very good at advising when to sit and stand, and in this case, i think you should follow their lead.

"I saw them before 2007. It was the 2005 tour. I was there with teenage son and 3 of his friends. There wasn't dancing in the seated area."

Ok 🤣

Many, many ( most) venues don't have standing areas.
As for this being a new-ish thing...my first concert was Queen in Bristol Hippodrome in 1977. A theatre so all seated. I didn't sit in my seat all night...neither did anyone else.

I honestly don't think it matters whether it is a disability or a preference. It is completely fair to have preferences. But people overwhelmingly go to pop / rock concerts to stand and dance, not to sit and listen. That is the experience people pay for and what makes them want to spend £200+ in the first place. You should know this going in and not expect the world to revolve around you, whether it is due to preferences or limitations. And as I said above, these venues are not built to accommodate all able-bodied people in the standing area. In larger stadiums, there are often 5x as many seated tickets available as there are standing tickets. And there are many reasons to prefer a seated ticket to the free standing tickets in general admission.

And I say this as a person with a physical disability myself. I would always help you advocate for more accessible seats, for improving accessibility in general, I want everyone to be able to be there and enjoy it in their own way. But I am not going to take the joy of dancing away from people to achieve that.

Most, if not all, venues I've been to say standing is permitted. It's a concert, most people will want to be up and dancing.

if you have a disability, speak to the venue about getting the correct seat.

If I end up standing at a concert it’s more often because the annoying person in front of me was blocking my view for ages than because I wanted to. Judging by the pattern of the way people stand up - starting further forward and then steadily going back behind the original standers - I know I’m not the only person who ends up standing more because my view has been blocked for too long than because I want to. I hate standing tickets at concerts because I hate standing up for several hours at a time (flat feet leading to aching back…). That said, I certainly wouldn’t expect everyone to remain seated the whole time, just, preferably, most of the time.

Rude
The seated area is for sitting. If you want to be in the thick of it in the concert, then book a standing up ticket.

Rude
The seated area is for sitting. If you want to be in the thick of it in the concert, then book a standing up ticket.

That's not true. Most, if not all, venues say you can stand at your seat.

Were you there?

There was a massive ground floor standing area. Scissor Sisters were the same a few years later at same venue.

I've seen Scissor Sisters and everyone stood for them, everyone. Same with Jake Shears and Duran Duran. Hardly anyone sat in their seats for the Foo Fighters at Villa park the other week.

So nox those bands are not strictly stay in seat bands.

You are talking about then and a football stadium. I'm talking about almost 20 years ago in a different type of venue. There absolutely was not hordes of people standing in the seated area.

"Were you there?

There was a massive ground floor standing area. Scissor Sisters were the same a few years later at same venue."

2010 the year they played Glastonbury ffs. Everyone was standing! And dancing! You've just forgotten. The photos are out there for anyone to see.

Imagine sitting there like a lame duck. Filthy/gorgeous not so much.

Never has there been a FF concert where everyone sat. Not least a mere 2 years before the place was absolutely bouncing 😂

Duran Duran and Jake Shears wasn't a football stadium, it was an indoor venue with seating and standing.

I've seen Paul Weller at the Royal Albert Hall and everyone stayed seated, I've seen him at an arena with seats and standing and everyone stood.

It all depends on the type of concert and venue but it definitely isn't a blanket rule that everyone has to remain seated at all times if you are in a seat.

People are getting really bent out of shape over something that is acceptable and allowed.

If you're able bodied and capable of standing but choose to remain seated, why does that take priority over someone who wants to stand and dance?

um, have you SEEN the taylor swift concerts? that child would be up screaming and dancing themselves!

have a quick google - the whole stadium is up on their feet pretty much throughout.

weird example to go for...

"um, have you SEEN the taylor swift concerts? that child would be up screaming and dancing themselves!"

Noooo, they were all sitting meekly at Dublin. Not a person stepped from their seat. Allegedly 🤣

A bit like FF and SS at Glasgow. Not

Would any of the sitters here actually go to find a staff member and complain that the person in front of them was standing dancing and blocking their view?

I am guessing not, because you know they'd laugh in your face. Because it's completely normal and accepted.

Can you repost where someone said everyone was sitting at Taylor Swift please? Would like to see it. Pretty sure no one said it.

Standing people in seated areas are why I no longer go to gigs.

In the period between 'able to stand at gigs' and 'full time wheelchair user' I needed a seated ticket. All those standing ruined my gig experiences, I stopped going.

I did start going again once I was a wheelchair user, but so many poorly organised gigs where wheelchair users were dumped in the crowd so we were a hazard to others, and ourselves AND couldn't see has put paid to that too.

Enjoy your gigs you standing, able bodied folks, but if you must stand, book a standing ticket? It isn't difficult, its quite a good system really... seats for sitting in, no seats for standing up.

Yep. My kids were there. No need for Google. Why is it weird?

what's that got to do with the price of fish? Nobody has suggested that seated tickets don't exist, just that it's normal to stand up and dance when you are in them?
You don't need live video footage of your daughters to prove that the biggest arena in Ireland does in fact have seats.
So....were your daughters sat stationary and unmoving in those seats for 4 hours or did they get up and dance?