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?

So I started checking somewhat local venues on what they say...
Most say "you should expect people around you may stand. Please don't stand on seats or in aisles"
But one specifically bans standing in the seated sections, which is interesting as I have said before I haven't booked shows there as often only the standing tickets are left and I want to be able to sit at times and stand at times. So seeing this has put me off using the venue even more (the prices are often more than I am willing to pay for the type of venue it is) now because I like the choice when in seated.

What don't you get about "not everyone can stand " no matter how much they want to?

So once again, people with disabilities don't matter?

They already have a large seated area - it's called the seats. If you want to stand up, buy a standing ticket.

A lot of people get seated tickets as there are no standing ones left. I went to see Taylor a couple of weeks ago and had seats but we (and
no one around us) sat at all,

Anyone that didn’t get up to dance to The Bucket is unreasonable.

I can’t stand up for long and if you were blocking my view I would have asked you to sit down too

And what if (as was the case when I saw Eras this year) literally everyone is standing in front of me? If I sit I won’t be able to see, and the person behind will still probably have a restricted view as well. It would need everyone in the block to sit to accommodate the request, which would take stewards to intervene to enforce - which they won’t because it’s not the venue’s policy that being seated is mandatory. So in that case I probably would have declined to sit. I wouldn’t be the only one in the block standing, but if everyone is standing, I will be too.

Just so you're aware (but I think you were absolutely right to stand in this situation), but there are SO few accessibility tickets available - even at Stadiums - that many people with disabilities end up having to sit in GA. So the idea of a 'stay seated' area is a great one!
That said, even when I have to sit in GA as someone with a disability, I would never expect people around me to change or temper their experience because I couldn't stand.

"So once again, people with disabilities don't matter?"

You're reaching a bit there. I didn't say eradicate the accessible areas for people with disabilities. Goodness me 😂

So have the back of the arena on the slope seating strictly seated, no standing and easy access platforms. The rest of the place is do as you wish.

After all, if everyone bothered to read the OP properly, they would know that this is what was being asked, should their be dedicated seating only. Instead everyone decided to make out everyone who stood with a seat was breaking some sort of non existent rule and you should never stand at a concert ever and reaching even further and getting upset because they had convinced themselves that people were saying those with disabilities shouldn't be considered!

I’d also like to bAn the fuckers who either sit or stand in front of you holding their phones aloft to film and you end up watching the gig through their bloody phone!! I’ve had words on several occasions

No, but it's two different arguments

"Venues should have sufficient seats and appropriate areas for disabled people to attend concerts with the knowledge their view won't be blocked." = a very reasonable point

"In venues that have not done this, it is the responsibility of the (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of other concert goers to sit throughout the entire gig and not stand up to dance at any point on the off-chance a disabled person might be sitting behind them." Isn't.

I’m totally with you, I love standing at concerts! I’ve been to a few concerts post-covid and the audience seem to have stopped standing up. Proper spoils it for me!
James Blunt is actually pretty good, he makes the audience stand 😂 but I’ve even been to rock concerts and people have stayed seated!

Yeah that’s really not the point. Would you pay 70-80£ to watch a big screen?

Depends on the gig. Have you not been to gigs where only a few drunk people stand up?
Still it's awkward to complain isn't it. It's not nice to be put in that position.

It depends on the venue and how sloped the seating is.

I prefer to stand, it means I can move to a position where I can see. If the only option left is seated then I take it. However, the last couple of times I've done this the people in front of me have stood up. I stood up, but even when I stood I couldn't see. It wasn't a stadium so not enough of a slope to accommodate the height difference. I couldn't move sideways as it was allocated seats. The people in front were selfish and didn't care.

Many venues offer both. If you've missed the standing tickets (as I often do) I think you need to accept that you may not be able to stand.

I’m laughing at the responses here, who on earth goes to a lively concert to sit calmly in their seat as if they were just watching tv at home?!! It’s a concert FFS, get up and dance, and if you don’t want to/can’t you really can’t expect others to remain seated to accommodate you!!

Again you weren't there. People were not standing in the seated area. Obviously things have changed although it was the same recently at same venue for The War on Drugs- people were not standing in the seated area- the standing area was heaving.

Why don't you get standing tickets if you feel you must dance?

Because I don’t want to be squashed into the standing area. In years gone by NO ONE sat at concerts, I don’t know where this ‘I can’t be bothered to stand’ attitude has come from. Boring fuckers!!

Why is it less boring to stand up and sway a bit?

Also it isn't true. Many people have always wanted to sit in their seats at seated shows.
So you don't want stand in the standing area? You want to stand awkwardly in front of a seat?