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?

Except they didnt want to be considerate to the person that asked them.

OP wasn’t standing on seats, blocking walkways, crowd surfing, or moshing.

She was just standing up at her seat, which is permitted.

You’ve gotta expect people to stand up and dance at a concert. It’s normal and expected.

I have been to dozens of concerts over the past 30+ years, many with seats. Sometimes it's the only option available.

Only one of the concerts have stated that you must remain seated - and that was only for the first 3 rows in the balcony. It was a safety thing, rather than about other people's view.

I've been to concerts when I've struggled to stand for long for various health issues. I'm also only 5 foot so already short as it is. However, I would never expect people to remain seated at most types of concerts, and it's certainly never been an expectation in any of the venues I've been too.

I'd be incredibly surprised to see an audience at most concerts remain seated throughout. It would be really odd.

A pop/rock type concert is very different to going to see a theatre show or a classical concert. At those I'd expect the whole audience to be seated throughout. But not as most types of concerts that people are talking about here.

The pp mentioned a Take That concert where it was seats only. Do people genuinely believe no one would be standing at such a concert 🙄 ?! I can only imagine anyone with that kind of expectation hasn't been to a concert before.

Then book seats near the back if you want to stand.

At lots of big concerts you don't get to choose. They sell so quickly you literally get a choice of standing or seats at most.
And at any of those I have never known most of the audience to remain seated throughout.

Yes, it's a bit frustrating when you're my height but it's also something I would totally expect to happen at almost every concert I've been too.

At 5 foot I have long accepted that I go to concerts to be in the venue, to hear it, to feel the atmosphere and get the odd glimpse of the artists on stage, and often with help of a screen. It's been the same for the past 30+ years of me going to concerts do I can't se it changing any time soon.

I wouldn't go to a concert and expect everyone to remain seated. It would be so far from my actual experience of going to concerts it'd seem ridiculous to me.

Venues should take responsibility for this kind of thing. It is unfair on people who can't stand if people stand in seating areas so there should be provision made and expectations managed.

Many venues do have information on their websites to warn audiences that there may be people stood up and dancing in the seats.

I go to Sheffield arena a fair amount and they have this information in their site.

I go to Sheffield arena a fair amount and they have this information in their site.

Their seats are so uncomfortable and seem to be made for the vertically challenged. It's the same at the Lyceum theatre in town.

The pp mentioned a Take That concert where it was seats only. Do people genuinely believe no one would be standing at such a concert 🙄 ?! I can only imagine anyone with that kind of expectation hasn't been to a concert before.

Exactly Longma. I took the kids to a Little Mix concert a few years ago. There was no standing area, even the floor area was seats. It would have been utterly bizarre if everybody had just sat quietly watching the stage.

My aibu wasn’t asking if I was selfish, it asked whether blocks should be reserved for people who just want to sit/cannot stand.

Nearly everyone in my section (and as far as I could see) stood from about a third of the way in until the end. As has been the case at every concert I’ve ever been to.

Yes they should.

The only reason everyone stood up is because once one selfish person does, you can't see past and then people have no choice.

I tell people in front of me to sit down, like everyone else should.

This is nonsense. Quite often at concerts, as soon as the lights go down, everyone stands up. It's not set off by one person.
I think, just try not to be an arsehole. People who push to the front five minutes before the band come on. People who go to the bar every five minutes, people who sit on others shoulders... arseholes all.

My aibu wasn’t asking if I was selfish, it asked whether blocks should be reserved for people who just want to sit/cannot stand

I think there should, yes.

No they do go to gigs they just go to see different types of music that have a different type of fan to take that.

What does warning people do?
It's not like theres a choice to see bands in a place where others aren't selfish

Honestly a couple who went to a kings of Leon concert and were so annoyed by people standing up and dancing in their seats that they left had clearly never been at a concert before.

They're absolutely an argument for sections where standing in not allowed but going along to a rock concert and saying you need everyone to sit as you can't stand is doomed to failure regardless of your reasons .

Yes! Yes!This summarise everything! Trying going to a popular artist or band concert act and ask the public to remain seated! 😅 I am only 1.50M and would not even buy a ticket if it was high up front row. The last one, as I am so short, I ended up watching from the screen. 🤣. However, I would not expect everybody to remain seated in a lively concert for my benefit.

What does warning people do?
It's not like theres a choice to see bands in a place where others aren't selfish

Helps people to make an informed decision about whether they want to go?

It's so selfish to expect others to curb their enjoyment for your benefit. We're all selfish.

If there were standing seats and you had seated seats then yeah of course you were in the wrong. You say she targeted you because you were an easy target but have you considered it was you who was ruining his view?

Depends on the concert as to whether standing is appropriate. If it's a rock band you can probably standbut they are rarely seated anyway. For a pop band/act best stay seated if everyone around is seated, perhaps standing up only for the big hits. A more ballad artist or instrumental concert, stay seated you look like an idiot. If you wanted to stand, book standing. I book seating because I'm short and have a disability that affects my ability to stand. If you'd been in front of me and continually standing, I'd have asked for you to be removed.

I think standing and blocking the view of the people behind you is obviously selfish and unreasonable.

But is it's a show that specifies that "people around you may stand" then you could ask all you wanted but the venue couldn't remove someone who was doing something that was permitted.

I have a disability and sitting or standing for prolonged period is agony. That’s why I couldn’t be in the standing area. Forcing me to sit is selfish and entitled when I am adhering to the rules of the venue.

Moron is an ableist word btw.

My disability affects my ability to be in one position. Your disability does not trump mine.

Nobody would remove me for both sitting and standing in accordance with the venue rules, you’d be laughed out of there by staff.

Most tickets really don't specify that, it's just seated or standing and warnings about flashing lights. Unless the venue specifies that a seat is not disability friendly (sometimes they mention steep access etc) the Equality Act 2010 and it's related clauses in other acts means that they are potentially liable if a disabled person is disproportionately disadvantaged after drawing the attention of staff to something they could rectify. Ultimately you'd have to start the legal action yourself but that's why a lot of disabled people keep legal cover.

Don't get me wrong, there is an element of give and take, it's assumed in the average pop gig people may stand for the popular tunes or the encore but if a person is continually standing in a seated area with no consideration for others around them, the venue is within their rights to ask the person to sit or remove them to a different area, because they know it will be the venue getting sued, not the individual.

Frankly though it's just rude if someone points out an issue, to just ignore them. I suspect that even if the miffed woman mentioned a disability, the OP wouldn't have given a sh*t. Ignorant people usually just say 'you should have booked the disabled bit' which show their ignorance because the platformed area is for those with accessibility needs not simply a disability. If they had to accommodate everyone with a disability those platforms would be way too small. In my case I can access a normal seat easily enough but I cannot stand, that's why I purchase seated tickets not standing tickets..