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?

The last few concerts I’ve been to the seating areas largely remained seated, I’m talking heavy metal gigs. Everyone used to stand but now people don’t seem to. Looking on you tube all the other concerts on the tour were the same

It's been a while since I went to a gig (thanks DD4) but often seated tickets have a disclaimer saying 'people around you may stand'? The atmosphere usually suffers if people are seated all of the time. I'm 4'11 so always got tiered seats because I wouldn't have a hope of seeing anything in the standing area, but would always stand/sit as those around me did and it generally worked out ok! I think if you go to certain gigs you should anticipate people standing or you'll end up disappointed.

Actually, we saw an accident years ago. Over enthused dipsomaniac took a tumble down the rows of seats!

I don’t get any pleasure out of making someone else have a poorer experience btw.

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.

So you blocked his view by standing in a seated area where 75% of the people were sitting (you said in the opening post about 25% stood up when you first did and most didn’t get up until the most popular song) but it’s all ok because YOU didn’t get any PLEASURE from denying someone else the opportunity to see?

Wow.

I definitely think you can enjoy a concert fine being seated throughout most of it, but maybe standing up on certain lively songs. If I’m seeing a singer in person, I want to actually look at them and marvel that I’m seeing them in the flesh, not watch them on a big tv, could stay at home for that. Having an attitude that anyone sitting down is miserable is that forced fun mentality, ‘WOOOOOHOOOOO! Come on everyone up, ah what’s wrong with your face, get up and dance, stop being so miserable, NOBODY is as fun as me, your all miserable sitting down’, the seated people are having just as much fun seeing someone they love, but wouldn’t begrudge the occasional dance, but stop assuming everyone seated has paid to deliberately be po faced to ruin it for all the fun ones! Im shy, but still love concerts, so sit, I’m having a great time, but two hours of someone’s shitty 1980s wedding dance moves makes me pretty annoyed!

’EVERYBODY UP, WOOOOHOOO, HERE WE GO’ (sigh!)

Yanbu. It's normal to stand up and dance even if you have a seat.

Oh God THIS. All of this perfectly sums up what it feels like, personally.

If there were standing seats available/mosh pit YABVU
If whole gig was seated and pretty much everyone in the venue was standing YANBU
But I'd need to know the gig and the venue.
I've done standing. I've done seated.
I've done what others here have said - sitting for the majority and standing for big numbers only.
But you don't seem to realise OP that you sound just as entitled.
Your needs don't trump his either.

We had this when we went to see Queen. People behind us had a right old moan( mind you they had moaned for 45 solid mins before it started). I firmly ignored them.
All smaller gigs now I pick the back row of the stalls. I am short but this gives me the freedom to stand/dance/sing as I like!

Well if you are at the back of the 02 Standing or seated or even alot of the sides, chances are you will watch the big screens as cant see well that far back.

At most large concerts there are sitting and standing areas, yabu to stand in the seated area imho. Book standing, I do

I’m short, so people standing is a bit of a pain … then add in that those very same people want to hold a phone above their head and film the bloody thing. So my view turns into a load of heads, and a load of screens.
It’s not the standing as such that bothers me, I can normally see the screen, it’s the phones that block the view

It is not normal to stand the entire concert if you have a seat. If you want that you get a standing ticket. People will usually get up for the big numbers and encores. Agree I want to see the band not a big screen. YABU.

This ^

Also nowadays by the time you get through you nab what tickets you can.

@Huckleberries73 Yes but why pay for seating when you plan to stand. In our case blocked by two woman chatting throughout the gig rather than singing and dancing. It's just not fair on others who may not be able to stand throughout. I only realised after seeing my friend struggle through it.

If only it was that easy! Tickets sell out in minutes for big artists.

I'm surprised at the voting, do mumsnetters not go to many concerts? I've been to loads and standing is absolutely normal

It depends on the concert. I was at Eras and the majority of people were standing all the time Taylor was on stage. Not every fan is the biggest fan of the bigger pop numbers. I’d have sat over We Are Never Getting Back Together (which I’d already seen live three times) over Champagne Problems even though it’s clearly poppier and dancier.

Then book seats near the back if you want to stand. Your right to stand and dance doesn’t trump someone’s right to watch the concert that they’ve paid for.

Not sure how old you are but I am old. Used to go to lots of concerts when I was young and everyone stood who had seats from the start back then, now it doesn't seem to be a thing until near the end when etiquette seems to allow!!
I prefer to get standing tickets now if I go so I also have a chance of seeing the band as larger venues are so huge, seated tickets are miles away now as well 😞

If I want to stand, which I prefer I book a standing ticket.
On the occasions when I've needed to book a seat (injury, with someone who can't stand, late pregnancy) I want to sit in my seat and see the thing I've paid to see not the back of someone who couldn't get a standing ticket.

I go to lots, and I book in the standing section. If I had to book on the seated section I would only stand if I wasn’t going to obstruct someone else’s view

I'm disabled, but not disabled "enough" not to sit in the standard seats. I can't stand for a whole gig. If you wanted to stand, you could have got standing tickets and not ruined someone else's view.

It depends on the day, the crowd but mostly the artist imho. I’ve mainly sat down for acts with older fans or if it’s not music to dance to. No one is sitting down for Liam Gallagher or Girls Aloud or acts like that though. I’ve never been in an arena for a gig where people do sit in seating the whole show - I’m really surprised how many people seem to be expecting this as a norm. I wouldn’t expect to sit for Kings of Leon but I’m not a massive fan so I would sit out the ones I don’t know and accept I’d be looking at people's backs.

Serious main character syndrome going on here.