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 don't go to concerts because of people like the OP.

For me, the difference is I only have to stand for the main act. For Eras people were on their feet queuing from 7am, and no chance for a break either to sit or use the loos after 3:00 when you have access or you’ll lose your spot. At something like Eras when everyone is standing, having the person in front of you stand will only mean both of you have a more restricted view, because there’s no chance the whole block will sit unless stewards enforce it as sitting only. I’d support seated only blocks, but standing from your seats at pop concerts is normal.

YANBU. I go to a lot of concerts, all sorts, standing, seated etc etc. Some there are no standing areas so that isn't always an option. Likewise, if I'm working all day I have no chance of getting any sort of decent view at the O2/wembley if I'm in the standing section, by the time I arrive.

I think it is fair to expect others to stand at a pop/rock concert (not classical/orchestral music!). I always stand and generally find others around me do, sometimes not from the off. Having said that, if I don't want to (I have a bad back/knees), I do appreciate others will, and that might block my view.

Recently went to see Take That with a friend. No standing tickets were sold. They aren't my top band, and I was happy to sit for the most part. The ladies directly in front of us were stood, and were having the time of their lives, blocking our view. My friend was v upset and asked them to sit, which then caused an argument with them. I actually was slightly disappointed that I couldn't see properly, but tbh, they were having such fun, and I figured that that is what I do at other gigs, so I let them get on with it and accepted this happens.

My opinion is that if you go to that sort of event, you should be prepared to have others around you stand. It kills the atmosphere when people don't stand, and I've also discussed this with various band members over the years.

It’s not always that easy. Often you’re assigned tickets by a website and if it’s a super competitive concert if you ask to be reallocated there might be nothing left for you.

I'd definitely expect people to be standing for a Kings of Leon gig! It's completely normal for people with seats to stand for some or all of a concert, depending on the artist. If they are more acoustic then sitting, but poppier / rockier / dance artists I'd expect most people to stand.

I have been to loads as well and it really has been band dependant. I have seen Bruce Springsteen many times over the last 30 years and pretty much everyone stays seated for 80% of the concert (even when all of us were much younger) but by the end everyone is up and dancing once it got dark (no pun intended!)

if you go to the Hammersmith Apollo when the seats are upstairs and standing downstairs, people tend to stay seating for the most part until the end but even then not always.

bur somewhere like take that in an area where it is all seated, I can see anything goes as a result.

If you want to stand, no worries! Get a standing ticket. If you want to sit get a seating ticket. Why are people confused by this?

’hey it’s a concert!’ Is such a shitty thing to say to do someone who likely can’t stand so got a seating ticket, and you’re likely blocking their view to something they likely spent £100s to attend.

I used to love live music. I’d go to concerts every week. Then I moved to London and relieved me of that joy. The audience really do make a difference.

I hate it. I book more expensive, tiered seating every time because I am very short and every SINGLE time some arsehole stands in front of me, phone over their head, dancing and jumping from side to side, and completely blocks my view. Ruins it.

It's years (and years) since I've been to a concert. I always got a standing ticket if I wanted to move (90% of the time.) If I had a seat, I sat. So did everyone else, except maybe for one or two favourites where everyone stood and went a bit mad. I had no idea anyone would think it was ok to block other people's view for an entire concert. Is that a thing?

I thought seated meant seated, not stand up and dance. I went to see Mamma Mia and we were seated, my friend started dancing and was told to sit back down by the ushers. I wouldn't like it if I had a seat and people were standing. Buy standing if that's what you want.

I was thinking exactly the opposite- when did standing in the seated area becme a thing?

I've seen, for example Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Scissor Sisters , Kaiser Chiefs, Belle and Sebastian in the seating area and people remained seated.

The last non classical concert I was at was The War on Drugs at whatever the big venue in Glasgow currently calls itself in the last couple of years. The seated area remained seated.

I'm going to a gig soon, seated but the tickets say 'please be aware people may stand'

Went to Wembley for Taylor, some stood all of it, some just for the more upbeat songs.

I'd never ask someone to sit, but I would ask the person behind me if they wanted me to sit if I saw they were sitting, but it'd likely make no difference if everyone else is standing

DP is tall, we always try to book end seats so he can lean into the aisle and if standing he would stand to one side slightly.

The theatre show? Theatre is definitely seated

Wasn’t their a mosh pit, why buy a seat if you can buy a standing ticket, or move forward to the mosh pit if you’re blocking someone?

Apparently it is. It wasn't when I used to go regularly to non classical concerts.

I can see both sides of this. So much depends on the band. I'm a great believer in standing up and dancing but unless it's one of those gigs where everyone is up from the off I go by what everyone else is doing and stand up when the people around me stand.
I think the general rule wherever is don't be an arsehole.Try not to block people's view if you can help it.

Most concert tickets (when actual tickets were still a thing) will say on the back “people may stand in front of you” if you go to concerts I think you have to accept that people will stand around you (unless it’s classical where most of the time people remain seated).

I went to a concert recently that the organisers said was seated only. About 3 people stood up to dance and the bouncers tried to throw them out. At which point the entire audience stood up! 😀

I have also had concert tickets saying you must not stand in the seated areas and the ushers enforce you to sit down . It is very much is venue dependant

What concerts are you going to? All the concerts I’ve been to recently (and all the ones friends have posted photos of) have all been standing in front of the stage, many have had no seating at all.

It always was and should be but since the pandemic, especially regionally, the narcissist attention seekers are out in force at theatres not just standing but singing a long to musicals, beers or glasses of wine in hand (at Hamilton, ended up with red wine chucked all over my new cream suede jacket and was told by the pissed middle aged “Mum on the lash wahooooooo, I can rap too!” who did it, “lighten up you miserable cow, it’s only a fucking jacket”. Often the staff are teenagers or young students, or in my local theatre, retired volunteers who are scared of confronting this sort of behaviour with nasty drunks no matter how unhappy it’s making people. So I’ve just stopped going. “This is why we can’t have nice things”.

I don't understand, you say these areas exist (I'm assuming that was in reference to the post you quoted suggested seated only areas) and then you say maybe there should be zones where people can just sit. Are there areas where people have to stay seated?

Some people can stand for a short time so maybe the man wasn't able to stand for the whole concert and you blocked his view. Not sure what the point is in having a seat if you don't want to sit.

In my experience you only stand up if those behind you have stood up. Personally I think you were selfish.

Get the feeling a number of contributors haven’t been to many gigs for a while. On average I go to at least 5 a year and the majority are in arenas. The only times I’ve been to gigs where there were “standing” areas in the last decade+ were venues that didn’t have any seating.

I go to way more than 5 gigs a year, arenas and smaller venues all have standing, some have only standing or accessibile. The only times there has been no standing at an arena has been for a comedian, classical performance or similar not really what I'd call a gig.

Well if you can't get the ticket you want you make a decision to either buy what is available or not go.