Phones at gigs

[BlinkBeforeYouThink]

I get that this is now part of life. People want to capture their experience. I get that. And concerts where you're jumping up and down, dancing etc recording the show probably isn't that intrusive to those around you. But this week I was at a seated concert at the Royal Albert Hall and the people in front kept putting their phones up to record. It just totally distracted me and kept pulling my attention from the artist to the light from the phone. Feel quite annoyed tbh and wish people that do this could understand how much they ruin it for others around them. There was even an announcement at the beginning asking people to put their phones away for the enjoyment of everyone but some people just don't care.

Totally agree OP. The light from the phone so distracts from the dark auditorium/bright stage thing.

The whole point of events like gigs is that they're a one off thrill, a memory that is a point in time in your life and the excitement of the moment is everything. You can't capture that but you can ruin it by not being fully in the moment.

Yanbu. Some twat was doing it on the David Attenborough orchestra tour and it drove me mad. We were in darkness and so her phone was so bright in contrast and she was waving it everywhere.

The show was literally live music to televised, pre-existing tv recordings. Its available free on BBC. There is no way her crappy phone recording was better than the professional versions.

But I'm sure she got to impress her friends on social media for 2 seconds. 🙄

Agree OP however I’m also a short arse so occasionally if someone is filming I can see the stage/act better so rarely it has it’s used.
There are so many irritants at gigs these days, drunk people, tall people (I realise that tall people enjoy music too), people talking constantly, people wrongly identifying the space in front of me as a route to the bar, people filming everything, people snogging.
i need to remember this more often before I spunk my hard earned cash on tickets.

Noel Gallagher noted that when he saw footage of Knebworth it was the last huge event before camera phones. Not sure if that is accurate but he had a point.
I saw them in 94 in a tiny sweater theatre. All I have to show for it is my ticket. There was no video footage and not a photo at all by anybody. I can’t remember every single detail but I do remember the feeling - electric, as if I was seeing something important. Saw them several times after and none of us had phones but I can see the footage on YouTube if I want to. And that’s the thing, anything you go to now is professionally filmed and photographed so you don’t need a phone.
Soaking in the atmosphere is so important. Virtually everyone was filming at Cardiff last night. Why bother? Millions of people tried to get into that gig, and you’re faffing with your phone.
Showing my age here. I can remember being front row to see Duran Duran in a small theatre at 13, not a photo of that obviously. I think cameras weren’t allowed in and they’d have been seen as naff. I wouldn’t have minded a photo but I’ve got a great memory just put a track on and it reminds me.
And while I get arenas can have a great atmosphere there’s nothing like seeing someone in a smaller venue absolutely uo close. Let’s just say Liam Gallagher at full flight when he was just 21 was dynamite stuff!

I saw Stereophonics last night. Rather than enjoy the music people chatted loudly, recorded videos (and watched them back with their partner), left, came back and infinitum, wandered around (and around) with chicken and chips having forgotten where they left their family and one over amorous middle aged bloke groped his wife's arse through the entire 2 hours (fucking revolting behaviour). Stereophonics were fabulous, the audience antics, not so much. Why were they even there?

Totally agree - had a few experiences where it’s been really annoying

I recently went to the cinema for the first time in probably 10+ years. I was really surprised at the amount of adults who couldn't seem to sit still or stay off their phones. I was under the impression that cinema etiquette was that you turn off your phone/put it on silent and don't be noisy so that others can enjoy the film, yet there were people taking selfies with the flash on and others just spending half the film looking at their phone.

It was a kids film, so I thought maybe the parents just weren't interested in it but we went again to see an adults film and it was exactly the same. I admittedly spend too much time on my phone but I don't get the point in paying for the cinema/theatre/a gig just to spend the whole time messing on your phone.

Did you not think you could have said something as there was an announcement not to do it?

100000% agree.

you go to the cinema and someone’s phone really irks your eyes in the dark. Drives me to distraction.
fair enough the odd selfie.
I went to a concert and someone put the ruddy screen in my vision and live streamed it, it was jumpy and shoddy.

There is a video meme going around, in the 90’s when people just lost themselves to the music and worked hard at dancing to the tunes. Now people just hold a screen up at the DJ with little to no dancing. Sad times.

How about the people around you?

I went to see Pulp and there was a middle-aged bloke with a bloody GoPro filming the entire set. When that expired he got his phone out and started filming with it. Halfway through A Sunset some absolute legend flung a pint of who knows what that landed perfectly and soaked him and his phone. He was livid, we were laughing.

It's extremely annoying and they're only doing it for likes on tiktok or Instagram. You can find 10,000 videos of the Oasis gigs online, including from people with a much better view than you, so there's really no need.

That said, I recently found a 20 second video from years ago (back in the days of digital cameras) which I now absolutely treasure. It was a (pretty niche) musician I love who hadn't played in decades who died shortly after. I doubt any similar footage exists anywhere. In cases like this I'll let people off!

I went to see Justin Timberlake on Friday and I took a couple of short videos (20s max) to share with my sister but that was it. A lot of phones up in the air the entire time tho.

Before my niece’s wedding ceremony the celebrant told us that the couple wanted us all to share their special moment with them and to please put camera phones away. Damn right. Live in the moment please people x

I’m always at the very front of gigs. If I’m filming, I never lift my phone higher than my chest and put my hand in front of the screen to block the light so it doesn’t bother anyone around me. I have a rule that if anyone ever asks me to stop, I will do so immediately and without question. So far, nobody has.

I do watch the videos back. I also share them online with fans who couldn’t make the show and a lot of people really appreciate them.
Another dimension of this thing is having recorded evidence of smaller bands. A lot of my favourites from the 2000s sadly have now passed away, and there’s hardly any footage of them performing live, because phones weren’t really a thing and they weren’t big enough to be professionally filmed. I think there’s a role for amateur filming in this case.

Should be banned. Also at galleries. Some venues now ask people to put their phones in lockable pouches, so let's hope that trend continues.

I had similar a couple of months ago, but the user dimmed their screen right down to minimise distraction.

That’s another thing I’ve noticed in recent years, people going in and out for drinks and food. Rather than people standing and watching the stage there’s a constant movement of people weaving in and out of the crowd.

Excellent aiming skills with that pint!!

Ive been to one and someone got out a Ipad.

I get it short busts fine but people who film the entire thing whats the point? Might as well not be there.

People have forgotten how to behave and be aware of others. I have been shocked at people in theatres taking selfies while the act is on, talking, moving seats......

God that’s grim. An iPad.

I always feel sad for the band on stage who are just facing a sea of phones rather than faces. Chris Martin of Coldplay often asks people to put their phones away for a whole song and just enjoy it.

Why anyone would want to film Manchester United's performances last season is beyond me.

To the original point, it is a pity that there cannot be technology that temporarily denies people a signal in a small area. Announced in advance.

totally agree. take a couple of photos before the show then am done. I like to enjoy the concert.
here in Ireland went to see Tommy teirnan recently and you had to lock your phone in a pouch before went into teh show and it was unlocked when it was over. the amount of people that weren't happy with it was unreal but I say it's the future