To wonder why some people get so drunk at concerts?

[mightyducks]

Twice this year I have even to major concerts where the person next to me so drunk they were virtually unconscious, one was a bloke with his wife, it was a sit down concert , he was absolutely out of it and then went to sleep. The other was Oasis, bloke was so drunk he was just in a pile on the floor, didn’t see any of the concert, he like that when he arrived. Why do people do this? The tickets for both were really expensive, surely you want to go and enjoy the concert, not get so drunk you miss most of it and can’t remember it the next day? AIBU?

Goodness knows. Why keep on going to the bar and coming back with trays of pints, then going to the toilet, on repeat. You’ve paid £150+ for these tickets so surely you want to see the whole gig?

Also, to do this they are repeatedly pushing past me to get to the aisle. It’s incomprehensible, and infuriating.

I totally agree. Like why go if you're just going to get pie-eyed and annoy others? I've had pissheads spill drinks all over my clothes and shoes multiple times at gigs. I went to one the other week where two incredibly drunk people were talking and shouting loudly over the music the ENTIRE FUCKING TIME. To the point where I could barely hear the lead singer.

I would have said something to them, but it was in Sunderland and I'm not that stupid.

Please let us know when you find the answer. It’s a baffling mystery for me too.

YANBU. I like a drink at a gig. Have definitely been drunk at gigs. Not aware that I’ve annoyed others because of this, although I have definitely witnessed what you’re observing.

It’s my favourite form of “going out” so for me it’s about having some drinks with friends and enjoying the music. I’ll be quite giddy and absorbed in the moment. Sometimes I might have one too many. I imagine that’s what happens to the people you’re talking about except their off switch is less easily accessible than even mine!

Agree. I’m also not a huge fan of people filming the whole show while waving their phone around in front of me. Do they really settle down at home afterwards and watch it all back?

Gosh I always think this too. Why pay £100 to go to a concert and drink so much that you don’t remember it? I once left a concert ( Kings of Leon at Swansea stadium) because so many people were drunk and off their faces on god knows what that the atmosphere was awful. I like a drink as much as the next person and have a beer or two when I’m at a gig but that’s it because I want to enjoy it and remember it.

If it doesn't affect you does it really matter

It does affect others

people staggering into you , incoherent yelling and eventually getting thrown out - all a distraction , and sometimes a physically painful one

Unfortunately some people's idea of enjoying themselves is getting blind drunk. They literally can't go out anywhere without alcohol.

Because quite a lot of people are really shit at life. Zero self-control, zero self-awareness, and zero self-respect.

Really really dismal human beings.

Last concert I went to I had a pint in the lovely sunshine 😌 ☀️ group of people near me did not stop talking all through the concert......🤬🤬

My mum was really shocked when we went to see Peter Kay and people were passed out in the foyers. Even Peter made a comment to the ‘garlic bread' knob head saying you’ve spent this much money and you’re going to be too pissed to remember anything about it, before threatening to get him kicked out

I don’t understand the recording and videoing at concerts either. I was at a gig and the people in front just spent the whole gig taking selfies of each other facing away from the stage.

I will admit taking 3 photos max at a concert then my phone is away for the rest of the gig

Our local venue will chuck people out for this

bloody good venue

Yes, I also find this really odd. I have no problem with people getting blind drunk if they want to, but it seems really strange to do that at an event you’ve paid £££s to attend. Obviously a couple of drinks and being a bit merry is fine and part of a good time, but if someone’s so drunk they won’t actually enjoy or remember the gig, it’s just mad.

In my experience, though, it’s only usually at very big high profile ‘event’ gigs (like Oasis) that this happens, never at smaller venues, which makes me wonder whether it’s a case of people who don’t get to go out very often getting carried away on a big occasion. I don’t think it’s ever people who go to a couple of gigs a month who end up comatose by the time the main act comes on.

The people who annoy me at smaller gigs are the people who just stand in a group chatting throughout the performance, as if the band isn’t there, often having to yell into each other’s ears to hear each other. Just go to the pub instead! Nobody else wants to hear you shouting over the music about your holiday or your problems with your manager FFS.

@childofthe607080s it was an open air concert.... security seemed more interested in confiscating drinks bottles than anything else 😂😂 my sons first concert and first pint 😀 ❤️

Some people get carried away, some people are used to being drunk at every social occasion. If you grew up in the 90s it’s not hard to see why

Nail on the head. Some people cannot imagine having a good time without drinking. The more they drink, the better they think the event will be. Different events will attract more or less of that kind of person.

As a broad brush approximation, the kind of person who is likely to be paying to see Oasis now is the kind of person who was deep into lad culture in the 90s. This is exactly the kind of person who is likely to get utterly wankered at a gig.

Worst ever I saw was a middle aged woman at. Barbra Streisand gig about 20 years ago at the 02. She was wearing a very expensive linen suit, propped up either side by her daughters, had pissed herself and was barely conscious. Gig hadn’t even started.(

Last one I was at, two women in a large group, so drunk their friends were having to hold them up. One ended on a bench, sobbing, her friends trying to console her.
The other, so drunk the stewards helped her to a bench and she slept through the whole concert.

Embarrassed themselves.

The two drunken women missed the whole concert as did some of their friends. What a waste of time and money.

I understand where you are coming from.I went to see Deacon Blue last month.The three women in the row behind us yelled at each other all the way through. There was a ‘you spilled my pint’ fight on the other side of the aisle and the floor was covered with lager.

I do t get it either. All that money to not remember it or be so drunk to not enjoy it. I love a drink before a concert but stop well within my limits to enjoy the gig

It's why I didn’t even try for Oasis tickets, the thought of middle aged drunk men put me off.

I imagine some people are overdoing at these big nostalgic concerts because they are over excited and temporarily forget how old they've gotten

I've been this person before.

It was a concern I didn't really want to go to (tickets were a gift) and I'd had an awful week so took too much advantage of the opportunity. DS was with my parents so it was a rare child free night and the opportunity was just there.
I completely regret it, especially condering DH and my friends had to deal with me being hammered while the were merrily drinking. I felt awful after the fact, but while I swear it won't happen again, I so rarely get to blow off steam, I can easily imagine it happening.

I completely agree. I just don’t understand the mentality of people spending all that money on tickets and then just going in and out all the time getting drinks.

A couple of years ago I took Dd and some friends to an Arctic Monkeys concert and I was shocked at how pissed up much of the audience were. Dd and her friends went towards the front to be in the thick of things, and I stood nearer the back on my own. At one point I felt something splash onto my shoes and it was a man behind me PISSING in the middle of the crowd. He could hardly stand and looked very sheepish when I laid into him. I very much doubt he’s experienced such fury before or since 😁