Standing at gigs - finally some sense!

[StacksOfSnacks]

I love live music and frequently attend concerts and have been utterly baffled in recent years that people behave as they would in the cinema - plonked on their backside, mutely watching. For me it’s all about the immersive experience - dancing, screaming, swaying, singing, waving my arms… But not only are more people staying seated, but I’m actually seeing discourse where people such as myself are being criticised for acting exactly like a typical concert goer - singing and standing.

I went to a show last night and noticed this little note on my e-ticket “People around you may stand!” though I think it should go without saying, finally some sense is prevailing and those whingers can keep schtum now (which they advocate for at gigs anyway 😂).

Disclaimer: I know people will pile on saying that not everyone can stand, and no they can’t and I understand that. I’d support if they wanted to have a section where people stay seated if there’s demand for it. However, I have observed a change in behaviour that is out of proportion even when considering that.

I’m with OP - the whole point of going to watch live music is to actually dance and sing and enjoy the band. Sadly as lots of bands now only seem to play arena style gigs and charge silly prices the standing tickets sell out quicker as they’re cheaper. I just wish they’d have proper designated seats for people that do genuinely wish to stay seated, for whatever reason they choose, and the tiered seats lower down that people would be made aware that people may stand up in.
I’ve stopped going to stadium/arena gigs now. Drives me mad that I people tutting or even worse talking through the whole set.
I’ve paid my money too!

Yeah I have nimbus access cards, a blue badge, letters from doctors and everything

Fun sucker's? Really? Because they actually want to enjoy the band not have people singing badly and jumping around in front of them. It's you that is the fun sucker.

I voted BU because it sounds like you’re booking seated tickets and complaining people are sitting whilst you stand. if you love standing, stand, in the standing section. I can’t stand for long periods of time due to my disability and it’s often difficult to book disabled seating (that’s another thread)..so I book seated, and will try enjoy the concert as much as the next person (waving arms, singing etc-I’m no prude) but when everyone who wants to stand books seated tickets to save a few bob and stands up in front of you all night long despite you politely explaining that you need to sit down and can’t see, then those selfish standers ruin it. I went to a biffy concert in January, paid for the best seats I could possibly afford in the seating section and got a lovely view of some drunk persons backside all night, despite asking many times nicely for them to sit down, explaining I was disabled-shocker- I was ignored. It just screams of entitlement “I’ll do what I want because I feel like it, sod everyone else”. Yes people book seating for a variety of reasons, and I get that standing usually gets sold out first, so if everyone on the rows around you is stood then fair enough but if they are not-don’t be that person blocking someone else’s view because you feel like being wavy. It’s not the etiquette and makes you a selfish person. Also, remember that just because someone’s seated doesn’t mean they’re a stick in the mud, you alluded to it yourself that you know that people may need to sit down, so perhaps think on that. If I’d had a £ for every time someone’s said “you don’t look disabled” (🙄), I’d be very rich. No wonder we have to adorn ourselves with sunflowers and blue badges! I think it’s fair to say a good solution to your problem would simply to be on ticket master on release day for your chosen concert and buy yourself some standing tickets so you can mosh/rave with everyone around you.

I’m kind of stunned by the entitlement of this. Yes it’s unreasonable, of course. I need to sit down and I wouldn’t be able to see if you were in front of me.

“The whole point of going to watch live music is to actually dance”.. SAYS WHO?! So if you dont dance you dont deserve to be there? Can’t believe how many people think their way is the only way.

YABU for going to a Louis Tomlinson gig and trying to make this argument. I’d be in a coma watching that rubbish.

That said I tend to stand up and dance on and off depending on who is around me. Many of the bands I see encourage it and avoid playing seated venues unless doing acoustic sets.

Lots of clubs have a no phone policy these days. More and more live musicians also have it as a condition of entry - Bruno Mars and Jack White pioneered it. There is a massive backlash amongst the young against pervasive digital technology.

Most bands don’t do dance music so that make no sense. Are you suggesting that people go to an Adele concert and get up and dance the whole way through? Dance to what beats exactly? Staying seated and singing along a bit and enjoying the music is perfectly normal.

Young folk today don't even know how to mosh properly - they do that running around in a circle thing. I kid... Good to see the re-emergence of stage diving as an art form though.

I agree completely, @Sidebeforeself - why is it so hard for some people to accept that their way is not the only right way to do something? At best, it shows a total lack of imagination.

It’s almost as if the venues should sell tickets specifically for those who want to stand…then the sitters can all sit in the seats and the standers can all standing in the…standing section?!?!

Screaming?! Umm no that's probably pretty annoying for those around you

I need to sit down but think it would be me being entitled if I expected people not to dance at a music concert because I can’t stand, there should be a disabled area

There’s not enough standing tickets and they sell out too fast. Last few concerts I went to everyone in seating stood so it appears the majority of people are accepting of it. There was no way I was going to ask the people in front of me at the oasis concert to sit down as I couldn’t stand much longer. I just accept that I won’t see much while I sit down but can still hear it.

Awww bless

Did you use copilot to compose this rediculous post

Wall of Death now.

There usually is. Your carer would get in free. You need to book accessible tickets if available

I was at a live Tribute band last night. The lady next to me was singing at the top of voice totally out of tune. Ruined the whole concert

Went to a heavy metal live concert and a lady next to me was waving her arms about like a demented spider. I spent nearly 2 hours stopping her from smacking me in the face

so in my opinion OP you are totally unreasonable

I mean, if you don't want to get smacked in the face at a metal gig, don't stand in the mosh pit.

I wasn’t in the mosh pit! That I would’ve accepted as a expected hazard

Ah, moshing while not in the pit is bad form. Was it a grindcore gig? Grindcore fans are absolute oiks in my experience.

I haven’t got a carer, I just can’t stand for a long time and enjoy being part of a fun energetic atmosphere so would not choose the disabled section

OP there are a lot of boring kill joys on mumsnet who will jump at the chance to be sanctimonious about something. They are probably also the sort of people who queue in a one behind the other line at the bar.

In reality people go to gigs to have fun and enjoy the music. I would book standing if any tickets left but I book seated if those seats run out and then stand. The kill joys can maybe consider watching it on TV next time.

And what about the joy of the person behind you who gets to stare at your backside all night rather than seeing the band, @givemesteel - I guess you don’t give a shit about them.