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.

Lol!

I saw Evanescence at the Royal Festival Hall in 2018. That was all sitting and no one did any standing or dancing from what I recall. Totally different vibe to when I saw them in 2012, 2017 and 2022. No mosh pits though. 😆

I suppose I'm just considerate of other people around me. So I wouldn't stand in a seated area and neither does anyone else.

Someone else said Birmingham seems to be quite strict and that's my closest big city so where I tend to go and they do tell people in seated areas to sit down if they stand.

I generally go to see old punk bands, so very loud and a bit raucous but no one stands in the seating areas. And, if they want to, they move to a space where they're not blocking anyone's view.

I just can't imagine intentionally blocking the view of someone who has bought a seated ticket as they generally have done so for a reason.

It’s not people seating that I judge, it’s the people who sit there with not outward sign of enjoyment at all just looking bored. I hope you have a nice time.

If you are relatively close to the aisle then consider asking to swap with the person in that seat - when you stand it doesn’t really make much difference, but if you are planning to stay seated having the aisle can make it easier to see past anyone who may be standing in front of you. My friend with bad knees tends to book the aisle seat for this reason.

I hate it when people stand in the seated area, buy a standing ticket (which i often do), its ok near the end or for one or two songs but it really pisses me off if someone stands throughout. Actually i was at a MUSE gig where a group persistently stood and danced in the aisle/steps- Security removed them after a couple of warnings!
I've been to two gigs this month - one standing and one all seated. At the seated one people stood for the encore songs and were also permitted to go down to the edge of the stage, no one stood before then. It was excellent. Yes we danced, sang, clapped and waved our arms in our seats.
When my son was younger we always HAD to go seated and this is even more annoying if someone stands up. I once just asked if we could swap seats if they were going to stand throughout- fortunately they did. Unfortunate for the people behind though!

I'm seeing Louis tomorrow and have a floor ticket.
I gave up on seats partially because of this, I don't want to sit politely and clap at the end.
I'll be singing my heart out and jumping around.
He's absolutely amazing 👏 🤩

All sounds a bit performative to me. Buy a standing room ticket and be in the mosh pit, some people want to listen and sit. It’s not your place to decide that’s not ok.

I’ve seen them all live, from AC/DC, to the scorpions,to Bon Jovi to Bruce Springsteen and everything in between, we do at least 3 major gigs a year and travel globally to do it, and no one is screaming, so I wonder if you don’t know the meaning of the word, it’s a short sharp high pitched noise.

these debates come up on mumsnet from time to time

the standing with a seated ticket etiquette is very much artist/ venue dependant. Smaller venues where there is mostly standing vs seated upstairs , you usually don’t stand except at the end. Big stadiums it depends on artist and length of concert. There is no set rule but in everyone is seated it is very rude to stand and block everyone else

I’m sure you’ll have a fab time!! Bring your tissues for Dark to Light. And be sure to get there in time for the warm up acts, they were class.

I always booked seated but no one actually sits as soon as the headline act comes on. People are so precious, you want to sit down watch it on your TV.

Concerts I’ve attended are full of people singing and dancing in the seated areas. It’s the minority that seem to want to sit and only tap their foot. I’m wondering if some people here have actually attended concerts because they don’t seem to realise what is the norm is. If they do go to concerts, which singers/bands are they seeing where the crowd is sitting still and not singing?

In the last few years I’ve seen Noah Kahan, Kings of Leon, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Bryan Adams, Luke Combs, Bruce Springsteen, Zach Bryan, Coldplay, Oasis, Olivia Rodrigo, lots more and most people were standing, singing and dancing at every one of them.

I'm also on the petite side. I always choose a standing ticket so I can be flexible if (when) someone tall inevitably stands in front of me at the last minute. It's really selfish to stand in a seated area, most of the people seated chose that ticket for a good reason and many have no option but to sit. If you are petite you can't move around to find a good spot if you have an allocated seat.

Oh FFS. Not this thread again!

If I possibly can I now book back row stall seats so I can stand up as the spirit takes me!

I always book standing. When I can’t and get seating , I stay seated. Plenty of people can’t stand for long periods and need a seat. It’s really rude to stand and block their view.

Again, it’s not a generic rule. No one stands the whole way through a Bruce Springsteen concert for instance. The big numbers sure but most of it everyone stays seated.

I have been to many many concerts in many different venues and I have never been to single one where the seated tickets stand the whole way though. It is just the amount of standing vs seated is in debate

I couldn’t stand in a standing section for hours. I feel claustrophobic around a crowd of people standing. I’m short so get pushed around and stood on.

Setting aside abelism, ”Just buy a standing ticket” assumes everyone is average height and age.

I’ve done many, many more. We have 8 booked for this year. Always in seated, and nobody sits for the entire show. Not ever in my 35 years of concert going have I seen the major of people sitting.

The majority of people in the seated areas DONT ‘enjoy standing’ or want to ‘stand for the performance’.
We are forced to by selfish idiots who stand up us front of us dancing, waving their arms and screaming.
So people like you.
You (coll) stop me going to concerts with your selfish behaviour .
If you go on seated, then stay seated.

My millionth time seeing him, I've been a 1D fan since the beginning.
I'll definitely sob through Dark to Light.

They don’t sit for the entire show but the vast majority they do. The big numbers everyone stands for do sure and certainly the encores usually but the vast majority people stay seated. But again that isn’t a hard fast rule. It does depend on artist/venue.

If you go on seated, then stay seated.

No

If the venue allows standing, then people will do that. Take it up with the venue if you don’t like it.

They don't, because I don't flail my arms around and wail.

So what are people like me supposed do @StacksOfSnacks ? I am ambulant disabled and can't stand for long. I can apply for Accessibility seating which is usually allocated and always in a back row which doesn't help when people stand and dance in front of me so that I can't see. If I ask people in front of me if they can sit I'm either ignored or told no even if I explain my disability.

I went to a big venue last week and actually saw less than 10% of the main act due to people standing and have made the decision not to go to any more gigs and will sell my remaining tickets. I'm gutted to sell my hard won MCR tickets but why do I want to pay £100+ per ticket to just look at people's backs and arses - it's grossly unfair.
So what do people like me have to do? How can I see the same gigs you do and in the same way?

Its not that much different though. If you buy a seated ticket, then people who actually need to be seated are going to have their evening ruined by you standing and blocking them. It's a little thoughtless on your part OP.

I agree there should be a section for people who want to sit and only sit. Usually standing tickets are the hardest to get, if I end up in seated I want to stand up and dance! The show would be ruined for me if the person behind was sitting because I would have to sit too.