Beware iPhone rant

[Funkyfairy!]

Having been to a couple of gigs in the last couple of weeks I have noticed a huge increase of people watching the gig through their phone screen or holding it randomly in the air filming. Do these people not realise the quality of the footage will be rubbish, plus it blocks peoples views, and is intrusive .

Tonight I took my Mum to see leona Lewis at the royal Albert hall - and so many people sitting filming - a sea of flippin iPhone screens. I even had a word with the lady sitting next me as the light from her screen was so distracting

Is it me or does anyone else think it is dumb/stupid/ inconsiderate to constantly record a gig ? I'd rather see a flag than a phone gggrrrr

Do you think it will be the new gggrrrr at Glastonbury this year - or is it just me who wants to run up to these people and shout - put the phone away and live the moment !!!

Rant over :-)

[dip]

I get more annoyed at people who feel like they can tell others how to act at a gig.

[Funkyfairy!]

I get more annoyed at people who feel like they can tell others how to act at a gig.

[popcornmaster]

Totally on your side OP.

I feel equal parts pity and hatred towards people who film entire concerts.

[Mr. Cowbell]

I record loads of stuff on my phone, it was the main reason that I got a phone with a decent camera. The quality obviously isn't the best but it's something you can watch to remember where you were in the crowd, how the venue looked etc. I filmed this on my iPhone and I don't think the quality is too bad, watch it in 1080 for the best quality obviously. Excuse the stupid bit at the start with the sewing machine table.

People who moan about it, what's the point? Is it really that much of a distraction to you?

[dan05delaney]

the constant filming is annoying, it takes away from the gig... you won't remember the experience of going to the gig, just the fact you have a video of it

[random_man]

I was st the Roubdhouse tonight and was thinking exactly this! Surely people would enjoy and renember the gig a lot more if you didn't have to hold a phone in the air for 2hrs

[Mr. Cowbell]

Filming whole sets is daft obviously, I only film little bits then edit them together. Whilst I was filming the video that I've just posted I got dragged in to that melee of people, which you can tell just at the end of the video, I then continued to jump around for the remaining 45 minutes of their set. Haven't done it for years and I can't see myself doing it again anytime soon, it was BOSS at the time though.

[StephenMinty]

Fair enough - just me then :-)

[popcornmaster]

People who moan about it, what's the point? Is it really that much of a distraction to you?

Edited May 10, 2013 by popcornmaster

[Ratpat]

I simply hate it tbh!

It's nice to have a souvenir of the concert but then PLEASE just 1 song, or a couple of photos, they're taking care of shooting a good video, but they "miss" the concert-atmosphere themselves like that :-(

Worst thing that happens if someone next to you asks you to move to the side and take care as he is filming,

my reactions are usually not the nicest ones.

If I go to a concert I want to enjoy the concert, if I want to watch a concert of XY I can simply buy his DVD and let concert-fans enjoy the concert!

Sorry for the filming fans, but I hate hate hate it

[jonny2mad]

all I will say is its amazing the number of people who lose iphones or have iphones stolen, If part of your job is dealing with people who have lost stuff like this it does put you off taking one .

you have pickpockets your waving a phone in the air so people can have a good look at what yourve got , if your in a crowd they can get knocked out of your hand .

personally I wouldnt take one,

[Tuna]

some guy in the front row was filming recently at a pretty intimate club show of the cribs i won tickets for, so the crowd was all pretty huge on them. watched someone literally hit a guys iphone out of his hands and it go flying, the guitarist just grinned. kid who was filming didnt say anything just went all red faced and looked really sad when nobody helped him find his bloody phone. does go to show that artists dont like it either - karen from yyys recently went on a mad one about it.

Edited May 10, 2013 by Tuna

[Bisque]

Never been an issue for me but I can't imagine anyone filming Enter Shikari at the front or any DJs in fabric, at a festival it would be even less of an issue.

I think taking photos is fine but I'd much rather enjoy what I've paid for than waste my time filming it to show off to my mates as the quality is usually whack due to the bass

[dj_tim]

These photos show the difference between when the last 2 popes were unveiled. Not a gig I realise but it shows how obsessed people have become with documenting memories, rather than actually living their lives and creating them. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you have to.

[johnny-yen]

I agree. And to make matters worse my eye seems to be drawn to their screen and not the stage. It's really off putting, despite trying to not focus on it. It somehow draws me in.

It's nearly as annoying as people's increase in chatting at gigs. I'm sure that's getting worse too but don't get me started on that one.

[frostypaw]

it's very distracting, and ridiculous - i used to take lots of pictures, but it became increasingly clear that there is ALWAYS someone just beside you with a better camera. So let them film it! Find it on Youtube etc later take just a photo and get on with enjoying the gig. Let someone else pay £400 for an amazing telephoto lens

i've enjoyed myself much more since i stopped thinking "is there going to be a good shot in a second?" and just watched and listened.

[shoogie woogie]

some guy in the front row was filming recently at a pretty intimate club show of the cribs i won tickets for, so the crowd was all pretty huge on them. watched someone literally hit a guys iphone out of his hands and it go flying, the guitarist just grinned. kid who was filming didnt say anything just went all red faced and looked really sad when nobody helped him find his bloody phone. does go to show that artists dont like it either - karen from yyys recently went on a mad one about it.

[formed a band]

Each to their own I suppose but it does seem a bit pathetic and not in the spirit of gig going

[helen-8]

I couldn't be bothered to film a gig myself but sometimes I am grateful that someone else did when I'm trawling through YouTube to find footage of a gig I've been to!

[ICGenie]

This is one of my biggest bug-bears with gig going now. It's a totally ridiculous thing to do. The idea that it's worth sacrificing the experience of being at a gig for a memento that (and let's be honest here) will be shit and that no-one will really be interested in is utter nonsense. You may as well just buy the DVD - you can't say "but I was there" because you weren't really. You were present but you weren't paying any attention to the gig and weren't participating in the event in any way at all apart from being highly annoying.

One or two photos, fine. Videoing at a gig should be punishable by having to live with blinkers on for your entire live.

YYY article - http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/shortcuts/2013/apr/10/yeah-yeah-yeahs-phones-gigs

[Yorkshire Chomper]

Completely agree with OP. I can't stand it because reasons already stated: distraction, makes that person less responsive to vibe of the gig & resulting youtube footage is absolute waste of time.

enjoy the moment ffs

[Joeskeppi]

Well, I have to confess to having no idea why people film at Glastonbury, leave it to the BBC.

I can understand filming your mates but it takes a special kid of simpleton to film a stage when it's all available online and on TV.

[ukdaasfan]

It is a bit sad. So busy trying to document an experience they don't have one. It's part of the over communication generation. (Gen-C) who believe that getting pictures of stuff happening is more important than getting envolved. They have become a generation of spectators rather than participants. I can see a day when bans are going mad on stage while the entire audience stands stoically still filming. To think I working in Mobile Communications.... I sort of blame myself :-) Still makes it easier to push past them to get to the mosh pit.

[ethereal]

BBC cover a tiny % of the music at Glastonbury, very interested in seeing 1080p fan footage of the rest myself, preferably from hardcore front-rowers who don't block peoples views. iPhones, forget it would agree though. Talking is much more of a gripe personally I must admit