Mobile F*****g Phones at gigs

[Crazyfool01]

7 minutes ago, stuie said:

I guess it's all down to how they approach it.  But for some bands who thrive on social media content and create spectacles that people will naturally want to share on social media, it's can seem a bit odd. 

I guess it won’t matter to Coldplay tbf think they might have made it 🙂 

[stuie]

8 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

I guess it won’t matter to Coldplay tbf think they might have made it 🙂 

Of course they have, but I'm sure that their billions of fans still look them up on the socials to see what they've been up to on their shows!

[wro_lap]

Can I just say this is a really cool and healthy debate?

I personally like to take one or two pictures/videos but make sure my phone isn't out of my pocket for more than 90 seconds across those. A couple of 30 second videos are ok, but anything more than that I just won't watch back, it's pointless.

Florence Welch always makes a point of telling people to put their phones away during Dog Days Are Over (which is possibly her biggest song so must get so annoying seeing people recording it every night for that reason). I went to see her at Nottingham Arena and she made a point of praising the crowd for only occasionally recording footage on their phones. She said that from her perspective it really helped her gauge the energy of the crowd and connect with them. The crowd were so understanding of that and obliged as they now understood the performer's perspective.

Also... people recording lots at Glastonbury is insane. It's all on TV for you to watch back. Maybe record 10 seconds so you have a snapshot of your perspective, but the amount of phones in the air on TV coverage is ridiculous.

[stuie]

4 minutes ago, wro_lap said:

Also... people recording lots at Glastonbury is insane. It's all on TV for you to watch back. Maybe record 10 seconds so you have a snapshot of your perspective, but the amount of phones in the air on TV coverage is ridiculous.

At Glastonbury my pics and (short) recordings double up as my memory of what I did, when, what day etc. 

A bit like an unintentional personal journal 🙂 

[wro_lap]

Just now, stuie said:

At Glastonbury my pics and (short) recordings double up as my memory of what I did, when, what day etc. 

A bit like an unintentional personal journal 🙂 

I think that's fair and great, and definitely a good part of a Glastonbury journey. If one of my favourite acts is on I'll get a short video just to capture where I was at that moment. But my word, when Coldplay play Yellow next year, I'm just gonna sing along with that. I can watch that back whenever I want after the festival.

[wro_lap]

Another one that winds me up... when two friends who are stood next to each other are recording at the same time. Surely you can just record a different moment/song and ask them to send that one to you?

[gigpusher]

At Glastonbury I take a photo of each act so that I remember who I have seen but would only take a short video of something that isn’t recorded by the BBC because it’s fair to say their camerawork is better than mine! 

[DeanoL]

On 11/25/2023 at 10:51 AM, ModernMan said:

Pleased I started a debate about this. For those who’ve said “let people do what they want”, I agree to an extent. But the point is it’s incredibly distracting to see the light, and if you’ve paid for a gig you are entering into a contract to watch and experience the artist.

It's distracting when people move past you to get in/out to go to the bar too, but I doubt many would argue for banning that. The cameras wind me up too but many things do and I've basically given up on standing gigs now as the experience is just so unpredictable.

[Hugh Jass II]

I’ll take the odd one then invariably delete as 99% of them look shite. Took a couple at Pulp recently that I was pretty proud of.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Maybe cos I'm vaguely tall (although under 6 foot) and so generally have decent sightlines, but I'm really not troubled by this in the slightest. Even that Coldplay photo on the previous page is fine. 

[mungo57]

was lovely being at Tool last year at the O2 arena (they always request that people don't film etc and enforce it - ie: ask Security to remove offenders etc) - the entire gig was a wonderful experience not having to look at other people's phones the entire time.

 

Really gets on my tits.

[Ayrshire Chris]

16 hours ago, stuie said:

At Glastonbury my pics and (short) recordings double up as my memory of what I did, when, what day etc. 

A bit like an unintentional personal journal 🙂 

My glastonbury photos and videos tend to be of the quirky things I see walking around the site, moments that are personally memorable and just things that are downright strange and funny.  Like blokes dressed as seagulls mobbing a fish finger stall.

[stuie]

13 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

My glastonbury photos and videos tend to be of the quirky things I see walking around the site, moments that are personally memorable and just things that are downright strange and funny.  Like blokes dressed as seagulls mobbing a fish finger stall.

Those bloody seagulls!  My friend took a picture of them attacking me.  I was sitting on the bench having a breather with no top on (was a scorching day!) and one of them was going for my nipple 😁

[Drinky]

It’s always nice to snap a couple of pics as a memorial device, it’s recording or streaming for multiple songs at a time that’s the problem.

I actually got one of Coldplay just after the whole phones-down bit when I realized they were headed to the little stage near the back for the ‘oldies’ section, and got a nice one. No video, just a quick pic. No harm done I reckon

[Pear_Cider]

JST's take on this...

Joanne Shaw Taylor 

  · 

Thanks you Keswick! You were a beautiful audience! Here’s my happy face in hopes you take what I’m about to say with the spirit in which it is intended!

Please, by all means take videos and photos at the shows! I love that you enjoy my music so much you want to remember the show and/or share it with friends! How lucky I am to have people who enjoy my music!! I love performing live, and I’m privileged that I get to enjoy the energy you give back to me night after night, But Please, don’t spend the whole night with a camera in front of your face filming the entire show. It’s massively distracting to the people onstage and to the audience. Love ya!

[eatingglitter]

Feel like I wanna weigh in on this one. I used to be an editor for a lifestyle magazine and a travel writer many moons ago (Aka pre Covid), and part of that role was being an "influencer" and taking photos of everything. Photos of food, hotel rooms, events, festivals... you name it, I had to photograph it. Even had full on DSLR that I would drag around with me. Now I take photos of absolutely eff all. I never take photos at gigs, or at restaurants etc. I only take pictures of my kids and pretty sunsets. I think I spent so much of my life getting to experience things but having to do so through a lens I just can't do it anymore.

 

It does irk me somewhat at gigs, and while I'd never be like "ughhh put your phone away" I do worry that a lot of people are going to get later on in their lives and regret spending all that time faffing with their phone camera and not actually experiencing the event.

Also, nobody ever watches back videos of fireworks, EVER.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

On 11/23/2023 at 11:52 PM, Spindles said:

The best gigs for me are always the ones where the crowd around me kind of melts away from my attention and I'm just totally engaged with what's going on on stage. There's something about how I feel at the end of a gig like that which reminds me of being a kid leaving the cinema after a matinee and emerging into the bright world like it's a strange place.

I can absolutely understand how phones around you might be a distraction and clearly, if you are aware not only that they were browsing reddit but the content they were browsing you must have been really distracted by it.  I'd like it if it became good gig etiquette to keep your phone in your pocket.

 

I'm still only on the first page of this thread, but that makes sense - to me - so far.

That said, one person's sense is another's lunacy.  

It's a difficult one. 

Let he who is without sin etc.

Is it right to allow oneself to be proscriptive in these situations? If so, I wonder why? Maybe I'll learn from this thread as I move along it. 

[Alvoram]

2 hours ago, eatingglitter said:

Also, nobody ever watches back videos of fireworks, EVER.

Oh I dunno about that, I go back and watch this a lot... Wait for the drop shortly after 00:50

(Bloody site's video uploady thing didn't work so had to add it to Youtube for you... And it's saying it'll take 30 mins to process it into HD)
 

In my defence, I attend all 3 nights every single year, so standing and filming my favourite bits from the show on final night isn't too much of a loss. And I do only film my favourite bits, that I will rewatch from time to time. 

[eatingglitter]

5 hours ago, Alvoram said:

Oh I dunno about that, I go back and watch this a lot... Wait for the drop shortly after 00:50

(Bloody site's video uploady thing didn't work so had to add it to Youtube for you... And it's saying it'll take 30 mins to process it into HD)
 

In my defence, I attend all 3 nights every single year, so standing and filming my favourite bits from the show on final night isn't too much of a loss. And I do only film my favourite bits, that I will rewatch from time to time. 

Haha! That’s different as it’s intertwined with your mastermind specialist subject. 🙂

[Alvoram]

3 hours ago, eatingglitter said:

Haha! That’s different as it’s intertwined with your mastermind specialist subject. 🙂

There's something about the way the company that do that show every year work with music. Setting the show to music, using other effects like lasers and fire, then nailing the timing of it all to the music, just makes the show so much better. I can't watch any other fireworks shows nowadays, nevermind watch other people's phone recordings haha. 

I need to just shut up really, it's getting harder and harder to get tickets each year as it is... 🤣

[Watergirl]

Mmm.. In theory I am against everybody having their phones up all the time.  Apparently at Bob Dylan's gigs you have to get your phone into a sealed pouch and you cannot use it until the concert is over.  I haven't been, but folks that have said it worked great and created a different atmosphere.  Although some people couldn't find their seats, didn't know what time it was etc.  Someone told me Placebo are doing the sealed pouch thing as well.

On the other hand - I am guilty of watching clips on YouTube.  If an act I like is touring in another part of the world, I go online and watch clips. If no one filmed there wouldn't be footage to watch.  

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

2 hours ago, Watergirl said:

Mmm.. In theory I am against everybody having their phones up all the time.  Apparently at Bob Dylan's gigs you have to get your phone into a sealed pouch and you cannot use it until the concert is over.  I haven't been, but folks that have said it worked great and created a different atmosphere.  Although some people couldn't find their seats, didn't know what time it was etc.  Someone told me Placebo are doing the sealed pouch thing as well.

On the other hand - I am guilty of watching clips on YouTube.  If an act I like is touring in another part of the world, I go online and watch clips. If no one filmed there wouldn't be footage to watch.  

I've been to a few like that. Jack White at the Garage a few years back was improved without phones constantly in the air but it's difficult to enforce that rule when a lot of people's tickets and payment methods are on their devices nowadays.

[Justcalledtosay]

On 11/26/2023 at 7:21 PM, stuie said:

At Glastonbury my pics and (short) recordings double up as my memory of what I did, when, what day etc. 

A bit like an unintentional personal journal 🙂 

Same for me. I take a few pics and a 30 second recording. I don't think that hurts anybody else.

[Tartan_Glasto]

I do like to take a photo or two when at a gig, but that's just for my insta cause I do enjoy scrolling through my insta every so often and looking back on memories. I'll save it for when the lighting is good, or staging looks cool. Basicially I'll wait til I know I'm gonna get an ok pic, whip out the phone and take then the phone goes away again. 

[tarw]

It’s not just music   I went to Macbeth in Liverpool on Saturday and someone just in front of me started videoing the whole thing!  It was only when their partner told them to stop that they put it away. 
 

Still had people getting their phones out checking the time/their socials all the way through. Incredibly distracting and disrespectful