I hate that people try to record the concert experience...what drives me bat shit crazy are the people who are filming the show (filming? Is that anachronistic?) without turning their phones into the horizontal format...that has to look terrible later on and if you screen mirror that video...yikes...
I do both vertical and horizontal. Depends on zooming in or not. Also, I dunno, I love taking pics and videos and look at them frequently after the fact. That said I want to enjoy the show without that but at the same time, I enjoy taking the images and video. When good photo moments arise with lights or situations, I go for it. But I also limit how long I record for, whole songs? Nah. Verse and a Chorus or a guitar solo, sure.Also 95% of the time im close at shows, like first 5 rows close. So its usually, pretty good quality, (https://www.instagram.com/superfuzz30/ lol) but if I am further back or whatever I dont mess with it nearly as much.
I’ll take a few 20-30 second video clips to help recall memories of shows, but I never hold it higher than my forehead so I’m not being a jag-off to people behind me.
I go to dozens of GA shows every year (or at least I did pre-COVID -- been to a handful in the past month, though) and I think I'm in the middle ground here. I have no problem with someone coming in late and filling in space if there's a reasonable amount to be had. I got to Ohana early on Friday to get up close (ended up with only one row between me and the rail on Mike's side). The woman behind me bitched multiple times to different people about wanting her space even though she had plenty of room around her. Sorry, but if you want to have 3 feet of room around you, don't try to get up close. As rude as it is to push forward into 5 inches of space between people, it's equally rude to bitch at people for not giving you twice as much space as everyone else at a GA show.
Showed up much later on Saturday and walked as close as I could get (which wasn't very close) without bumping into or annoying people. Had just as much fun that night as up close on Friday. There was plenty of space around me Saturday, and it didn't bug me at all when others came up and filled it up. However, the couple who filled in the spot in front of me only to talk incessantly through every song...fuck you. I don't care what kind of show you're at or where you sit/stand, talking through a band's set is the most disrespectful and rude thing you can possibly do to the people around you.
Oh, I think these are all worse :
Holding up phone entire time
putting some idiot on your shoulders
dancing around, smashing into people throughout the whole set
farting
singing the wrong lyrics to the songs, loudly
yelling the same damn song request x50
holding up a sign for long periods of time
vomiting
Did I leave any out?
I'm going to have to disagree with you on all of these:
Holding up phone entire time = annoying, but at least I can still hear the music
putting some idiot on your shoulders = annoying, but at least I can still hear the music
dancing around, smashing into people throughout the whole set = annoying, but at least I can still hear the music
farting = annoying, but at least I can still hear the music
singing the wrong lyrics to the songs, loudly = annoying, but at least I can still hear the music (sort of)
yelling the same damn song request x50 = annoying, but at least I can still hear the music
holding up a sign for long periods of time = annoying, but at least I can still hear the music
vomiting = annoying, but at least I can still hear the music
I don't know about anyone else, but there's absolutely nothing worse to me than going to a show and not being able to fully listen to the artist because some fucking asshole thinks it's okay that I listen to them talking instead.
I mean, I love the band and all but I guarantee I’m still singing some of the lyrics wrong.
Chicago 6/29/98, Alpine Valley(EV) 6/13/99, Alpine Valley 10/08/00, Chicago 10/09/00, Phoenix 10/20/00, Orlando 4/12/03, Tampa 4/13/03, San Diego 6/05/03, Vegas 6/06/03, Phoenix 6/07/03, Chicago 6/18/03, Alpine Valley 6/21/03, Orlando 10/08/04, D.C. 10/11/04, Chicago 5/16/06, Chicago 5/17/06, LA 7/12/08, Chicago 8/23/09, Chicago 8/24/09, LA 10/07/09, San Diego 10/09/09 (Front Row Center, Finally), Phoenix(EV) 11/4/11, Wrigley 7/19/13, Phoenix 11/19/13, Denver 10/22/14, Wrigley 8/20/16, Wrigley 8/22/16
I hate that people try to record the concert experience...what drives me bat shit crazy are the people who are filming the show (filming? Is that anachronistic?) without turning their phones into the horizontal format...that has to look terrible later on and if you screen mirror that video...yikes...
i'm constantly badgering my wife to stop recording our kids while holding her phone vertical. I keep asking her "is our tv vertical?". I don't understand why anyone records anything on their phone, literally ever, holding it vertically. it's so stupid.
It's for posting to social media stories. No one is watching this stuff on a TV. Posting a horizontal via to IG Stories means only 1/3 the screen is taken up with actual video. Vertical = full screen.
I go to dozens of GA shows every year (or at least I did pre-COVID -- been to a handful in the past month, though) and I think I'm in the middle ground here. I have no problem with someone coming in late and filling in space if there's a reasonable amount to be had. I got to Ohana early on Friday to get up close (ended up with only one row between me and the rail on Mike's side). The woman behind me bitched multiple times to different people about wanting her space even though she had plenty of room around her. Sorry, but if you want to have 3 feet of room around you, don't try to get up close. As rude as it is to push forward into 5 inches of space between people, it's equally rude to bitch at people for not giving you twice as much space as everyone else at a GA show.
Showed up much later on Saturday and walked as close as I could get (which wasn't very close) without bumping into or annoying people. Had just as much fun that night as up close on Friday. There was plenty of space around me Saturday, and it didn't bug me at all when others came up and filled it up. However, the couple who filled in the spot in front of me only to talk incessantly through every song...fuck you. I don't care what kind of show you're at or where you sit/stand, talking through a band's set is the most disrespectful and rude thing you can possibly do to the people around you.
Oh, I think these are all worse :
Holding up phone entire time
putting some idiot on your shoulders
dancing around, smashing into people throughout the whole set
farting
singing the wrong lyrics to the songs, loudly
yelling the same damn song request x50
holding up a sign for long periods of time
vomiting
Did I leave any out?
IDK why ppl are saying they can deal with this. I agree with you 100% --- the only one left out is having your partner / kid stand on the chair next to you making them about 8ft tall and really blocking views... obv not an issue at Ohana. I know some said, well I can still hear the band.... I can still hear it, and better on the boot. Its about being there and enjoying the experience and hopefully avoiding as many bozos as possible along the way.
I think you misinterpreted my position on this. We were having a fun back-and-forth about the WORST fan behavior. Each and every one of the things on that list is annoying as fuck and would absolutely infuriate me.
My point was only that, personally, I'd rather have any of those things than someone speaking so loudly through songs that they impair my ability to hear the show. I've had people raise their voice every time the band gets louder so that they can carry on conversation with the people around them. That's the ultimate concert hell for me.
Doesn't mean that I can tolerate any of the other things on that list, though.
Everything has chains...Absolutely nothing's changed. - PJ
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
The answer to most annoying is definitely the full blown conversations during the show. They seem to fall into two categories:
1) Dude trying to impress woman. I had a guy explain the history of The River to his girlfriend behind me while a man named Bruce Spingsteen sang The River in front of me. 2) People at the festival to be at the festival..... but they aren't really into the band currently onstage.
It is usually bad at the back of the GA section. Old man rant over.
Navigating in and out of people and their beach towel setups
At least Ohana had a line drawn which you couldn’t go past with a towel. But SHN was a disaster. On such a narrow beach too. Ohana is a much, much better beach festival setup than SHN.
2010: Cleveland 2012: Atlanta 2013: London ONT / Wrigley Field / Pittsburgh / Buffalo / San Diego / Los Angeles I / Los Angeles II 2014: Cincinnati / St. Louis / Tulsa / Lincoln / Detroit / Denver 2015: New York City 2016: Ft. Lauderdale / Miami / Jacksonville / Greenville / Hampton / Columbia / Lexington / Philly II / New York City II / Toronto II / Bonnaroo / Telluride / Fenway I / Wrigley I / Wrigley - II / TOTD - Philadelphia, San Francisco 2017: Ohana Fest (EV) 2018: Amsterdam I / Amsterdam II / Seattle I / Seattle II / Boston I / Boston II 2021: Asbury Park / Ohana Encore 1 / Ohana Encore 2 2022: Phoenix / LA I / LA II / Quebec City / Ottawa / New York City / Camden / Nashville / St. Louis / Denver 2023: St. Paul II 2024: Las Vegas I / Las Vegas II / New York City I / New York City II / Philly I / Philly II / Baltimore
Ahh come on you got more^^^ Here's my old man story Once we ended up at this really great soul show at the Lions Den, nyc, back in the day with a handful of talkers. Our table (not me) wouldn't shussssh, drinking talking loudly. The band stopped the show. "We ain't the lion's den house band. Shut up over there!" Very funny. They also put us on the spot to a sing along. "OK now all the white people (our table) sing!!" No meat on the fatback, no fatback on the bone, no bone on the chicken...I forget the rest but what a fun time!!!!!
End of vivid flashback
Also during Doors absolutely live Jim yells at fans to "SHUT UP". Really just go talk somewhere else people.
Ahh come on you got more^^^ Here's my old man story Once we ended up at this really great soul show at the Lions Den, nyc, back in the day with a handful of talkers. Our table (not me) wouldn't shussssh, drinking talking loudly. The band stopped the show. "We ain't the lion's den house band. Shut up over there!" Very funny. They also put us on the spot to a sing along. "OK now all the white people (our table) sing!!" No meat on the fatback, no fatback on the bone, no bone on the chicken...I forget the rest but what a fun time!!!!!
End of vivid flashback
Also during Doors absolutely live Jim yells at fans to "SHUT UP". Really just go talk somewhere else people.
I had to tell a guy to STFU at NOS Alive because he was talking louder than Alice in Chains. He seemed inconvenienced by the volume of Jerry Cantrell's guitar and made all attempts to overcome the issue. Instead of just walking back to the giant open area behind him.
or just have ed say at the beginning "put away your fucking phones". when the headstones did their anniversary tour of the first album, Hugh (lead singer) said "put away the phones; if you want to hear some good stories from the old days that I don't want to end up on youtube for my parents to watch, put them away; if you don't, no stories". everyone put them away. simple as that. if they didn't, it took care of itself by way of shaming by the crowd.
sure, 700 people is easier to control than 30,000. But still.
Tool basically said no phones at all and then, before they did the final song, they told everyone to get their phones out and do whatever they wanted. That was nice.
Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018) The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago 2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy 2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE) 2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston 2020: Oakland, Oakland:2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana 2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville 2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
or just have ed say at the beginning "put away your fucking phones". when the headstones did their anniversary tour of the first album, Hugh (lead singer) said "put away the phones; if you want to hear some good stories from the old days that I don't want to end up on youtube for my parents to watch, put them away; if you don't, no stories". everyone put them away. simple as that. if they didn't, it took care of itself by way of shaming by the crowd.
sure, 700 people is easier to control than 30,000. But still.
Tool basically said no phones at all and then, before they did the final song, they told everyone to get their phones out and do whatever they wanted. That was nice.
That used to be sort of my plan when I was into concert photography (on film, I'm old!) - take lots of pictures during the first song then put everything away and enjoy the show.
This is almost the best thread over. Taking picnic blankets to a show? Jesus. Thinks must work differently in the States to here.
Only picnic blankets I've even seen at a show was for a winery gig where it was all about the picnic.
Don't worry....if it is being done in the US the fad will arrive in NZ in about a decade....
All my anti-NZ humor (if it could be called that when it isn't really funny) comes from two guys I played rugby with--I was the 8 man and they were both locks...one from Aus and one from NZ...all they did was rip on each other's respective countries during the game. I laughed my ass off all of the time listening to them.
Comments
It's for posting to social media stories. No one is watching this stuff on a TV. Posting a horizontal via to IG Stories means only 1/3 the screen is taken up with actual video. Vertical = full screen.
My point was only that, personally, I'd rather have any of those things than someone speaking so loudly through songs that they impair my ability to hear the show. I've had people raise their voice every time the band gets louder so that they can carry on conversation with the people around them. That's the ultimate concert hell for me.
Doesn't mean that I can tolerate any of the other things on that list, though.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
1) Dude trying to impress woman. I had a guy explain the history of The River to his girlfriend behind me while a man named Bruce Spingsteen sang The River in front of me.
2) People at the festival to be at the festival..... but they aren't really into the band currently onstage.
It is usually bad at the back of the GA section. Old man rant over.
Navigating in and out of people and their beach towel setups
At least Ohana had a line drawn which you couldn’t go past with a towel. But SHN was a disaster. On such a narrow beach too. Ohana is a much, much better beach festival setup than SHN.
2012: Atlanta
2013: London ONT / Wrigley Field / Pittsburgh / Buffalo / San Diego / Los Angeles I / Los Angeles II
2014: Cincinnati / St. Louis / Tulsa / Lincoln / Detroit / Denver
2015: New York City
2016: Ft. Lauderdale / Miami / Jacksonville / Greenville / Hampton / Columbia / Lexington / Philly II / New York City II / Toronto II / Bonnaroo / Telluride / Fenway I / Wrigley I / Wrigley - II / TOTD - Philadelphia, San Francisco
2017: Ohana Fest (EV)
2018: Amsterdam I / Amsterdam II / Seattle I / Seattle II / Boston I / Boston II
2021: Asbury Park / Ohana Encore 1 / Ohana Encore 2
2022: Phoenix / LA I / LA II / Quebec City / Ottawa / New York City / Camden / Nashville / St. Louis / Denver
2023: St. Paul II
2024: Las Vegas I / Las Vegas II / New York City I / New York City II / Philly I / Philly II / Baltimore
Here's my old man story
Once we ended up at this really great soul show at the Lions Den, nyc, back in the day with a handful of talkers.
Our table (not me) wouldn't shussssh, drinking talking loudly. The band stopped the show. "We ain't the lion's den house band. Shut up over there!" Very funny. They also put us on the spot to a sing along. "OK now all the white people (our table) sing!!" No meat on the fatback, no fatback on the bone, no bone on the chicken...I forget the rest but what a fun time!!!!!
End of vivid flashback
Also during Doors absolutely live Jim yells at fans to "SHUT UP".
Really just go talk somewhere else people.
Only picnic blankets I've even seen at a show was for a winery gig where it was all about the picnic.
Auckland 1998
EV (Neil Finn and Friends, April 2, 2001)
Auckland 2009
Auckland 2014
Auckland 1 2024
Auckland 2 2024
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
All my anti-NZ humor (if it could be called that when it isn't really funny) comes from two guys I played rugby with--I was the 8 man and they were both locks...one from Aus and one from NZ...all they did was rip on each other's respective countries during the game. I laughed my ass off all of the time listening to them.