Cell phones at concerts

I used to say I could care less what you do. Now I have been to too many concerts with some idiot in front of me holding his phone up so he can record the whole show. I say leave them in the car or on your pocket. You don't need a phone during the show.

Just like anything else it can be benign or annoying. A picture here and there, an occasional text, a quick quiet call, no big deal, but I don't see why people have to take 500 pictures. My phone stays in my pocket unless I need to check the time. Wouldn't people rather actually experience the show? (I'm probably in the minority for this, but I think its cool when everyone holds up their phone during the slow songs (like people used to do with lighters))

i never really notice anything out of hand.

for every 10 people holding them up, there are typically 200 that aren't.

Old thread here but here is a thought on the subject a decade later when so many more of these devices exist.
Saw Jack White at the Stampede Corral last night (GREAT SHOW). There was a no cell phone policy.
People who brought a phone were provided a pouch which required some kind of magnet to open it (forget what it was called). As you left the show you got your phone from the pouch and they got back their pouch.

it was refreshing to be at a concert where everyone was into the music and not watching it through a smartphone.
I’m all for this, PJ shows included. What is more annoying than standing behind someone with their phone in the air while you are trying to watch the band?

The YouTube videos I’ve seen of concerts I’ve attend never capture the magic of the show anyway so I stopped watching them.

Listen to the bootleg instead and close your eyes folks... you will go right back to that time and place.  
Cheers! 

helplessdancer said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

it was refreshing to be at a concert where everyone was into the music and not watching it through a smartphone.
I’m all for this, PJ shows included. What is more annoying than standing behind someone with their phone in the air while you are trying to watch the band?

The YouTube videos I’ve seen of concerts I’ve attend never capture the magic of the show anyway so I stopped watching them.

here we go again.
phone or camera? phones should be banned but cameras should not be. imo
and imo this captures the magic and i for one am super grateful that this exists, among many other utube videos all captured with cameras
live and let live i say. be polite.

PEARL JAM *WASTED REPRISE into BETTERMAN into SAVE IT FOR LATER* Buffalo 5/10/2010 HD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtsnO3aEi3g&feature=player_embedded

The best thing would be to have a dedicated fan filming, and the rest can feel like "Oh, them playing Just A Girl and Evenflow will be on youtube anyways in a few hours -- and I can focus in the show"

At the same time, I could not have done this video etc without people filming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCjwOnPH2WU

helplessdancer said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

it was refreshing to be at a concert where everyone was into the music and not watching it through a smartphone.
I’m all for this, PJ shows included. What is more annoying than standing behind someone with their phone in the air while you are trying to watch the band?

The YouTube videos I’ve seen of concerts I’ve attend never capture the magic of the show anyway so I stopped watching them.

here we go again.
phone or camera? phones should be banned but cameras should not be. imo
and imo this captures the magic and i for one am super grateful that this exists, among many other utube videos all captured with cameras
live and let live i say. be polite.

PEARL JAM *WASTED REPRISE into BETTERMAN into SAVE IT FOR LATER* Buffalo 5/10/2010 HD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtsnO3aEi3g&feature=player_embedded

This is a fair point.  I just find The glow from all the smartphones rather annoying to me on the floor and actually distracting to my own concert experience.   I just can’t understand why you would pay money to watch a show through your tiny smartphone screen. 
The Jack White concert took me back to concerts when I was younger... that is all.  It was a great experience and more than one person we talked to after the show commented on it. 
Everyone was focused on taking it all in.  Very cool. 

helplessdancer said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

it was refreshing to be at a concert where everyone was into the music and not watching it through a smartphone.
I’m all for this, PJ shows included. What is more annoying than standing behind someone with their phone in the air while you are trying to watch the band?

The YouTube videos I’ve seen of concerts I’ve attend never capture the magic of the show anyway so I stopped watching them.

here we go again.
phone or camera? phones should be banned but cameras should not be. imo
and imo this captures the magic and i for one am super grateful that this exists, among many other utube videos all captured with cameras
live and let live i say. be polite.

PEARL JAM *WASTED REPRISE into BETTERMAN into SAVE IT FOR LATER* Buffalo 5/10/2010 HD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtsnO3aEi3g&feature=player_embedded

My phone is my camera. The problem isn't the device, it's how people are using them. The REAL problem is simply people being selfish, inconsiderate assholes. I think if these assholes had digital cameras with them, they'd just hold those up in front of people's faces instead of their phones. Same glowing screen, same obstruction of the stage for people behind them. There are ways to photo and film shows without being an a-hole about it, but it seems only maybe 5% of people have bothered to consider how that's done.

Gern Blansten said:

It's fucking annoying....we wouldn't tolerate it at the movies and we shouldn't tolerate it at concerts

I saw the RHCP in Cincy last year and this fucking moron and his wife in front of me had their camera/video going the entire fucking time.  They were moving around so much that video would have been completely unwatchable.

Really wanted to strangle them....but I did not.

Yeah, I had my U2 concert ruined by the same type of person. And to top it of, the jerk wore a fucking fedora, which also blocked my view. Double-douchebag.

I love these new cell phone lock bags... the only issue with them is that you have no fucking clue what time it is, lol.

PJ_Soul said:

I love these new cell phone lock bags... the only issue with them is that you have no fucking clue what time it is, lol.

I was just going to post this. Last night at JW I had to keep asking the beer girl what time it was. LOL. 

no cell phones at that show made it infinitely more enjoyable for me, especially being in GA on the floor, there was no glowing screens in front of me. it was glorious. at the Paul McCartney show, the douche in the seat in front of me, was recording the entire concert on his phone, and he was watching the screen. What a waste. I would have told him to put it away, but he was off to my right and the stage was to my left. But if I had was behind him? Damn straight. At Chris Cornell in 2011. i was row 2. Douche in row 1 was recording the entire show above his fucking head. At song 3 I told him to put the fucking thing away. he actually had the nerve to act all annoyed and asked me why. i said "because it's glowing in my fucking eyes, moron!". you're in the front row! enjoy the show! I was also kind of surprised the security guy standing directly in front of this dude, facing him, said nothing to him. 

at STP last week, my back was against the wall, directly across from the band, so I recorded one of their songs on video knowing it wouldn't be in anyone's eyes. that's the only time I've ever done that. I'm a bit Constanza-like in my public behaviours. 

WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY! WE SHOULD ACT IN A CIVILIZED WAY!