10 Worst Ways To Behave At Concerts: How You’re Ruining It For Everyone
May 2nd, 2008
The other day I took a look at my positively RAMMED spring/summer concert calendar and my left nostril promptly flared to the size of a grapefruit. Concert season is a time for excitement, but at the same time it’s a time for frustration and cynicism. These days you have to brace yourself for an experience easily ruined by the fans themselves, who (from what I’ve seen) have become a rude and unruly lot entirely unaware of everyone else’s personal space. I now present you with ten rules that people blatantly disobey, or, ways that you’re ruining it for everyone else.
1. Recording the show or incessantly taking photos with your cell phone. I honestly don’t know why people do this. The photo quality of the majority of cell phones is terrible. I certainly didn’t pay $30-100 for my ticket just to watch it through a 3×2 inch screen with your extended arm as an obstruction, why did you? Are you honestly ever going to look at those photos again? And when you do, will you even be able to recognize the tiny speck that’s centre stage as Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys? Will you be able to tell you’re at a Spice Girls reunion concert instead of the New Kids On the Block reunion concert? No. Ditto for people who record entire songs on a shitty camera for future uploading to YouTube. 90% of these videos are unwatchable. Check out this “sweet” four-and-a-half minute footage from a recent Yelle show that someone shot and uploaded for our viewing pleasure. In case you couldn’t make it out, the song Yelle’s performing in the clip is “Je Veux Te Voir”.
2. Waiting until the show has started to secure your spot in the front row. People line up outside general admission venues hours, sometimes even DAYS, before the show in order to snag that prime spot from which to enjoy a show that they’ve likely been waiting to see for much longer than you. In the Land of the Fair, It’s called waiting your f**king turn. So when one is rammed at the front, standing shoulder to shoulder with thousands of sweaty mouth breathers is uncomfortable enough without your conga line of friends charging through the crowd claiming, “Oh, my friend’s up there!”. It’s like when you’re late for a movie and making a huge production of finding a seat after the lights have gone down. It’s rude. And no, if you’ve scored a front row spot, you cannot ever leave to use the washroom or get a drink. You’ve sealed your fate - you’ll never make your way back.
“Hey! Can you hear this? It’s Pearl Jam. This is what you’re missing. Wish you were here. OMG do you hear? They’re playing Even Flow. Listen!!” *puts phone up to speaker*
3. Talking throughout the entire show. Speaking of rude: No one’s saying you have to stand there like a wax statue with your arms folded, intently concentrating on every lyric and chord. But we could do without the people who feel the need to constantly natter to their friends throughout the show, especially at smaller shows where the band can HEAR you not paying attention. There have even been shows where the band stopped playing to ask people to STFU. Embarrraaaaaassssing! It’s like people who talk in class…why are you even there? Go stand at the back near the bar if you want to chat.
4. Being over 6′4 and choosing to stand in front of the shortest person in the crowd. You can’t fault people for being tall (or too short), but why does the tallest person usually have a complete disregard for where they’re standing? If you see a 5′0 tall girl, don’t stand directly in front of her. Maybe kneel? Maybe lop off your legs at the shins? Or better yet, maybe just stand behind her? The same goes for girls who insist on sitting on their boyfriends’ shoulders for the duration of the show. The band might appreciate it when you show them your boobies, but the entire audience behind you will just think you’re a boob. Thanks for blocking my view, dink.
5. Continually crowd surfing or slam dancing even though it’s not that kind of show. You can only be dropped straight to the ground and then hoisted back up so many times by your fellow concert-goers before it gets exhausting for everyone involved. Some people are actually trying to enjoy themselves and not worry about getting an errant boot or elbow to the head while trying to gently guide you towards safety. Save it for Lollapalooza or some other monster UK festival. Ditto to people who mosh and slamdance at shows like Crystal Castles or Klaxons. Don’t make me show you the black eye I got at a seemingly “tame” Malajube show.
6. Being an unruly lout. Everyone knows all about the one dude who stands at the back of the venue and yells “WOOO! YES!!!” during the band’s between-song banter and at the start of every song, regardless of whether he can recognize it. What’s worse is when that dude brings along all of his rabblerousing buddies, and they get to the venue early to get their drink on. By the time the show starts they’re slurring their words and sloshing their drinks, bumping into people and stomping on toes. Get a hold of yourselves, people! Try to make it to the encore without blacking out, please.
7. Spastic dancing and general disregard for personal space. We know you wanna dance. And we WANT you to dance and have a good time. But take a moment to look around and size up the amount of space you have to work with and adjust your movement accordingly. If it’s Daft Punk and everyone’s going ballastic, go ahead and join in. If the crowd’s tightly packed and there’s no room to dance, bop along, maybe try to start a mini-dance party, but now’s not the time to start flipping your hair like a stripper, breakdancing or practising the Soulja Boy dance.
8. Holding up a sign or flag for the duration of the show. This practice is especially popular at any British indie band show. Suddenly everyone’s a raving fan of the Union Jack and has brought along a humongous silk flag to prove it. Not only that, but they want to make sure the band is aware of their nationalism. Then you have the people who write deeply personal messages for the band on bristolboard and hold it up in the hopes that the guitarist will fall in love with them. Nope - the only thing you’ll feel from behind is hate.
9. Standing at a seated venue. Look, I go to a lot of shows. Almost all of them are general admission/standing. I look forward to sitting at the 10% of venues that have seats. So for the love of god, please don’t LEAP out of your seat the moment the band hits the stage and remain standing for the entire set. Stand for a couple of songs and then sit back down. The domino effect is really strong on this one - it’s kind of hard to convince an entire audience to sit down, and once one row is up, others are sure to follow, meaning anyone who’s too tired or short to see anything while standing won’t get to see anything if they stay in their seats.
10. Waiting till the band plays their radio hit and then leaving . A lot of times the band comes to town early in their career and they already know that you only came to see them for one song. But humour them and feign some interest in the rest of their material - it’s all near and dear to them; it just happens that one of their songs is being pimped out by their label or the local radio station. Several tours later, they’re probably already sick of playing it anyway, and want you to latch onto something new. If they haven’t saved it for the encore, after which there would be a natural exit break, don’t start a mass exodus out of the venue. The other songs might crash and burn, but emergency exits should only be used in case of actual fire.
Anything else that’s ruining your live show experience that I’ve missed here?
Photograph Courtesy Getty Images
Posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 am by Kat and is filed under Concerts & Events.
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299 Responses to “10 Worst Ways To Behave At Concerts: How You’re Ruining It For Everyone”
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How about this rule: Don’t be a douchebag. Everyone at the concert paid just as much as you to get there, and has just as much of a right to do whatever the fuck they want. Try enjoying the show instead of trying to sit on your own high pedastal. If you have a problem with what someone is doing, do something about it. If you are too pussy to do something about it, don’t bother crying all night then going home to blog about it.
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I agree 100%! Although I record and take pictures a lot but with my actual camera. I hate going to concerts because I hate how people act.
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What I would do is cry about it a little more.
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Maybe small people should consider seating in the stands or getting there earlier so they don’t have to stand behind people over 6 foot. I am a tall person, and it pisses me off when people behind me ask me to move.. FUCK YOU, I was here 1st, you move if YOU cannot see!
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If i ever see you at a concert, i am going to
1. record the whole thing on my camera phone in one hand and my digital camera in the other.
2. show up 5 min before the main band starts and still squeeze into the front row.
3. Talk to the hot chick next to me about how great the band is the whole time
4. wear my fag platform shoes and stand right in front of you (and put the hot chick I just met on my shoulders)
5. crowd surf regardless if it is “that kind of show”
6. get retard drunk (i showed up late cause i was out in the alley behind the club kicking back 40s with the bands roadies)and yell in your ear all night
7. do every dance I know….soulja boy, macarena, YMCA etc.
8. hold up any sign/flag i want (maybe hit you with the corners of said sign)
9. stand or sit whenever i feel like it.
10. and leave whenever my legs get tired or I feel sleepy.
And you are going to take it…..
oh wait no your not….your going to go online and write a gay list for homos and queer homosexuals of what not to do and your gestapo headquarter concerts.
.
.Oh yeah…
11. and then you are going to get an elbow in the face by me ….moshing HARD!
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Fuck you, don’t turn your little man syndrome on people who can’t help it. I feel the burning eyes on my back, I’m 6′4 and most people are shorter than me. What am I going to do stand in the back row or leave? Move, or wear stilts douchebag.
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I hate when I go to concerts and people are throwing around fresh human feces, thats got to be the worst, your all grooving dancing and looking good, when all of a sudden a raunchy steaming smelly pyle of shit lands on your head
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whoa david “FUCKING” reed.
you are quite angry!
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quit complaining and enjoy the show
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@David FUCKING Reed: Well, I think you’ll just have to get drunk to accomplish #6. You’ve got the retard part down pat.
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hmm….
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There’s always the obnoxious drunk!
Peace……………
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music is artistic expression. with that comes a certain amount of expected behaviors, including many of the ones that break your rules. as a guy who has worked in the music industry for quite a few years, all i can tell you is it comes with the territory, get used to it. concerts aren’t what they used to be.
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i totally agree with this list. i am six foot six and am tired of being kicked in the head by crowdsurfing peckerwoods. also agree it’s pointless to take pix or video with a cell phone.
though i must admit that i have been guilty of standing in front of short people and dancing erratically at shows in the past. but for the most part i haven’t been in the pit since the mid 90s. don’t miss it either.
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For god’s sake - i don’t particularly conform to any of the points above, but bloody hell it’s a gig, many different people are there, not everyone agrees with you - hopefully there is a blog somewhere that moans about people who agree with these posts.
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I mostly agree with most of that, except for the pictures on my mobile.. My camera isn’t bad quality, and I can make out the people on stage, and I do a little gig review blog as well, so I have an excuse. However, I do make a point of not taking excessive numbers… And a somewhat excessively tall guy I have to say, sometime you can’t help where you’re stood! I do my best to be courteous, but if the pit is going crazy, you got no choice…
Oh and you missed out people that don’t cheers for encores saying ‘they’re obviosuly going to do one, so why bother cheering?’… The band SHOULD not play an encore if the crowd don’t cheer… It’s missign the point of encores completely, and it pisses me off. ALOT! Ahem. Nuff said!
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too bad these things always happen at concerts. they always have, and always will. so get over it. if not, just dont gp to showsany more.
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While I agree with most of these rules, there is one that is kinda flawed. The assigned seating one is more or less a two way street because when everyone stands your forced to stand but the problem starts when someone sitting behind you asks you to sit down even though you won’t be able to see anything yourself and they still won’t be able to see anything because everyone in front of you is still standing. Either way its not fair so if people in the assigned seating should go and tell everyone in the theatre to sit instead of singling out people. Furthermore if a person is not prepared to stand at a concert then they should reconsider the type of concert they are going to and the point of it.
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I hate to say it but another thing that ruins shows for me is ALL AGES shows. When I was a teenager I had cool taste in music and wished I could go to 21+ shows but now I see why most shows aren’t all ages. Teenagers are the worst!!
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I can’t believe how nasty some of these replies are– yowch, man! They accuse you of being a loser or whatever, and in response they’re assholes. Gotta tell ya: I’d rather be a loser than an asshole.
At any rate- I’m with you on this list. I think it’s a lot to do with behaving appropriately for the kind of show you’re at. If I’m at the opera, I’m not gonna mosh. If I’m at Korn I’m not gonna expect everyone to sit quietly and bob their heads.
The thing that applies in those cases- and in all cases- is just that you wish people would have the courtesy to recognize if what they’re doing is totally inhibiting other people around them from enjoying the show. I didn’t pay money to get a boot in my face, you know? Somebody spills a beer on my foot? Whatever. It happens.
It’s all about just being aware, that’s all.
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I agree with most of these examples of excessive behavior. I don’t understand why people go to concerts if they’re all drugged up and not going to remember it anyway? You can get f*ed up any day, go beat your own face in. Concerts are for music and I love having fun at them, but people don’t know anything about etiquette anymore…
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Concerts suck.
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To #3: I went to see Magnetic Fields, and a woman in front of me talked to her friend the entire show. Through every song. During the between-song banter. She literally talked through the entire concert, essentially missing it. After the show, she ran up to the singer and told him that he was her FAVORITE EVER EVER and how much his songs meant to her. Classic!
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I hate it when people bring their dinky point-and-shoot cameras and use the ‘auto’ mode like idiots. The only thing the flash does is annoy the people around you. Its range is maybe 10 feet! Learn how to turn off your flash or keep your camera in your pants.
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all the dicks that do these things and are commenting like 12 yr olds (”queer homosexuals” - wtf?) are the ones who aren’t there for the music- they’re there for the scene.
the reason they defend their actions so vehemently is because they know they’re fakes, so they cling desperately to the image they’ve assumed.
i’ve always thought it was completely stupid to get hammered at a show- how the hell are you supposed to enjoy the music/experience if you don’t know what’s going on/won’t remember it the next day? oh, that’s right… you don’t really care, you just need another notch on your “shows” belt. LAME
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I didnt read all the comments, so sorry if this is repetitive.
About the tall thing, theres only so much you can do when you’re almost 6′ tall. If you let everyone who’s shorter than you stand in front of you, you’ll be in the back, leaning on the bar in no time. Sorry, but i enjoy being close enough to see the band.
Now, one thing that really bothers me, are crowd surfers. The drunk ones. The drunk female ones who are in skirts and hooker heels. It’s a ROCK CONCERT. I’m sure the old perv standing behind you, holding you up by your ASS likes the way you dressed, however, the rest of us find it quite ridiculous and uncalled for. Especially if you plan on crowd surfing…
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i agree with most of the rules. when i go to a concert i do want to leave with something to remeber it by, but its annoing watching the concert through someones camera or cell phone.
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jesus fucking christ, if you don’t like this guy or what he says, why don’t you hit the back button instead of making us listen to the shit coming out of your mouth. nobody fucking cares if you disagree, you prat.
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you guys are a punch of pussies. Get over the emo shit and stop bitching. Going to a show is about letting yourself out and having a good time.
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Wow what a bunch of assholes commenting. You’re the pricks I punch in the kidneys at concerts, ‘accidentally’. All these people think they are the only people at the show.
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everything on that list is an inherent part of a live concert. there will always be crowds and assholes and smoke in your face, my suggestion is stop going to concerts if you don’t like it.
its a bit like bitching about pollution and then refusing to stop driving your car.
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I am over 6′4” and the manufactured world is not built for me. If I am in front of you, let me know and I’ll move, but it is not my responsibility to look out for the other 97%’s field of vision.
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really, it just boils down to people not giving a crap about anyone but themselves. most of these all boil down to that, if people cared about other people we wouldn’t have to deal with stupid people that /still/ think that talking on their cell phone in a movie is ok. and it’s only going to keep getting worse, the human race is de-evolving.
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#9 is stupid. I went to a TOOL show at the USF Sundome in Tampa and people were sitting and telling us to sit down. Who the hell sits at a TOOL show!?!?! Not even my grandmother!
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I’m sure I’m guilty of all of these at some point! You should try and go to concerts in a positive frame of mind, otherwise large crowds that inevitably do these things will get to you, and ruin the experience.
I found myself at an unexpectedly posh sit-down event once, completely rat-faced. I spilt the wine of the chick next to me at least twice, and I found a drummer’s egg under my seat (a sort of practice device for drummers), presumably left behind by the band, and I continuously rattled this throughout most of the gig. I had a fucking great time, but I’m sure I pissed a few people off.
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I’ve come to accept the assholes, even look forward to them. I try to pick them out before the show, make a little game of it. My most common complaints have to do with the venues themselves. Here’s a few I’ve come across multiple times.
1)Choke points, especially with multiple bars around the main viewing area, make it impossible to not get stuck in the middle of the crowd.
2)Lack of handicap-accessible viewing areas. I’m not trying to nobly defend the differently abled, I’m not that nice. The most uncomfortable situations I encounter within crowds almost always involve a wheelchair bound person I’m either trying not to block or trying to avoid being run over by.
3)No viewing options. There are very few venues that have both seating and dancefloor. Its usually either\or. In the few places I’ve been that have a section of the room reserved for tables and chairs (say, in the back or in a balcony section) in addition to a dancefloor I’ve always had the best experiences. It doesn’t take much table space either. A couple is enough, I’ll usually know ahead of time if I don’t feel like dancing and can get there early.
4)Non-smoking policies. What is a concert without a cloud of smoke for the light show to dance upon? And I’m pretty sure clean air makes the music sound worse, too.
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we had beer spilled on us this past year. it wasnt fun. also, the people behind us asked us to sit… but I mind you, almost the entire audience (it was a humongous concert) was standing. it was the main band, Nickelback, and they had the nerve to ask us to sit. I dont think so.
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It’s a concert. These people will always be there get over it and move away/around the deuchebags. But still the lot of these are a bit annoying. Here’s another one I avoid, the sneering downer in the back who is to good for the rest of em.
If you get pissed because of these types of people you should just move in on the stage and zone.
works for me.
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The best way to watch a concert is on telly/DVD… no thugs, no idiots, great sound, your own VIP couch, a fridge close by and a toilet… plus you can watch naked if you want. why would anyone pay $50 for a real ticket?
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Hello, this is the first time I have attended an FDA (thats Festival Dickheads Anonymous). My name is Anonymous and im a Festival Dickhead. Its been three festivals since I last acted like a dickhead…
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i agree with a lot of these except for the standing at a seated event cause i think you should only sit in between sets or before get your rest then.
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I can’t tell you how may times i’ve had some dick trying to shove me out of the spot i waited twelve hours for and then he has the nerve to act like i did something wrong when i shove him off or elbow him back. i’ve had problems with moshing too, i’m not a very big person, so when some 200lb person starts slamming into me and the people around me it kind of ruins the experience (concussions suck) it’s one thing to be enthusiastic, i respect that but having absolutely no respect for those around you is just being an ass
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two words: high heels.
if you are wearing heels, and you are standing within whispering distance of the person nearest you, you are GOING to get shoved, stepped on, or otherwise jostled sometime during the band’s set. stop causing a fuss, and don’t throw your goddamn elbows around like you’ve just contracted chronic epilepsy.
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i got pissed on at a concert. FUCK YOU.
concerts are like college parties. 80% of attendees are total douchebags looking out for #1. then again, you are a total douchebag for being in that other 20%.
we all KNOW that concerts can suck. and the people who break these rules arent the kind of people to read this article and abide by it.
whine with me now
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haha I totally agree.
I think I have complained about almost all of these things at least once while at a concert.
especialy number four, me being the 5′ tall girl the 6′4 people stand in front of. =P
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100% agreed about standing at a seated show. I paid $100/ea to see the Police, I want to SIT in that $100 seat and SEE the motherfucking POLICE! To that end, I have been known to, if I can, procure seats in the front row of the next section back from whatever TicketRipoff is currently selling. Yes, it’s a tiny bit worse of a seat, but at least I’ll get to sit in it.
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What the hell is wrong with some of you idiots? It’s not like these are laws or anything, just someones idea of a few general courtesy rules, if you don’t like them you don’t have to be a huge fucking douche about it. People like you are the reason Kat posted these in the first place.
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I agree with every single thing on there, here is another one, it’s not really a way people ruin the show but anyway:
Wearing the bands shirt or merchandise to the show. If you buy the shirt at the present show that is okay to wear it, but if you are wearing the stuff in to the show of that band that is just stupid. we know who you are there to see, we do not need your shirt to also tell us. It is redundant and way too emo.
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Let’s not forget the guy who stands next to you and can’t seem to realize that there’s music going on, why not talk? It’s especially weird that he seems so content to NOT listen to the band, considering that the majority of his conversation is about the band, their merchandise, other shows he’s been to, pointless trivia, and various other pointless Indie Cred to whip out as though it impresses you. This guy is usually twice your weight and there alone.
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I’m 6′6″. I stand in the front before the show starts when it’s my favorite band, Linkin Park. I’m in their fan club, and I have a loud voice. I always get the crowd excited and can hear myself and the audience cheering on the concert-recordings (since they are no longer bootlegged). Maybe some of you LP fans are reading this and remember me from Tucson, Dallas, Phoenix and Las Vegas shows.
I am that tall guy that doesn’t mind pissing anyone off that pisses me off.