The Four Most Annoying Things About Seeing Live Music
I love seeing live music. On average, I probably go see bands play twice a week. (BTW, I just saw Phoenix last Friday in New York City. It was great. Super tight, super catchy, and nicely unpretentious given the band's Frenchness.) I know that catching a couple shows a week may not sound like a lot, but it's something I do far more than see movies or attend the theater or witness any other form of entertainment that requires me to leave my apartment. So I'm not being hyperbolic when I say that going to concerts is my favorite social activity. Ah, but in accordance with the laws of space and time, there are irritating yings to my otherwise pleasant concert-going yangs--things that prevent me from venturing out to rock clubs even more than I already do. Below are my four most irksome live music pet peeves. I'm sure you've got your own. Vent your spleen in the comments section!
1. The Standing Around: This just makes me sound like an old fogey, but it's true: I get tired of standing. Sure the occasional rock show takes place at a venue where there are seats, but the vast majority of gigs happen at small clubs where you stand around for a couple hours. Especially when you live in a city like New York, where you've most likely walked to your destination, your dogs are gonna be barking long before the band has played its final note.
2. The Interminable Waiting: Why can't concerts be more like movies, where you know the show will get underway at a pre-arranged time? Instead, even when a gig is advertised as starting at, say, 9 p.m., you've got to factor in arriving early to get a good spot, whether or not there are opening bands (and how many), the amount of time between sets, and so on. You could be killing time for two hours before the band you're there to see finally goes on. It's no better at stadium gigs, when presumably everything is better organized, but you can still wait for a seeming eternity for the headliner to hit the stage. What is the band doing that prevents them from being punctual? I don't know. But I know this: Rock 'n' roll is full of time thieves.
3. Audience Stragglers: You get to the show early. You get a good spot in the crowd--somewhere in the center, near the front of the stage. You enjoy the show for 15 or 20 minutes, happy to have secured such prime real estate. Then: uh-oh. The people around you start stepping on each other's toes--someone is coming. A late-arriving straggler is encroaching on your hard-earned territory. Unless you want to start a fight, there's little you can do to stop him. Now, instead of watching the band, you're counting hairs on the back of your rival's head.
4. Beer: I love it. I drink it too fast. Then I spent the night shuttling between the show and the bathroom. Add this problem to the previous three and it's clear: If there weren't any music played at concerts, I'd probably never go.
See more at www.spin.com
SPIN's 40 Best Albums of 2008 http://www.spin.com/articles/40-best-albums-2008
Search 1,400 Album Reviews http://www.spin.com/reviews
Where is one to go see a concert and have a decent time in the days after Bill Graham's passing? BGP concerts used to have all kinds of cool add-ons, like:
-avocado, cheese and veggie sandwiches
-breakfast for the crowd (OK, so that was after the Dead closed Winterland, but still)
-Really cool opening acts
-Best venues (Greek Theatre(s), Winterland, etc. -- except Shoreline -- almost as bad as Camden)
-No hassles from security, venue people or the like
The main reason that concerts suck so bad now (as opposed to years ago) is that it is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY. How many people can we cram into this place with as little staff (except bufoon security gaurds, which always seem to be in great supply) and spending as little money as possible, while charging some $6 for a lemonade and $4.50 for a soft pretzel!?!?! If concert promoters and bands actually cared about their customers, concerts would be a much better experience for everyone!
1) Respect
2) Consideration
3) Politeness
4) Tolerance
It dosen't matter how old you are or what type of show you are at, these simple behaviors go a long way to improving EVERYONE's enjoyment of the show. I've been to hundreds of concerts, dealt with countless [profane]s, and have felt like being a part of a cattle herd many, many times. If someone is doing something you don't like ASK them to stop doing whatever it is that's bothering you. If that doesn't work, ask a security guard- I don't pay hundreds of dollars to get tossed from a show if someone wants to start s***.... you can always fight AFTER the show if it comes down to it. Everyone has different limits as far as what they're willing to deal with, and live shows SHOULD be about the music- at all times. But it. Music has the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary and people SHOULD recognize this simple fact & be entertained at a concert, not annoyed by meatheads being meatheads, there will always be this element at any given show and some acts definately bring the creatures out of hiding but decent people keep the order at a show just like in day to day life. And yeah, while the band is playing if you're talking loudly, using cell phones, and bumping into people to get a better spot it's totally f-ing rude, if you can't comprehend this you should think about someone besides yourself. One more thing, for those who complain about the smell of weed.... PUH-LEEEZE. And for anyone who thinks humans are not animals, just use the restroom at any venue, people... sinks are for washing hands not urine. Oh yeah, for the record, this article was pretty lame.
People are rude, the sound techs are mediocre and parking sucks.
Saffrron -- I agree that not all shows, venues or bands are created equal. It was great when I could pay five bucks to see Phish, stand directly next to John Fishman and watch him play drums all night, or talk for a half-hour with Mike Gordon about the opening band, or request a song from Trey Anastasio after an end-of-tour show and have it played as the opening song the next show in the same city! Now those are great concert experiences! Sadly, these expereinces are too few and too far between. I may be getting old, but I still go to see a lot of shows and year-after-year, the concert-going experience gets to be more-and-more of a hassle. That being said, I typically only go to shows that I know that I will at least enjoy the music, which is really sad because it's really hard to find and support new music.
2. Oversized corporate music venues with crappy acoustics
3. Poor sound quality at venues with "pro audiots" asleep at their boards
4. Non-existent or poor quality seating
5. Loud audience singers, space dancers and "yahoo" screamers
6. Barfing drunks and staggering druggies
7. Cell Phone users
8. Online corporate ticket sellers
9. Lousy, overpriced parking
10. Filthy toilets and long lines
Support talented local musicians in clubs, bars, coffee houses and restaurants and, if you must, buy a performance DVD's from a major artist. Skip the whole rip off, corporate concert debacle.
Been going most of my life,now taking my daughters.
Went to two My Chemical Romance shows,and one
Tokio Hotel show,and the little girls in the crowd were
more crazy than any other crowd I've been in.But,all
is fair when you're fighting to stay on your feet up by the
stage,so many a girly got a 45 year old elbow to the head
by the end of the night.That being said Ticketmaster is way
more evil than any snotty twat in the audience.
concert is qoinq to be like uqhhhhh like omfq i love michael
jackson in i know i aint the only one that qoes wild over him
l0l love yah michael jackson haha but this is definitly how hyped people will be at the michael jackson concert no doubt