What drives you nuts at concerts?

performers that just go through the motions, Led Zepplin comes to mind (probably my favorite band but concerts?) i saw them 3 times twice they were and hour late and all 3 shows they never came back out for an encore just did their sets and out the door. Paul Mccartney on the other hand last summer had no warm up band and played over 3 hours and did 39 covers loved it
 
Back in the day... Firecrackers,

Yes - I saw Black Sabbath and Bloodrock (DOA) in 1971 a few days before the 4th of July i had dropped LSD with a few friends and people were lighting and throwing firecrackers all around one went off by some guys ear and they had to carry him off , no fun :(
 
Are you saying I'm the koo-koo bird, or those who my derision is aimed at?
I found your post interesting also. And I don't think you were being derisive, just telling the truth. Music affects you deeply, and you like to share that feeling with like minded people. If the person you're dating doesn't share those same feelings you start to wonder "what else don't we have in common?" It's natural to seek out others who share our interests.
 
I forgot... ^^^^This, right here. And it's even more maddening when it's either a.) being yelled almost non-stop into a phone or b.) texted and forwarded via an incessant stream of photos or short video clips. If your friend/acquaintance/significant other couldn't make it to the show, couldn't you simply relay the experience later via face-to-face social interaction, a.k.a. conversation? I attended a KoRn show back in 2009 at Toyota Park off of 71st Street and Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview, IL (literally three miles beyond Chicago's southwest city limit) and found myself surrounded by a crowd of individuals who spent more time staring down into smart phone screens than at the actual performers on stage. Yes, it's none of my business and I did my best to ignore it, but it's difficult to do so as the sun sets and you can't help but observe a sea of brightly lit 4.5-inch rectangles in your line of sight. Do the rest of ticket-holding fans a favor and do that shit after the show. /end of rant

I was at a Green Day concert last month,and Billy Joe is addressing someone in the GA section in front.BJ is talking right to them and the person is still looking at their phone,taking a video,I would think.BJ looks at them and says,"Why are you looking at your phone?I'm right here.Look me in the eyes."
 
I found your post interesting also. And I don't think you were being derisive, just telling the truth. Music affects you deeply, and you like to share that feeling with like minded people. If the person you're dating doesn't share those same feelings you start to wonder "what else don't we have in common?" It's natural to seek out others who share our interests.

my thought,

good luck trying to find someone that shares all the same feelings as you AND reacts the same way as you to those feelings.

something else to ponder is that there is a good healthy reason opposites attract

i am the last person to judge behaviors and it someone needs to jump around to enjoy themselves, God bless but

i'll bet the girls the poster was with who were not up to snuff thought just that... "what else don't we have in common?" to say the least
 
I was at a Green Day concert last month,and Billy Joe is addressing someone in the GA section in front.BJ is talking right to them and the person is still looking at their phone,taking a video,I would think.BJ looks at them and says,"Why are you looking at your phone?I'm right here.Look me in the eyes."
I'd guess it's the almost compulsive modern-day urge to envelope the experience with some degree of permanence versus being in the moment and having it live on in one's memory. Describing a performance/stage setting/visual effects via word of mouth, for a good portion of people, may not have the same visceral impact as seeing a video clip or hearing audio from said gig. I get it and wasn't attempting to come across as judgemental in my prior post. At 43, I'm from the relative "old school" compared to my two post-millennial aged daughters (17 and 19) and understand (intellectually, at least) the reasoning behind the behavior. Personally, it still strikes me as unintentionally rude/inconsiderate given the above-board price of today's average concert ticket and detracts from the overall live, in-the-moment experience provided by a concert in the first place. I'm not everyone and obviously everyone is not me... I'd simply buy the DVD or some such memorabilia at one of the vendors outside of the venue.

In regard to Billy Joel (I'm a fan...), kudos to him. If I was on stage in front of thousands of people working my ass off on a piano and singing my heart out into a mic, I'd prefer you connect with me as best as one interpersonally can while in a crowd instead of collapsing the experience into strings of zeroes and ones on a microSD card.
 
Last edited:
neither

i am saying your expectations are severe, imho

as i said, i found that very interesting

no judgement meant on anybody, strictly an intellectual observation

hmm... a moment needed for introspective thought...

Yep! Severe expectations. When it comes to some things (music) my expectations are high. But as far as the concert thing, I am married, and my wife rarely comes to shows with me anymore... I wonder...:idea:
 
@ biscuithead: I have experienced something similar twice; once with a friend of a friend; and once with a friend.

They just stood there and looked toward the stage. NO emptions at ALL! WTF? Why not just stay home?

I mean, I´m head banging and enjoying the SHIT out of myself, and these gus just stand there.

I asked the friend of a friend what he thought of the show afterwards, and he just said it was ok.

My friend said he liked it, but just didn´t show it.
 
There are "fans", and then there are people that are there just to be seen there as some sort of social status obligation. I have run across this at concerts, and more often at sporting events. My attorney (former judge and prestigious alumnus of what will remain an un-named major university) gave me his tickets to an "important" college football game--landing me promptly in the "no fun zone". The best seats in the stadium are "owned" by "important" alumni--you know--the ones with their names on a library or some wing of the medical school. So I'm sitting in the "primo" seats, surrounded by geezers and their wives (knitting or reading a newspaper--paying no attention to the game). If you ordered one more beer or actually made any effort to cheer on your team, they would call security on you. It was horrible--I'd have rather been up in the bleachers with the students and/or the marching band--kind of like going to a football game and ending up at a funeral wake.
 
hmm... a moment needed for introspective thought...

Yep! Severe expectations. When it comes to some things (music) my expectations are high. But as far as the concert thing, I am married, and my wife rarely comes to shows with me anymore... I wonder...:idea:

I go to many classical concerts now....

no one dances, shouts (or even talks) during shows. Very rare a phone is recording, when it is, I have seen the person removed. No warning or second chance.

You can't enter the concert hall late. If you are late, depending on the program, if their is a natural break, you won't get in at all.

All that said, I was at a Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI performance a few months ago. I was in bliss, truly, I imagine like you are at a rock concert when dancing.


All my passion and enjoyment was simply internalized. This works to advantage as I could more fully concentrate on the sound, the performance. No distractions from self or others.

I mention this to support my point that not only do we all like different music but enjoy of our music is also individual.

There is a time and place for everything in this life and I am not the fool to think my way best or superior. Hence, to you, I say, in all sincerity, ROCK ON!
 
@ biscuithead: I have experienced something similar twice; once with a friend of a friend; and once with a friend.

They just stood there and looked toward the stage. NO emptions at ALL! WTF? Why not just stay home?

I mean, I´m head banging and enjoying the SHIT out of myself, and these gus just stand there.

I asked the friend of a friend what he thought of the show afterwards, and he just said it was ok.

My friend said he liked it, but just didn´t show it.

read my post above....
 
There are "fans", and then there are people that are there just to be seen there as some sort of social status obligation. I have run across this at concerts, and more often at sporting events. My attorney (former judge and prestigious alumnus of what will remain an un-named major university) gave me his tickets to an "important" college football game--landing me promptly in the "no fun zone". The best seats in the stadium are "owned" by "important" alumni--you know--the ones with their names on a library or some wing of the medical school. So I'm sitting in the "primo" seats, surrounded by geezers and their wives (knitting or reading a newspaper--paying no attention to the game). If you ordered one more beer or actually made any effort to cheer on your team, they would call security on you. It was horrible--I'd have rather been up in the bleachers with the students and/or the marching band--kind of like going to a football game and ending up at a funeral wake.

are you sure?

I found myself in a very similar situation just last month.

I had tickets to a classical concert, in a church. Literally just across from Trump Tower, home of our president. This is on Fifth Ave in NYC. I was in the first row. Same kind of crowd up there like you described at you football game. Real money. Old school NY money. My ticket which I bought was obviously donated back.

Anyway, I felt exactly what you described. The men were dinosaurs, the women much younger but still old. Each one sparkled from antique diamond laden jewelry.

So, feeling uncomfortable, I simply started talking to those around me before the concert. Could not have been nicer! Wonderful people.

Intermission, same thing.

So basically, when in Rome, respect the culture of the Romans but don't take the mores of the Romans as a sign of arrogance, hostility or superiority.

People tend to be people and most of what we perceive in others is more about ourselves.
 
I go to many classical concerts now....

no one dances, shouts (or even talks) during shows. Very rare a phone is recording, when it is, I have seen the person removed. No warning or second chance.

You can't enter the concert hall late. If you are late, depending on the program, if their is a natural break, you won't get in at all.

All that said, I was at a Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI performance a few months ago. I was in bliss, truly, I imagine like you are at a rock concert when dancing.


All my passion and enjoyment was simply internalized. This works to advantage as I could more fully concentrate on the sound, the performance. No distractions from self or others.

I mention this to support my point that not only do we all like different music but enjoy of our music is also individual.

There is a time and place for everything in this life and I am not the fool to think my way best or superior. Hence, to you, I say, in all sincerity, ROCK ON!

I love different perspectives! As I get older, and my tastes become more refined, I think I understand this view. I have yet to begin my live classical shows, but in the near future, I can see me entering into this realm. I have been to many low-key Jazz performances, sitting at a table. I still tap my toes, and I have my own version of the Bill Cosby groove.
You are right, there are many different ways to enjoy music. Perhaps I am being too critical of the folks who seem to be unaffected, they're just affected internally.
 
@ biscuithead: I have experienced something similar twice; once with a friend of a friend; and once with a friend.

They just stood there and looked toward the stage. NO emptions at ALL! WTF? Why not just stay home?

I mean, I´m head banging and enjoying the SHIT out of myself, and these gus just stand there.

I asked the friend of a friend what he thought of the show afterwards, and he just said it was ok.

My friend said he liked it, but just didn´t show it.

I must take a step backward and share a story that lends to the other side...

My father-in-law is a HUGE Moody Blues fan. He has gone to well over 250 shows since his first in Denver, December 1970. He plans European vacations around their tour dates.
He is a Big Fan. He invites me to a Red Rocks show a couple of years ago... I'm not that big of a fan of the Moody Blues, but I say sure... maybe I'm missing something about them, and maybe their live show will speak to me...
The show was fine, and I grooved a little... but more importantly, HE (My Moody-Blue-worshipping-father-in-Law) just sat there! He was not moving, snapping his fingers or anything... He did sing along on a few songs, and he did close his eyes...
So, here this guy is, seen the Moody Blues all over the world, and he seems very non-plussed by the event.
I ask him afterword, on the drive home, "how did it compare to the other shows you've seen"?
His reply: "It was pretty good".

Conclusion: I don't know what goes on inside other people. Personality, insecurity, blah, blah... We all have our own experiences, and mine is not better, or more whole, than his, or any ones. I enjoy my music outwardly, others can do it their own style. I will work on not judging my wife for not dancing.
Thanks to everyone for holding up the mirror.
 
I'm a musician. At concerts it is extremely interesting and entertaining for me if I can focus on the performance. Sometimes, if the instrumentalists are particularly good, I can completely immerse in their groove, and maybe even cop a few free lessons at the same time. OUTWARDLY this looks like some guy just standing there trying to ignore the distraction of all the other people.

A lot of things irk me at live shows these days. The single best way to make me walk out is bad sound - went to see Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The big draw for me was Duck Dunn on the bass (one of my heroes). No matter where I went in the arena the bottom end was complete mud. Had to leave; it was a major disappointment.

Went to an Eagles concert where the crowd, screaming like they're at a football game, was drowning out the band. Glenn Frey finally told them to simmer down because they couldn't hear on stage. I was stuck at that one because my date didn't want to leave.

I agree with many of the other complaints in this thread. But here's a fun story: ten or so years ago I saw Cheap Trick and Sammy Hagar. We were sitting a couple rows behind the sound board. Cheap Trick was, as always, in great form and the sound during their set was perfect. It had (at that time) been so long since I'd heard a well mixed arena show that I was completely astounded and delighted. Then, after a long set change, Sammy Hagar came on. We noticed a change in the sound immediately, and it kept getting worse. After about four songs Sammy stopped the show to complain directly to the sound crew from the stage. Another song and a half and he stopped again due to feedback in the monitors and poor sound, and went on a rant about professionalism and competence. Another half song and he leaves the stage for a minute, after which we see the Cheap Trick sound guy show up at the board and take over. Suddenly - good sound.
 
Bad sound is the worst. Saw Clapton at Staples the first time around. Terrible sound. Won't go back.
 
Went see dead and co. a while back at DTE, used to be pine knob... They only had 4 or 5 gates to get everyone into the show. Metal detectors were running. The line went on forever. It took at least an hour to finally get in, and we missed half of the first set. I'm sure that some people in the back of the line missed the whole first set. I've never seen anything like that before. It was kind of a mess.

This is now a common practice. Be prepared, arrive early. Leave your weapons (knives) at home.

In Milwaukee it's done at Miller Park (Brewers), BMO Harris Bradley Center (Bucks/Marquette/Concerts), Summerfest an outdoor venue for concerts. If they don't have the walk through detectors (same as all airports, without body scans) they will have the hand scanners. Used as secondary if you fail the walk through. Put your keys and cell phones in the trays they provide.

All NBA venues have this as a requirement. They also use bomb dogs that the public does not see.
 
Last show we went to, my daughter and I came up with a theory that there were three types of people:
* People who yell "Woooooo!" at concerts, often repeatedly.
* People who would never utter "Wooooo" at a concert.
* People who only say "Woooo" at a concert in a sarcastic manner.
The first category are the annoying ones.

This is a new one for me. Just noticed a lot of it at a recent Eric Church show. The first is especially irritating.

It was a late start, around 8:30, schedule was 8. So of course all the drunks got there at 8 and hung up the door screening process.
 
Back
Top Bottom