What drives you nuts at concerts?

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.

I appreciate your sentiments and glad you had a positive experience, but there are certain general rules of etiquette for different types of social gatherings or events. I would not expect a rowdy, screaming crowd at a classical performance, opera or art gallery opening, but OTOH, at a hockey game, football game, boxing match, or rock or country concert, I would not expect the audience to be seated quietly for the event with the occasional "golf clap".
 
I appreciate your sentiments and glad you had a positive experience, but there are certain general rules of etiquette for different types of social gatherings or events. I would not expect a rowdy, screaming crowd at a classical performance, opera or art gallery opening, but OTOH, at a hockey game, football game, boxing match, or rock or country concert, I would not expect the audience to be seated quietly for the event with the occasional "golf clap".

Seems you experienced a culture within a culture, as I had.

I my case it was only the first few rows that was attired in riches and stepped in tradition. (it's not about yelling or not yelling, it's strictly about a different etiquette within the larger etiquette)

You too seem to have stepped into a subculture. It was in sport instead of a concert setting.

So now we know the rules of etiquette are not universal, neither to a concert or to a sports event.

Anyway, I would in no way feel uncomfortable to cheer at a sports match. Did you? Did they say something? What? Were you asked to leave?
 
So now we know the rules of etiquette are not universal, neither to a concert or to a sports event.

Anyway, I would in no way feel uncomfortable to cheer at a sports match. Did you? Did they say something? What? Were you asked to leave?

I think that we are truly on the same page. Did I feel uncomfortable--yes, at first, but once I got the "lay of the land" of where I was seated--as you said "when in Rome...", so I just "rolled with it". No one said anything negative, and I had some interesting conversations, was never asked to leave, but I became very aware of the "rules" in this section of the stadium very rapidly (it helped that I have a PhD and thus, some "credibility")--but I would have had a much better time up in the "cheap seats" with the students or marching band for that type of event--rather than being in the crowd that would pull their endowment if the coaches were publicly criticized, or didn't play their favorite players enough--by the same token, they would pull their endowments if you ignored their request for "heads to roll".
 
I think that we are truly on the same page. Did I feel uncomfortable--yes, at first, but once I got the "lay of the land" of where I was seated--as you said "when in Rome...", so I just "rolled with it". No one said anything negative, and I had some interesting conversations, was never asked to leave, but I became very aware of the "rules" in this section of the stadium very rapidly (it helped that I have a PhD and thus, some "credibility")--but I would have had a much better time up in the "cheap seats" with the students or marching band for that type of event--rather than being in the crowd that would pull their endowment if the coaches were publicly criticized, or didn't play their favorite players enough--by the same token, they would pull their endowments if you ignored their request for "heads to roll".

Then we did the same thing, adapted to out surroundings but I had no validation (you had your PHD) to comfort me as you did, I am not descended from the Mayflower as those around me were.

Yet mine was a positive experience and you listed your experience as "horrible."

Interesting how some of us adapt and others prefer not to. What is also interesting is that from what you describe, I'd love those tickets you were given! LOL


I got a hunch what I complained about in my first post in the thread would not have bothered you as it did me. We humans are funny. So similar yet so different.
 
Then we did the same thing, adapted to out surroundings but I had no validation (you had your PHD) to comfort me as you did, I am not descended from the Mayflower as those around me were.

Yet mine was a positive experience and you listed your experience as "horrible."

Interesting how some of us adapt and others prefer not to. What is also interesting is that from what you describe, I'd love those tickets you were given! LOL


I got a hunch what I complained about in my first post in the thread would not have bothered you as it did me. We humans are funny. So similar yet so different.

"Adaptation" is the most appropriate word--once you know where you are and who you are dealing with and the appropriate "protocol"--all can be good--very easily.

I did not consider the experience "horrible"--but a lot less "fun" than an event like that could have been (for me anyways)--like I said, although the seats were great, I'd have rather been up with the students and band having a blast.
 
I am sure i did not misquote you as I took the time to go back and look but if I did, my apologies.

Indeed, you are correct--I did use the term "horrible"--perhaps a better term would have been "disappointed" or "less fun than expected"--no apologies required--it just was "disappointing" to be in the best seats in the house, and in the "no fun zone" for that kind of event/venue.
 
Indeed, you are correct--I did use the term "horrible"--perhaps a better term would have been "disappointed" or "less fun than expected"--no apologies required--it just was "disappointing" to be in the best seats in the house, and in the "no fun zone" for that kind of event/venue.

if you get them again, plaese send them my way! (not joking)

nice talking to you
 
Ever been to a concert with someone who just refuses to groove to the music? They just sit there, without nary an affect. Then when you grab their hand and try to dance with them, or try to garner some kind of emotion, and they are a voided blank stare. No drugs, I'm not talking about eating a brownie and drinking some tea....

What drives me nuts, is meeting someone, getting on with them, asking them to a show, and then seeing that they are not even minutely effected by the music that you LOVE! In my youth, I went to many, many shows, and I broke up with quite a few girlfriends at shows. Maybe, I am thin-skinned, but it always just floored me, when this great girl, that I thought I understood, just sat there like a block of wood. Some people do not ALLOW music to free their spirit, and those people drive me nuts.
No offense, but you don't need to dance or 'groove' to be affected by the music.
I'm not much of a dancer, but have gotten right into plenty of live music while not dancing, and showing very little on the outside.

"Person who pushes people to dance when they don't want to" at a concert can be as equally annoying as the person who won't dance, IMO. People should be allowed to be who they are.
When this pops up for me, I often (jokingly) paraphrase Mailer and say, "Tough guys don't dance". Not sure if anybody ever gets the joke, they probably don't read much.
I don't judge them about that. People being allowed to be who they are, and all that.
 
No offense, but you don't need to dance or 'groove' to be affected by the music.
I'm not much of a dancer, but have gotten right into plenty of live music while not dancing, and showing very little on the outside.

"Person who pushes people to dance when they don't want to" at a concert can be as equally annoying as the person who won't dance, IMO. People should be allowed to be who they are.
When this pops up for me, I often (jokingly) paraphrase Mailer and say, "Tough guys don't dance". Not sure if anybody ever gets the joke, they probably don't read much.
I don't judge them about that. People being allowed to be who they are, and all that.

No offense taken.
If you continue to read the thread, I've taken a step backward, and given some introspective thought to this... and you're correct, I judge too harshly the non-grooving guests that accompany me at concerts. I (obtusely) see it as " come on, just let go and lose yourself in the music"... or " who cares if you look goofy, or if people are looking at you, let the music free you" ... or "don't be so up tight, here have a bite of this brownie, and allow the music to move through you".
I will try to stymie my myopic criticisms of the stick-n-da-muds ! :p ...Kidding...
 
Short list, and then a short story:
-The people who want to dance but need 40 feet to do so
-The people who can't shut up for more than 10 seconds
-Poor sound; saw Rush in 1980, floor seats, in front of the mixing board guys, and all I hear is the kick drum and hardly anything else. Grrrr.
-WAITING FOR THE BAND
-Being surprised with a gift of tickets to a show you don't want to attend. But there's a backstory:

Back in 86 (or 87, I forget), my girlfriend at the time was cra-a-a-a-azy about Poison (yeah, POISON), and she decided that the only way to get me in the venue was to surprise me with tickets for my birthday. Oh yay! She got us really good seats, too (this was at Nassau Coliseum on LI, and we were about 8 rows back on the floor, left-hand section). We arrive and find our seats and IMMEDIATELY she's starting to stew. She didn't realize that the floor at these shows is about 75% full of wannabe groupies wearing either very little, or even littler, clothing. Headliner finally comes out and after about two songs we've got the female contingent that is hell-bent on getting backstage: braless girls flashing, girls flipping up skirts revealing that they neglected to wear any under-things, groups of girls groping and fondling one another with tongues a-waggin', and just a smorgasbord of sordid and tantalizing behavior. It was distracting to the point where you sort of forgot there was a band playing (they were horrible live, by the way; I've seen Cymbal-Banging-Monkey toys keep better time than Rickey Rocket or whatever his stage name is).

Never got tickets for a show again.
 
No offense taken.
If you continue to read the thread, I've taken a step backward, and given some introspective thought to this... and you're correct, I judge too harshly the non-grooving guests that accompany me at concerts. I (obtusely) see it as " come on, just let go and lose yourself in the music"... or " who cares if you look goofy, or if people are looking at you, let the music free you" ... or "don't be so up tight, here have a bite of this brownie, and allow the music to move through you".
I will try to stymie my myopic criticisms of the stick-n-da-muds ! :p ...Kidding...
Well, if brownies are involved, that changes everything.:rflmao:
That might turn me into, "Why is that guy dancing like an idiot and spilling my drink guy", though.
 
A personal annoyance of mine is the sea of people recording on phones, ipads, tablets, and whatnot. First, it is almost always pointless because the recording will be terrible. Second, it detracts from other people's experience by blocking our vision and being a general distraction (big bright ass rectangle in the middle of my vision).

In my opinion it is far more enjoyable to enjoy concerts in the moment by giving it your full attention rather than wasting your effort trying to film a shitty video on your phone.
 
Unfair generation comparison..plenty of older people annoying with their phones. Still..kinda funny!

MEME.jpg
 
A personal annoyance of mine is the sea of people recording on phones, ipads, tablets, and whatnot. First, it is almost always pointless because the recording will be terrible. Second, it detracts from other people's experience by blocking our vision and being a general distraction (big bright ass rectangle in the middle of my vision).

In my opinion it is far more enjoyable to enjoy concerts in the moment by giving it your full attention rather than wasting your effort trying to film a shitty video on your phone.

people are social animals, hence the success of social media

it's not about the sound quality ;)
 
In my opinion it is far more enjoyable to enjoy concerts in the moment by giving it your full attention rather than wasting your effort trying to film a shitty video on your phone.

This is my opinion exactly, but I will admit that I DISCRETELY shot a few short videos while at a Slowdive show back in 2014 (by keeping my phone below head level of course). I figured that I would never again get to see them, and this was a bit of a too-good-to-be-true show for me.
 
I usually make one or two videos at a show, but I also keep my phone low so I don´t block other´s view.

The sound quality from todays phones is actually pretty good, even at concert volumes.
 
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