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| I love concerts (like this one put on by Taylor Swift last year) and musicians, but sometimes I hate the other fans. |
The other night, two musicians I adore, admire, and respect each tweeted about concert behaviors that annoy and mystify them.
i will never understand people who come to shows & just look fucking pissed off that they are there the whole time.— matt nathanson (@mattnathanson) July 6, 2016
ask them to clap, the cross their arms. ask them to sing, they stare at you, mouth closed. its like... i know humans are limited but COME ON— matt nathanson (@mattnathanson) July 6, 2016
its not like we're doing instrumental interpretive dance up there. how hard is it to just NOT look like you are in prison.— matt nathanson (@mattnathanson) July 6, 2016
I hear you, Matt. I have seen these people. I can't figure out why they paid and took the time to come to a show if they're just going to stand there and look angry/bored/disinterested.
Damn concerts these days are like a picture of the picture of the picture taker in front of the last picture taker.— Stephen Kellogg (@Stephen_Kellogg) July 6, 2016
While I'm guilty of taking lots of photos and some video at shows, I do try to put my phone/camera away so I can truly enjoy the music and performance as well.
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I am an avid concertgoer. My current tally of shows is 226. I've seen a lot of great musicians ... and also a lot of fan behavior. Here are some other things fans do (at shows and away from them) that confuse me and probably annoy the musicians:
- Shouting out song titles.
Unless the performer asks for requests, shut your mouth and enjoy the setlist that was carefully crafted for your show.
- Commenting on facebook posts or replying on Twitter asking when the artist is coming to your city.
This usually occurs when the artists posts about a new show or tour. It's super aggravating for me to read, so I can only imagine what it's like for the musician. They would love to go everywhere people want to hear them, but the reality is that they only get so much say over where their shows are booked. Want to be sure they come to your city? Hire them for a show or bug your local venues about booking them.
- Talking during the performance.
I'm all for telling my neighbor that I'm excited to hear this song or whatever, but that's where comments should end. Discuss the performance in detail after the show. Tell your bestie about your fight with your boyfriend over a beer later. Share work gossip at another time. While the artist is on stage, working to give you a good show, they deserve your full attention. And you bought a ticket, so don't waste it by talking during the set.
Steph covered concert douchery pretty well on her blog a short while ago, and I won't bother to duplicate here. Go check it out and then let me know what things you've seen from fans that were annoying or just plain disrespectful to the musicians.
The douchebag concertgoer that I seem to always attract is the drunkard who looses all sense of manners, social graces, and basic balance and coordination and inevitably spills his/her beer all over me. Another concertgoer pet peeve of mine that I didn't mention in response to Steph's post, are the couples who seriously need to get a room. I'm all about showing some love and affection, but there comes a point where enough is enough. Skip buying the tickets and just get ya a hotel room! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI never understood shouting out song titles, particularly because in most cases, you can find the set-list for the show online. You know what to expect... and what not to. Shouting out titles does nothing but irritate your fellow concert goers. And the TALKERS. I can't stand those. I don't need to hear their personal drama when I'm at a show. I came to hear the musician, not them. I usually stare them down until they shut up. #noshame
ReplyDeleteOne group of concertgoers who are getting on my nerves more now that I'm older are the folks (usually female) who *loudly* sing every single song. I know I used to be one of them, which makes it even worse, but now that I'm going to more expensive shows I want to be able to hear the real deal! Sure, sing along with the chorus on "Benny and the Jets" - but please let me hear Elton John on "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."
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