MIBMMTIS -- Talking through a concert??
4What kind of concert goer are you?? As I mentioned earlier, life has been insane and looks to get insaner! So Hubby and I went to mellow concert last night in a open air theater -- discount tickets. This was supposed to be no stress, relaxed musical entertainment. Took 1.5 hours to get through the line of traffic to get a parking spot, ended up getting turned away at the gate and finding a store close by that was charging to park -- well worth the $10!
Anyways, there were people talking LOUDLY through all of the concert, two seats away from us. Why do people pay good money to talk throughout the entire event? I just don't get it. All in all, hubby and I had a wonderful time, though..
Are you:
- A person who talks all through the music
- A person who stands up and blocks the view of the other patrons
- A moshpitter even with the golden oldies
- A person who quietly sits and bounces to the music
- A person who falls asleep halfway through the concert, like the woman who was sitting in front of us
- A robot who sits and stares straight ahead with no reaction to the event?
- 12 comments, 16 replies
- Comment
I remember one time I went to see the Grateful Dead and I was just dancing around and enjoying the music and rushing colours and geometric shapes and suddenly Bob Weir's made his face turn into my father's face and stopped the song to say he was disappointed in me and that I ruined Thanksgiving in 1993 by making the turkey talk like a hand puppet. That was years ago and I thought it was a really fucked up thing for a musician to do to a dedicated fan. It was embarassing and really unprofessional. I was so mad that I totally regretted climbing over the porta-potties to get into the concert in the first place.
@Starblind And that's how I got the clap.
I can't remember the last concert I went to. I'm pretty sure I was in my teens. When people are being rude at events like that I generally call them on it. They usually look a little embarrassed and then get irritated. Whatever, as long as it shuts them up.
@PurplePawprints The person next to us did, the loud people just got louder :)
@mikibell Ugh. I hate people like that.
@mikibell Take your mobile, aim it at them, and record video. If they ask or more if they complain, tell them you're going to post it to youtube. Or better, that you're streaming it to youtube...
@PurplePawprints We were all glad when they left two songs from the end and before the three encore songs..
It depends on the show. A symphony, or other show with a rich tone requires a quiet appreciation. A rock concert - be loud! No one can hear you anyway.
I would've set next to those jackwads and interrupted their conversation, since they were ruining the show for everyone around them.
@Thumperchick I felt sorry for the people next to us, they had the noisy people behind them, and an obnoxious person viewing the concert through his phone directly in front of them. The husband had no trouble mentioning his irritation, but it did him no good.
I can never understand the people who put out big bucks for great seats and then spend the entire show running back & forth for beers and pee breaks. Why bother?
@beachbum The venue we were in had extremely long rows, so we had to get up quite often for people looking for beer and @ $14 a can, wow! I will say the cans were larger, like the Arizona Ice Tea cans..
We had decent tickets to one show and even before it started the group next to us were loud and drunk. We talked to an usher and got moved.
Depending on the show, I am politely tapping my foot and bouncing in my seat or all out dancing and singing.
It depends on the show and venue, and I also tend to judge the atmosphere around me. If it's rock, I'll have a blast and not worry about it, standing around is for the birds! If it was more mellow, it should irritate me, but to each his own.
I should add that the last show I went to was Die Antwoord, and I was pretty close, but not in, the pit. Middle age my ass.
@jaremelz Die Antwoord!!! I'm not sure I have the balls at my middle age to go to one of their concerts, but I love the music.
@joelmw It was surprisingly ok. Not really mellow, but it was such a diverse crowd that it kept much of the ahole behavior I was concerned about it check. And they really put on an incredible show. Yolandi is absolutely mesmerizing. And we didn't even realize until the majority of the show was over just how well they built it up from fairly chill to everyone moving as a wave.
Last November we had floor seats for Trans Siberian Orchestra, the folks in front of us wore ear plugs.
@cattylaq I am jealous..I would LOVE to see TSO, but they always come around during my husband's slow season and I just can't justify the expense..and it is too early to ask for tix as a Christmas present...
@cattylaq So them trying to protect their hearing bothers you more than it should?
@mikibell Tell hubby he'll never have to buy you another Xmas present again if he takes you to TSO - it's ABSOLUTELY worth it. The pyrotechnics alone are worth it.
I had front row tix to one of their concerts a couple years back and the pyrotechnics were so big and 'splody that it felt like my eyebrows were singed off.
BEST. NEAR-3RD-DEGREE-BURNS. EVER.
@pepsiwine 'splody.. I like it! Well said.
@cattylaq Ear plugs at concerts are common and even recommended, I would think especially for a typical TSO show (not that I've been, but I know the music). We've even been part of worship settings where they sold ear plugs. If you get the right sort of ear plugs, IMO it it actually improves the quality of sound--which is usually too damned loud at such events.
@joelmw Learn something new every once in awhile, might have to go get hearing tested like wifey suggested or wait till Meh sells one of those tv ear amps
I went to see the Aquabats on Thursday. I quietly bob my head to the music unless the band calls for participation (which they did). My wife likes to dance around. Both of us stood, but there was no seating so does that count?
• An archivist, so I look for people who are having fun without getting too loud or frisky or likely to do the douchewhistle. (Which I think deserves insanely heavy karmic punishment whether I'm recording the show or not.) The only thing that sucks is not being able to call out requests. I have to mime clapping, too, but no big deal. I usually share my recordings on a site set up for live music fans.
I had a first hand experience with this a couple years back. I was seeing Florence + the Machine at the Hollywood Bowl and there was a row of 5 or 6 girls in their early twenties right behind me that would not stop talking. I figure they'll shut up after it starts, but they just keep on talking so I finally ask them to be quiet and they freak out at me "It's a concert! You expect us to NOT TALK??" Uh...YES!!!??? I paid good money to hear the musical artist sing not to hear you drone on about stupid bullshit.
They keep talking so I say if they don't shut up I'll get an usher and get their asses kicked out, that quiets them down some but of course they're still whispering shit talk about me and eventually start up again. I decide to move down a few rows since people have moved around at this point and immediately someone next to me thanks me for saying something, which I appreciated but...where were you to back me up when I was trying to tell them off earlier!?
Worst concert experience of my life, don't fucking talk loudly at concerts.
Okay, as far as my participation, I'm willing to sit as quietly and stationary as I'm allowed. If the people in front of me and pretty much everyone around is standing, I'm willing to stand. I'll make some noise on occasion, in the proper context and at the level of appropriate discretion.
As far as people talking and/or making noise, I'm generally of the strict shut the fuck up camp. I don't care how you want to waste your money, but I didn't waste mine to listen to your ignorant, annoying, inconsiderate ass. Now there are contexts and even small sections of a larger event wherein audience participation is tolerated or even desired. That's cool. And I recognize that most people care less about the noise than I do, so I tend to regulate my desire to scream obscenities at the offenders.
What bothers me perhaps most of all is those assholes who are not only making inappropriate noise and talking, but are talking about something totally unrelated.
So,
@joelmw your last example is what I was talking about in my story and yeah, it was the worst.
i'm just now boarding a flight back to texas from four nights of X/The Blasters/Mike Watt in orange county.
at these recent shows i was the sing-a-long type.