Bob Dylan demands a phone and smartwatch-free show

[Jammy smears]

It's nothing new, Jack White has done the same for years. He wants to people to enjoy and listen but not through the lenses of their phones and I think that is fair enough. People find it hard to engage in the moment and enjoy themselves because they're forever checking their phone. I bet no one who has ever wasted time filming a firework display instead of just bloody watching has ever watched the footage!
I'm a bit of a hypocrite though as I do like to watch some live performances of songs on youtube I just don't want to be at a gig behind a sea of phones held aloft, it's distracting and annoying. I did film a couple of my favourite Angel Olsen songs at a gig last year but I was at the back stood on some seating so it wasn't bothering anyone else. I do like to take a photo or two as it's a standing joke that the pictures are always so bad when I post them on my facebook.
If more people had a bit of self control with their phones I doubt any artist would outright ban them but going by some of the gigs I have been too, self control is really lacking.

 

[Elpenor]

In fairness, very few people attending a Dylan gig will be there for the music.

That’s right, they’ll be there for the singing

 

[Lotte]

Maynard James Keenan did the same for Tool when I went last year, cameras have been banned from Tool gigs for ages. The grumpy old fart did allow us to take our phones out for the final song but until then, it was phones off and tbh I didn't mind because I just watched the visuals if I got fidgety. And they do enforce it - it was at the MEN or whatever it's called now and there were people patrolling the aisles and checking for phones.

It doesn't bother me too much, I can live without constantly checking my phone or taking photos. At Terrorvision, I saw people wave lighters instead of phones, very old school. I'm not anti-phone per se but it does get annoying when you're trying to watch, say, PJ Harvey and some dild in front of you is taking selfies and blocking your view.

 

[mx wcfc]

in the 1970s, he should have gone punk and called himself Gob Dylan. Gob Dylan could then justify his poor public performances by stating that, as a punk, he did not care.

I have seen an act called Gob Dylan.

He didn't even try to justify his (frankly piss) poor performance, and truly did not care.

(solo guitar "punk" renditions of such classics as "Gobbin on Heaven's Door")

 

[Lotte]

What health conditions do you need a phone for? I'm not being snarky, it's a genuine question.

 

[PTK]

It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, Bob
That people need distraction when you sing
It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, Bob
Performance, it really ain’t your thing
We go to your gigs, our minds full of hopes
You let us down and make us feel like dopes
You are a huge disappointment to everyday folks
But don’t think twice it’s all right

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I'm not down with it. Banning smartphones is a dick move. Banning smartwatches is just ridiculous. Who does he think he is?

OK sure SOME people are annoying with phones at gigs but he's not exactly Taylor Swift or Coldplay. I can't imagine the vast majority of his - let's be honest - mostly ageing audience even want to be holding up their phones for any length of time. They're not exactly the tik tok generation.

IMO there's nothing wrong with grabbing a few seconds of video or some photos of a gig when you've shelled out loads of money for it. Not to mention the inconvenience of not being able to communicate with anyone not sat next to you for the entirety of the show. What if you want to whatsapp from the bar. Or check your train is on time? It's bollocks. I bet the gig will be terrible too.

IME people of all ages are experiencing gigs largely through their phones nowadays, not just younguns.

As for your possible reasons for people to reasonably want to use their phones during a gig, well, you do remember the time before mobile phones? Somehow we managed.

I'm in the process of working through this and reaching a state of equanimity when ten people in front of me all decide they want a low-quality video of this particular part of the night. I'm also aware that I'm above average height, so I don't have the same issues with seeing things as most other people. So a silent 'ooooooommmm' from me.

I think asking people to switch off their phones at the start of a gig is fair enough. I think confiscating them is not, though. All a bit hair shirt for my tastes.

 

[skyscraper101]

What health conditions do you need a phone for? I'm not being snarky, it's a genuine question.

Not sure about about phones but Smartwatches have all kinds of health monitor stuff like heart rate, blood oxygen, blood sugar, body temperature, respiration rate, and sleep quality analysis.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Maynard James Keenan did the same for Tool when I went last year, cameras have been banned from Tool gigs for ages. The grumpy old fart did allow us to take our phones out for the final song but until then, it was phones off and tbh I didn't mind because I just watched the visuals if I got fidgety. And they do enforce it - it was at the MEN or whatever it's called now and there were people patrolling the aisles and checking for phones.

Yeah, this is the problem. Enforcement. Yet more reason for security to be looking at you all the time. I do think if you asked nicely at the start that most people would switch their phones off. We then just have to live with the few who don't, while tutting loudly.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Not sure about about phones but Smartwatches have all kinds of health monitor stuff like heart rate, blood oxygen, blood sugar, body temperature, respiration rate, and sleep quality analysis.

Yep, this one's a biggie at a Dylan concert.

 

[skyscraper101]

I think asking people to switch off their phones at the start of a gig is fair enough. I think confiscating them is not, though. All a bit hair shirt for my tastes.

This, but I think switch off is even too much. How about a polite request not to film or photo like Kate Bush did. I agree it can be annoying but I draw the line at mandatory bagging up phones.

 

[mx wcfc]

This, but I think switch off is even too much. How about a polite request not to film or photo like Kate Bush did. I agree it can be annoying but I draw the line at mandatory bagging up phones.

I generally take a couple of photos of each band I see at gigs/festivals, but that's it. First couple of songs, couple of snaps, then put the phone away.

Sometimes, it's the only way I can remember who I've seen the next day.

 

[xenon]

You weren’t really there unless you post it on Instagram.

 

[xenon]

I haven’t read the article. Is he asking people to hand their phones in at Reception or something? That ain’t gonna fly.

 

[PTK]

This, but I think switch off is even too much. How about a polite request not to film or photo like Kate Bush did. I agree it can be annoying but I draw the line at mandatory bagging up phones.

Well, if someone is so addicted to their phone that they cannot bear to turn it off, then perhaps they should not go to a gig.

 

[skyscraper101]

Well, if someone is so addicted to their phone that they cannot bear to turn it off, then perhaps they should not go to a gig.

But it’s not about that is it. He’s preventing people from being able to do stuff like check on transport, whatsapp a friend for some practical purpose, be alerted to emergencies, or numerous other potential health stuff in smartwatches.

Just request no photos and filming and surprisingly most people will comply.

 

[PTK]

But it’s not about that is it. He’s preventing people from being able to do stuff like check on transport, whatsapp a friend for some practical purpose, be alerted to emergencies, or numerous other potential health stuff in smartwatches.

Just request no photos and filming and surprisingly most people will comply.

I cannot understand why you would want to whatsapp a friend during a gig about a practical purpose. That sounds like addiction to me.

 

[Hollis]

Yeah, this is the problem. Enforcement. Yet more reason for security to be looking at you all the time. I do think if you asked nicely at the start that most people would switch their phones off. We then just have to live with the few who don't, while tutting loudly.

I was at a Billy Childish gig in Leyton years ago, where he very politely told everyone to just shut up before he started playing.

 

[PTK]

I worry that if I were to go Scuba diving, I might not be able to access my updates on social media while I was underwater. It must be hell for surgeons performing long operations.

 

[skyscraper101]

I cannot understand why you would want to whatsapp a friend during a gig about a practical purpose. That sounds like addiction to me.

But it wouldn’t be just during the gig. It would be for the entire time you’re inside the venue.

Eg. Sent someone to the bar but the bar don’t have the thing you wanted? Forget about texting each other the options.

Planning to rendezvous with someone in the venue but don’t know exactly what time they will show? Well good luck standing around looking for them because forget texting each other.

Family member or carer you may need to be in contact with for emergencies. Forget it.

Health condition you may rely on your smartwatch to alert you to? Sorry Dylan’s not down with that.

Smartphones and watches aren’t just some annoying thing that people use to film gigs. They have actual meaningful uses. If Dylan can’t get his head around that and understand that people will be respectful if he just asks people kindly not to photograph or film his show then he’s even more out of touch than ever.

 

[PTK]

But it wouldn’t be just during the gig. It would be for the entire time you’re inside the venue.

Eg. Sent someone to the bar but the bar don’t have the thing you wanted? Forget about texting each other the options.

Planning to rendezvous with someone in the venue but don’t know exactly what time they will show? Well good luck standing around looking for them because forget texting each other.

Family member or carer you may need to be in contact with for emergencies. Forget it.

Health condition you may rely on your smartwatch to alert you to? Sorry. Sorry Dylan’s not down with that.

Smartphones and watches aren’t just some annoying thing that people use to film gigs. They have actual meaningful uses. If Dylan can’t get his head around that and understand that people will be respectful if he just asks people kindly not to photograph or film his show then he’s even more out of touch than ever.

But the article states that there would be places that in the venue that you would be able to use your phone.

 

[skyscraper101]

But the article states that there would be places that in the venue that you would be able to use your phone.

It’s phones and smartwatches.

The point of smartwatches and wearable health monitoring in general is that they’re kind of attached to you all the time.

And having to be in a designated area away from the show to be alerted to stuff on a phone kind of defeats the point of having one.

 

[Hollis]

I'm sure if someone had a genuine health condition requiring 24/7 monitoring they might contact the venue in advance. I can't see any particular other justification. Not sure which beer to buy at the bar... Just guess.

 

[8ball]

I worry that if I were to go Scuba diving, I might not be able to access my updates on social media while I was underwater. It must be hell for surgeons performing long operations.

It’s ok, I had a long operation recently and it turns out they wear earphones that read out the reactions to their Tweets (or whatever Tweets are called these days, Xcretions maybe).

 

[Gerry1time]

Seems fair enough to me - he's apparently been doing this for years, this is from 2017:

He also had the video screens either side of the Pyramid Stage turned off for his set at Glastonbury 1998. Which was shit. So it looks like he's been giving people exactly the same experience for over 26 years now.

 

[Winot]

Dylan did this at the Palladium in October 2022. We put our phones in a pouch, they were locked for the gig and unlocked at the end. It was fine.

 

[xenon]

how’s that work then? Do they search people and take their phones off them? Fuck that quite frankly.

 

[PTK]

I'm sure if someone had a genuine health condition requiring 24/7 monitoring they might contact the venue in advance. I can't see any particular other justification. Not sure which beer to buy at the bar... Just guess.

The website for the Dylan gigs in Edinburgh states that there are exemptions for people with medical conditions.

 

[PTK]

The Dylan gigs at the Albert Hall begin at 8:00 PM and run for about an hour and a quarter, and there is no interval.

 

[PTK]

No-one is forcing anyone to attend the Dylan gigs.
I managed to survive seeing Dylan in 1984 without phoning my friend mid performance, but as soon as it was over, I rushed to the nearest phone box like a rat down a pipe, to assure my Mum, Dad, sister, friend, and next-door neighbour that I was all right.