Mobile phones in the air filming concerts

[editor]

Now, I'm as guilty as the next person of taking a few photos at concerts, but there seems to be a growing trend for people to hold their phones aloft for the entire show, usually while they stand right in front of the act.

Apart from the fact that it can't be a lot of fun holding up your phone for so long, it must be even less fun for the people behind.



This was the view at the Brixton Fridge a few days ago. Amusingly, I was told at the door that Ziggy Marley has insisted on a "strict no cameras policy."

 

[DotCommunist]

i wouldn't mind, but they upload it to youtube so when you are looking for an album track you have to wade through peoples shonky ipad recordings.

 

[jusali]

Kind of defeats the idea of going to a concert IMHO. You'd look at the video mths, or years later and just remember achy arms

 

[SpookyFrank]

There's just no way you could enjoy a gig and try and film it on a fucking iphone at the same time. And even if you manage to accidentally point the camera at the artist the sound quality will be shite.

I remember gigs before the days of mobile phone cameras. I mean I actually remember them, because I was actually there paying attention.

 

[ffsear]

I wonder how many of them actually watch it back.

To be honest at concerts I think it ok. Its people who do it in nightclubs that do my head in.

I get really confused these days when I see a DJ i like is playing I don't know what it means. Is he going to be anonymously spinning records in a dark corner while the rest of us get on with dancing. Or is he going to be on some podium starting into a laptop while everyone faces the same direction and acts as if he's jesus fucking christ. I don't know what clubbing is anymore!

 

[xenon]

If it's not happening on a screen, it's not real.

 

[twentythreedom]

There's a few in that pic filming in portrait view

 

[boohoo]

I remember seeing this at a Depeche Mode concert back in 2006 (?) and found it really odd then. In fact I've found it's really hard to enjoy an experience whilst photographing it - in particular tower block demolitions which only take 8 seconds and they can't go again once they've gone. Best to watch to take in the whole (amazing) atmosphere.

 

[isvicthere?]

About 7 years ago I was working at a concert in Hyde Park. Razorlight were on, and I noticed someone right at the back of the field using their phone to record from the screen for that oh-so essential secondhand secondhand experience.

 

[ffsear]

Gigs now, i always go in the upper tier, if there is one

 

[Badgers]

Gigs now, i always go in the upper tier, if there is one

This has nothing to do with your age, it is purely the phones

 

[jusali]

I get really confused these days when I see a DJ i like is playing I don't know what it means. Is he going to be anonymously spinning records in a dark corner while the rest of us get on with dancing. Or is he going to be on some podium starting into a laptop while everyone faces the same direction and acts as if he's jesus fucking christ. I don't know what clubbing is anymore!

Me neither . A good DJ should takes the crowd on an audio trip, you lose yourself in the beats and have some kind of mutual trancendental experience. As far as going to "see" a DJ? WTF?

 

[ska invita]

blanket ban - no compromises

 

[mack]

What's the etiquette when you've paid a hefty wedge to see a band in comfort sitting down at the Hammersmith Apollo in the upper tier when a group of people sitting in front of you suddenly stand up and start dancing when the band starts playing?

Happened not to me but a bloke in the next section of the crowd - he looked incredibly pissed off but didn't say anything for some reason.
If it had been me a polite "sit the fuck down" would have probably been my call.

 

[editor]

What was the band?

 

[DaleyMale]

I blame Bono.

He asked us all to hold our cameras up with the torch function on. I can't remember what song he was doing at the time....it was about 10 years ago. We could text a number and part of the cost of it would go to a worthy cause, then at the end your name would scroll along the giant screen on stage, along with everyone else's that had donated.

Hopefully in the future, when communication devices can be surgically implanted in our heads we won't have to rely on using our phones to record our experiences...they'll always be there. No more forgetting stuff.

Thinking about, maybe Bono was just worried about falling off the stage in the dark, you know, tripping over The Edge...

Anyway it's not as bad as doing hearts or diamonds in the sky!


What next? Throw your hands up on a Club shape?

Spades has already been done in the 30's.


Note the considerate angling of the arm as so not to obstruct the person behinds view.

This is your classic devil horns, which I quite like



I'd rather be behind someone holding up a iPhone ( people with iPads can just fuck right off ) than be behind one of these

 

[ffsear]

What's the etiquette when you've paid a hefty wedge to see a band in comfort sitting down at the Apollo in the upper tier when a group of people sitting in front of you suddenly stand up and start dancing when the band starts playing?

Happened not to me but a bloke in the next section of the crowd - he looked incredibly pissed off but didn't say anything for some reason.
If it had been me a polite "sit the fuck down" would have probably been my call.

AT Brixton 02 its not allocated seating upstairs. First 5 rows are for sitting, everywhere else is standing. It just a bit more relaxed and organised!

Upper tier tickets where only £5 more

This was for Basement Jaxx

 

[mack]

What was the band?

It was the recent Nick Cave gig in London - I finally got round to seeing him live after missing numerous opportunities. He's one of those performers that you can't take your eyes off him for a second.

 

[editor]

 

[SpookyFrank]

I fucking Ipad? seriously? I'm surprised the people behind him didn't make him eat it.

 

[salem]

What is that tablet editor, it's enormous. And with something that size you can't exactly slip it into your pocket.

Also the screen shows just how crappy the quality ends up. Not to speak of the sound <mufflemufflemuflfe>

I kind of understand the appeal and sometimes pull out my phone but usually realise after about 5 seconds hat it's a bad idea.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Ironically of course, the picture of the guy with the ipad must have been taken by a member of the audience with another camera phone.

I wonder if all these pictures of people filming gigs aren't actually people filming other people filming gigs so as to complain about them on the internet later

 

[SpookyFrank]

This was the view at the Brixton Fridge a few days ago. Amusingly, I was told at the door that Ziggy Marley has insisted on a "strict no cameras policy."

The artists themselves are the only ones who can really do anything about this though. All they have to do is say, 'we're not playing fuck all until all those iphones are back in your pockets' and actually mean it.

 

[DaleyMale]

It's a slippery slope. First you get your phone out to take a quick photo to maybe use as a wallpaper. Then 'wow look at that lightshow, must film that!'

With concert ticket prices increasingly on the increase, if you do catch a drum kit falling over or someone stage diving from the lighting gantry, it's an easy £250 from YBF. Pays for the gig, souvenir t-shirt and a couple of beers.

Concerts should operate like the courts. No filming or photography,with only artists drawings available to buy after the show.



£30

 

[jakethesnake]

You don't get this sort of thing going on down at the front of hard core punk gigs.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

This will all become much easier with Google Glass.

At least: it will if you're tall.

 

[RedDragon]

If it's not filmed it didn't happen.

The Band's view

 

[skyscraper101]

The filming of concerts on phones is less to do with preserving the moment for personal enjoyment but more for posting up on facebook in a kind of show off way IMO. After all, why would you bother filming anything when there are 50 other people filming it ahead of you with a better angle and the footage is likely to show up on the youtube within hours.

It's just part of a 'I took this' 'I was there' 'my life is amazing' thing to brag about IMO.

 

[skyscraper101]

This was there scene when I was at the Louvre a couple of years back, you couldn't get near the Mona Lisa for hoards of people hankering to get a photo of it. Kind of ruined the experience in much the same way.

*note the ipad also

 

[joustmaster]

i've seen people lose phones this way.
a lively crowd and the phone gets knocked to the floor and disappears.

it might even be planned.